Testing to find answers

Science · Scientific Inquiry · ages 5-7

Name ______________________ Date ____________

After you do a test, what should you do next?
- Guess without looking
- Watch and see what happens
- Stop and do nothing
How many things do you change in a fair test?
- Only one thing
- Two things
- As many as you can
You can use test results to answer your question.
Circle one: True False
Look at the chart. How many centimeters did towel B soak up?
Answer: ______________
Ben drops one ball on carpet and another ball on tile. Is this a fair test?
- Yes, that's a fair test
- Yes, because both are balls
- No, he changed two things
Mia's test shows towel B soaks up more water. What can Mia say?
- Towel A is bigger
- Towel B soaks up more water
- The water was dirty
Leo tests if a magnet sticks to a fork. It does not stick. What can Leo say about all metal?
- Not all metal sticks to magnets
- All metal sticks to magnets
- Magnets do not stick to anything
Ana gives one plant more water and more sunlight. What is wrong with her test?
- She did not water the plants
- She used too many plants
- She changed two things at once

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Watch and see what happens · Watching the test tells you what really happened.
Only one thing · Change one thing so you know what caused the result.
True · That is the point of doing a test.
7 · The bar for towel B reaches 7.
No, he changed two things · He changed the floor too. Both balls need the same floor.
Towel B soaks up more water · The result tells her which towel works best.
Not all metal sticks to magnets · The fork is metal but did not stick. So not all metal sticks to magnets.
She changed two things at once · She cannot tell if water or sunlight helped the plant grow.