Asking Scientific QuestionsActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning lets children experience the difference between everyday wonderings and testable science right away. When they sort, refine, and justify questions with tangible materials, abstract concepts like measurability and fairness become concrete and memorable.
Learning Objectives
- 1Classify given statements as 'wonderings' or testable scientific questions.
- 2Formulate a testable scientific question based on a provided everyday observation.
- 3Justify why a specific question is more easily investigated than another, considering factors like measurement and control.
- 4Identify the key components of a fair test in relation to a simple scientific question.
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Sorting Game: Wonderings or Testable?
Prepare cards with 10 wonderings and scientific questions about everyday things like magnets or melting. In small groups, children sort cards into two piles and explain choices to the group. Follow with a class share-out to refine understanding.
Prepare & details
Differentiate between a 'wondering' and a scientific question.
Facilitation Tip: During Sorting Game, circulate and ask each pair to explain one card’s placement before they glue it down.
Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials
Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template
Observation Hunt: Question Makers
Lead a short outdoor walk to spot natural phenomena like falling leaves or wet ground. Children note observations individually, then pair up to turn one into a scientific question. Collect and vote on the best class questions.
Prepare & details
Construct a scientific question about an everyday observation.
Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials
Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template
Pair Refinement: Fix the Question
Give pairs a list of vague wonderings from pupils' prior ideas. They discuss and rewrite each as a testable scientific question, noting why it works now. Share one improved question per pair with the class.
Prepare & details
Justify why some questions are easier to test than others.
Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials
Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template
Class Question Board: Build and Choose
As a whole class, brainstorm questions from a demo like mixing colours. Write on a board, then vote and justify which ones can be tested next week. Display to track progress.
Prepare & details
Differentiate between a 'wondering' and a scientific question.
Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials
Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template
Teaching This Topic
Teachers model the move from observation to question by narrating their own thinking aloud. Avoid over-correcting early attempts; instead, use pair refinement so children learn from each other. Research shows that immediate, specific feedback during question building strengthens conceptual understanding more than delayed marking.
What to Expect
Successful learning looks like children confidently turning simple observations into clear, testable questions and explaining why some questions work better for fair tests. You will see them using words like measure, change, and compare during discussions.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Sorting Game, watch for pupils labeling all questions as scientific.
What to Teach Instead
Hand each pair a red pencil and ask them to draw a line through any card they think is not testable, then discuss why with their partner before reshuffling.
Common MisconceptionDuring Observation Hunt, children write long, wordy questions.
What to Teach Instead
Model how to underline only the key variables (e.g., light, water) and circle the question core (e.g., ‘Do seeds need...?’) so they see that brevity strengthens clarity.
Common MisconceptionDuring Class Question Board, some pupils argue that feelings or past events can never be investigated.
What to Teach Instead
Place two columns on the board labeled ‘Testable now’ and ‘Testable with evidence’; let the class vote by moving post-its and discuss historical examples like ‘Did volcanoes erupt in Roman times?’ versus ‘Do volcanoes erupt today?’
Assessment Ideas
After Sorting Game, give each child three pre-printed cards and ask them to label each as a wondering or a scientific question, then explain one choice on the back.
During Observation Hunt, collect one question per child and check that each includes a clear variable and a measurable outcome before they share with the class.
After Pair Refinement, present the two bounce questions and ask students to vote by thumbs up or down, then justify their choice in small groups while you listen for mentions of changing only one thing.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Provide a set of mixed observations and ask early finishers to write three different testable questions for each.
- Scaffolding: Offer sentence starters such as ‘How does the amount of water affect...?’ on word cards.
- Deeper exploration: Invite a small group to plan and conduct a mini-investigation using their best question, then present their method to the class.
Key Vocabulary
| Scientific Question | A question about the natural world that can be investigated through observation or experimentation. It is specific and measurable. |
| Wondering | A curious thought or a general question about something that is not easily tested or measured. It expresses curiosity but lacks a clear investigative path. |
| Testable | Describes a question that can be answered by carrying out an experiment or making observations. It means there is a way to find evidence. |
| Fair Test | An investigation where only one variable is changed at a time, so that it is clear what caused the result. All other conditions are kept the same. |
Suggested Methodologies
Planning templates for Science
5E Model
The 5E Model structures lessons through five phases (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), guiding students from curiosity to deep understanding through inquiry-based learning.
Unit PlannerThematic Unit
Organize a multi-week unit around a central theme or essential question that cuts across topics, texts, and disciplines, helping students see connections and build deeper understanding.
RubricSingle-Point Rubric
Build a single-point rubric that defines only the "meets standard" level, leaving space for teachers to document what exceeded and what fell short. Simple to create, easy for students to understand.
More in Working Scientifically
Making Predictions
Learning to make simple predictions about what might happen in an investigation based on prior knowledge or observations.
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Conducting Simple Tests
Performing hands-on investigations safely and carefully, making observations.
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Recording Discoveries with Drawings
Using drawings and labelled diagrams to share what has been learned from observations.
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Recording Discoveries with Charts and Tables
Using simple charts and tables to organise and present findings from investigations.
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Communicating Findings
Discussing and sharing observations and findings with others.
2 methodologies
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