OpenSciEd 6.1 Lesson 2 - Light and Matter Vocabulary

Vocabulary and core concepts from Lesson 2 regarding light, matter, and experimental variables.

Variable

Something that can change or be changed in an experiment; it is what scientists test or measure to see how it affects the results.

One-way mirror

A material that looks like a mirror from one side and a window from the other side.

Independent Variable

The change that the scientist makes, also known as the cause.

Dependent Variable

The change that is observed or measured because of the independent variable, also known as the effect.

Idea Pirating

A classroom norm used when sharing and comparing ideas to help groups come to a consensus.

Gallery Walk

A collaborative activity where groups place their handouts on desks and rotate to visit other groups to compare models and explanations.

Phenomenon

An occurrence or object, like the one-way mirror, that looks different in different conditions.

DQB

An abbreviation for the Driving Question Board, used to track questions about things like whether light causes the one-way mirror effect.

Progress Tracker

A tool used to record the development of ideas over time, such as answering why we see different things when looking at the same object.

Self-Documentation Collection

A set of related phenomena examples brought in by students, often through photographs or drawings, to show real-world applications of a concept.