Gradelings

Grade 7 · Science · Unit 10 of 16

Fair Tests & Bias

Hypotheses, variables, evidence and peer review

What your child practises

Children practise how scientists test predictions: writing a hypothesis, controlling variables, collecting data honestly and spotting bias.

Manitoba Curriculum learning outcome: SCI.7.C.3, SCI.7.D.1, SCI.7.D.2 · scientific practices, collecting data and reducing bias, and hypotheses, experiments and variables

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which helps reduce bias?

    • Throw out results you dislike
    • Change the data
    • Record all results, including surprising ones
    • Test once
    Show answer

    Record all results, including surprising ones

    Hint: Honest records reduce bias.

  2. Question 2

    Why do scientists change only one variable at a time?

    • To save paper
    • So they know what caused the change
    • To make it harder
    • To avoid measuring
    Show answer

    So they know what caused the change

    Hint: More than one change would make results confusing.

  3. Question 3

    Why is peer review useful?

    • It makes results secret
    • It helps find mistakes and bias
    • It makes experiments longer
    • It removes all data
    Show answer

    It helps find mistakes and bias

    Hint: Reviewers catch problems the first scientist missed.

  4. Question 4

    In a fair test, the variable you change on purpose is the…

    • conclusion
    • dependent variable
    • independent (manipulated) variable
    • control group only
    Show answer

    independent (manipulated) variable

    Hint: You change one thing at a time.

  5. Question 5

    Variables that must stay the same in a fair test are called…

    • hypotheses
    • controlled variables
    • opinions
    • results
    Show answer

    controlled variables

    Hint: Keeping them the same makes the test fair.

  6. Question 6

    When an experiment does not support your hypothesis, you should…

    • stop science forever
    • change the data
    • hide the results
    • report what happened and revise your thinking
    Show answer

    report what happened and revise your thinking

    Hint: Unexpected results are part of learning.

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