You will learn
- Say that science is finding out about the world.
- Name what scientists do: look, ask, try and tell.
- Say what a science question is.
- Say that scientists use evidence, not only guesses.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Science is finding out about the world.
- Scientists look, ask, try and tell.
- Good answers come from evidence, not only guesses.
- You can be a scientist too.
Words to know
finding out about the world by looking, asking and trying
a person who finds out about the world
something we ask because we want to know
what we see, hear or measure that shows something is true
1. Discover: A green surprise
Ama puts a bean seed in a cup of soil and gives it a little water. She looks at the cup every day. On day four, a tiny green shoot pushes up. “How did that happen?” Ama asks. She does not just guess. She keeps looking, she draws what she sees and she asks her teacher.
Think: What did Ama do to find out?
2. Understand: What science is
Idea 1: Science is finding out
Science is a way of finding out about the world. We can find out about plants, animals, rocks, water, the weather and our own bodies.
Idea 2: Scientists look, ask, try and tell
Scientists look closely, ask questions, try things in a safe way and tell other people what they found. We can tell by talking, drawing or writing.
Idea 3: Evidence, not only guesses
A scientist wants to know what is true. She uses evidence, which is what we see, hear or measure. If new evidence shows something different, a scientist can change her mind.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Is Ama doing science?
Ama looks at her seed every day and draws it.
- Is she looking closely? Yes.
- Is she finding out about the world? Yes.
- Is she telling what she sees? Yes, by drawing.
Answer: Yes, Ama is doing science.
Example 2 (We do it together): Is Kwesi doing science?
Kwesi says, “I think the seed is dead,” but he never looks at it again.
- Does he look closely? No.
- Does he have evidence? No, it is only a guess.
- Is he finding out? No.
Answer: No. Kwesi should look at the seed again and get evidence.
Example 3 (You try): Make a science question
You see an ant carrying a crumb. What could you ask?
Show the steps and answer
- Look: what is the ant doing?
- Think: what do I want to know?
- Ask a question with what, where, how or why.
Answer: One example: “Where is the ant taking the crumb?”
Did you know?
The word “science” comes from an old word that means “knowledge”. People in every part of the world have been finding out about plants, animals and the sky for thousands of years.
Why this matters
Science helps us understand the world, grow food, stay healthy and stay safe.
4. Explore: Be a science detective
Choose a safe object, such as a leaf, a stone or a pencil. Work with a partner.
- Look at the object quietly for one minute.
- Say three things you notice.
- Ask one question about it.
- Draw the object and tell your partner what you found out.
Think about it: what did you notice?
Did you notice more when you looked slowly? Looking carefully helps us find evidence.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Science is ___.
- A scientist can ___.
- My question is ___.
- I know because I ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What do scientists do first: look closely or guess?
They look closely.
Question 2. Say one thing a scientist can do.
Look, ask, try or tell.
Question 3. Is “Why is the leaf green?” a question?
Yes.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What do scientists do first: look closely or guess?
- Say one thing a scientist can do.
- Is “Why is the leaf green?” a question?
- What do we call what we see, hear or measure that shows something is true?
- Name one thing you can find out about with science.
Level 2: Grow
- Ama draws the seed each day. Is she doing science? Say why.
- Write a question about a bird.
- Why is looking closely better than guessing?
Level 3: Stretch
- Kwesi says the sky is green but he has not looked. What should he do?
- Explain the four things scientists do.
- A friend says science is only for adults. What do you say?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Think about your home or yard. What could you look at to find something out?
Show a sample answer
I can look at a plant to find out if it is growing taller.
Another one. Tell someone at home one thing you found out today.
Show a sample answer
Today I found out that looking slowly helps me see more.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Anyone can do science. Children do science when they look, ask and find out.
Fix: A guess is only an idea. Evidence is what we see, hear or measure.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say that science is finding out about the world.
- I can name what scientists do: look, ask, try and tell.
- I can say what a science question is.
- I can say that scientists use evidence, not only guesses.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Science is finding out about the world.
- Scientists look, ask, try and tell.
- Good answers come from evidence, not only guesses.
- You can be a scientist too.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Science in everyday life. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is science? [2 marks]
- Name two things scientists do. [2 marks]
- Write one science question about a plant. [2 marks]
- Ama says, “I think the seed is dead.” Kwesi says, “Let us look at it every day.” Who is doing science? Give a reason. [3 marks]
- What is evidence? [1 mark]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Finding out about the world [1]; by looking, asking or trying [1]
- Any two: look; ask; try; tell [1 each]
- A question about a plant [1]; ends with a question mark [1]
- Kwesi [1]; he looks [1]; he will get evidence [1]
- What we see, hear or measure that shows something is true [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What do scientists do first: look closely or guess?
- Say one thing a scientist can do.
- Is “Why is the leaf green?” a question?
- What do we call what we see, hear or measure that shows something is true?
- Name one thing you can find out about with science.
- Ama draws the seed each day. Is she doing science? Say why.
- Write a question about a bird.
- Why is looking closely better than guessing?
- Kwesi says the sky is green but he has not looked. What should he do?
- Explain the four things scientists do.
Homework
At home, look at one plant or one insect for two minutes. Draw it, and say or write one question about it.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What do scientists do first: look closely or guess? | They look closely. | 1 |
| 2. Say one thing a scientist can do. | Look, ask, try or tell. | 1 |
| 3. Is “Why is the leaf green?” a question? | Yes. | 1 |
| 4. What do we call what we see, hear or measure that shows something is true? | Evidence. | 1 |
| 5. Name one thing you can find out about with science. | Plants, animals, rocks, water, weather or our bodies. | 1 |
| 6. Ama draws the seed each day. Is she doing science? Say why. | Yes. She looks closely and records what she sees. | 1 |
| 7. Write a question about a bird. | Any sensible question, such as “What does the bird eat?” | 1 |
| 8. Why is looking closely better than guessing? | Looking gives evidence. A guess may be wrong. | 1 |
| 9. Kwesi says the sky is green but he has not looked. What should he do? | Look at the sky and use evidence. | 1 |
| 10. Explain the four things scientists do. | They look, ask, try and tell. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 They look closely.; 2 Look, ask, try or tell.; 3 Yes.; 4 Evidence.; 5 Plants, animals, rocks, water, weather or our bodies.. Level 2: 1 Yes. She looks closely and records what she sees.; 2 Any sensible question, such as “What does the bird eat?”; 3 Looking gives evidence. A guess may be wrong.. Level 3: 1 Look at the sky and use evidence.; 2 They look, ask, try and tell.; 3 Anyone who looks, asks and finds out can do science, including children..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say that science is finding out about the world | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Name what scientists do: look, ask, try and tell | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Say what a science question is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say that scientists use evidence, not only guesses | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Science is only for grown-ups or for people in a lab.” Anyone can do science. Children do science when they look, ask and find out.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Practise “look, ask, try, tell” with one real object, using each action in turn.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns that science means finding out about the world by looking closely, asking questions and trying safe things. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Go for a short walk and ask your child to look closely at one thing.
- Ask, “What do you notice? What do you wonder?”
- When you are not sure, say, “I do not know. How can we find out?”
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say that science is finding out about the world; name what scientists do: look, ask, try and tell; say what a science question is; say that scientists use evidence, not only guesses.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about what they notice.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, crayons, and safe objects such as leaves, stones, seeds and pencils. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Collect one safe object for each pair. Write four words on the board: look, ask, try, tell. Check the area for anything unsafe.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the story of Ama’s seed and ask: “What did Ama do to find out?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach the four actions (look, ask, try, tell) with a gesture for each. Explain evidence in simple words.
Guided activity (10 min). Pairs look at an object for one minute, say three things they notice and ask one question.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners draw the object and say or write one question and one thing they found out.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What did Ama do? What is a question? What is evidence?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Science is only for grown-ups or for people in a lab.” Anyone can do science. Children do science when they look, ask and find out.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Practise “look, ask, try, tell” with one real object, using each action in turn. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 1, topic 1; Next Generation Science Standards, science and engineering practices (asking questions, observing); Cambridge Primary Science Stage 1, scientific enquiry; IB Primary Years Programme, inquiry-based learning. These sources informed the lesson.