Theories of the Universe Inquiry Lab - MS 6-8 Science TEKS

Students will first examine past and current theories about the nature and origin of the universe. They will sort the theories into time-order, then group them by topic to compare their differences. This will probably take up the first day of this lab.

Next, students will investigate the phenomenon of redshift, a critical piece of evidence in many current theories. You may plan to do this part of the lab on the second day.

Note: because the origin of the universe is a topic that intersects with many beliefs about the supernatural, you may wish to outline these two principles before starting:

1. The purpose of this lesson is to inform and educate about past and present scientific theories, not persuade anyone to change their belief system. Beliefs are personal and should be treated with respect.
2. Understanding the evidence behind different theories is beneficial whether you are attempting to prove or disprove those theories. The history of good science is full of people who understood popular theories but felt the need to challenge them.

This product contains three complete, TEKS-aligned labs that are differentiated for all of your students. All labs have comprehension questions, Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (C.E.R.) prompts, and a reflection section.

What's Included?

• Teacher resource pages, including prep time, standards/objectives, teacher directions, materials, and additional resources
• Answer keys - suggested answer keys for the labs
• CER conclusion and reflection questions - Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning statements along with 3 reflection questions per lab
• Fully editable files
• TEKS-aligned materials

3 Differentiated Labs:

• Dependent Student Lab - A complete lab. This level is written with a combination of procedural instructions and inquiry questions. They are moderately student-centered with guided inquiry questions throughout the lab. Suggested for on-level learners.
• Modified Student Lab - A complete lab. This level provides the most structured lab experience. The lessons may eliminate parts of the lab and change the questioning to include sentence stems or multiple choice questions. Suggested for learners who may benefit from modifications.
• Independent Student Lab - A complete lab. This level is the most student-centered experience. Suggestions are made for the students to get started, but most of the decisions will be student-generated. The students will be responsible for most aspects of the lab and will have the least guidance. Suggested for advanced learners.

Materials Needed Per Group:

• A set of Universe Cards, printed and cut apart in advance. You may wish to laminate to reuse. *In the Modified version, you only need one set of cards per class.
• A large (about 2’ long) light-colored tray or pan that holds at least 1” of water. You must be able to see the pattern of waves made in the pan. Large cat litter trays, dishwashing pans, or sheet-cake baking sheets are all possibilities.
• A ball at least 2” in diameter, but not larger than 5”.
• Red and blue colored pencils.

Save Time and Buy Now!

Save precious prep time and get back to teaching. All of the hard work has been done for you. Go have some fun with those students!

This is a finished product; it will be updated with formatting or corrections as needed. Future improvements and new features will be sold as a separate product.