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Fair testing

PROCEDURAL
Science›Scientific Inquiry|Ages 7—9|ID: mt_qgb76wHN2X

Set up simple practical enquiries, comparative tests, and fair tests, understanding the importance of changing only one variable at a time

Mastery Evidence

  • Explain what makes a test 'fair' (only one variable changes, everything else stays the same)
  • Identify the variable to change, the variable to measure, and the variables to keep the same
  • Set up and carry out a comparative or fair test with support

Assessment Prompt

“If [child] wants to find out which soil is best for growing beans, can they set up a fair test where only the soil changes and everything else stays the same?”

Curriculum Standards2 alignments

KS2L.Sci.WS.1The national curriculum in England
Asking questions and using scientific enquiries

asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them

Science · Lower Key Stage 2
KS2L.Sci.WS.2The national curriculum in England
Setting up practical enquiries and fair tests

setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests

Science · Lower Key Stage 2

Prerequisites1

Show full prerequisite tree
  • Simple tests and experiments hard

    Must do simple tests before setting up formal fair tests with controlled variables

    • Observing with simple equipment hard

      Must observe closely before performing simple tests

      • Asking scientific questions hard

        Must ask questions before learning to observe closely

        • Asking Questions soft

          Formulating scientific questions builds on the general skill of asking relevant questions to extend understanding, developed in English speaking and listening

          • Question Words hard

            Generating effective questions requires knowledge of question words (who, what, where, when, why, how)

          • Listening and responding hard

            Listening and responding needed before asking questions

          • Exploring Ideas Through Talk soft

            Related speaking skill supports this topic

            • Feeling of not understanding soft

              Using talk to explore ideas and speculate requires noticing what you don't yet understand — the comprehension-monitoring habit in a spoken register

              • Asking for Help hard

                Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck

        • Observation vs Interpretation soft

          Asking good scientific questions requires noticing the distinction between observation and interpretation — a question like 'why did this happen?' only makes sense once you've separated what you saw from what you inferred

          • Feeling of not understanding soft

            Noticing the observation/interpretation distinction requires monitoring your own thinking — the universal comprehension-monitoring habit applied to scientific reasoning

            • Asking for Help hard

              Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck

        • Feeling of not understanding soft

          Asking scientific questions is the science-domain expression of the universal comprehension-monitoring habit: noticing what you don't yet understand

          • Asking for Help hard

            Noticing confusion and acting on it requires already knowing that asking for help is a valid response to being stuck

        • Persisting When It's Hard soft

          Scientific enquiry requires persistence through uncertainty — the universal persistence habit underpins willingness to keep investigating

Unlocks2