©2015!California!State!University!East!Bay!All!Rights!Reserved.!!Any!unauthorized!reprint!or!use!of!this!document!is!prohibited!under!federal!law.!!!"#$%&'()%*'(+%,(-./0!was!
supported!by!a!grant!to!the!California!State!University!East!Bay!by!the!National!Science!Foundation!Discovery!Research!K12,!Award!No.!DRL-1418440.!PI:!michele.korb@csueastbay.edu!or!
contact!corinne.lardy@csus.edu,!michell e .s in a puelas@c s u e a s tbay.edu!!
Last!Updated!8/26/2020!
ASET!Science!&!Engineering!Practices!(SEP)!Tool:!Asking!Questions!and!Defining!Problems!
Name!or!ID:!
Lesson/Unit!Title:! Intended!grade:!
SEP!1!
Asking!Questions!and!Defining!Problems:!A!practice!of!science!is!to!ask!and!refine!questions!that!lead!to!descriptions!and!explanations!of!how!the!
natural!and!designed!world(s)!works!and!which!can!be!empirically!tested.!!Engineering!questions!clarify!problems!to!determine!criteria!for!successful!
solutions!and!identify!constraints!to!solve!problems!about!the!designe d!world.!Both !scientists!and!engineers!also!ask!qu estions!to!clarify!ideas.
!!
Components!of!SEP!
In!this!lesson / un it!p lan ,!it!is!clea r!th at!
1'23%,'1!have!a!structured!opportunity!to:!
Mark!with!“x”!
if!present!in!
lesson!
What!teacher!actions!were!taken!
to!facilitate!this!comp on en t!for!
students?!!!
What!are!the!students!doing?!
1) Ask!questions!based!on!observations!and/or
other!appropriate!information!of!a!scientifi
c
phenomenon
2) Generate,!identify,!and/or!evaluate!questions
that!can!be!systema tically!investiga ted!(i.e .,
questions!that!are
testable/investigable/s cientific)
3) Ask!questions!that!challenge!the!premise!of!an
argument!or!interpretation!of!a!data!set!*
4) [Engineering]+Define!or!describe!a!problem
that!can!be!solved!(throug h!an !object,!tool,
process,!and/or!system)
Notes!on!Context/Special!Considerations!(part!of!school!year,!differentiation,!student!developmental!considera tions ,!etc.):!
! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !
©2015!California!State!University!East!Bay!All!Rights!Reserved.!!Any!unauthorized!reprint!or!use!of!this!document!is!prohibited!under!federal!law.!!!"#$%&'()%*'(+%,(-./0!was!
supported!by!a!grant!to!the!California!State!University!East!Bay!by!the!National!Science!Foundation!Discovery!Research!K12,!Award!No.!DRL-1418440.!PI:!michele.korb@csueastbay.edu!or!
contact!corinne.lardy@csus.edu,!michell e .s in a puelas@c s u e a s tbay.edu!!
Last!Updated!8/26/2020!
ASET!Grade!Band!Criteria!4+"53%(65,317(89:;(<9=>?!
!
Science!&!Engineering!Practices!
SEP!1:!Asking!Questions!and!Defining!Problems:!!Asking!questions!and!defining!problems!in!6-8!builds!on!K-5!experiences!and!progresses!to!specify!
relationships!between!variables,!clarifying!argu m ents!and !mod els.!!In!9-12!they!build!on!these!K-8!experiences!and!progress!to!formulating,!refining,!and!evaluating!
empirically!testable!questions!and!design!problems!using!models!and!simulations.
!
By+the+end+of+the+grade+band+1'23%,'1+will+have+had+a+structured+opportunity+to+develop+an+understanding+of+each+of+these.++Individual+lessons+or+units+
should+include+opportu nities+for+1'23%,'1+to +prac tice+on e+or+m or e+of+the+follow ing +com p on ents+… …!
!
6-8!Grade!Band!
9-12!Grade!Band!
1) Ask!questions!based!
on!observations!
and/or!other!
appropriate!
informat ion !o f!a!
scientific!
phenomenon!
Students!will:!
a. generate!their!own!questions!that:!
i. are!based!on!observab le!evidence!an d!prior!kno w ledge !
ii. arise!from!careful!observation!of!phenomena,!models,!or!
unexpected!results!
!
b. generate!their!own!questions!to:!
i. clarify!and/or!seek!additional!information!
ii. clarify!and/or!refine!a!model,!an!explanation,!or!an!
engineering!problem!
Students!will:!
a. generate!their!own!questions!that:!
i. are!based!on!observable!evidence!and!prior!knowledge!
ii. arise!from!careful!observation!of!phenomena,!or!unexpected!
results!
iii. arise!from!examining!models!or!a!theory!
!
b. generate!their!own!questions!to:!
i. clarify!and/or!seek!additional!information!(and!
relationships)!
ii. clarify!and!refine!a!model,!an!explanation,!or!an!eng ineerin g!
problem!
2) Generate,!identify,!
and/or!evaluate!
questions!that!can!be!
systematically!
investigat ed !(i.e .,!
questions!that!are!
testable/investigable
/scientific)!
Students!generate!questions:
a. that!can!be!investigated!w ithin!the !scope !of!the!
classroom/school!laboratory,!outdoor!environment,!and!
museums!and!other!public!facilities!with!available!resources!
b. to!frame!a!hypothesis!ba sed !on!observations!and!scientific!
principles!
c. that!require!sufficient!and!appro priate!empirical!evidence!to!
answer!!
d. to!determine!relationships!betw e en!ind epe nd ent!an d!
dependent!variables!and!relationships!in !models!
!
Students!generate!questions:
a. that!can!be!investigated!w ithin!the !scope !of!the!
classroom/school!laboratory,!outdoor!environment,!and!
museums!and!other!public!facilities!with!available!resources!
b. to!frame!a!hypothesis!ba sed !on!observations,!scientific!
principles,!and!a!model!or!theory!
c. that!require!sufficient!and!appro priate!empirical!evidence!to!
answer!!
d. to!determine!relationships,!in c lu d in g!q u a n tita t ive !
relationships,!between!independent!and!dependent!variables!
and!relationships!in!models!
e. evaluate!a!question!to!determine!if!it!is!testable!and!relevant!
3) Ask!questions!that!
challenge!the!
premise!of!an!
argument!or!
interpreta tio n !o f!a!
data!set!*!
Students!ask!questions!that!challenge!and/or!clarify!the!
premise(s)!of!an!argument!or!the!interpretation!of!a!data!set.!!!
This!includes!considering!the!weight!and!relevance!of!evidence!
provided!for!a!claim!and!the!validity!of!data!being!used.!
Students!ask!and/or!evaluate!questions!that!challenge!and/or!
clarify!the!premise(s)!of!an!argument!or!the!interpretation!of!a!
data!set,!or!the!suitability!of!the!design.!
This!includes!considering!the!weight!and!relevance!of!evidence!
provided!for!a!claim!and!the!validity!of!data!being!used.!
! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !
©2015!California!State!University!East!Bay!All!Rights!Reserved.!!Any!unauthorized!reprint!or!use!of!this!document!is!prohibited!under!federal!law.!!!"#$%&'()%*'(+%,(-./0!was!
supported!by!a!grant!to!the!California!State!University!East!Bay!by!the!National!Science!Foundation!Discovery!Research!K12,!Award!No.!DRL-1418440.!PI:!michele.korb@csueastbay.edu!or!
contact!corinne.lardy@csus.edu,!michell e .s in a puelas@c s u e a s tbay.edu!!
Last!Updated!8/26/2020!
4) [Engineering]+Define!
or!describe!a!
problem!that!can!be!
solved!(through!an!
object,!tool,!process,!
and/or!system)
!
a. Students!define!a!design!problem!that:!
i. can!be!solved!through!the!development!of!an!object,!tool,!
process!or!system!!
ii. includes!multiple!criteria!for!success!and!constraints!(e.g.,!
materials,!time!or!cost),!and!scientific!knowledge!that!may!
limit!possible!so lu tion s !
b. Students!identify!the!system!in!which!the!problem!is!embedded,!
including !th e: !
i. major!components!and!relationships!in!the!system!
ii. system!boundaries!
a. Students!define!a!design!problem!that:!
i. involves!th e !de ve lo p ment!of!a!pro c es s!o r!sy st em!with!
interactin g!c omponen ts !an d !cr ite ria !an d !co n st ra in ts !
ii. includes!so cia l,!te c hn ic a l,!an d / or !en v iro n mental!
considerations!
b. Students!identify!the!system!in!which!the!problem!is!
embedded,!including!the:!
i. major!components!and!relationships!in!the!system!
ii. system!boundaries!
*!This!component!is!not!required!in!K-2!or!3-5!grade!bands!!
!