Year 1 Science: Asking good questions
Part of the Year 1 Science being a scientist chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Asking good questions
Scientists are curious. They ask questions, and then they find out the answers. A good science question is one we can find out. We can find out by looking closely, by measuring, by testing an idea, or by finding the answer in a book or from an expert. Some questions can be answered in more than one way.
Look at the four ways below. Which one would help you?
Key ideas
- A scientist asks a question, and then finds out the answer.
- We can look closely, measure, or test an idea.
- Some questions need a book or an expert to answer.
- Some questions can be answered in more than one way.
Method. Ask what the question wants. Then pick the way that finds the answer.
- Read the question. Think about what we need to find out.How long is your shoe?
- Pick the way. A length is a number of centimetres, so we use a ruler to measure it.Way: measure
- Write the answer. measure
Check. Line the shoe up with a ruler and read the number at the end. ✓
Watch out. Some questions need more than one way. Choose the one that fits best.
Method. Ask what the question wants. Then pick the way that finds the answer.
- Read the question. Think about what we need to find out.Do all the leaves on one tree look the same?
- Pick the way. Looking closely shows the shape, the size and the colour of each leaf.Way: look
- Write the answer. look
Check. Look at several leaves and compare them. ✓
Watch out. Some questions need more than one way. Choose the one that fits best.
Method. Ask what the question wants. Then pick the way that finds the answer.
- Read the question. Think about what we need to find out.Which of two balls bounces higher?
- Pick the way. We can drop each ball and measure how high it bounces.Way: test
- Write the answer. test
Check. Drop both balls from the same height and measure each bounce. ✓
Watch out. Some questions need more than one way. Choose the one that fits best.
Watch out
Watch out: a question about how long or how much needs measuring. A question about which one works best needs a test. A question like “What is the nicest colour?” is about opinion, so it is not a science question.
Try it at home (with a grown-up). Pick one thing at home, such as a spoon or a book. Ask a question about it that you can find out, such as “How long is it?” Decide together how you could find out: look, measure, test, or use a book.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. When your child asks “why?”, help them turn the question into one you can find out together. Ask: “How could we find out?” Let them choose look, measure, test or book.
Exercise 1A Asking questions and ways to find out
Method. Ask what the question wants. Then pick the way that finds the answer.
- Read the question. Think about what we need to find out.How many petals does a daisy have?
- Pick the way. We can see the petals and count them.Way: look
- Write the answer. look
Check. Count them one at a time. ✓
Watch out. Some questions need more than one way. Choose the one that fits best.
Method. Ask what the question wants. Then pick the way that finds the answer.
- Read the question. Think about what we need to find out.How long is your bed?
- Pick the way. A length needs a ruler or a tape measure.Way: measure
- Write the answer. measure
Check. Measure from one end to the other. ✓
Watch out. Some questions need more than one way. Choose the one that fits best.
Method. Ask what the question wants. Then pick the way that finds the answer.
- Read the question. Think about what we need to find out.Which towel soaks up water best?
- Pick the way. We can try each towel and see which one takes in the most.Way: test
- Write the answer. test
Check. Use the same amount of water for each towel. ✓
Watch out. Some questions need more than one way. Choose the one that fits best.
Method. Ask what the question wants. Then pick the way that finds the answer.
- Read the question. Think about what we need to find out.How do birds keep warm?
- Pick the way. We cannot see the answer by looking, so we can find it in a book.Way: book
- Write the answer. book
Check. Ask a grown-up to help you find a book about birds. ✓
Watch out. Some questions need more than one way. Choose the one that fits best.
Method. Ask which question asks for a number that we can measure.
- Read question A. It asks how tall the door is. We can measure that with a ruler or a tape measure.A: how tall
- Read question B. It asks which colour is nicest. That is an opinion, not something we measure.B: an opinion
- Write the answer. A
Check. Measure the front door, and you will have an answer for A. ✓
Watch out. An opinion is what someone likes. A measurement is a number.
Method. Think about whether looking closely is enough to find the answer.
- Read question a. You can look at a leaf and see its colour.a: look at the colour
- Read question b. To find how heavy something is, we need scales, not just our eyes.b: needs scales
- Write the answer. a
Check. The leaf is red, so you can see the answer. ✓
Watch out. Looking closely does not tell you how heavy something is.
Method. Think about how Sam can find the answer by trying it.
- Think about what Sam wants. He wants to compare two cars, which is an idea he can try.compare two cars
- Choose the way. We can roll both cars the same way and see which goes further.roll both: test
- Write the answer. A test lets Sam find the answer by trying.test
Check. Roll each car the same way and measure how far it goes. ✓
Watch out. Give each car the same push, so the test is fair.
Method. Think about how Mia can see the answer.
- Look at the coat. The buttons are there to see.buttons on the coat
- Count them. Touch each button once, so you do not miss one.count one at a time
- Write the answer. Counting by looking gives the answer.look (count them)
Check. Count them again from the other side. You get the same number. ✓
Watch out. Touch each button as you count so you do not count one twice.
Method. Think about which tool measures how long something takes.
- Think about the question. Lily wants to measure a time, not a length.a time
- Choose the tool. A timer counts the seconds while she works.timer counts seconds
- Write the answer. timer
Check. Start the timer when she starts and stop it when the laces are tied. ✓
Watch out. A ruler measures length. A timer measures time.
Method. Ask which question we can find out by doing something, such as measuring.
- Read the first question. We can measure a pencil with a ruler to find out.pencil: measure
- Read the second question. Whether blue is nicer is an opinion, so we cannot test it in a science way.blue: an opinion
- Write the answer. How long is a pencil?
Check. Measuring the pencil gives us a number that can be checked. ✓
Watch out. A good science question can be checked by finding out.
Method. Think of something you can measure, such as a length or a height.
- Choose something to measure. A hand, a shoe or a book can be measured.hand, shoe, book
- Make it a question. Start with “How long” or “How tall”.How long is my hand?
- Check it. Can a ruler or a tape measure answer it? If yes, it is a good question.Yes: How long is my hand?
Check. You could answer it with a ruler. ✓
Watch out. The question must be one that a ruler can answer.
Method. Think about what tool weighs things.
- Think about the question. Heavy means how much the bag weighs.how heavy
- Choose the way. We can use scales to measure how heavy it is.scales: measure
- Write the answer. measure
Check. The scales show the weight of the bag in kilograms or grams. ✓
Watch out. To find how heavy something is, we measure it on scales.
Method. Think about what you could measure or look at on your shoes.
- Ask a question. It must be something we can find out.Which shoe is longer?
- Choose how to find out. Measuring each shoe with a ruler gives a number for each one.measure each shoe
- Compare the answers. The shoe with the bigger number is the longer one.Measure both with a ruler, and compare
Check. Lay both shoes on a ruler and check. ✓
Watch out. Keep the ruler at 0 for each shoe.