EXPLORE! ICE WORLDS!

Ice and Seek: What is Ice?

Correlations to National Science Standards

Grades K-4
Science as Inquiry - Content Standard A
Abilities Necessary to do Scientific Inquiry

Ask a question about objects, organisms, and events in the environment. This aspect of the standard emphasizes students asking questions that they can answer with scientific knowledge, combined with their own observations. Students should answer their questions by seeking information from reliable sources of scientific information and from their own observations and investigations.
Plan and conduct a simple investigation. In the earliest years, investigations are largely based on systematic observations.
Employ simple equipment and tools to gather data and extend the senses (including observing, using thermometers and magnifiers).

Understanding about Scientific Inquiry

Scientific investigations involve asking and answering a question and comparing the answer with what scientists already know about the world.
Simple instruments, such as magnifiers, thermometers, and rulers, provide more information than scientists obtain using only their senses.
Scientists develop explanations using observations (evidence) and what they already know about the world (scientific knowledge). Good explanations are based on evidence from investigations.

Physical Science - Content Standard B
Understanding the Properties of Objects and Materials

Objects have many observable properties, including size, weight, shape, color, temperature, and the ability to react with other substances. Those properties can be measured using tools, such as rulers, balances, and thermometers.
Materials can exist in different states — solid, liquid, and gas. Some common materials, such as water, can be changed from one state to another by heating or cooling.

Earth and Space Science - Content Standard D
Understanding the Objects in the Sky

The sun, moon, stars, clouds, birds, and airplanes all have properties, locations, and movements that can be observed and described.

Grades 5-8
Science as Inquiry - Content Standard A
Abilities Necessary to do Scientific Inquiry

Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
Design and conduct a scientific investigation. Students should develop general abilities, such as systematic observation, making accurate measurements, and identifying and controlling variables.
Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence. Students should base their explanation on what they observed.
Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations.

Science as Inquiry - Content Standard A
Understanding About Scientific Inquiry

Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations. Some investigations involve observing and describing objects, organisms, or events; some involve collecting specimens; some involve experiments; some involve seeking more information; some involve discovery of new objects and phenomena; and some involve making models.
Scientific explanations emphasize evidence, have logically consistent arguments, and use scientific principles, models, and theories. The scientific community accepts and uses such explanations until displaced by better scientific ones. When such displacement occurs, science advances.

Physical Science - Content Standard B
Understanding Properties and Changes of Properties of Matter

A substance has characteristic properties, such as density, a boiling point, and solubility, all of which are independent of the amount of the sample.

Last updated
October 19, 2009