KS1 Investigating | Methods used to Find Answers

Science Quiz - Investigating - Finding Answers (Questions)

This quiz addresses the requirements of the National Curriculum KS1 Science for children aged 5 and 6 in years 1 and 2. Specifically this quiz is aimed at the section dealing with simple methods used to investigate and answer questions.

Scientists ask lots of questions. But then they have to investigate and try to find ways, or methods, of answering these questions. How would you go about answering questions in science? What method would you use? How would you measure it? How would you count it? This quiz looks into ways of investigating and finding answers in science.

Sam has decided to investigate: ‘Which is the stretchiest modelling clay?’

Sam has 6 different modelling clays. They are all the same length to start with. He pulls them all with the same force.

What does Sam need to measure now?

[ ]	Their weight
[ ]	Their length
[ ]	Their temperature
[ ]	Their strength

Tom wants to find out where snails like to live. What should he do?

[ ]	Look in different places and count the number of snails
[ ]	Look in one place and count the number of snails
[ ]	Find a snail and count the number of rings on its shell
[ ]	Find a snail and see where it goes

Sarah wants to find the answer to this question: ‘How deep should I plant bean seeds?’

Sarah plants some bean seeds all at different depths in the soil.

How will she know which has grown best?

[ ]	Wait for all the beans to come up
[ ]	Count how many beans come up
[ ]	Measure the height of each bean after a month
[ ]	Only keep the first bean to come up, and throw the others away

Colours fade in the light. Lara wants to answer this question: ‘Which colour fades quickest in sunlight?’

What should she do?

[ ]	Hold 4 pieces of cloth up to the light
[ ]	Pour water onto 4 different pieces of cloth
[ ]	Put 2 different colours of cloth in a sunny window. After a month see which has faded most
[ ]	Put 4 different colours of cloth in a sunny window. After a month see which has faded most

Ella is investigating this question: ‘What is the best material for a bookshelf?’

What should she look for?

[ ]	How transparent each material is
[ ]	How absorbent each material is
[ ]	How much each material bends when there are no books on it
[ ]	How much each material bends with books on it

Bella wants to know: ‘Are pencils alive?’ What should she do?

[ ]	Try to feed a pencil
[ ]	Put a pencil outside in the rain
[ ]	Take a cutting of a geranium and see if that grows
[ ]	Plant some pencils in soil and see if they grow

Tanya has had a cold. She wants to answer this question: ‘Which type of tissue is most absorbent?’ What should she do?

[ ]	Feel how rough each tissue is
[ ]	Feel how soft each tissue is
[ ]	Measure the length of each tissue
[ ]	See how much water each tissue soaks up

Ayisha wants to answer this question: ‘Do plants grow better in pink plant pots than brown plant pots?’ What should Ayisha do?

[ ]	Test 4 brown pots and 1 pink pot
[ ]	Test 1 brown pot and 4 pink pots
[ ]	Test only pink pots
[ ]	Test 4 brown pots and 4 pink pots

Alex wants to find out how the weather changes through the year. What should she do?

[ ]	Write a poem about the weather
[ ]	Draw a picture of spring flowers
[ ]	Keep a weather diary
[ ]	Tick off the days on a calendar

10.

Marco wants to know what most spoons are made from. He is going to count the number of metal, wood and plastic spoons. Where should he look?

[ ]	At school
[ ]	At home
[ ]	In his classroom
[ ]	At school and at home

Science Quiz - Investigating - Finding Answers (Answers)

[ ]	Their weight
[x]	Their length
[ ]	Their temperature
[ ]	Their strength

What does Sam use to measure their length?

Tom wants to find out where snails like to live. What should he do?

[x]	Look in different places and count the number of snails
[ ]	Look in one place and count the number of snails
[ ]	Find a snail and count the number of rings on its shell
[ ]	Find a snail and see where it goes

The more places you look, the better your results

Sarah wants to find the answer to this question: ‘How deep should I plant bean seeds?’

Sarah plants some bean seeds all at different depths in the soil.

How will she know which has grown best?

[ ]	Wait for all the beans to come up
[ ]	Count how many beans come up
[x]	Measure the height of each bean after a month
[ ]	Only keep the first bean to come up, and throw the others away

The first bean to come up might not grow the tallest

Colours fade in the light. Lara wants to answer this question: ‘Which colour fades quickest in sunlight?’

What should she do?

[ ]	Hold 4 pieces of cloth up to the light
[ ]	Pour water onto 4 different pieces of cloth
[ ]	Put 2 different colours of cloth in a sunny window. After a month see which has faded most
[x]	Put 4 different colours of cloth in a sunny window. After a month see which has faded most

Testing 4 different colours is better than just 2

Ella is investigating this question: ‘What is the best material for a bookshelf?’

What should she look for?

[ ]	How transparent each material is
[ ]	How absorbent each material is
[ ]	How much each material bends when there are no books on it
[x]	How much each material bends with books on it

Which material are bookshelves usually made from?

Bella wants to know: ‘Are pencils alive?’ What should she do?

[ ]	Try to feed a pencil
[ ]	Put a pencil outside in the rain
[ ]	Take a cutting of a geranium and see if that grows
[x]	Plant some pencils in soil and see if they grow

Pencils are made of wood. Pencils only ever get shorter!

Tanya has had a cold. She wants to answer this question: ‘Which type of tissue is most absorbent?’ What should she do?

[ ]	Feel how rough each tissue is
[ ]	Feel how soft each tissue is
[ ]	Measure the length of each tissue
[x]	See how much water each tissue soaks up

A sponge is absorbent. It soaks up water

Ayisha wants to answer this question: ‘Do plants grow better in pink plant pots than brown plant pots?’ What should Ayisha do?

[ ]	Test 4 brown pots and 1 pink pot
[ ]	Test 1 brown pot and 4 pink pots
[ ]	Test only pink pots
[x]	Test 4 brown pots and 4 pink pots

That makes it a fair test

Alex wants to find out how the weather changes through the year. What should she do?

[ ]	Write a poem about the weather
[ ]	Draw a picture of spring flowers
[x]	Keep a weather diary
[ ]	Tick off the days on a calendar

What will Alex record in her weather diary?

10.

Marco wants to know what most spoons are made from. He is going to count the number of metal, wood and plastic spoons. Where should he look?

[ ]	At school
[ ]	At home
[ ]	In his classroom
[x]	At school and at home

The more places he can look, the better