Year 3 Science: Reporting findings and drawing conclusions
Part of the Year 3 Science working scientifically chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Reporting findings and drawing conclusions
A report tells other people what you did and what you found. It can be spoken or written, and it can include a display of your results. Use the same order each time:
A conclusion is a short sentence that says what the results show. It must match the results, not what you wish had happened.
A prediction is a sensible guess about a new value, based on a pattern in your results. We check it by testing. For example, if each book in a stack is 3 cm thick, we can predict the height of 5 books: 5 × 3 cm = 15 cm.
To suggest an improvement, think about what made the test less fair or less accurate, and how to fix it. To raise a further question, ask a new question that the test makes you wonder about.
Key ideas
- A report says what we did, what we found, what it means and what we will test next.
- A conclusion must match the results.
- A prediction is a guess based on a pattern, and we test it to check it.
- Suggest improvements, and raise further questions.
Method. Find the biggest result, then say what it shows.
- Find the biggest amount. Towel B soaked up 88 ml, which is the most.88 ml is the biggest
- Write a sentence about the results. The conclusion says what the results show.Towel B soaked up the most water
- Write the answer. Towel B soaked up the most water.
Check. The conclusion matches the biggest result, 88 ml. ✓
Watch out. A conclusion is not what you hoped would happen. It is what the results show.
Method. Use the pattern in the test: each book adds the same height to the stack.
- Find the pattern in the results. Each book is the same thickness, so the stack grows by the same amount.1 book = 3 cm; 2 books = 6 cm; 3 books = 9 cm
- Predict the height for 5 books. Multiply the thickness of one book by 5.5 × 3 = 15
- Write the answer. 15 cm
Check. Add 3 cm for each book: 5 books is 15 cm. ✓
Watch out. A prediction is a sensible guess from the pattern. It is only checked when we measure it.
Method. Find the thing that changed, then choose a fix that keeps it the same.
- Find the thing that changed. The pouring speed changed, which is a second thing that changed.pouring speed
- Choose a fix. Pour at the same speed for every towel, so only the towel changes.same speed
- Write the answer. Pour at the same speed for every towel
Check. Only the towel now changes. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a prediction is not proof. It is a guess that we must test. Always say that a prediction is a guess until it is tested.
Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Stack identical books, or identical boxes, one on top of another. Measure the height of the stack with a ruler after one, two and three. Predict the height of four, then check it by measuring.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to tell you the story of their test in three sentences: what we did, what we found, what it means.
Exercise 1E Reporting, conclusions and predictions
Method. A report sentence says what was done and what was found.
- Name the towel. The report is about Towel B.Towel B
- Add the result. The result is 88 ml soaked up.88 ml
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says Towel B soaked up 88 ml of water.
Check. Write the towel, the result and the unit in one sentence. ✓
Method. A conclusion says what the results show, not a personal choice.
- Read the first sentence. It says what the results show: 88 ml is the most.results
- Read the second sentence. It is a personal choice, so it is not a conclusion from the results.opinion
- Write the answer. Towel B soaked up the most water.
Check. Only the first sentence comes from the results. ✓
Method. Use the pattern in the test: each book adds the same height to the stack.
- Find the pattern in the results. Each book is the same thickness, so the stack grows by the same amount.1 book = 3 cm; 2 books = 6 cm; 3 books = 9 cm
- Predict the height for 6 books. Multiply the thickness of one book by 6.6 × 3 = 18
- Write the answer. 18 cm
Check. Add 3 cm for each book: 6 books is 18 cm. ✓
Watch out. A prediction is a sensible guess from the pattern. It is only checked when we measure it.
| Day | ml left in the jar |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | 80 |
| Day 2 | 72 |
| Day 3 | 64 |
Method. Find how much the water level falls each day, then continue the pattern for one more day.
- Find the fall from day 1 to day 2. Take the day 2 reading from the day 1 reading.80 − 72 = 8 ml
- Check the fall from day 2 to day 3. The fall is the same, so the pattern is steady.72 − 64 = 8 ml
- Continue the pattern to day 4. Take 8 ml away from the day 3 reading.64 − 8 = 56 ml
- Write the answer. 56 ml
Check. 56 + 8 = 64, the day 3 reading. ✓
Watch out. This is a prediction from three readings. It is not a fact until we measure day 4.
Method. Think about what could make the test unfair or inaccurate.
- Find a weak point. If the drop height changes, the test is not fair.drop height
- Suggest a fix. Drop each ball from the same height, and repeat each drop to check.same height, repeat
- Write the answer. Accept any improvement that makes the test fairer or more accurate, such as dropping each ball from the same height or repeating each drop.
Check. Repeating and keeping the height the same makes the test more reliable. ✓
Method. A further question is one that the test makes us wonder about.
- Read A. A thicker towel is a new thing to test, so this is a good further question.A: new test
- Read B. The colour of the tray does not link to what the test found.B: not linked
- Write the answer. A
Check. Question A can be tested with the same method. ✓
Method. Compare the results with the conclusion.
- Find the biggest result. Towel B soaked up 88 ml, which is the most.88 ml
- Check the conclusion. Towel A soaked up 70 ml, which is less than 88 ml.70 is not the most
- Write the answer. no
Check. The conclusion does not match the results. ✓
Method. Find the smallest result.
- Compare the results. The results are 70, 88 and 55 ml.70, 88, 55
- Find the smallest. The smallest number of ml soaked up is 55.55 is the smallest
- Write the answer. Towel C
Check. Towel C soaked up the least. ✓
Method. Read the result for that towel.
- Find the towel. Towel C is the towel from part (a).Towel C
- Read its result. Towel C soaked up 55 ml.55 ml
- Write the answer. 55 ml
Check. Towel C soaked up 55 ml. ✓
Method. Use the pattern in the test: each book adds the same height to the stack.
- Find the pattern in the results. Each book is the same thickness, so the stack grows by the same amount.1 book = 3 cm; 2 books = 6 cm; 3 books = 9 cm
- Predict the height for 8 books. Multiply the thickness of one book by 8.8 × 3 = 24
- Write the answer. 24 cm
Check. Add 3 cm for each book: 8 books is 24 cm. ✓
Watch out. A prediction is a sensible guess from the pattern. It is only checked when we measure it.
Method. Think about how much evidence one test gives.
- Look at the test. Three towels in one test give some evidence about those towels only.three towels
- Decide. To prove a claim for all towels we need more tests with many kinds of towel.more tests
- Write the answer. No. Accept any reason that says three towels in one test cannot prove this for all towels, and that more tests would be needed.
Check. One test gives evidence, not proof for everything. ✓
Method. Compare the two results and say what they show.
- Compare the results. The rubber ball bounced to 38 cm and the sponge ball to 9 cm.38 and 9
- Write the conclusion. The bigger bounce is the rubber ball.rubber ball higher
- Write the answer. Accept any conclusion that says the rubber ball bounced higher (38 cm) than the sponge ball (9 cm).
Check. 38 cm is more than 9 cm. ✓