Unit 1: Preliminary Unit – Methods of Science (intro to course and review)

Students will know how to:
-Apply the steps of the scientific method to design and analyze investigations.
-Identify and use scientific practices, including making observations, forming hypotheses, collecting data, and drawing evidence-based conclusions.
-Use the metric system to accurately measure length, mass, volume, and temperature.
-Convert between common metric units using appropriate prefixes.
-Express and interpret values using scientific notation, including very large and very small numbers.
-Demonstrate proper lab safety procedures and explain the importance of safety rules and equipment.
-Distinguish between accuracy and precision in scientific measurements.
-Use appropriate measurement tools and record data correctly, including units and significant figures.

Essential Questions students will be able to answer:
-How do scientists use the scientific method to investigate questions about the natural world?
-Why is the metric system the standard system of measurement in science?
-How does scientific notation make it easier to work with very large or very small numbers?
-Why are accuracy and precision important when collecting and analyzing data?
-How do proper lab safety practices protect both individuals and scientific investigations?
-How does careful measurement impact the reliability of experimental results?

Suggested Activities/Labs:
-Unit test
-Quizzes
-Measurement lab
-Error/uncertainty lab
-Graphing & data analysis practice

NGSS Connections:

Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs):
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Using Mathematics

Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs):
Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
Cause and Effect

(Does not map to specific high school Performance Expectations but is foundational for all later units.)