Science Fenns K-5Grades K to 5
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Ask a Question, Then Look

Start with a thing you noticed. Plan a way to find out.

Lesson 3 of 41

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Before we start

Today’s story

Ask a Question, Then Look

Jalen notices something. A line of ants is moving across the walk. He stops and watches. A question pops into his head.

A scientist starts like that. She notices something. She asks a question she can answer by looking or measuring.

Then she makes a plan. The steps show how to turn a noticing into a question and then into a plan.

See it

Five steps. Every time.

    Hands on

    Plant watch

    20 minutes to plan, then a few days · Do this with a grown-up nearby

    You need

    • Notebook
    • Pencil
    • Two paper cups with soil
    • Bean seeds or grass seed
    • Water
    • A ruler

    Do this

    1. Look at the seeds and draw one.
    2. Write a question, like Do seeds sprout faster in the sun or in a dark cupboard.
    3. Predict the answer.
    4. Plant the same seeds in both cups with the same amount of water.
    5. Put one cup in the sun and one in a cupboard.
    6. Look each day and record what you see.
    7. Measure any sprouts with the ruler.
    Write or draw: A table with the day, sun cup and dark cup.

    Watch for: Notice whether sprouts look the same color and size in both cups.

    Safety: Water only. Wash your hands after touching soil.

    Same every time

    Three rules

    Rule 1Ask a question you can test.

    If you cannot measure it or see it, you cannot answer it.

    Rule 2Write down what you see.

    Memory forgets. A page remembers.

    Rule 3Change one thing at a time.

    Then you know what caused the change.

    Grandpa Fenn’s notebook

    Say it like a scientist

    testable question
    A question you can answer by looking or measuring.
    prediction
    What you think will happen before you test.
    observation
    Something you notice with your senses or tools.

    Poppy’s quiz

    Six questions

    Tap an answer. Green means right. You will see why.

    Talk about it

    Say it out loud

    • What did you notice today that made you wonder? How could you find out?
    • What do you wonder about on your road, farm or yard?
    Did you know

    Charles Darwin wrote notes about worms for many years. Small questions can lead to big ideas.

    Someone who does this

    A wildlife biologist notices animal tracks and asks what animals live in an area.

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