This mistakes in science reading is the perfect middle school science sub plan! Students read an engaging article about the top 10 mistakes in the history of science.
The article’s theme is: Science moves forward not by avoiding mistakes, but by studying them carefully and using them to build something better. In science, being wrong isn’t the end of the story – it’s often the beginning of a better one.
Includes both PRINT and GOOGLE SLIDES options to assign!
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In this activity, students will:
- READ an article about 10 significant mistakes in science. The article explains how the mistake happened and what the consequences were.
- DEFINE key terms using context clues from the reading.
- ANSWER text-dependent questions. All answers come from the text, so no prior knowledge is required!
- Complete a GRAPHIC ORGANIZER to summarize the information learned in the text.
Examples of mistakes included:
- A mirror in the Hubble Space Telescope was cut incorrectly due to a speck of paint, so the first images were blurry.
- Engineers who designed the Tacoma Narrows Bridge failed to account for the aerodynamic forces of the wind, resulting in its collapse just four months after it opened.
- Evolutionary scientists were fooled by the hoax fossil ‘Piltdown Man’ and created theories based on this fossil for decades.
- And lots more!
The point is that each of these mistakes taught us something valuable. Each misstep forced scientists to ask better questions, build safer systems, and test ideas more carefully.
Teacher Notes:
- Includes an answer key.
- Please note that this mistakes in science reading is not editable.
- You can also shop my TPT store!
- GO PAPERLESS! Use the included digital Google Slides option to assign.
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