Asking like a scientist
Anyone can think like a scientist. To do this you can ask and answer questions scientifically. Most questions don't have simple yes or no answers. Often, a scientific question will start with 'I wonder what will happen if…' or 'Do you think…'. Sometimes, the answer to one scientific question leads to another!
To answer a scientific question, you could carry out a test or experiment or make observations of what you see.
Watch: Where does mud come from?
Learn how to ask scientific questions.
Answering questions
To try and answer their questions, scientists might:
- Carry out tests and make observations
- Collect and record data to decide if they could answer their question in different ways
- Observe, measure and record the outcomes of their tests using tables, graphs and different charts
Activities
Test your understanding of asking scientific questions by trying these activities.
Activity 1: Quiz
Activity 2: Quiz 2
Activity 3: Writing scientific questions
Imagine you are going to carry out a test or investigation to see which is the best material to make an umbrella from.
What scientific questions might you ask? Can you think of at least 5.
What simple things could you use to help here? Scientists call these things equipment if they use them in an experiment. If you decide to do this activity, don’t forget to ask a responsible adult to help you.
You will probably need a cup of water to answer this question!
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