Year 4 Science · Working scientifically revisited · Summary

Year 4 Science Working scientifically revisited: summary and key words

Part of the Year 4 Science working scientifically revisited chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

Chapter summary

Skill	Method
Asking questions	A scientific question can be answered by a test. Write a prediction, with a reason, before the test.
Fair tests	Change one thing, measure one result, and keep everything else the same. Repeat each test three times.
Measuring	Read a measuring cylinder in ml at eye level. Read a thermometer in degrees Celsius with the bulb in the liquid.
Recording	Record results in a table with a title and headings. Show them in a bar chart with a scale.
Conclusions	A conclusion answers the question the test asked, and is based on the results. Evaluate the test to improve it.

I can ask a question that can be answered by a fair test
I can write a prediction with a reason, before a test
I can say which thing to change, which result to measure, and what to keep the same
I can read a measuring cylinder in millilitres and a thermometer in degrees Celsius
I can add up the counts in a table and find an average
I can write a conclusion from my results, and say how the test could be improved

prediction: what you think will happen in a test, and why, written before the test
fair test: a test where only one thing is changed, and everything else is kept the same
variable: a thing that can change in a test
result: the thing that is measured or found out in a test
trial: one run of a test, which is repeated to check the result
average: the total of several results, divided by the number of results
conclusion: a statement that answers the question the test asked, based on the results
evaluate: to think about how good a test was, and how it could be improved
table: a way of recording results in rows and columns, with a title and headings
scale: the numbers along the side of a chart or a measuring tool