Growing Plants: Designing Fair Tests
Year 6 Science Learning to conduct fair test experiments Investigating plant growth variables
WALT - We Are Learning To
Design and conduct a fair test experiment to investigate plant growth Identify variables to control, change and measure Collect and record data accurately Draw conclusions based on evidence
What Makes a Test 'Fair'?
Think about cooking - what happens if you change too many ingredients at once? In science, we need to change only ONE thing at a time Why do you think this is important?
Our Plant Investigation Question
How does the amount of water affect seed growth? This will be our changing variable (independent variable) We need to keep everything else the same What things should we keep the same?
Planning Our Fair Test
{"left":"Variable we will CHANGE: Amount of water (20ml, 40ml, 60ml)\nVariables we will keep the SAME: Seed type, Soil amount, Pot size, Light conditions, Temperature","right":"Variable we will MEASURE: Plant height in centimetres\nHow often we'll measure: Every 3 days for 3 weeks"}
Setting Up Our Experiment
Work in pairs to set up 3 pots Plant 2 bean seeds in each pot Label pots: 20ml, 40ml, 60ml Measure and record starting data Place all pots in the same location
Recording Our Data
Create a data table with columns for: Date, Pot (20ml/40ml/60ml), Height (cm) Measure from soil surface to tallest point Use centimetres for all measurements Record observations about leaf color, number of leaves
Success Criteria Check
✓ I can explain what a fair test is and why it's important ✓ I can plan an investigation with controlled variables ✓ I can plant seeds and measure growth accurately ✓ I can record data in an organised table ✓ I can use scientific language correctly