Sharing Our Discoveries

Active learning works for this topic because young scientists need repeated, low-stakes chances to explain their thinking out loud and in different formats. When students share discoveries through drawing, talking, and demonstrating, they practice organizing their thoughts in ways that make sense to others, which strengthens both their understanding and communication skills.

• Kindergarten
• Science
• 4 activities
• 10 min–25 min

Learning Objectives

1. Explain observations from a simple experiment to a classmate using clear language.
2. Design a drawing or model to represent a scientific discovery or finding.
3. Critique a peer's explanation of their scientific findings, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
4. Identify the evidence that supports a scientific claim made by a classmate.

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 10 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Tell a Partner What You Found

After any investigation, each student uses the sentence frame 'We found out that ___ because ___' to explain results to a partner before sharing with the class. Partners give one piece of feedback using the frame 'I understood... but I wasn't sure about...' before the class share-out begins.

Prepare & details

Explain what you learned from your experiment to a friend.

Facilitation Tip: During Think-Pair-Share, circulate with the sentence frame cards and hold one up to remind students to include both the result and the reason in their explanation.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Gallery Walk

⏱ 25 min·Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Our Science Drawings

Students draw their experiment setup and result on a half-sheet and post it on the wall with a title. The class walks to view each display, and each student leaves a sticky note with one question on two different drawings. The class ends by reading the questions left on their own drawing.

Prepare & details

Design a drawing or model to show your scientific discovery.

Facilitation Tip: For the Gallery Walk, assign roles like ‘Guide’ and ‘Listener’ to ensure everyone participates and practices clear communication.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Inquiry Circle: Show Me How It Worked

Pairs repeat their investigation in front of another pair to demonstrate their findings live. The observing pair uses the sentence frames 'I noticed that...' and 'I have a question about...' to give structured feedback after watching the demonstration.

Prepare & details

Critique how another student presented their findings.

Facilitation Tip: During Collaborative Investigation, give each pair exactly two minutes to plan their demonstration before they show the class how their investigation worked.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Museum Exhibit

⏱ 15 min·Whole Class

Peer Critique: What Makes a Clear Explanation?

Two volunteers share their science drawings with the class. Using posted sentence frames, students offer one specific observation about what they learned and one suggestion for what they could not tell from the drawing. The class builds a shared list of what a clear science explanation includes.

Prepare & details

Explain what you learned from your experiment to a friend.

Facilitation Tip: In Peer Critique, model how to give feedback first by thinking aloud about a sample explanation or drawing.

Setup: Tables or desks arranged as exhibit stations around room

Materials: Exhibit planning template, Art supplies for artifact creation, Label/placard cards, Visitor feedback form

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by making communication a habit, not an event. They use sentence frames and visual anchors to build students’ confidence in explaining step by step. They avoid rushing to correct every detail and instead focus on whether the explanation can be followed by others. Research suggests that frequent, short opportunities to share—even before full understanding—help students rehearse and refine their thinking over time.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students clearly connecting their observations to their ideas using evidence. They should explain their findings with increasing detail over time, using words, drawings, or actions to show how they know what they know. Partners and classmates should be able to follow along and ask thoughtful questions.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share, watch for students simply naming what happened without connecting it to evidence.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt them with the sentence frame on the board, ‘I learned that ______ because I saw ______,’ and give them 30 seconds to add the reason before they share with their partner.

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation, watch for students assuming their result is wrong if it differs from a classmate’s.

What to Teach Instead

Ask them to point to the different surface or condition they used and say, ‘This car rolled differently because the floor here is bumpy. Both of us are right for our conditions.’

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After Think-Pair-Share, ask students to tell their partner one thing they learned and what they saw that made them think that. Listen for students connecting observations to claims, such as ‘I learned the ball rolled far because the floor was smooth and we tested it three times.’

Peer Assessment

During Gallery Walk, have students swap drawings with a partner and ask, ‘Can you understand my drawing? What is one thing you like about it? What is one question you have?’ Listen for comments that focus on clarity and evidence.

Quick Check

After Collaborative Investigation, provide the sentence frame ‘I learned that ______ because I saw ______.’ Ask students to complete it orally or by drawing a picture to show their understanding of the investigation they just demonstrated.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to create a second version of their drawing or explanation after receiving peer feedback, showing how they improved it.
• Scaffolding: Provide pre-cut sentence parts on strips so students can physically arrange and rearrange their ideas before speaking or drawing.
• Deeper exploration: Have students compare two different experiments (e.g., ramp heights) and create a shared poster explaining why both results matter to the bigger question.

Key Vocabulary

Observation	Noticing something using your senses, like seeing, hearing, or touching.
Discovery	Finding out something new or surprising through investigation.
Explain	To tell or show how or why something happens.
Evidence	Information gathered through observations that supports an idea or conclusion.
Model	A representation, like a drawing or a physical object, that shows how something works or looks.