science inquiry questions

Examples of Inquiry Questions

© VCAA December 2012 of 6

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/auscurric/progressionpoints/AusVELS-ScienceProgressionPoints.pdf

Progression Points F.5 – 1.5

F.5 Examples of suitable inquiry questions include:

How are human adults different from human babies?

How are dogs similar to/different from cats?

How are ligers similar to/different from tigers and lions?

How does the ‘skin’ of fish feel different to the ‘skin’ of penguins? Cats? Chickens?

How can sound be described?

What does water look like?

How can light be described?

Does everyone describe a single object in the same way?

Why is accurate observation important when describing materials or objects?

How are the needs of pet dogs similar to, and different from, the needs of pet fish?

How can plants be looked after during times of drought or water restrictions?

Level 1 Examples of suitable inquiry questions include:

In which situations is it better to sort objects on the basis of colour rather than size?

In which situations is it better to sort objects on the basis of size rather than colour?

Why is sorting important?

How do you sort your toys?

How would a blind person sort and identify their clothes?

What makes sounds change?

Which keeps food fresher, paper or plastic?

What happens to the texture and flavour of a jelly when it is cooled at different rates?

Do all fish ‘drink’ and ‘breathe’ in the same way?

How can different fish be sorted into groups, and why would it be useful for us to sort them into groups?

1.5 Examples of suitable inquiry questions include:

What materials can be used to construct a home-made piano/guitar/flute?

How do the materials in the clothes worn on a hot day differ from the materials in the clothes worn on a rainy day?

Can a woollen jumper be re-woven to create a summer outfit?

Can paper be used to make a raincoat?

Are different types of clouds associated with different weather?

How do the seasons affect what we eat and what we do, and how can we make changes to do things ‘out of season’?

How can paints be made from natural ochres and plant materials, and how are they affected by sunlight?

Are scale patterns in fish related to swim speed?

What if an octopus had to live where a shark/eel/penguin lives?

How does the colour, shape and texture of a fish’s ‘skin’ help it to live in its habitat?

What if humans had fins?

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/auscurric/progressionpoints/AusVELS-ScienceProgressionPoints.pdf



Progression Points 2.5 – 3.5


Does watering seedlings with soda water affect their growth?

How do the life cycles of plants compare with the life cycle of animals?

If you consider the seven general features of living things, can fire be classified as a living thing?

How does a sundial work? How do aeroplanes fly?

How does a compost heap/garden change over time?

Can chocolate be continuously heated and cooled without affecting its taste, colour or texture?

What temperatures and light conditions enable propagation and growth of plants?

How are buildings kept cool in summer and warm in winter?

How are chocolate-covered sweets manufactured?

Can the weather be predicted accurately?

How is revegetation and the restoration of animal habitats managed after a bushfire?

How can erosion due to wind or tides be minimised?


What type of shoe sole ‘grips’ the best on different surfaces?

What proportion of the dinners you eat in a week rely on cooking or freezing?

Can you make an anti-gravity toy?

Which materials should be used, and how can they be combined, to build a nest or a birdbox to meet the needs of a native bird?

Are fertilisers and pesticides always beneficial?

Do all plants grow better in greenhouses?

How can the stages in the life cycles of plants and animals be manipulated to promote species survival?

How do flotation devices work?

How can an understanding of friction help sports shoe designers to develop shoes that grip?

How can an understanding of heating and cooling as well as mixing of solids and liquids help chefs create new foods from starting ingredients?

Does the speed of cooling affect the texture of jellies, ice creams and toffees?

Does the same type of fertiliser work equally well for growing tomato seedlings as for sprouting bean shoots?

How is pollution measured and controlled?


Should new roads be built through native bushland?

What safety measures are taken in summer during ‘controlled burning’ activities?

Should there be a limit to how fast cars can travel?

Should living things or chemicals be introduced into ecosystems to control population growth of selected animals and/or plants?

What personal actions can be taken to reduce, reuse and recycle materials and how can the effectiveness of these actions be measured?

How can we save water at school and at home?

How can a device be constructed to keep things hot/cold?

Which flotation devices are most effective and how can they be improved?

How can magnets be used to construct toys?

How does sea litter affect the survival of sea creatures?





Why is Pluto no longer classified as a planet?

Is the mould that grows on wholemeal bread different from the mould that grows on other types of breads?

How can electric circuits be wired to construct a burglar alarm or to light up a model doll’s house?

In what ways are the three primary pigment colours similar to/different from the seven primary light colours?

How has the invention of the cochlear implant been an improvement on the use of hearing aids?

How would life be different if hearing or sight is suddenly lost, and how could the other senses be used to compensate?

How has William Farrer’s work on disease-resistant wheat strains impacted on Australian crop yields?


Does mould grow faster in the dark?

How could the features of a fish be changed so that it could live in both water and on land?

How are minerals extracted from their ores?

Is it possible for a meteor to strike and destroy Earth?

How is water/air quality affected by human activities?

How do glasses help people to see better, and how do different laser eye surgery techniques work to improve vision?

How can we build more sensitive motion-detectors?

How can the water cycle be manipulated so that arid environments may have greater access to clean water?

What adaptations enable extremophiles found in volcanoes or at the bottom of the ocean to survive in their environments? How can sustainable fishing be promoted?

How does increasing water temperature affect the solubility of different substances, and what impact could this have on marine life?


How do bionic eyes work?

How far away can telescopes ‘see’?

What types of microscopes are there, and how small are the objects that can be seen?

How would the introduction of a solar-powered scarecrow affect ecosystem relationships?

What causes ocean acidification and what impact will it have on ocean/terrestrial ecosystems?

How can efficiencies of wind turbines, solar panels, biogas generators and/or geothermal energy converters be improved, and how viable are they as alternatives to fossil fuels for electricity generation?

Are some laser eye surgery methods safer than others?

How did Copernicus convince others that the solar system is heliocentric rather than geocentric?

How can electrical circuits be wired up in a model house to switch on lights selectively?

Which form of alternative energy would best replace the use of energy derived from fossil fuels in a given location?

How can rusting be prevented or slowed?





What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Which simple machines can be identified in everyday objects and appliances?

Where are proteins, carbohydrates and lipids processed in the digestive system?

In what ways are plant and animal cells similar/different?

How do aeroplanes get airborne? What is rust?

What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?

Is recycled water safe to drink?

Should hybrid cars replace conventional petrol-powered cars?

What is the best material to use for a particular purpose?

How can classification keys be modified to accommodate the discovery of a new animal or plant species?


What impact does extinction of a species have on food web relationships and populations?

How can two or more simple machines be connected to produce a working object?

How is structure related to function in the organs within the digestive system?

How does changing wingspan shape/size affect aircraft flight?

Is rusting slower in water or air?

How are soils formed from rocks and minerals?

How have tennis racquet structures and materials changed over time, and how has performance improved as a result?

How do structural modifications to parachutes affect their performance in different weather conditions?

How have developments in seat belts and safety helmets impacted on rider/driver/passenger safety?

How have improvements in the design of microscopes led to a better understanding of how disease is caused and spread, and can be treated?


How does urbanisation impact on ecosystems?

How does (a selected) disease affect body systems, and how is it treated?

How does the respiratory system respond to changes in exercise levels?

Are some ‘fad diets’ more dangerous than others?

How can the rusting of iron alloys be slowed?

What difference has recycling made to the availability of natural resources?

How can soil quality be improved?

How do different methods used to control rabbit plagues in Australian agricultural areas compare?

Which techniques for treating oil spills are most effective?

How do different sewage treatment methods compare in terms of outputs and water quality?

How could you design a more energy-efficient house?





Is ‘nature’ more important than ‘nurture’ in the way that humans look and behave?

How do circuit elements such as diodes, resistors and capacitors affect circuit functionality?

Which chemical reactions are involved when vehicle airbags are deployed and how safe are they?

What are the physical and chemical properties of a ‘high quality chocolate’, and how can synchrotron science be used to develop a ‘high quality chocolate’?

How does brain imaging assist in physical rehabilitation after accident or illness, and how has it been used in developing theories about improving learning and memory?


How can pedigree charts be used to determine the nature of genetic diseases?

Do circuits in parallel or in series produce brighter light?

Which forces are involved in the use of vehicle airbags and restraints to prevent or minimise injury during collisions?

How are metals extracted from their ores?

Are nanoparticles the new asbestos?

What are some of the potential uses of nanobots in medicine?

How do epidemics and pandemics arise, and how are they controlled?

Are medical X-rays safe?

What are the most effective materials and design requirements for building energy efficient housing or to construct housing in hazard-prone zones?

Can humans live in space?


How reliable is genetic counselling?

Does the practice of bringing indoor plants into a hospital ward during the day and taking it outside during the night have any merit?

Is the colour of a vehicle directly related to the probability of being involved in a collision?

How does temperature affect the rate of electroplating?

How does the type of electrode used affect the amount of product obtained during electroplating?

How do astrobiologists determine whether there is life in outer space, and is it worth funding such research?

How can alternative energies be made more viable?

What would be needed for personal space travel to become a reality?



Beyond Level 10


How do theoretical and actual yields of copper from its ore compare when using different extraction methods?

How can the freezing of water be modelled to represent the nature of the intramolecular forces of attraction and repulsion?

How have IVF technologies affected the human gene pool?

How do the materials used in traditional and contemporary buildings in specific climates compare in terms of energy efficiency and minimisation of resource usage?

What is the capacity for alternative non-fossil fuel energy sources meeting the needs of current and future societies?

Is antibiotic resistance a problem in society?

What impact have ‘green chemistry’ principles had in industry and how can they be applied in school laboratories?


Are there global patterns over time in the occurrence of earthquakes and tsunamis?

What difference would a 20% reduction in anthropogenic greenhouse gases make to predictions of ocean acidification?

What causes deciduous trees to change leaf colour, and how does the chemical nature of the pigments in the green leaves compare with the chemical nature of the pigments in the coloured leaves?

What are the environmental implications of strategies and legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by transport of people and/or goods at local and international levels?

How are ‘safe’ levels of pollutants or pharmaceuticals determined?

What proportion of scientific research efforts and funding should be allocated to development of renewable versus non-renewable energy technologies?

How would an endangered species population be affected by selective culling of predators or a change in environmental conditions?

How is stopping distance related to the slope of a surface?