Science in Elementary Education Flashcards

An elementary teacher uses inquiry-based science instruction. Which is a hallmark of this approach?

Answer: Students ask questions and investigate to find answers

Inquiry-based learning places students in the role of investigators who ask questions, design investigations, collect data, and draw conclusions.

Heredity refers to:

Answer: The passing of traits from parents to offspring

Heredity is the biological process by which traits are passed from parents to offspring through genes.

Which layer of Earth is the thinnest?

Answer: Crust

Earth's crust is the thinnest layer, ranging from about 5 km thick under oceans to 70 km under continents.

Which tool would an elementary student use to observe the detailed structure of a plant cell?

Answer: Microscope

A microscope provides the magnification needed to observe cells and their structures, which are too small to see with the naked eye or a simple magnifying glass.

Sound travels as a wave. What must be present for sound to travel?

Answer: A medium (matter)

Sound is a mechanical wave that requires a medium — such as air, water, or solids — to travel; it cannot travel through a vacuum.

A student observes that ice melts when left on a desk. Energy flows from:

Answer: The surrounding air to the ice

Heat flows from warmer objects to cooler ones; the warmer room air transfers thermal energy to the cooler ice, causing it to melt.