Year 1 Evaluating Science Investigations (AC9S1I05)

About This Year 1 Science Inquiry Topic

Evaluating is the stage of an investigation where students think about what happened, compare results and decide what could be improved. In Year 1, students compare their observations with their predictions and with observations made by other students.

Students are guided to consider whether an investigation was fair. They begin to recognise that changing the time, person, object, surface or method can affect the result.

Students also identify further questions that could be explored. Familiar contexts include plant growth, bird counts, animal tracks, weather, object movement and pushes.

Australian Curriculum Alignment

AC9S1I05

Compare observations with predictions and others’ observations, consider if investigations are fair and identify further questions with guidance.

AC9S1I05_E1

Compare observations with those of others, such as how many birds each group counted in the playground or how much each group’s seedling has grown in a week.

AC9S1I05_E2

Consult with First Nations Australians to compare observations and evaluate identifications of animal tracks.

AC9S1I05_E3

Explore whether making weather observations at different times of day makes a difference and consider how weather could be compared across each day more fairly.

AC9S1I05_E4

Compare observations of movement with predictions, such as how far an object travels.

AC9S1I05_E5

Explore whether all “big” pushes are the same by comparing how far an object travels with different students doing the pushing, and discuss how the investigation could have been made fairer.

Learning Intentions

Students will learn to:

compare observations with predictions;
compare their observations with those of others;
identify similarities and differences in results;
consider whether an investigation was fair;
identify factors that may have affected a result;
suggest ways to make an investigation fairer;
use evidence when discussing results;
ask further questions after an investigation.

Student Success Criteria

I can compare what I predicted with what I observed.

I can compare my result with another group’s result.

I can describe what was the same and what was different.

I can say whether an investigation was fair.

I can identify something that may have changed the result.

I can suggest one way to make an investigation fairer.

I can use observations to explain my thinking.

I can ask another question about an investigation.

Key Vocabulary

evaluate compare observation prediction result evidence same different fair unfair change measure distance growth weather track movement push question improve

Teacher Guide

Recommended Materials

prediction and observation sheets;
bird-count tally sheets;
seedlings and plant growth records;
animal-track images and approved local resources;
weather charts and observation symbols;
toy cars, balls or other rolling objects;
ramps and marked starting lines;
measuring tapes or informal measuring units;
comparison tables and Venn diagrams;
question cards and sentence starters.

Suggested Teaching Sequence

Review the difference between a prediction and an observation.
Model how to compare a prediction with a result.
Compare observations made by two students or groups.
Identify similarities and differences in the results.
Introduce the idea of a fair investigation.
Discuss what should remain the same during a comparison.
Compare weather observations made at different times.
Compare predicted and observed movement distances.
Evaluate pushes made by different students.
Generate further questions from completed investigations.

Teacher Questions

What did you predict?
What did you observe?
Did the result match your prediction?
How was your observation similar to another group’s?
How was it different?
What evidence supports your answer?
Did everyone investigate in the same way?
What changed between the groups?
What should have stayed the same?
Was the comparison fair?
How could we make it fairer?
What new question could we investigate?

Teaching Notes

Keep evaluation concrete

Use visible results, photographs, simple tables and student observations. Young students evaluate more successfully when they can point to clear evidence.

Use fair-test language carefully

At this level, students identify obvious differences in how an investigation was conducted and suggest simple improvements.

Value different observations

Differences do not always mean that someone is wrong. Groups may observe different places, times or conditions.

Use culturally appropriate consultation

When exploring First Nations knowledge, use approved local resources and consult appropriate community members or organisations where possible.

Common Misconceptions

A prediction must be correct

Explain that a prediction is an informed idea made before the investigation. An unexpected result is still useful.

Different results mean someone made a mistake

Different times, locations, methods or materials may produce different observations.

A fair investigation gives everyone the same result

Fairness means conducting the comparison in the same way. It does not guarantee identical results.

Every “big push” is the same

Different students may use different amounts of force even when they all describe their push as big.

Year 1 Evaluating Science Investigations Activities

Activity 1: Bird Count Comparison

Groups count birds in different parts of the playground, compare totals and discuss why their observations may differ.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I05_E1

Activity 2: Seedling Growth Comparison

Students compare how much different groups’ seedlings grew in one week and identify factors that may have affected growth.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I05_E1

Activity 3: Animal-Track Identification

Students compare their track observations with information from appropriate First Nations sources and evaluate their identifications.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I05_E2

Activity 4: Weather at Different Times

Students compare observations made in the morning, at midday and in the afternoon.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I05_E3

Activity 5: Make the Weather Comparison Fairer

Students choose one consistent observation time and method for recording weather across several days.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I05_E3

Activity 6: Predict and Test Travel Distance

Students predict how far an object will travel, observe the result and compare it with the prediction.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I05_E4

Activity 7: Movement Prediction Check

Students record predicted and observed distances and decide whether the object travelled farther, less far or about the expected distance.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I05_E4

Activity 8: Are All Big Pushes the Same?

Different students give an object a big push. The class compares the distances travelled and discusses whether the test was fair.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I05_E5

Activity 9: Improve the Push Investigation

Students suggest ways to make the investigation fairer, such as using the same student, object, surface and starting line.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I05_E5

Activity 10: Ask a Further Question

Students create a new question that could be explored after reviewing the investigation results.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I05

Differentiation

Support

use picture-based comparison cards;
provide same and different sorting headings;
offer sentence starters for oral responses;
compare only two observations at a time;
use symbols to represent predictions and results;
model one fair and one unfair investigation;
allow students to respond by drawing or speaking.

Extension

ask students to explain why results differed;
identify more than one factor affecting fairness;
design a fairer version of an investigation;
compare results using a table or simple graph;
justify whether a prediction was supported;
generate two further investigable questions;
explain which evidence is most useful.

Science Sentence Starters

I predicted that _____.

I observed that _____.

My prediction was supported because _____.

My observation was similar to _____ because _____.

My observation was different because _____.

The evidence shows _____.

The investigation was fair because _____.

The investigation was not fair because _____.

We could make it fairer by _____.

One thing that changed was _____.

One thing that should stay the same is _____.

My next question is _____.

Assessment Ideas

Observe whether the student can:

state a prediction and an observation;
compare a prediction with a result;
compare observations with those of others;
identify a similarity and a difference;
use evidence when explaining a result;
recognise an unfair investigation condition;
suggest one way to improve fairness;
identify a factor that may have affected the result;
ask a relevant further question.

Quick Exit Ticket

Write or draw one observation.
Say whether the result matched your prediction.
Name one way to make the investigation fairer.

Printable Teacher and Student Resources

Use the links below to open the available AC9S1I05 activities, teacher resources and printable worksheets.

Bird Count and Seedling Growth Comparisons Comparing Big Pushes Fairly Comparing Movement Predictions and Observations Comparing Observations and Predictions Comparing Observations with Others Comparing Weather at Different Times Evaluating Animal Track Identifications Evaluating Science Investigations Activities and Worksheets Fair Push Investigation Fair Weather Observations First Nations Animal Track Observations How Far Objects Travel Prediction Check

Resources open in a new tab. Browser PDF settings determine whether each file opens or downloads automatically.

Home Learning Ideas

predict and observe how far a toy rolls;
compare observations with a family member;
record the weather at the same time for several days;
discuss whether different observation times are fair;
compare the growth of two safe household plants;
identify what should remain the same in a simple test;
ask a new question after completing an observation.

Outdoor observations and movement investigations should be completed with adult supervision in a safe area.