Summary
In this mini-lesson, students explore some things they do every day that scientists also do: observe, ask questions, do experiments, and share their learning. Mystery Science lessons open with a real-world question and build to a hands-on activity.
Viewer safety
All ages
Our rating is a quick teacher-to-teacher guide — preview before showing.
Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after the lesson What does a scientist do? (Mystery Science):
- What was your first guess, and did the lesson change your thinking?
- What evidence or clue in the video was most convincing?
- Where have you seen this happen in the real world?
- What would you want to investigate next?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- In one sentence, answer the mystery question in your own words.
- Sketch or describe one piece of evidence from the lesson that supports your answer.