Discovering the Unknown with VINS School Programs

January 4, 2017 / Emily Johnson

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​W​hen you step into a classroom with a VINS Educator, you will see students engaged in hands-on learning. Recently the VINS educators have been working in several 5th grade classrooms, to assist students to “discover the unknown”. In the 5th grade, a number of of the Next Generation Science Standards focus on Matter and Its Interactions. More specifically, students are making observations and measurements to identify a material based upon its properties.  You may ask yourself, what might this standard look like in a classroom?

Investigate. Discover. Explore. Learn. Answer questions. Provide Evidence. These are terms commonly used in a NGSS classroom.  Students working on this standard in particular have been trying to identify mystery liquids or mystery powders.  The students carry out their investigation, collect data, use indicator solutions and other known chemical reactions to help them identify their mystery powders or liquids. In the photo on the left, students observe the reaction of water and rubbing alcohol.  

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As students investigate unknown liquids or powders they begin to have a collection of data.  They learn what happens when you mix certain substances together.  After they investigate and collect enough data, they are able to identify their unknown substances!  These hands-on learning experiences allow students to provide enough evidence to make a claim, explaining the phenomenon of the unknown.  They support their claim with reasoning, based on what they have learned during the investigation. The students conduct real scientific investigations – something that will help to prepare them for a future in STEM. 

“VINS staff has the materials and time to prepare a fun and engaging lesson for students. It takes too much time for us as public classroom teachers when we have to focus on ELA and math. VINS also helped me to look deeper into the national science standards and really teach what the standards mean,”  Teacher

By Michelle Amato

Contact education@vinsweb.org with questions or comments.

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