Virginia SOL 5.1.a.i

Science5th GradeScientific and Engineering Practices

The Standard

ask testable questions based on observations and predict reasonable outcomes based on patterns

Virginia Standards of Learning for Science · The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices by

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students examine an observation and write a question that can be answered by collecting evidence. They use a pattern in earlier observations to predict a likely result.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can identify what will be changed or compared and what will be measured. The prediction matches the question and refers to a clear pattern.
Common Misconceptions: Students often write broad questions, such as "Why do plants grow?" that cannot be tested in one investigation. They may offer guesses unrelated to data or confuse a prediction with an observation.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: A toy car traveled 40, 70, and 100 centimeters from ramps 10, 20, and 30 centimeters high. Write a testable question and predict the distance from a 40-centimeter ramp using the pattern.

Lesson moves

Roll toy cars down ramps at three heights, record distances, then write a new testable question and predict from the distance pattern.
Show three days of temperature and ice-melt data; ask, "What can we test next, and what outcome does the pattern support?"
Play Question Sort Relay: teams classify question cards as testable or not testable, then revise one weak question.
Use cafeteria food-waste totals from Monday through Thursday to predict Friday's amount and propose a testable question about reducing waste.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 5.1.a.i, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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