Following one of the suggested starter activities, ask the students if they were doing science. How is what they did similar to what scientists do? Encourage a brief discussion. This can be followed by a direct introduction to the Science Flowchart. A suggested format is detailed in Introducing the Understanding Science Flowchart to middle school students, in which students compare their activities with the work of scientist, Walter Alvarez. They are introduced to the Science Flowchart and are provided the opportunity to trace Alvarez's scientific journey and then their own pathways.

Sample starting activities

Identifying your learning goals

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