Year 1 Science: Suggesting answers from what we notice
Part of the Year 1 Science being a scientist chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Suggesting answers from what we notice
Scientists look closely, and then they suggest an answer. This is called an idea or a prediction. Then we test the idea to see if it is right. For example, a puddle may dry up on a warm, sunny day. An idea can be wrong, and that is fine. Testing helps us find out.
Key ideas
- An idea is a suggested answer, based on what we notice.
- A good idea can be tested.
- We check an idea with a test.
- An idea may be wrong. Testing helps us find out.
Method. Look at what we noticed, and think about why it happened.
- Notice what happened. The puddle was there in the morning and gone by the afternoon.puddle: gone
- Think about the sun. The sun is warm, and warm water can slowly go up into the air, where we cannot see it.warm sun
- Write the idea. This is a suggestion we can test later.The sun warmed the water, and it dried up into the air.
Check. We could test this by putting a little water in a warm place and a cool place. ✓
Watch out. An idea is a suggestion. We still need to check it.
Method. Notice what is different about the two plants.
- Notice the colours. The plant by the window is green, and the plant in the cupboard is pale.green and pale
- Notice the places. One plant has light from the window, and the other does not.light and no light
- Write the idea. Plants need light to stay green.The plant by the window has light, and the plant in the cupboard does not.
Check. Test it: put the pale plant by the window for a week and check it. ✓
Watch out. Light is one reason, but we need a test to be sure.
Method. Think about which idea we could check by trying.
- Read idea a. We can put a wooden stick in water and watch whether it floats.float: test
- Read idea b. Whether a colour is best is an opinion, so we cannot test it in a science way.best: opinion
- Write the answer. a
Check. Put a wooden stick in a tub of water, and watch what happens. ✓
Watch out. A test must be something we can measure or see happen.
Watch out
Watch out: an idea is not the same as a fact. Always test an idea before you say it is true.
Try it at home (with a grown-up). With a grown-up, wet two cloths with water. Hang one by a sunny window, and one in a cool, shady place away from the window. Before you start, predict which one will dry first. Check both after an hour, and talk about what you notice.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Before any test, ask your child: “What do you think will happen? Why?” After the test, ask: “What did we see? Was our idea right?”
Exercise 1F Ideas and observations
Method. An observation is something we can see or measure now.
- Read (a). We can look at the socks and see that they are wet now.a: we can see it now
- Read (b). We cannot see tomorrow yet, so it is a prediction.b: a prediction
- Write the answer. a
Check. Look at the socks now. They are wet. ✓
Watch out. An observation is about now. A prediction is about later.
Method. A prediction is an idea about what will happen later.
- Read (a). The sun is hot now. That is something we notice.a: an observation
- Read (b). The socks will dry in one hour. That is about the future.b: a prediction
- Write the answer. b
Check. We can check the prediction after one hour. ✓
Watch out. Predictions are about the future.
Method. Think about what helps water to dry.
- Look at the two cloths. One is in the sun by a window, and one is in a dark cupboard.sunny window or dark cupboard
- Think about the sun. Warm, sunny places help water dry faster.warm and sunny: dries faster
- Write the idea. We can check this idea by testing it.The one by the sunny window.
Check. Test it: hang both cloths and check after an hour. ✓
Watch out. Your prediction is only an idea until you test it.
Method. Look at where each plant is.
- Look at the first plant. It is by the window, so light can reach it.by the window: light
- Look at the second plant. It is in a cupboard, where there is little light.cupboard: little light
- Write the answer. the plant by the window
Check. The plant by the window is green, which is one sign that it has had light. ✓
Watch out. Look at the places, not only the plants.
Method. Check which idea we can test by trying and measuring.
- Read (a). Whether dogs are the best is an opinion.a: opinion
- Read (b). We can roll a ball down a slope and on the flat, and time it.b: test by timing
- Write the answer. b
Check. Use a timer and roll the ball both ways. ✓
Watch out. A good idea can be tested with a fair test.
Method. Plan a fair test for Ben’s idea.
- Choose what to change. The size of the ball is the one thing we change.change: the size
- Keep the rest the same. Drop each ball from the same height, onto the same floor.same height and floor
- Measure the result. Measure each bounce with a ruler, and compare.Drop different balls from the same height and measure each bounce.
Check. Check whether the biggest ball bounced the highest. ✓
Watch out. Change only the size of the ball.
Method. Use what Mia noticed to suggest a reason.
- Notice what changed. The puddle was there, and then it was gone.puddle: gone
- Think about the sun. The warm sun can make water go into the air.warm sun
- Write the reason. This is an idea we could test.The sun warmed the water, and it went into the air.
Check. Put a little water in a warm place and check it later. ✓
Watch out. Your idea is a suggestion. Test it to be sure.
Method. Think about how to watch for the leaves changing.
- Choose a tree. Pick one tree that Tom can see from the same place.one tree
- Watch it over time. Looking at it again and again shows what happens over the weeks.several weeks
- Write the answer. The same tree, over several weeks in autumn.
Check. Note what you see on each visit, so you can compare. ✓
Watch out. One look is not enough. Check again over time.
Method. Think about what a test tells us that a guess does not.
- Think about the guess. We may be sure, but we can still be wrong.a guess can be wrong
- Think about the test. A test shows us what really happens.test shows what happens
- Write the answer. To check whether it is really true.
Check. The test gives us the evidence, so we know. ✓
Watch out. Testing makes an idea into an answer we can trust.
Method. Make a prediction, then plan a fair test to check it.
- Make a prediction. Warm sun helps water dry faster, so the sunny cloth may dry first.prediction: sun dries first
- Plan a fair test. Use two cloths of the same size and the same water, in each place.same cloths and water
- Check after an hour. Look at both cloths at the same time, and compare.Test it, then compare the two cloths
Check. Compare what you see with your prediction. ✓
Watch out. Make sure both cloths are equally wet at the start.