The Geometry of Our World · Summer Term

Properties of 2D Shapes

Identifying and describing the properties of 2D shapes, including the number of sides and vertices.

About This Topic

Asking and Answering Questions is the first step in 'Working Scientifically'. For Year 2, the National Curriculum emphasizes asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways. This topic encourages natural curiosity and teaches students how to refine a broad wonder into a testable scientific question.

Students learn that science starts with 'I wonder...'. They explore the difference between a question that can be answered by looking in a book and one that can be answered by doing an experiment. This topic particularly benefits from hands-on, student-centered approaches where children can practice turning their own observations into investigations.

Active Learning Ideas

Think-Pair-Share: The Wonder Wall

Show a strange object (like a piece of volcanic rock or a giant seed). Students think of one 'I wonder' question, share it with a partner, and then post it on a 'Wonder Wall'. The class then votes on which ones we could test in the classroom.

⏱ 25 min·Whole Class

Generate mission

Inquiry Circle: Question Sorters

Give small groups a set of questions (e.g., 'What is the capital of France?' vs 'Which ball bounces highest?'). They must sort them into 'Research Questions' (books/internet) and 'Investigation Questions' (doing a test).

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Generate mission

Peer Teaching: The Question Doctor

One student shares a 'messy' question like 'Do plants like water?'. Their partner acts as the 'Question Doctor' to help make it more scientific, like 'Does a plant grow taller if we give it more water?'.

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Generate mission

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Any question is a scientific question.

What to Teach Instead

Children often ask 'Why is the sky blue?' which is too complex for them to test. Through discussion, we can help them pivot to questions they *can* answer with their own hands, like 'Which material is the most waterproof?'.

Common Misconception

Scientists already know all the answers.

What to Teach Instead

Students often think science is about learning facts. By doing a 'mystery box' simulation where no one knows what's inside, they learn that science is actually a way of finding out things that are currently unknown.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a question 'scientific' for a 7-year-old?

A scientific question for Year 2 is one that can be answered by observing, measuring, or testing something. It usually starts with 'Which...', 'What happens if...', or 'Does the...'. It's a question where we can find the answer ourselves.

How do I help a child who can't think of a question?

Start with an observation. Ask them to look closely at an object and describe it. Then ask, 'What would happen if we changed one thing about it?' (e.g., 'What if we made it wet?' or 'What if we dropped it?'). That 'what if' usually becomes a great question.

How can active learning help students ask better questions?

Active learning puts the student in the role of the investigator. When they are physically handling materials or observing a live animal, their natural curiosity is sparked. Structured activities like 'Question Sorting' help them understand the logic of an investigation, making their questions more focused and testable.

Why do we need to ask questions in science?

Questions are the 'engine' of science! Without questions, we wouldn't know what to test or what to look for. Asking a good question helps a scientist focus their mind so they can discover something new.

Browse curriculum by country

• Americas
• US
• CA
• MX
• CL
• CO
• BR

• Europe
• UK
• IE
• FR
• DE
• ES
• IT
• NL
• PT
• SE

• Asia & Pacific
• IN
• SG
• AU