Working Scientifically Progression Map KS1 KS2 Display: Asking Questions and Planning

A whole-school progression map and display showing how working scientifically develops from Year 1 to Year 6.

This one focuses on asking questions and planning. In Years 1 and 2, children ask questions about the world around them and learn that different questions get answered in different ways. By Years 3 and 4, they turn a question into a plan they can carry out and choose the type of enquiry that suits the question. By Years 5 and 6, they plan fair tests, say what they are controlling, and plan different types of enquiry to answer their own questions.

Each panel includes

• the skill explained in language children can understand
• what it might look like in a lesson
• what you would be looking for in a child's work
• something a child in that year group might say

Put children's work alongside the relevant year group so the display shows the progression in the skill.

What you get

• seven A3 sheets in one PDF
• a header panel and one panel for each year group
• ready to print, no editing needed

The wording follows the statutory working scientifically strands, so it changes between Year 2 and Year 3 where the curriculum changes.

This is one of six working scientifically strands, and all six are free. The other five are:

• Observing and Measuring
• Identifying and Classifying
• Setting Up Tests
• Recording and Presenting Data
• Drawing Conclusions and Evaluating

Download it and I'll email you when I add new progression resources.

For Years 3 to 6, the KS2 Science Talk Mats Bundle (£9.99) gives children sentence frames and word banks to talk about every science topic.

The Working Scientifically Skills Pack (£9.99) gives you a slide for each of these six skills, with a model answer after each one, for KS1 and KS2.

The Scientific Enquiry Planning Pack (£9.99) gives you a planning slide for each type of scientific enquiry, with a model answer after each one, for KS1 and KS2.

Read how this skill develops from Year 1 to Year 6, with a classroom example for every year group, on the blog: Asking Questions and Planning: How Does Independence Develop from Year 1 to Year 6?