CAMBRIDGE YEAR 6

SCIENCE

CHAPTER 8: ENQUIRY IN
CONTEXT

8.1 ENQUIRY IN CONTEXT

Scientists use many different skills to

obtain answers to questions.
Make careful observations and
measurements
Collect evidence and see how good it is
Use your evidence to explain what you
have found out
Use your evidence to predict something
you dont know yet

8.1 ENQUIRY IN CONTEXT

Case study 1: Common cars

Anya and Riya were arguing. There
are more silver cars in the city than any
other colour, said Anya.
No, said Riya. Blue cars are the
commonest. Lets find out, said Riya. We
need a sample. Lets count the cars passing
the school, said Anya.

8.1 ENQUIRY IN CONTEXT

We shall count them at different

times of day, said Riya. Then we shall have
a good sample.
Anya and Riya counted cars for five
minutes. They did this at four different times
of the day. They decided to count just red,
black, silver and blue cars. They each had
two colours to count.

8.1 ENQUIRY IN CONTEXT

Anya and Riya recorded their

results
of day
Red
Black
Silver
inTime
a table.

Blue

9 a.m.

11 a.m.

1 p.m.

10

3 p.m.

10

8.1 ENQUIRY IN CONTEXT

WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS TO ASK

IN THIS INVESTIGATION
Which girl was right?
Or were they both wrong?
Was their sample big enough?
How could they get better results?

8.1 ENQUIRY IN CONTEXT

Case study 2: Burglar alarms

Yasmin was reading a book about
burglars. Protect your door with a pressure
switch, it said.
Pressure switches work when two
conductors are brought together to complete
a circuit. They are separated by a squashy
insulating material like sponge.

8.1 ENQUIRY IN CONTEXT

Holes in the sponge should allow

the two conductors to make contact. Ill
make one of those! thought Yasmin. Ill use
cooking foil for the conductors.
But whats best for the insulator?
Maybe I should use carpet, she thought.
Or thin rubber. Or foam. As long as the
conductors can touch, it will make a switch.

8.1 ENQUIRY IN CONTEXT

What else will Yasmin need to

make a complete circuit? What will the
switch operate? A bulb - or a buzzer?
Yasmins pressure switch only
worked when really heavy people trod on it.

8.1 ENQUIRY IN CONTEXT

WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS TO ASK

IN THIS INVESTIGATION
Will the circuit be complete
when a burglar treads on it?
How many holes should be
made in the insulator?
How many batteries do you need for
the pressure switch to work properly?

8.1 ENQUIRY IN CONTEXT

A pressure switch

8.2 THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST

Science is about asking questions and

finding the answers.
Scientists ask questions all the time.
Asking questions is the hard part. You
need imagination to do this.

8.2 THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST

8.2 THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST

Once you have your questions, you have

to find the answer.
Ways to obtain answers to your questions:
(i) Test, observe and measure
(ii) Using secondary sources (books,
journals, internet)

8.2 THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST

Once you obtain the answers, you need to

present your evidence and explain it.
You also need to evaluate whether your
evidence is good enough.