Science Inquiry • AC9S1I01

Year 1 Science Inquiry Activities and Worksheets

Explore Year 1 Science Inquiry through engaging questioning and predicting activities aligned with the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0. Students investigate push and pull forces, animal habitats, plant needs and seasonal changes by posing questions, recognising simple patterns and making predictions based on their experiences.

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About This Year 1 Science Inquiry Topic

Scientific inquiry begins with curiosity. In this unit, students learn to ask questions about simple patterns and relationships they observe in the world around them.

Students explore familiar contexts including toy cars, push and pull forces, animal habitats, plant needs, gardens, ponds, weather and seasonal changes. They use prior experiences and observations to make simple predictions before carrying out investigations or making further observations.

The focus is not on producing perfect predictions. Students learn that a useful scientific prediction is based on what they have already observed, experienced or learned.

Australian Curriculum Alignment

AC9S1I01

Pose questions to explore observed simple patterns and relationships and make predictions based on experiences.

AC9S1I01_E1

Pose questions about simple relationships between push and pull forces, such as whether a toy car goes further when it is pushed harder.

AC9S1I01_E2

Pose questions about how animals meet their needs in particular places, including where they find shelter and water.

AC9S1I01_E3

Make predictions about plant needs, such as what may happen if a plant does not receive enough water.

AC9S1I01_E4

Make predictions about the plants and animals that might be observed in a particular place, such as a garden or pond.

AC9S1I01_E5

Make predictions about patterns in observable phenomena, including seasonal plant changes and temperature changes across the seasons.

Learning Intentions

Students will learn to:

  • ask questions about things they observe;
  • identify simple patterns and relationships;
  • make predictions using prior experiences;
  • pose questions about pushes and pulls;
  • ask how animals meet their needs in habitats;
  • predict what plants need to stay healthy;
  • predict which living things may be found in a habitat;
  • predict seasonal changes in plants and temperature;
  • explain the reason for a prediction.

Student Success Criteria

I can ask a science question.

I can identify a simple pattern.

I can make a prediction.

I can explain what helped me make my prediction.

I can ask a question about a push or pull.

I can ask how an animal meets its needs.

I can predict what a plant may need.

I can predict which plants or animals may live in a place.

I can predict a seasonal change.

Key Vocabulary

question observe pattern relationship predict experience evidence investigate push pull force habitat shelter water plant needs animal needs garden pond season temperature

Teacher Guide

Recommended Materials

  • toy cars and ramps;
  • smooth and rough surfaces;
  • photographs of animals and habitats;
  • classroom plants or plant photographs;
  • garden and pond images;
  • seasonal photographs of the same location;
  • simple weather and temperature charts;
  • observation journals;
  • question cards and prediction sentence starters;
  • drawing and writing materials.

Suggested Teaching Sequence

  1. Introduce the difference between an observation and a question.
  2. Model how observations can lead to scientific questions.
  3. Discuss how experiences help people make predictions.
  4. Explore push and pull questions using toy cars.
  5. Ask questions about how animals meet their needs.
  6. Make and discuss predictions about plant needs.
  7. Predict living things likely to be found in habitats.
  8. Observe seasonal and temperature patterns.
  9. Record predictions before investigations or observations.
  10. Compare predictions with what was observed.

Teacher Questions

  • What did you notice?
  • What question could we ask about this?
  • Is there a pattern?
  • What do you think will happen?
  • What experience helped you make that prediction?
  • How could we find out?
  • What might change if we push harder?
  • What does this animal need in its habitat?
  • What might happen if this plant receives less water?
  • Which living things might we find here?
  • What may change next season?

Common Misconceptions

A prediction must be correct

Explain that a prediction is an idea about what may happen. It should be based on observations or experiences, but it does not have to be correct.

A scientific question can be answered with yes or no only

Encourage questions that can lead to observation, comparison or investigation, such as “What happens when…?” and “How does… affect…?”

All questions are predictions

Clarify that a question asks what students want to find out, while a prediction states what they think may happen.

Predictions are random guesses

Model how predictions use clues from previous experiences, observations and known patterns.

Year 1 Science Inquiry Activities

Activity 1: Observation to Question

Show students a familiar object, plant, animal photograph or weather image. Students record what they notice and turn one observation into a scientific question.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I01

Activity 2: Toy Car Push Investigation

Students ask whether a toy car travels farther when pushed harder. They make a prediction before testing different pushes on the same surface.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I01_E1

Activity 3: Surface and Distance Questions

Students compare a smooth and rough surface and pose questions about how each surface may affect the distance a toy car travels.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I01_E1

Activity 4: Animal Habitat Question Cards

Students select an animal and pose questions about where it shelters, where it finds water and how it obtains food.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I01_E2

Activity 5: What Does This Plant Need?

Students examine a plant and predict what may happen if it receives too little water, light or space.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I01_E3

Activity 6: Garden Living Things Prediction

Before visiting or examining a garden, students predict the plants and animals they may observe and explain their reasons.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I01_E4

Activity 7: Pond Habitat Prediction

Students use a pond image or local observation site to predict which living things may be present and what they might need to survive there.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I01_E4

Activity 8: Seasonal Plant Changes

Students compare photographs of the same plant across seasons, identify a pattern and predict what it may look like in the next season.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I01_E5

Activity 9: Temperature Pattern Prediction

Students examine a simple seasonal temperature chart and predict which season is likely to be warmer or cooler.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I01_E5

Activity 10: Prediction Check

Students revisit an earlier prediction, compare it with what they observed and explain whether the evidence supported their original idea.

Curriculum connection: AC9S1I01

Differentiation

Support

  • use photographs, real objects and familiar contexts;
  • provide oral response options;
  • use question and prediction sentence starters;
  • allow students to draw their predictions;
  • model one question and prediction before independent work;
  • use paired discussion before whole-class sharing.

Extension

  • ask students to explain the evidence behind a prediction;
  • compare two possible predictions;
  • design a fair way to test a simple question;
  • identify variables that should stay the same;
  • record results in a simple table;
  • write a new question after observing the result.

Science Sentence Starters

I observed that _____.

I noticed a pattern in _____.

My question is _____.

What happens when _____?

Does _____ change when _____?

I predict that _____.

I think this because _____.

From my experience, _____.

The evidence showed _____.

My prediction was supported because _____.

Assessment Ideas

Observe whether the student can:

  • pose a relevant question about an observation;
  • identify a simple pattern or relationship;
  • make a prediction based on experience;
  • explain the reason for a prediction;
  • ask questions about pushes and pulls;
  • ask how animals meet their needs;
  • predict outcomes related to plant needs;
  • predict living things found in a habitat;
  • predict seasonal or temperature changes;
  • compare a prediction with an observation.

Quick Exit Ticket

  1. Write or say one science question.
  2. Make one prediction.
  3. Explain what helped you make that prediction.

Printable Teacher and Student Resources

Use the links below to open the available AC9S1I01 teaching materials, activities and printable worksheets.

Asking Questions and Making Predictions – Introduction Animal Habitats and Needs Garden and Pond Predictions How Animals Meet Their Needs Predicting Plant Needs Predicting Plants and Animals in Habitats Predicting Seasonal Changes Push and Pull Predictions Questioning and Predicting Activities and Worksheets Science Inquiry Worksheets Toy Car Force Investigation Weather and Season Patterns What Plants Need to Grow

Resources open in a new tab.

Home Learning Ideas

Families can encourage scientific inquiry by asking children to notice patterns, ask questions and make predictions during everyday activities.

Try questions such as:

  • What do you notice?
  • What pattern can you see?
  • What do you think will happen next?
  • Why do you think that?
  • How could we find out?
  • What animals might live here?
  • What may happen to this plant without water?
  • How might the weather change next season?

Related Year 1 Science Topics

Year 1 Science Activities and Worksheets Year 1 Biological Sciences Year 1 Earth and Space Sciences Year 1 Physical Sciences Year 1 Science as a Human Endeavour