Investigating in science resources

Students outline four ways of improving a given plan for an investigation to make it a fair test.

For this practical task students are assessed on their ability to record their observations of the decomposition of a cut slice of pumpkin over a two week time period.

Students are given information and a diagram about a drink bottle overflowing when it had been put into the freezer. Students are asked to explain why this happened and how they could prevent it.

Task: Predict, Observe, Explain, (POE) activity observing what happens to air in a balloon when it is heated. Assessment focus: behaviour of gases when heated and cooled.

Task: Plan a fair test to see if adding salt water to water affects how long it takes to freeze. Assessment focus: managing variables.

Task: Describe what happens to ice in a glass of water, giving reasons, and explain where water forming on the outside of the glass comes from. Assessment focus: changes of state.

Task: Create, use and identify ‘rules’ based on observable and/or measurable physical properties of common plastics. Assessment focus: classifying & identifying.

For this practical task students use their knowledge about the properties of gases to explain their observations when they blow up a balloon that is inside a bottle and a balloon that is not inside a bottle.

This practical task consists of two parts. Students test various substances with hydrochloric acid, iodine solution, and universal indicator, and then complete a table with their observations. The second part requires students to identify four unknown solids using their tests and results from part one.

This practical task has two parts. The first part of this practical requires students to observe the effects of different indicators on different substances. Students use these results to identify if some other substances are acid, alkali, or neutral.

Students indicate for each of six different variables those that need to be kept the same for an investigation about dissolving different types of sugar.

In this practical task students investigate the effect of temperature on viscosity. Students describe and explain what has happened.

This practical task requires students to sort some common items from hardest to softest. Students then explain a test that they used to help determine this.

Task: Measure 100mL of water into three different pieces of equipment. Weigh the result and calculate the precision of using that piece of equipment. Assessment focus: measuring and evaluating the accuracy of equipment.

For this practical task students complete a table of observations on nine common materials. Students then use their results to group the materials according to similar properties.

This practical task requires students to carry out three tests to find out if each element is a metal or non-metal.

Students state whether each of nine common objects are transparent or opaque.

Students draw a circle around those objects that are hard.

This practical task requires students to first plan how they could find out which liquid flows the best. Then they carry out their plan, record their results, and write a conclusion.

Students outline a test they could do to show if a substance is a metal or not.

Students are given some solids and liquids for this practical task. They plan how they would find out which liquids are solvents for any given solid, carry out the task, and write a conclusion.

Task: Students play a tag game that simulates the relationships between elements within a waterway and discuss how different scenarios impact on the populations living there. Assessment focus: changes within a habitat affect everything living there.

Students complete a plant record for a tree by making observations.

This task requires students to order four photographs of the life cycle of the Paradise Duck. Students describe the changes that have occurred in each part of the lifecycle. NOTE: It is intended that this resource be used in colour.

This practical task requires students to order five photographs of the life cycle of a Harrier Hawk. Students describe the changes that have occurred in each part of the lifecycle. NOTE: This resource is intended to be used in colour.