K-12 Essential Questions

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GIPS Essential Questions
for K-12 Science Curriculum Program

1.1 Investigation and Research
• Have I seen this before? How does that connection help?
• What information do I have? What information do I need? How do I get that information?
• How do I collect and record data to remember what is important?
• When do I have enough data to establish a trend/draw a valid conclusion?
• How do I use data to support my thinking?
• How does the way I work affect the quality of the results?
• Do the results make sense?
• What effect does changing the variable have on the result?
• Where do I recognize and apply scientific inquiry in my life?

1.2 Communication
• Who is my audience? How does that affect the way I communicate data and ideas?
• How do scientists handle different points of view on the same issue?

2.1 Chemical and Physical Properties of Matter
• (K-2) How do scientists describe things? OR (3-12) How do scientists distinguish between objects? What do they learn
from the comparisons?
• What causes a reaction? How do we predict reactions before they happen?
• (K-2) How do properties of an object determine its use? OR (3-12) How do the properties of a substance determine its
use?
• (6-12) How does the structure of the atom affect the physical and chemical properties of the atom?

2.2 Motions and Forces
• In what ways can objects move and what makes objects move the way they do?
• (K-8) What role do forces play here? (9-12) How are forces produced? What role do forces play here?

2.3 Matter and Energy
• How does energy cause change?
• Where does energy come from? Where does it go?
• How does energy, matter, and/or momentum, remain constant in a closed system?
• What happens when a machine is used to do work? Does using this machine make my work easier?
• (5-12) How is this machine designed to do work?
• (3-12) How does energy flow and how is it transmitted?

3.1 Diversity of Life
• What is the difference between living and nonliving things?
• What does it mean to be alive?
• What are living things made of?

3.2 Classification
• Why and how do scientists classify living things?

3.3 Ecosystems
• How do organisms change, survive and adapt to their environments?
• How do living things interact with each other?

3.4 Genetics
•What are the life cycles of living things?
• Where do living things get their traits?
Page 1 Revised: September 20, 2007

4.1 Structure, History and Cycles
• What are the parts of this system? How do they work together

4.2 Energy
• In What ways can objects move and what makes objects move the way they do?
• (K-8) What role do forces play here? (9-12) How are forces produced? What role do forces play here?

4.3 Origin and Evolution
• How do scientists work to figure out how the world began?
• How do scientists work to figure out how the world continues to change over time?