Variables
Independent, dependent and control variables: sort them, name them and spot the one the method did not control.
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Teaching Guide: Scientific Enquiry and the Scientific Method
Science is not just knowing facts: it is asking questions that can be investigated, planning fair tests and making sense of data. This free scientific method worksheet generator creates A4 worksheets with classroom experiments (plants and light, pendulums, dissolving, insulation, ramps, springs, yeast…) and realistic results to practise variables, hypotheses, fair tests, graphs and conclusions, always with a reasoned answer key.
Student worksheet 
Answer key Hypotheses
Recognise a testable hypothesis, write one as "if…, then…, because…" and think about what result would disprove it.
Fair tests
Pick the controlled experiment out of several plans and explain what is wrong with the others.
Graphs and trends
Draw the graph from the table, read off values, interpolate, extrapolate and decide whether the relationship is proportional.
Data and conclusions
Anomalous results, means of three trials, claims the data do or do not support, and correlation versus causation.
Reasoned answer key
Every answer with its reasoning: the values in the table, the graph reading with its margin and the why.
Frequently Asked Questions about Scientific Enquiry
What is the difference between independent, dependent and control variables?
The independent variable is the one the investigator changes on purpose (for example, the hours of light); the dependent variable is the one measured to see the effect (the mass of the plant), and the control variables are kept the same (water, pot, temperature) so the test is fair.
How do you write a good hypothesis?
A hypothesis is a prediction that can be tested. The clearest form is "If…, then…, because…": it names both variables, says how one will change when the other changes and gives a scientific reason. "Plants are pretty" is not a hypothesis; "If a plant gets more hours of light, it will grow more, because…" is.
What is a fair test?
A fair test (a controlled experiment) changes only the independent variable and keeps all the others the same. Then, if the result changes, we know that variable caused it. The worksheets show several plans and students find the fair one and explain what is wrong with the rest.
Why repeat measurements, and what is an anomalous result?
Repeating each measurement (usually three times) lets you check the results, work out a more reliable mean and spot anomalous results: values that do not fit the pattern because of a measuring or method error. An anomalous result is left out of the mean.
Why does correlation not mean causation?
Two things changing together does not prove that one causes the other: often a third variable causes both. On hot days more ice creams are sold and more people get sunburnt, but ice cream does not burn you: the sun does. The correlation worksheets practise this reasoning with data.
Which grades are the worksheets for?
Grades 5–6 (level 1), Grades 7–8 (level 2) and Grades 9–10 (level 3), ages 10 to 16. They build the science competency PISA assesses: evaluating and designing scientific enquiry and interpreting data and evidence.
Which other science worksheets go well with these?
For students to record their own experiment, use the Science Experiment Journal Worksheet Generator. To practise graphs with real data, try the Climate Graph Worksheet Generator. There are more resources in Natural Sciences.
Is any data sent to a server?
No. The worksheet is created in your browser, and templates are only saved in your browser’s memory.
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