Asking Scientific QuestionsActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning helps young learners grasp the difference between everyday curiosity and scientific enquiry. By sorting, discussing, and refining questions in hands-on ways, children internalise the clarity and purpose needed to plan real investigations.
Learning Objectives
- 1Classify given statements as either a 'wondering' or a testable scientific question.
- 2Formulate a testable scientific question about the effect of a specific variable on plant growth.
- 3Explain the purpose of asking a testable question before conducting a scientific investigation.
- 4Compare and contrast a vague curiosity with a precise, observable scientific question.
Want a complete lesson plan with these objectives? Generate a Mission →
Whole Class: Wondering Sort and Refine
Display 10 cards with wonderings and scientific questions on the board. Pupils vote to sort them into two categories, then work together to rephrase wonderings into testable questions. Conclude with a class vote on the best examples and why they work.
Prepare & details
Differentiate between a 'wondering' and a scientific question.
Facilitation Tip: During Wondering Sort and Refine, invite pupils to read each card aloud so the whole class hears the difference between vague and precise questions.
Setup: Charts posted on walls with space for groups to stand
Materials: Large chart paper (one per prompt), Markers (different color per group), Timer
Pairs: Plant Observation Questions
Provide pairs with potted bean plants at different stages. Pupils observe for 5 minutes, list three wonderings, then convert two into testable questions using stems like 'Does ... affect ...?'. Pairs share one with the class.
Prepare & details
Construct a testable question about plant growth.
Facilitation Tip: For Plant Observation Questions, provide rulers, hand lenses, and petri dishes to give pupils concrete tools for noticing details that spark focused questions.
Setup: Charts posted on walls with space for groups to stand
Materials: Large chart paper (one per prompt), Markers (different color per group), Timer
Small Groups: Scientist Scenario Challenge
Give groups a scenario card, such as varying water for seeds. Groups brainstorm and write three testable questions, then test one verbally as a fair test. Rotate roles for scribe and speaker.
Prepare & details
Explain why scientists ask questions before doing experiments.
Facilitation Tip: In the Scientist Scenario Challenge, assign each small group a role card to ensure every pupil contributes to the question-planning process.
Setup: Charts posted on walls with space for groups to stand
Materials: Large chart paper (one per prompt), Markers (different color per group), Timer
Individual: Question Stem Journal
Pupils choose a classroom object, like a toy car, and use provided stems ('What happens if ...?') to write two testable questions in journals. Follow with pair sharing to refine.
Prepare & details
Differentiate between a 'wondering' and a scientific question.
Facilitation Tip: Use the Question Stem Journal to model how to use stems like 'How does...affect...?' or 'What happens if...?' to shape clear questions.
Setup: Charts posted on walls with space for groups to stand
Materials: Large chart paper (one per prompt), Markers (different color per group), Timer
Teaching This Topic
Teaching scientific questioning works best when it is concrete and collaborative. Start with familiar objects and everyday observations to build confidence, then gradually introduce the language of fair testing. Avoid abstract definitions; instead, let pupils experience the difference between vague and testable questions through sorting and peer discussion.
What to Expect
By the end of these activities, pupils will confidently turn simple wonderings into focused, testable questions. They will explain why clarity and measurability matter in planning fair tests and use clear language when writing their own.
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 Wondering Sort and Refine, watch for pupils grouping opinion-based questions like 'Which ice cream flavour is best?' as scientific.
What to Teach Instead
Have pupils read each card aloud and ask, 'Can we test this by observing or measuring?' If not, guide them to move it to the 'Wonderings' pile and rephrase it together.
Common MisconceptionDuring Plant Observation Questions, watch for pupils insisting that questions need complex words or equipment to be scientific.
What to Teach Instead
Ask pairs to swap questions and use the materials provided to test them. If the question can't be tested with the tools, they will see the need for simpler wording.
Common MisconceptionDuring Scientist Scenario Challenge, watch for pupils assuming scientists only ask questions after experiments.
What to Teach Instead
Provide role cards that say 'Plan your enquiry' first and ask groups to write their question, prediction, and method steps in that order before any testing.
Assessment Ideas
After Wondering Sort and Refine, give each pupil three cards with questions on them. Ask them to sort the cards into 'Wonderings' and 'Scientific Questions' and whisper to a partner to explain one choice from each pile.
After Plant Observation Questions, provide an exit ticket with a picture of a houseplant. Ask pupils to write one testable question about what might affect its growth and underline the variable they would measure.
During Question Stem Journal time, pose the question: 'Why is it important to ask a clear question before testing?' Listen for responses linking to planning, making fair tests, and useful results, then invite pupils to add their ideas to a class chart.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Provide a picture of a toy car and ask pupils to write three different testable questions about how it moves, then choose the strongest one to share with the class.
- Scaffolding: Give pupils sentence starters printed on strips to glue into their journals, such as 'What will happen if I change...?' paired with 'I will measure...'.
- Deeper: Invite pupils to design a mini-fair test using classroom plants, writing their testable question, prediction, and fair test plan on a single sheet.
Key Vocabulary
| Scientific Question | A question about the natural world that can be answered by making observations or conducting an experiment. It is specific and focuses on one variable. |
| Wondering | A general thought or curiosity about something that may not be easily tested or observed. It is often broad and doesn't focus on a specific variable. |
| Testable | Describes a question that can be answered by gathering evidence through observation or experimentation. It means you can plan a way to find the answer. |
| Variable | A factor or condition that can change or be changed in an experiment. A good scientific question focuses on changing only one variable at a time. |
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
Developing the skill of making informed predictions before conducting an experiment, based on prior knowledge.
3 methodologies
Planning Simple Investigations
Learning to plan simple comparative and fair tests to answer scientific questions.
3 methodologies
Conducting Fair Tests
Understanding that to get a reliable result, we must keep some things the same and change only one variable.
3 methodologies
Observing and Measuring
Developing skills in making careful observations and using simple equipment to take measurements.
3 methodologies
Recording Findings: Drawings and Tally Charts
Using drawings, tally charts, and simple tables to record observations and data from investigations.
3 methodologies
Ready to teach Asking Scientific Questions?
Generate a full mission with everything you need
Generate a Mission