MISSION 3

Inspiring Discovery
with Developing Models

Scientists build and revise models to explain phenomena using observations, questions, and evidence.

⚙ Mission Time: 12:30–1:30 ⚙

Mission Commander Briefing

CLASSIFIED FIELD REPORT 03

Good afternoon, agents.

Several years ago, while conducting routine field work at my home in north Georgia, I brushed underneath the branch of a small tree. Almost instantly, I felt a sharp, burning sensation on my arm.

When I looked down, I noticed a bright red triangular mark where I had been stung.

My first thought was that I had been attacked by a wasp, or maybe a bee. As I looked around, I could not find either one. I even wondered if I had brushed against an ant mound or something else hiding in the grass.

Rather than making assumptions, I decided to investigate. A careful search of the tree led me to the organism responsible for the sting.

Your mission is to investigate the same evidence.

Mission Countdown

60:00

START PAUSE RESET

MODEL. INVESTIGATE. REVISE.

Mission Directive 01: Access the Evidence

CLASSIFIED SPECIMEN 03

Do Not Identify Yet

Before identifying the organism or conducting any research, use your scientific observation skills to develop an initial model explaining what you think this organism is, how it survives, and why it may have caused the sting.

Only after developing your model will Mission Control authorize access to additional evidence.

□ Click to Open Classified Specimen 03

Specimen 03: Observe carefully. Do not identify yet.

Mission Directive 02: Observe and Wonder

Choose Your Questioning Strategy

Before developing a scientific model, your team needs to gather evidence through careful observations and meaningful questions.

Using what you learned in Missions 1 and 2, select one questioning strategy to guide your investigation.

Option 1

Observation & Question Organizer

Use the organizer from Mission 1 to independently record observations and develop questions about the unknown organism.

• Record detailed observations.
• Generate questions.
• Look for patterns.
• Use evidence to begin developing a model.

Open OQ Organizer

Option 2

Driving Question Board

Use the process from Mission 2 to develop questions with your table team.

• One question per sticky note.
• Group similar questions.
• Identify investigable questions.
• Select questions that will drive your research.

Mission Directive 03: Develop a Working Model

Working Model 1.0

Before researching the organism, develop an initial scientific model based only on what you can observe.

Your model should not just be a drawing. It should show components, relationships, possible functions, and evidence.

Your Model Should Include

• Observable structures
• Labels for important parts
• Arrows showing relationships or interactions
• Possible functions of structures
• Evidence from your observations
• A written explanation of your current thinking

Modeling Prompts

• What structures do you notice?
• What might those structures do?
• How might this organism protect itself?
• How might it interact with its environment?
• What evidence supports your ideas?

Working Model 1.0

Use this space to create your initial model.

Draw and label your initial model here.

Add arrows to show how parts interact.

Include evidence from your observations.

My current explanation:

I think this organism survives by...

My evidence is...

Mission Directive 04: Research

Mission Control Authorizes Research

Now that you have developed an initial model, use evidence to investigate the organism. Do not revise your model yet. Gather information first.

Research File 001
Developing Scientific Models

Learn what makes a scientific model different from a drawing. Use this file to think about how models explain phenomena, show relationships, and change when new evidence is collected.

Modeling: Not an Art Project

Research File 002
Field Guide: Unknown Specimen

Use this university extension resource to investigate the organism. Look for evidence about its structures, habitat, defense mechanisms, coloration, and survival strategies.

Open Field Guide

Research File 003
Additional Evidence

Use this source to confirm your thinking and gather additional details. What new evidence should be added to your model? What ideas need to be revised?

Open Additional Evidence

Identity Confirmed

□ Specimen 03 Identified

Saddleback Caterpillar

This organism has venomous spines that can cause a painful sting. Its bright colors and unusual markings may serve as warning signals to potential predators.

Now return to your model. What evidence confirms your thinking? What evidence challenges your thinking?

Mission Directive 05: Revise Your Model

Evidence Changes Models

Scientists revise models when new evidence becomes available.

Return to your original questions from your Observation & Question Organizer or Driving Question Board.

Which questions can now be answered? Which questions need to be revised? What new questions emerged?

Add

What new evidence needs to be added to your model?

Revise

What part of your model needs to change based on new evidence?

Remove

What idea no longer fits the evidence?

Working Model 2.0

Use this space to revise your model based on evidence.

Revise your model here.

Add new labels, arrows, and evidence.

Show how your thinking changed.

My revised explanation:

My model changed because...

The evidence that caused me to revise my thinking was...

Model Debrief

Discuss with Your Team

• How did your model change from Version 1.0 to Version 2.0?
• What evidence caused you to revise your thinking?
• Why are models more than drawings?
• How could students use models to make sense of a phenomenon?

Mission 3 Complete

You observed a phenomenon, asked questions, developed an initial model, gathered evidence, and revised your model like a scientist.

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