Don’t close this browser tab!

This Mystery is being downloaded to your device so you can play it at home without an Internet connection.

Keep this tab open once it's downloaded in order to play the Mystery.

If you experience problems, please talk to your teacher.

0% Cancel
What does a scientist do?

What does a scientist do?

Lesson narration:
Scroll for prep
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

DISCUSS:

What do scientists DO?

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
01/16
You’ll work with a partner.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
02/16
Get your supplies.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
03/16
Watch this video. Look closely to observe the termites. Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
04/16
We want to experiment. Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
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
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
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
Step
08/16
Here are the results of our Shape Experiment.
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
09/16
Here’s what we think.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
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
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
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
Step
13/16
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
14/16
Here’s what we thought.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
15/16
Talk with your partner and discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
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

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
Step
01/20
You’ll work with a partner.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
02/20
Get your supplies.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
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
Step
04/20
Watch this video. Look closely to observe the termites. Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
05/20
We want to experiment. Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
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
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
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
Step
09/20
Here are the results of our Shape Experiment.
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
10/20
Here’s what we think.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
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
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
Step
13/20
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
14/20
Here's what we think.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
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
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
Step
17/20
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
18/20
Here’s what we thought.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
19/20
Talk with your partner and discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
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

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
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
Step
03/04
Discuss.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Step
04/04
Here’s what we think.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Lesson narration:

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

Extend this lesson