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Brain Power: Grades 2-3

Assessment

This activity can be viewed as an embedded assessment of how well students are grasping the concepts of scientific inquiry. As they work, look for the following:
- Are students able to make observations that are clear and specific? For example, can they note the color and shape of the material instead of saying, “It’s weird?”
- Are students able to make a prediction based on their observations?
- Are students able to figure out which materials to test to try to recreate the goo? Do they approach the problem logically and methodically?
- Are students able to record their results in either words or pictures?
- Can students support their conclusions with evidence gained from their investigations?
Keep track of what students know about the senses and the brain. Are they beginning with any prior knowledge, or is this subject completely new to them? If it is completely new, you may want to review what you discussed about the brain before proceeding to module 2.
After students complete their log sheets, you may want to make copies of them as part of a portfolio of their work. After completing each module in the NIDA Junior Scientists Program, students will be completing a log sheet. You can use the sheets to track their development as scientific investigators.