Science · Stage 5
Challenge: Fair-Test Traps
An unfair test changes too much at once, tries too few times, or has nothing fair to compare against — a clever scientist spots the trap, then fixes it.
✦ Science📘 Stage 5 · S5⏱ ~10 min🧒 Ages 9–10★ Free to start
I can work out questions like: "Is this test fair, since two things changed at once?"
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Kavi the Trap Spotter
Kavi reads three experiment cards with a magnifying glass 🔍. "Hmm — is each test fair? A test falls into a trap when it changes too much at once, tries too few times, or has nothing fair to compare against. A clever scientist spots the trap first… then fixes it. Let's hunt for fair-test traps together!"
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What your child will learn
1The three fair-test trapsA fair test changes one thing, tries it several times, and has a fair thing to compare against. Miss any one and you fall into a trap. Tap each trap to learn it.
2Same question — one has a trap, one is fixedBoth tests ask: does warm water dissolve sugar faster? Tap each card to see the trap — and the fix.
3Fair test, or a trap?A fair test changes one thing, tries it several times, and has a fair comparison. Decide each one.
4Which trap is it?Read each test, then pick the trap it fell into. Tap Next test → for more!
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A peek inside
Kavi wants to know if a taller ramp makes a car roll farther. Kavi makes the ramp taller AND uses a heavier car at the same time. Which fair-test trap is this, and how would you fix it?
Two things changed at once — the ramp height and the car's weight. So if the car rolls farther, I can't tell whether the taller ramp or the heavier car did it. To fix it, I change only one thing: keep the same car and change only the ramp height.
Try this at home: What are the three fair-test traps?
Ready to play and learn?
Start the free interactive lesson, or print the handout for screen-free play.
Part of Science · Stage 5 · S5 on KAVI Academy — a secular, whole-child learning platform for ages 5–12.