You Be the Teacher! Show Me the Method!

Task: You and a partner will be creating a screencast, like the ones I use to
teach you, to teach younger students about the scientific method! In this
screencast, you and your partner will need to show each step of the scientific
method and also show an example of the method. For example: If you
choose to do the simple experiment of which paper towel is stronger, you
can create a presentation of your experiment, with each scientific method
step and a picture of the experiment that relates to the step. You will
screencast it so that you are able to talk/present the method to your
students and then we can send them to the 5th grade teacher to help her
teach her science students about the method!
Directions for creating presentation:
1. Choose one of the simple experiments from the list below or come up
with your own (it MUST be approved by me!). I will provide the supplies
for the experiments listed below, but if you choose your own, YOU and
your partner will bring your own supplies!
a. Paper towel strength
b. How will baking soda and vinegar react
c. How many drops of water fit on a penny
d. Which diaper holds more fluid (choice of 2 diapers)
2. Open whatever presentation software you wish to use. I have created a
list below of presentation software, but I recommend using Google
Slides. (If there is another type of presentation software you would like
to use, I must approve it first)
a. Google slides
b. Haiku Deck
c. PowerPoint
3. Once you have selected presentation software, begin titling each slide
with the steps of the scientific method. (If you need a refresher, check
your notes or go to our class webpage to find the PPT).
4. Begin writing out your problem, purpose, variables, and hypothesis for
your slides. Make sure to take pictures of each step to make your
presentation visually appealing.
5. Next, gather your materials from the science lab, type out ALL
materials needed and take a picture of them gathered on your table to
put on your slides.
6. Then record your procedure for testing your experiment. Take pictures
of steps as you do them. Make sure slides do not have too much
information on them; you will have several slides for your procedure.
Remember, your procedure needs to be in depth enough that another
person could do your experiment the exact way you did.
7. Record your data throughout so that you can use it to add in to your
slides. This is where PPT or Google slides is the best choice for
presentation software because it is easier to insert graphs.

8. Write up your conclusion. In conclusion our hypothesis was

supported/not supported by our data, because our data
_______________
9. Write up your application. How does this experiment relate to other
people or the world?
Directions for screen casting:
1. Once presentation and experiment are done. Leave presentation on
screen and Google: Screencastomatic.
2. Open the site and select Start recording. The application is already
downloaded on the Chrome Books.
3. Once it opens, click present on your slides. You will see your face in the
right-hand corner. You and your partner will take turns going through
each step. Between each step, hit the pause button to switch partners,
and then record to start again. If you mess up (which you will I do all
the time!) you can slide the slider back to before you messed up,
pause it and record over your mistake, or if you want to start over,
click delete and start again.

Show Me The Method Screen Cast Rubric:

Student names:____________________________ &
_________________________________
Criteria
Experiment
chosen

Scientific
Method

3x2
Students
choose
experiment
that is
approved by
teacher
Each step of
method is
listed on slides

Conducting
experiment

Student
correctly
conduct
experiment

Screencast
organization

Clearly
organized
between the
partners.

Speakers

Speakers are
confident, and
speak loud
enough for
viewers to hear

Grammar

Grammar on
slides is correct

Slides

Slides dont

2x2
N/A

1x2
N/A

0x2
Experiment
is not
approved
by teacher

Most (8/10)
of the
method
steps are not
used or are
in wrong
order.
N/A

Only a few
(5-8/10) of
the method
steps are
used

Less than 5
method
steps are
used.

N/A

Some
disorganizati
on but still a
good
presentation
Speakers for
the most
part are
confident but
show some
unfamiliarity,
harder to
hear
A few errors
(2-3) in
grammar are
present
Some slides

Pretty
disorganized
but viewer
gets the
main idea
1 speaker is
confident but
it is clear
they are not
on the same
page or Hard
to hear

Students do
not
correctly
conduct
experiment
Very
disorganize
d
Only one
speaker
speaks or
very hard to
hear

4-6 errors in
grammar are
present

More than 6
errors are
present

Most slides

Slides are

Pictures

contain
overwhelming
information,
font selected is
clear and easy
to read.

have too
much
information
or font is
hard to read

have too
much
information
and/or font is
hard to read

Pictures are
added to all
slides to add
visual interest
and instruction

Most slides
have
pictures to
add interest
and
instruction

Few slides
have
pictures to
add interest
and
instruction

Score: ________/48 total points.

Comments:

overwhelmi
ng and
choice of
font and
color make
it very hard
to see
No pictures
are added.