My Science Inquiry Journal
3rd Grade (ages 8-9)
Topic: Does the color of light affect how fast a bean plant grows
Inquiry Journal: Thinking About Light and Plants
I Wonder...
*When I think about Does the color of light affect how fast a bean plant grows, I wonder...*
I wonder if ____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
I wonder what would happen if __________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
I wonder why ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
My Testable Question
*A good science question starts with:*
Does...
How does...
What happens when...
Which...
My question:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Question Quality Checklist
I will check if my question:
[ ] Can I test this with an experiment?
[ ] Can I measure or observe the answer?
[ ] Is it specific (not too big)?
[ ] Do I NOT already know the answer?
Teacher Checkpoint Box
Show your question to your teacher before moving on.
Teacher initials: _________
Word Bank (use if you want help writing):
wonder / happen / why / test / question / color / light / grow / plant / fast / measure / see / experiment
Here is a printable STUDENT HYPOTHESIS BUILDER page designed for 3rd grade students (ages 8-9). It uses simple sentences, includes sentence starters, and has plenty of space for student writing and drawing. The layout is black-and-white and suitable for printing.
STUDENT HYPOTHESIS BUILDER
My Best Guess (Prediction)
I think _______________ because _______________.
[Large blank lines — 5 lines for writing]
What Am I Changing?
The ONE thing I will change is: ____________________
[Blank box for drawing or writing, about 3" x 3"]
What Am I Watching?
The thing I will measure or look at is: ______________
[Blank box for drawing or writing, about 3" x 3"]
What Am I Keeping the Same? (to make it fair)
[Three separate blank lines spaced apart]
Think Deeper (talk with your partner)
How could we be wrong? What else might affect the results?
[Blank lines — 3 lines for writing]
Teacher Checkpoint:
Show your hypothesis to your teacher.
Teacher initials: ________
Word Bank
- prediction
- change
- measure
- same
- fair test
- affect
*Note:* Remember, a hypothesis is your best guess about what will happen. We test it by changing ONE thing and keeping other things the same. This way we can see how the change affects our results!
What Do I Need?
Think about your experiment. What materials will you need? Write or draw them below.
Thinking Prompt:
- Do I need something to CHANGE? (the thing I’m testing, like the color of light)
- Do I need something to MEASURE with? (ruler, timer, cups, scale)
- Do I need something to RECORD ON? (notebook, chart, camera)
- Do I need something to KEEP THINGS FAIR? (same size pots, same amount of water)
Partner Check:
Trade lists with your partner. Did they forget anything? Write suggestions below.
My partner suggests I also need: _______________________________________________
Teacher Checkpoint:
Get your materials list approved. Teacher initials: ______________
# My Experiment Plan
Write the steps someone else could follow to do your experiment.
| Step 1: First I will ___________________________ | [Drawing Box] |
|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| Step 2: First I will ___________________________ | [Drawing Box] |
|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| Step 3: First I will ___________________________ | [Drawing Box] |
|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| Step 4: First I will ___________________________ | [Drawing Box] |
|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| Step 5: First I will ___________________________ | [Drawing Box] |
|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| Step 6: First I will ___________________________ | [Drawing Box] |
|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
## Fair Test Checklist — Before You Start, Check!
- [ ] I am only changing ONE thing in my experiment.
- [ ] I am keeping everything else the same.
- [ ] I will repeat my experiment ___ times. (Write your number)
- [ ] I know what I will measure and how.
- [ ] Someone else could follow my steps.
---
## Partner Review
Give your steps to a partner. Can they follow them? What is confusing?
**My partner says I should change:** _______________________________
---
## Teacher Checkpoint
Get your procedure approved.
Teacher initials: _________
Certainly! Below are two printable data recording pages designed for 3rd grade students doing an inquiry experiment on how the color of light affects bean plant growth. They include scaffolding with simple language and space for writing and drawing.
Page 1: My Observations
*Use this page every day to record what you notice about your bean plant.*
*Science words:*
- Observation: What you notice with your senses.
- Senses: How you see, hear, smell, or feel something.
*Sentence starters you can use:*
- *Today I see ______________.*
- *I hear/smell/feel ______________.*
- *My drawing shows ______________.*
Page 2: My Measurements
*Fill in the blanks and record your numbers. Be careful and measure the same way each time!*
What I'm measuring: _______________________
Units I'm using: _______________________
My Graph
- Y-axis label: ________________ (What you measured. Example: Plant height in cm)
- X-axis label: ________________ (What you changed. Example: Color of light)
- Title of my graph: __________________________________
*(Grid lines drawn evenly for bars or points. No data plotted yet.)*
If you want, I can create a PDF layout or printable version with large spaces and clear fonts as well!
Conclusion & Reflection
What I Found Out
My question was: ____________________________________________
I thought ___________________________________________________
would happen.
What really happened was: ____________________________________
I think this happened because: ________________________________
My prediction was (circle one): RIGHT / PARTLY RIGHT / WRONG
One thing that surprised me was: ______________________________
What I Would Do Differently
If I did this experiment again, I would change: ___________________
A new question I have now is: _________________________________
What I Learned About Being a Scientist
The hardest part was: _________________________________________
I'm proud of: ________________________________________________
A skill I got better at: ________________________________________
Remember: There are no wrong answers here! Scientists learn by asking questions and trying new ideas. Keep being curious!
My Board Plan
(Here is a big rectangle divided into three equal parts side by side)
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
| LEFT PANEL | CENTER PANEL | RIGHT PANEL |
| What goes here?___ | What goes here?___| What goes here?___|
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
Title Brainstorm:
Think of 3 catchy titles for your project:
1. ___________________________
2. ___________________________
3. ___________________________
I choose: _____________________
Presentation Practice:
Write what you will say when a judge visits your board:
Hi, my name is _______________ and my project is about _________________.
I wanted to find out _________________________________________.
I discovered that __________________________________________.
The most interesting thing was ___________________________________.
Board Quality Checklist:
[ ] My title is BIG and easy to read
[ ] Each section has a clear heading
[ ] My graph is neat and labeled
[ ] I included photos or drawings
[ ] I can explain every part
How Did I Do? (Circle one for each)
My Scientist Reflection:
The best part of this project was: ____________________________
Next time I want to investigate: ____________________________
I feel like a real scientist because: ____________________________
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