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Schemes of Work
QCA

Science at key stage 3    (Year 9)

Unit 9M: Investigating scientific questions

QCA

Resources

Resources will need to be matched to the investigations undertaken.

Resources needed for the investigations suggested in this unit include:

  • apples or other fruit
  • an oven
  • a digital balance
  • plastic bottles
  • kitchen towels or other material for wrapping around bottles
  • temperature sensors and software
  • a moisture meter

Secondary source references on:

  • elephants (their behaviour and habitat)
  • plants that grow near water
  • pH of rainwater in various locations

Sections in this unit

This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
1. What sort of questions can be investigated scientifically?
2. Using and evaluating a way of finding out how much of an apple is water
3. Using a model and data from a fair test to find out why elephants throw water over themselves
4. Carrying out a survey, using a suitable sample size, to find out how the moisture level in the soil affects the variety and abundance of plants on the school field
5. Developing a classification system for a variety of plants that grow in and around water
6. Using secondary sources to develop and test hypotheses about factors that might affect the pH of rainwater
7. Concluding the unit on investigating scientific questions