After introducing the Scientific Method, the teacher can walk the students through this simple experiment to help them become accustomed to using the Method.

Lead the students through a discussion of everyday things they have observed and then wondered why they happened. Use the template on the following pages as a guide.

1 . For example a question might be:
"How is it that an airplane can move forward?"

2. Next, field predictions from the students of what the answer might be:
"Air coming out the back end pushes it forward."
"The engines make it go."

3. Ask students to propose steps for an experiment to prove or disprove their hypothesis. Lead them towards the Balloon Thrust Experiment. Explain to the students what steps you will perform and then have them assist you in creating the procedure and the materials list.

4. Follow the procedure and ask students to observe carefully with all of their senses.

5. Get ideas from the students on how to organize the data: graph, chart, drawing, etc.

6. Ask each student to write their own conclusion.

7. Share and discuss their conclusions.

8. Distribute the Student Reading: Newton's Third Law and read it to them, discussing it as you go.

9. Ask them to rewrite their conclusion based upon this new information.

10. Show them the conclusion given in the Experiment Log Key and ask the students to carefully compare what they wrote to what is given in the Key. Ask them to identify ideas that are missing in their conclusions. Save this work for future comparison.