Science Inquiry
Work Sample
Grade 3-5
Forming a Question or Hypothesis
Steps for Forming a
Question or Hypothesis
Background Knowledge
 Testable Question
 Forming a Hypothesis, Claim or
Prediction
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Background Knowledge
What is it?
It is the student’s prior knowledge which can
include the following:
 What students have heard at home or school
 What students have read at home or in class
 What students have seen on TV in person
 What students have experienced at home or
at school
Student Prior Knowledge
It may also include the following at each grade level:
3rd grade
 Teacher provided content
 Previous personal experience
 Observation, exploration, demonstration,
video
4th/5th grade – adds the following
 Research
 Literature read
 Expert groups
 Internet
Testable Question
What is it?
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Good investigation questions are interesting.
Am I interested in finding out the answer to this question.
Good investigation questions are those I do not already know
the answers to.
Do I already know the answer to this question?
Good investigation questions leads to a plan of action. (a plan
for what I need to do to answer the question, including the
evidence I need to collect.
Is this question written in a way that clarifies what I need to do
(observe, measure, change, ect.) to answer it.
Good investigation questions are those that can be answered
with available material.
Will I be able to find the material I need to answer the
question?
Good investigation questions are those that can be completed
in a reasonable amount of time.
Will I have the time I need to answer the question?
Science and Children December 2010
Testable Question
Examples:
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Would a house plant grow better in sandy soil or
potting soil?
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Are bulbs brighter in in a parallel circuit or series
circuit?
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What effect does weight have on the distance an
object rolls using a ramp?
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Which boils more quickly, warm water or cold water?
Forming a Hypothesis,
Claim or Prediction
What is a hypothesis?
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An informed prediction based on prior
knowledge and
previous experiences.
It is framed using ELD sentence frames for making prediction
leading to a hypothesis.
Examples:
- I think that …. will be most effective because ...
- If (I do this) , then I think (this will happen) because
When forming a hypothesis the variables need to
be identified. One of the variables is tested and
the others are controlled.
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Ex. Plant growth: The amount of sunlight, amount of water,
type of soil, or nutrients added.