Comparing and Concluding: a skill companion
A small set of reusable sheets that grow one science skill: compare results, check fairness, and draw a careful conclusion. Print the scaffolds once and slot them into the science lessons you already teach.
What a skill companion is
Inquiry and human-endeavour skills grow inside Year 3 science topics such as living things, soils and rocks, heat and temperature, and solids and liquids. This pack is not a full term. It is three reusable scaffolds, a pairing map, and a short stand-alone lesson.
Start here: five minutes
- Read the pairing map on the next page.
- Print scaffolds 1 and 2 when a lesson needs this skill.
- Cut out scaffold 3 cards once; reuse all year.
- Open the free interactive unit when you want a worked example on the board.
- Run the mini-lesson first if you want to teach the skill on its own.
No science background needed
Written for the busy generalist teacher. Plain words, model answers, and look-fors are on the answer sheet.
Slot the skill into your science lessons
Fold this skill into the science you already teach. The map shows a pattern or need, a prompt, and which scaffold to reach for.
| When you teach | Pattern or need | Prompt | Scaffold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat fair test (AC9S3U03) | Compare melt times across groups | Where did ice last longest? | Compare-two + conclusion |
| Solids and liquids (AC9S3U04) | Compare melt places | Was every test fair? | Fairness check |
| Living things (AC9S3U01) | Compare plant heights | What does the data support? | Conclusion frame |
| Any science topic | Two tables got different numbers | Why might they differ? | Compare-two sheet |
On-screen pictures that back the skill
- “My results next to another group\'s”.
- “Find the reading that does not match”.
- “Which statements does the data support?”.
Compare-two sheet
My results | another group | same or different Use this sheet whenever the skill shows up in a science lesson.
What I notice or need
My plan or question
What I will keep the same / measure / say
Teacher note: collect one strong example for the word wall of science words.
Fairness check
Did we change only one thing?
Before
Draw it
After
Conclusion frame
I conclude... because the data shows... Cut out and sort. Talk about why.
Our group and theirs used the same ice size
Their cube was twice as big
One odd reading should be checked again
Ignore data that does not match my guess
A conclusion uses the evidence
A conclusion can name a new question
If tests were unfair, say so
Louder voice means better conclusion
Same pattern in two groups builds trust
Answer key is on the answers sheet so cards stay uncluttered.
Compare, check, conclude
Teach the skill on its own before folding it into a science topic. About 30 minutes. Uses the three scaffolds in this pack.
We are learning to
- compare results, check fairness, and draw a careful conclusion,
- use the pack scaffolds with a real science example,
- say the idea in Year 3 words.
Success criteria
- I can use one scaffold without copying a friend.
- I can explain the skill in one short sentence.
You need
- scaffolds 1-3 from this pack,
- the free interactive unit on the board,
- everyday materials named on the pairing map for your chosen topic.
Lesson flow (about 30 minutes)
| 5 min | Hook Open the board picture and name the skill in plain words. Ask: “What are we practising today, in one sentence?” |
| 10 min | Scaffold 3 sort Tables sort the cut-out cards and justify two choices to a partner. |
| 10 min | Scaffold 1 and 2 Each child fills scaffold 1, then scaffold 2, linked to one Year 3 science topic. |
| 5 min | Exit sentence Write one sentence: Today I learned to... Ask: “Who will share a clear science sentence?” |
Split into two 15-minute blocks if needed: sort first, then write.
Watch for
- Opinion dressed up as a test -- send them back to the cards.
- Scaffold filled with no science word -- prompt heat, living, soil, solid as fits the topic.
Answers and look-fors
- See the answers sheet for card keys and model responses.
- Meeting the idea: a child can name the skill and point to evidence on their scaffold.
Answers and look-fors
Scaffold 3 cards
| Card | Fit? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Our group and theirs used the same ice size | Yes | Helps a fair comparison. |
| Their cube was twice as big | No | Unfair to compare melt times. |
| One odd reading should be checked again | Yes | May be a recording slip. |
| Ignore data that does not match my guess | No | Science keeps surprising results. |
| A conclusion uses the evidence | Yes | Not only the prediction. |
| A conclusion can name a new question | Yes | Inquiry continues. |
| If tests were unfair, say so | Yes | Honesty about method. |
| Louder voice means better conclusion | No | Evidence matters, not volume. |
| Same pattern in two groups builds trust | Yes | Agreement strengthens the idea. |
Three levels
| Idea | Working towards | At standard | Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use the skill | needs heavy support | uses the scaffold with a science example | transfers the skill to a new topic unprompted |
| Evidence | guess only | links a claim to something observed or measured | compares two pieces of evidence |
| Science words | everyday words only | uses one or two unit words correctly | explains a word to a partner |
Model exit sentence: “Today I learned to compare results, check fairness, and draw a careful conclusion.”
Pair answers with the Year 3 U unit you folded the skill into that week.