Making Predictions

Active learning builds the habit of making predictions by giving students immediate, hands-on experiences that connect their thinking to real outcomes. When students predict before acting, they practice using evidence to explain their ideas, which prepares them for both science investigations and everyday reasoning.

• Kindergarten
• Science
• 3 activities
• 15 min–25 min

Learning Objectives

1. Formulate a prediction about the outcome of a simple science investigation based on prior observations.
2. Compare the actual results of an experiment to a stated prediction.
3. Explain how making a prediction helps scientists understand how things work.
4. Identify one observation that supports a given prediction.

Ready-to-Use Activities

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 25 min·Whole Class

Prediction Chart: Change One Thing

Set up a simple ramp with a small car. Make one change (steeper angle) and ask students to predict before testing: 'Will the car go farther, the same distance, or not as far? Why?' Record predictions on a class chart, run the test, and compare results. Repeat with a second change (heavier car).

Prepare & details

Predict what would happen if we changed one thing about our experiment.

Facilitation Tip: During Prediction Chart: Change One Thing, circulate and listen for students to state their predictions in complete sentences that include the word 'because' to encourage reasoning.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Playdough Color Mixing

Give each pair a small ball of red and yellow playdough. Ask them to predict what color they'll get when they mix the two, then record their prediction by drawing it. After mixing, compare the result to the drawing. Ask: 'Were you right? What would you predict if we mixed blue and yellow next?'

Prepare & details

Justify your prediction about what will happen when you mix two colors of playdough.

Facilitation Tip: For Think-Pair-Share: Playdough Color Mixing, pause after the first prediction round to ask, 'What evidence from the colors made you think that?' to reinforce grounding predictions in observation.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 15 min·Individual

Prediction Journal Entry

Each student draws and writes a prediction for the day's experiment before any testing begins. After the experiment, they draw and write what actually happened. At the end of the unit, students flip through their journals to notice patterns: were they better predictors for some types of experiments than others?

Prepare & details

Explain how making a prediction helps us learn in science.

Facilitation Tip: Use Prediction Journal Entry to model writing with a pen to emphasize commitment to a prediction before testing it.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teaching prediction works best when you model uncertainty and curiosity, treating surprises as learning opportunities rather than mistakes. Avoid rushing students from prediction to test. Give them time to articulate their reasoning and compare results with care. Research shows that students who verbalize their predictions before testing retain concepts better and develop stronger analytical habits.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently sharing predictions based on what they observe, testing those predictions, and then reflecting on differences between what they expected and what actually happened. They should be able to explain their reasoning clearly and see value in surprises.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Prediction Chart: Change One Thing, watch for students who say a wrong prediction means they made a mistake.

What to Teach Instead

Use the chart to highlight surprising results as opportunities to ask, 'What do you notice that is different from what you expected?' Guide students to add new observations to their chart to explain the difference.

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share: Playdough Color Mixing, watch for students who describe their prediction as a guess rather than a reasoned idea.

What to Teach Instead

After sharing, ask, 'What did you see in the colors that made you think that?' If students cannot answer, prompt them to look closely at the shades and textures before making a new prediction.

Common Misconception

During Prediction Journal Entry, watch for students who erase or change their prediction after testing.

What to Teach Instead

Remind students that their journal is a record of their thinking, not a final answer. Use the journal to discuss how the test result adds new information to their original prediction.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Prediction Chart: Change One Thing, collect student charts and check whether they included both a prediction and a reason in their sentences.

Quick Check

During Think-Pair-Share: Playdough Color Mixing, listen for students to use color observations to justify their predictions before mixing the playdough.

Discussion Prompt

After any experiment, ask students to share with a partner, 'Was your prediction correct? How did making a prediction help you understand what happened?' Circulate and note whether students connect their predictions to the outcomes.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: After completing the Prediction Chart, ask students to design a follow-up test to explore why a prediction did not match the result.
• Scaffolding: For students struggling with Playdough Color Mixing, provide a sentence starter like, 'I think the colors will turn ______ because ______.'
• Deeper exploration: Have students design their own simple experiment, make a prediction, and present their process and findings to the class.

Key Vocabulary

Prediction	A statement about what you think will happen in the future, often based on what you already know or have seen.
Observation	Noticing something carefully using your senses, like seeing, hearing, or touching.
Experiment	A test or trial to find out how something works or to see if an idea is true.
Prior Knowledge	Information or experiences you already have that can help you understand something new.