Working scientifically: pattern seeking
Pattern-seeking enquiries in primary science involve children making measurements or observations to explore situations.
Pattern-seeking enquiries involve children making measurements or observations to explore situations where there are variables that they can’t easily control. In these enquiries, children are trying to answer ‘big questions’ by identifying patterns in the measurements and observations they record. These types of enquiries may be preliminary tests that lead on to more systematic enquiries, such as fair tests or comparative tests.
The video below gives you an introduction to pattern seeking enquiries; below the video you will find a useful resource to download which includes suggestions for some of the ‘big questions’ that pupils might explore through pattern seeking. A full transcript of the video can also be downloaded below.
Pattern seeking
Downloads
| File Name | File Type | File Size | File Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working scientifically: pattern seeking | 234 KB | Download | |
| Pattern seeking video transcript | 48 KB | Download |
Published: 5 October 2021