Year 3 · Science · Science as a human endeavour
How scientists ask questions
Children learn that science is about asking questions and finding answers, and meet people who use science in their jobs, such as vets, farmers and weather forecasters.
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These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to UK year groups by age (Year 1 is the year a child turns 6 in England). They are not mapped to the National Curriculum in England or the curricula of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, so check them against your own plans.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Explain that science is about asking questions and finding answers.
- Describe how scientists find answers by observing, predicting and testing.
- Describe how vets, farmers and weather forecasters use science in their jobs.
Success looks like
- I can ask a question that I could find the answer to by testing or observing.
- I can make a prediction and check it.
- I can name a job that uses science and say how.
The big idea
Science starts with a question. Scientists wonder about things like 'Why do leaves fall?', 'Which ball bounces highest?' or 'Will it rain tomorrow?'
Scientists find answers by investigating:
- Ask a question.
- Predict what you think will happen.
- Test or observe carefully.
- Look at the evidence and decide what it tells you.
- Share what you found.
A good science question is one you can find out by looking, measuring or testing. 'Which ball bounces highest?' is a good science question. 'Which ball is prettiest?' is not, because people have different opinions.
Many people use science in their jobs.
- Vets use science to work out why an animal is sick. They check its temperature, listen to its heart, look at X-rays and choose medicine.
- Farmers use science to grow healthy crops and animals. They test their soil, watch the weather, decide when to plant and water, and keep animals healthy.
- Weather forecasters measure temperature, wind and rain, look at pictures of clouds taken from space and use computers to forecast tomorrow's weather.
Doctors, nurses, cooks, gardeners and builders use science too. Anyone who asks 'why?' and finds out is thinking like a scientist.
Worked examples
Which ball bounces highest?
Investigate which ball bounces highest.
- Ask: which of our balls bounces highest?
- Predict: I think the rubber ball will bounce highest.
- Test: drop each ball from the same height onto the same hard floor. Have a helper watch how high it bounces against a wall chart.
- Evidence: the rubber ball bounced highest, the foam ball the lowest.
- Share: tell someone what you found and whether your prediction was right.
Answer: The answer comes from the evidence of the test, not from guessing.
A sick puppy
How does a vet use science to help a puppy that will not eat?
- The vet asks questions: when did it stop eating? Has it been sick?
- The vet observes: checks its temperature, looks in its mouth and feels its tummy.
- The vet uses the evidence to decide what is wrong and how to treat it.
Answer: The vet asks questions, observes and uses evidence to decide on a treatment.
Good science questions
Which question can be answered by testing: 'Does sugar dissolve faster in warm water or cold water?' or 'Is chocolate the nicest food?'
- Can we test the first one? Yes, by stirring sugar into warm and cold water and watching.
- Can we test the second one? No, it is an opinion and people disagree.
Answer: The sugar question is a good science question.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
What does science start with?
A question — Science starts with a question about the world.
Which is a good science question?
Which toy car rolls furthest down our ramp? — You can test and measure how far toy cars roll.
What does a weather forecaster do?
Predicts the weather using measurements — Forecasters use measurements and computers to predict the weather.
How does a farmer use science?
By testing soil and watching plants and weather — Farmers use evidence about soil, water and weather to grow crops.
What is a prediction?
What you think will happen before you test — A prediction is a careful guess made before testing.
Which science job looks after sick animals?
vet — A vet uses science to help sick animals.
What we see or measure that helps answer a question is called e________.
evidence — Evidence is what our observations and tests tell us.
A prediction about tomorrow's weather is called a weather f________.
forecast — It is a weather forecast.
Watch out for
- Children may think scientists only work in labs wearing white coats. Scientists work on farms, in hospitals, outdoors, under the sea and in space.
- Some children feel bad when their prediction is wrong. A wrong prediction is still useful: the evidence teaches us something new.
- Children may think science is just a set of facts to remember. Science is mostly about asking questions and finding out.
Tips for parents
- Write down your child's 'I wonder' questions during the week and choose one to investigate together.
- If you know someone who uses science at work, ask them to tell your child about their job.
- Safety: test bouncing balls in a clear space away from windows and breakable objects.
Go further
- Watch a weather forecast together, then check the next day whether it was right.
- Draw yourself as a scientist doing a job you would like, and label the tools you use.
- Make a 'question jar' and add a new question every day.
About 40 minutes
You'll need
- Two or three different balls (for example a tennis ball, a soft foam ball and a rubber ball)
- A tape measure or a wall you can stick paper to
- Paper and pencil
- Pictures of people at work: a vet, a farmer, a weather forecaster
Key words
- science
- Finding out how the world works by asking questions, observing and testing.
- scientist
- A person who asks questions about the world and finds answers using evidence.
- predict
- To say what you think will happen before you test it.
- investigate
- To carefully find out the answer to a question.
- evidence
- What we see, hear or measure that helps us answer a question.
- forecast
- A prediction about what the weather will be like.
Still tricky?
For parents
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