Exploring Scientific Questions

Year Group

Year 4

Duration

45 minutes

Class Size

30 students

National Curriculum Links

Science Programme of Study - Key Stage 2

• Working Scientifically: Asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them
• Pupils should be taught to set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests
• Pupils should use results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions

Specific Learning Objectives

• To know how to ask relevant, testable scientific questions based on given resources
• To identify independent, dependent, and control variables in a scientific enquiry
• To understand the importance of fairness in testing by controlling variables

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Learning Objective

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Formulate effective scientific questions about tooth decay using given resources
• Identify the independent, dependent, and control variables in their enquiry question
• Explain why controlling variables ensures a fair test

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Success Criteria

• I can create scientific questions that can be tested using the materials provided.
• I can clearly identify what I will change, what I will measure, and what I will keep the same in my experiment.
• I can explain why it is important to keep some things the same to make a test fair.

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Resources

• Hard-boiled eggs (shell represents tooth enamel)
• Transparent cups
• Coca-Cola (acidic drink)
• Orange juice (acidic drink)
• Water (neutral)
• Sticky notes
• Pens/pencils
• Whiteboard and pens

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Lesson Outline

1. Hook (5 minutes)

• Display the resources on the front table: hard-boiled eggs, cups, Coca-Cola, orange juice, and water.
• Begin with a simple analogy: "The eggshell is like tooth enamel."
• Ask prompting questions: “What do you think will happen if we leave these eggs in these drinks? How might this tell us about looking after our teeth?”

2. Discussion & Guided Questioning (10 minutes)

• Invite pupils to shout out questions they might have about the eggs and drinks.
• Collect their questions on the whiteboard.
• Together, sort questions into 'testable' and 'non-testable'. Reject non-testable questions with clear reasoning (e.g., "Do eggs like Coke?" is non-testable because eggs don’t have feelings).
• Model how to reframe non-testable questions into testable scientific enquiries:
  • “Which liquid causes the eggshell to weaken or decay the fastest?”
  • “Does orange juice change the eggshell more than water?”

3. Teaching Sticky Knowledge (10 minutes)

• Explicitly teach the vocabulary of variables:
  • Independent Variable: What I change (the type of liquid).
  • Dependent Variable: What I measure (changes to the eggshell such as colour, texture, or strength).
  • Control Variables: What I keep the same to make the test fair (e.g., size of egg, temperature, time submerged).
• Use visual icons or diagrams on the board for each variable type for clarity.
• Discuss the importance of fairness: “If we don’t keep some things the same, we can’t be sure what caused the change.”

4. Paired Task (15 minutes)

• Pupils work in pairs to:
  1. Observe the resources carefully.
  2. Write down three testable scientific questions about the eggs and liquids.
  3. Choose their best question and write it clearly on a sticky note.
  4. Underneath the question, write:
     • The independent variable — What they would change in their test.
     • The dependent variable — What they would measure.
• Circulate to scaffold or extend: support pairs who struggle and challenge advanced pairs to consider variables carefully.

5. Plenary and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Invite 4-5 pairs to share their question and variables with the class.
• Provide positive feedback and gently correct misconceptions.
• End with a recap question: “Why is it important to keep some things the same in a scientific test?” Pupil answers can demonstrate understanding.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative Assessment: Observation of paired discussions and their ability to create testable questions.
• Written Assessment: Quality of questions and clear labelling of variables on sticky notes.
• Oral Assessment: Sharing answers during plenary and ability to explain fairness in tests.

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Differentiation

• For Lower Ability: Provide sentence starters for questions and variables, e.g., “Which liquid changes the eggshell faster?”
• For Higher Ability: Challenge pupils to identify more subtle control variables (e.g., time spent in liquids, egg temperature) and discuss possible improvements to tests.

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Cross-curricular Links

• Maths: Recording measures, comparing results (strengthening reasoning skills).
• English: Writing clear questions and explanations, using scientific vocabulary precisely.

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Additional Notes for Teachers

• This lesson introduces foundational skills in scientific enquiry aligned with Key Stage 2 expectations.
• Follow-up lessons can involve actually testing the eggs in the different liquids to observe real changes over time, reinforcing the practical and investigative process.
• Using everyday items makes science relatable and connects classroom learning to pupils’ lives and health (dental hygiene).

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This lessons plan covers Year 4 statutory requirement to understand fair testing, asking scientific questions, and recognising variables as explicitly stated in the National Curriculum (England). It encourages active pupil participation, questioning, and reasoning that meets and extends working scientifically standards.