This week we did an inquiry activity to learn the difference between testable and untestable questions in science. A testable question:
The types of testable questions we talk about in fifth grade must have two parts: a cause and effect. Here is an example: Does changing the amount of light affect the growth rate of plants? The cause in the testable question is also known as the INDEPENDENT VARIABLE. The independent variable is:
The effect in the testable question is known as the DEPENDENT VARIABLE. The dependent variable is:
In the example above about light and plant growth: I, the scientist, am changing the amount of light the plants get- what I change = Independent variable We are measuring the rate of plant growth- Data = how fast a plant grows = Dependent variable Here are some examples of TESTABLE QUESTION formats:
To see if a question is testable, ask yourself... Does it contain a cause and an effect? Can you design a fair investigation to test it? Can you MEASURE the effect? If yes, it is testable! During our investigation, the kids wrote down questions they had about the fake snow on post-it notes. After they'd had some time to play with the snow, we sorted the questions to see which ones could be tested with an experiment (testable) and which ones would be answered with research. Here are some examples: Testable questions: If we changed the amount of water added to the powder, would the amount of snow vary? Does the temperature of the water affect the amount of snow that is produced? Does the type of liquid affect the amount of snow that is made? Research questions: What is the stuff made of? How does the snow form?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
February 2020
Categories |