Get a free trial until June 30, 2026!
New members get full access to our science units, hands-on activities, mini-lessons, & more!
Back > Share
What does a scientist do?
Back > Share

What does a scientist do?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?

DISCUSS:

What do scientists DO?

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
01/16
You’ll work with a partner.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
02/16
Get your supplies.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
03/16
Watch this video. Look closely to observe the termites. Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
04/16
We want to experiment. Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
05/16
Let’s test what happens when we change the shape of the line. This
will be our Shape Experiment.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
06/16
Let’s observe what the termites do in our Shape Experiment. Watch
closely to follow the path of the termite with a circle, a square, and a
triangle.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
07/16
Find the Shape Experiment in your Termite Tracker. Use your pencil
to draw the path that the termite took. Draw a path for the circle,
the square, and the triangle.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
08/16
Here are the results of our Shape Experiment.
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
09/16
Here’s what we think.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
10/16
Let’s test what happens when we change what we use to draw the
line. This will be our Writing Tool Experiment.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
11/16
Time for our Writing Tool Experiment. We drew the same shape
using a pen, a marker, and a crayon. Watch carefully to see what each
termite does.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
12/16
Find the Writing Tool Experiment on your Termite Tracker. Draw the
path that each termite took. Draw a path for the pen, the marker,
and the crayon.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
13/16
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
14/16
Here’s what we thought.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
15/16
Talk with your partner and discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
16/16
School Year Challenge: Every time you’re curious about something
and ask questions, think about what experiments you could try!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?

You've completed the activity!

If you have time, you can extend this activity to include the Color Experiment. Check out the Extensions for additional activity steps.

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
01/20
You’ll work with a partner.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
02/20
Get your supplies.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
03/20
Turn your Termite Tracker facedown. Line up the corners and fold it
in half. Use your fingernail to make a crease. Fold it in half again along
the thin black line.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
04/20
Watch this video. Look closely to observe the termites. Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
05/20
We want to experiment. Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
06/20
Let’s test what happens when we change the shape of the line. This
will be our Shape Experiment.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
07/20
Let’s observe what the termites do in our Shape Experiment. Watch
closely to follow the path of the termite with a circle, a square, and a
triangle.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
08/20
Find the Shape Experiment in your Termite Tracker. Use your pencil
to draw the path that the termite took. Draw a path for the circle,
the square, and the triangle.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
09/20
Here are the results of our Shape Experiment.
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
10/20
Here’s what we think.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
11/20
Let’s test what happens when we change the color of the line. Find
the Color Experiment in your Termite Tracker. Color the first pen
black, the second pen blue, and the third pen red.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
12/20
Let’s observe what the termites do in our Color Experiment. Draw
the path that each termite took. Draw a path for the black circle, the
blue circle, and the red circle.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
13/20
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
14/20
Here's what we think.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
15/20
Let’s test what happens when we change what we use to draw the
line. This will be our Writing Tool Experiment.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
16/20
Find the Writing Tool Experiment in your Termite Tracker. Draw the
path that each termite took. Draw a path for the pen, the marker,
and the crayon.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
17/20
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
18/20
Here’s what we thought.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
19/20
Talk with your partner and discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
20/20
School Year Challenge: Every time you’re curious about something
and ask questions, think about what experiments you could try!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
🎉 That’s it for this lesson! How did it go?
Sign up now for more great lessons!
Sign up
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

Optional Extra: K-2 Color Experiment

If you want, you can extend the activity to include the Color Experiment for K-2. We have provided an additional printout so students can record their results.

Go to the next slide to start the Color Experiment!

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
01/04
Let’s test what happens when we change the color of the line. Get a
Color Experiment worksheet. Color the first pen black, the second
pen blue, and the third pen red.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
02/04
Let’s observe what the termites do in our Color Experiment. Draw
the path that each termite took. Draw a path for the black circle, the
blue circle, and the red circle.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
03/04
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
04/04
Here’s what we think.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Grades K-5

Current Events And Trending Topics

Experiments & Variables

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In the mini-lesson, students explore some things they do every day that scientists ALSO do: observe, ask questions, do experiments, and share their questions and learning. In the activity, Termite Tester, students virtually observe termite behavior and then do a series of virtual experiments to figure out the answers to their questions.
Preview activity
Number of students:
Termite Tracker (Grades 3-5) worksheet 30 copies
Termite Tracker (Grades K-2) worksheet 30 copies
Crayons
(For grades 3-5 only. Each student will need a black, blue, and red crayon.)
Details
90 crayons
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students can work on their own.

Creepy Crawly Caution

The observations and experiments in this activity are focused on termites. We think they’re small and cute, but if you have students who are particularly sensitive to seeing any type of creepy crawly, you may want to preview the lesson prior to presenting it to your class.

K-2 Versus 3-5 Activity

There are three experiments for 3-5 students (Shape, Color, and Writing Tool) and two experiments for K-2 students (Shape and Writing Tool). If you’d like to extend the activity to include the Color Experiment for K-2, we have an additional worksheet so students can record their results. You can find the activity steps for this extension here.

Teacher Background

If you are curious, the termites only follow ink from Bic brand pens because a chemical in the pen ink is similar to a scent that termites recognize. Termites don’t have eyes and rely on their sense of smell to know where to go! If you and your students are interested, you can even order termites online and bring them into your classroom for more hands-on experiments!

Grades K-5

Current Events And Trending Topics

Experiments & Variables

Slow internet or video problems?
Credits