Year 3 Science · AC9S3I01

Pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations

Students learn to pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations. They use the visual model, precise vocabulary…

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Learning goalsSay it simply

Students learn to pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations. They use the visual model, precise vocabulary and evidence to explain and apply the concept.

Learning routine: Observe → Model → Investigate → Record → Explain

Success looks like

  • Recognise observation
  • Use testable question
  • Explain prediction
  • Apply in a new context
  • Justify with evidence
Clean visual examplesOne-page board

Clean one-page examples

AC9S3I01 - Pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations
Example 1

observe: wet cloth dries → notice: faster in sun → question: does light location affect drying time? → predict

Example 2

observation testable question prediction

Example 3

1. Model and notice Use the visual model to identify observation, then explain the important features. observe: wet cloth dries → notice: faster in sun → question: does light location affect drying time? → predict

Example 4

2. Apply and compare Apply testable question to a new example and compare the result. If the cloth is placed in sunlight then it will dry faster because more heat energy is available

Curriculum examplesCopied content

The content description and elaborations below show the curriculum ideas taught in this unit. Items marked as teaching context support lesson planning.

  • Content description: pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations
  • E1: acknowledging and using information from First Nations Australians to guide the development of questions regarding life cycles (teaching context)
  • E2: posing questions about the relationship between soil characteristics and the growth of particular plants, such as: ‘Will beans grow best in sandy, loamy or clay soils?’
  • E3: comparing simple maps of Australian agriculture and soil types and posing questions about observed patterns, such as: ‘Does wheat grow in particular soils?’
  • E4: posing questions about substances that are difficult to classify as a solid or liquid, such as toothpaste, slime or hair gel
  • E5: predicting whether the mass of ice in a sealed container will change when the ice has melted
  • E6: predicting which material will be the most effective insulator of heat
  • E7: predicting how quickly ice will melt at different ambient temperatures based on previous observations
Questions and answersWith answers

Core idea: Students learn to pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations. They use the visual model, precise vocabulary and evidence to explain and apply the concept.

Remember

  • Recognise observation
  • Use testable question
  • Explain prediction
  • Apply in a new context
  • Justify with evidence

Important questions

  • Which question is testable? Explain using the model or evidence above.
  • Complete the prediction frame. Explain using the model or evidence above.
  • Explain turn an observation into a testable question. Explain using the model or evidence above.
  • Correct: Question is opinion-based. Explain using the model or evidence above.
Practice and reviewReady for practice
  • Question is opinion-based — Use an observable or measurable outcome.
  • Feature named without effect — Explain how the feature changes meaning or outcome.
  • One example treated as a rule — Test the idea with another example.

Read the topic guide and use the teacher slide for instruction. Students can then use the worksheet for written work, open Practice for supported feedback, or take the Test when they are ready.

Curriculum alignmentStart here

Students learn to pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations. They use the visual model, precise vocabulary and evidence to explain and apply the concept.

Learning routine: Observe → Model → Investigate → Record → Explain

Success looks like

  • Recognise observation
  • Use testable question
  • Explain prediction
  • Apply in a new context
  • Justify with evidence
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