Checks Lab: Discovering the Nature of Science
For Middle and High School
$3.50$3.00
Engage middle and high school students in critical thinking and storytelling with our Checks Lab kit! Students will use realistic checks and other documents to craft and continuously refine a captivating narrative as new information is revealed. Perfect for building analytical and deductive reasoning skills in a fun, interactive way. The Checks Lab comes with printable checks/documents, a student packet and a teacher's guide, all designed to spark creativity and inquiry in any classroom setting. Suitable for all educational environments, it's a must-have for educators looking to make learning dynamic and engaging in their science classroom.
My students LOVE this lab because they get to be like detectives as they pull out clues and use critical thinking skills to solve the puzzle.
The basic premise: students are divided into small groups. Each group has an envelope with 20 different checks and documents. They will draw out five documents at a time and try to hypothesize what is happening. For example, one check is to the "Regional Hospital." They could hypothesize that someone was in an accident, got sick, had a baby, etc. Each time they draw new documents, they gain new information which will change their hypotheses.
This process reflects the tentativeness of science. Science is ever-changing and as we learn new things about our world and create new technology, we continue to change our theories and facts about what we observe.
This lab is designed to be done with Middle and High School (I've done this lab with 6-12th graders and they all did very well and enjoyed it!)
Included in this product:
Teacher Directions-prep and procedure info
Student Lab Packets with background info, procedure, hypotheses and analysis questions
Student Lab Packet Questions Answers
Teacher Tips
List of Documents-in chronological order
20 Printable (fictional) documents for lab-includes checks, direct deposit forms, movie ticket stubs, receipts, reservation confirmations and billing statements.
Envelope Template (if needed)
To do this activity, students will need:
Pencil
Copy of “Checks Lab” packet for each student (INCLUDED)
Copy of Check Documents for each group (INCLUDED)
An envelope for each group (A template is included, if needed)
Disclaimer: ALL documents are fictional and based on fictional characters.
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Thank you!
5th-12th
General Science
Any other science classroom
18 Pages
"Used this in a Physical Science class, and my students loved the activity and had great discussions around it. The material was easy to set up and well organized." Julia B.
"A more classroom friendly version of a similar lab I used to use. So glad I found this one!" Michelle C.
"This is such a cool way to introduce/practice the idea that science is always changing with the addition of new evidence. Students love when they have activities that make them "do science" without even looking like science class work. The concept of putting relatable clues, especially about money, into an activity is genius!" Krystina M.
"This science activity was fun and engaging! My students loved playing detective to solve the puzzle! Highly recommend!" MCA
"This is a fantastic resource! It is well organized, comprehensive and easy to implement! My students were fully engaged with these fun activities! Thank you!" Annalisa G.