April 2022

The Lizard Mystery

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Academic Standards

Reading Objective:

Students will recognize that investigations involve taking steps to find answers.

Practice 3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

K-LS1-1: What Animals Need to Survive

1-LS1-1: How Animals Use External Parts to Survive

Vocabulary:

investigation, microscope

Check comprehension and inspire discussion.

 

1. What does this scientist want to know?
(She wants to know what the lizard eats.)

2. What is the first step in the lizard investigation?
(Make a guess.)

3. What part of the lizard did she need to clip?
(She had to clip its toenail.)

4. What question would you ask about lizards?
(Answers will vary.)

 Go online to print or project the Reading Checkpoint.

  • As a kid, Earyn kept a bearded dragon lizard. Her mom said no cats, no dogs—
    but a lizard was OK!
  • Growing up, Earyn loved watching nature shows on TV. Someday, she’d like to
    host her own show.
  • Scientists can examine our hair, skin, fingernails, and toenails to find out what
    we ate. This is called isotope testing. It works on lizards too!

Materials: pencils, copies of the skill sheet

Overview: Students will map out steps for their own investigation to answer the question Do plants need sunlight to live? (If there’s time, they can do the investigation too!)

Directions:

  1. Gather students. Remind them that scientists like Earyn answer questions by doing investigations. An investigation has steps that scientists plan carefully.
  2. Tell students they will plan an investigation to answer the question
    Do plants need sunlight to live?
  3. Suggest they start with a guess-—yes or no? They can turn and talk about this briefly.
  4. Then ask, “What steps would you take to find out if that’s true? What supplies would you need?” (two potted plants, water for the plants, something like foil to block the sun from one plant, etc.) “How much time would the investigation take?” The goal is to get students thinking and to scaffold their work.
  5. Pass out the skill sheets. Kids can work together to write and draw the
    steps of their investigation.