In this example the children were investigating which paper towel would be best to mop up a spill. The children were given a tray of materials and asked to decide for themselves:

– what they were testing and

– how they would test it.

They tried out their ideas with many just pouring the water on, but finding that they couldn’t tell as it was a ‘soggy mess’. The teacher then intervened by reviewing the key questions and supporting them with introducing a pipette to drop a small amount of water on the materials so that they would be able to make a conclusion. The children can support each other by sharing a ‘top tips’.

Y1/2, Lovington Primary, Castle Cary