Middle-school physical science · Grade 6

Was It a Fair Comparison?

Evaluate confounds, repair comparison conditions and specify a usable recording plan.

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Audience / fit: Intended Grade 6 science; selected Grades 6–8 standards ideas
Teaching or planning target: Evaluate confounds, repair comparison conditions and specify a usable recording plan.
Essential prerequisites: Read units/time, starts and temperature changes. Use the prerequisite check; Kit 1 provides additional support.
Preparation: Read the quick start and choose the student pages; preparation time depends on the selected route.
Use time: Allow about 35–45 minutes for the full lesson, 10–15 for a reteach, 5–8 for a later check. Planning estimate; adjust for your class.
Materials: Paper and pencil; optional calculator, number line, projection, pointing or oral response. Equipment-free; no practical experiment.
What to print: Use the stage-specific student choices below and the matching teacher guide. Give independent, new-evidence and later-assessment pages only at their intended stage.

Start teaching

Prerequisite bridge, model and guided practice · PDF (3 pages)

Read the teacher guide and answers · PDF (8 pages)

Print the bridge, model and guided practice first, then give the separate independent check. Quick Check in the original files repeats that independent task; it is not fresh evidence. Choose a reteach page from the teacher guide and retain the later assessment until its intended use. Use only the selected stage, not the complete student packet.

Editable Word, browser copies and other files

Print and adapt for your own planning and classroom use; printed copies may be shared within your classroom or school team, provided the source is not sold. Keep attribution and resource-specific notices. For redistribution and third-party materials, read the Terms of Use. Recommend this resource using its page link.

Thermal Energy Evidence Kits foundation collection · All free resources

Learning target: Evaluate confounds, repair comparison conditions and specify a usable recording plan.
Prerequisites: Read units/time, starts and temperature changes. Use the prerequisite check; Kit 1 provides additional support.
Materials: Paper and pencil; optional calculator, number line, projection, pointing or oral response. Equipment-free; no practical experiment.
Audience: For Grade 6. Relevant NGSS expectations span Grades 6–8; check local placement. This addresses selected components, not complete standards coverage.
Time: Allow about 35–45 minutes for the full lesson, 10–15 for a reteach, 5–8 for a later check.

Constructed teaching data: these values were invented for this activity, not collected in an experiment. No actual sleeve or product performance is established.

Choose what to print

Additional files · teacher preparation
Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.
Teach the Lesson
Additional files · teacher preparation
Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.
Use a Quick Check
Additional files · teacher preparation
Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.
Reteach Repair the Comparison
Additional files · teacher preparation
Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.
Reteach Specify the Plan
Additional files · teacher preparation
Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.
Use a Later Check

Each selection includes its own setup and data. Quick Check repeats the lesson’s independent task; save Later Check for a new response after teaching. Match task headings with the teacher answer key.

Student first page

Student materials preview for Was It a Fair Comparison?

Teacher first page

Teacher guide preview for Was It a Fair Comparison?

Student files

Additional files · teacher preparation
Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.
Student printable PDF
Additional files · teacher preparation
Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.
Student editable Word file
Additional files · teacher preparation
Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.
Read the student file as HTML

Choose a stage and format

Give only the stage being used. Keep later tasks and all teacher keys with the teacher until needed.

Formats and all files

Complete reference files may include teaching, independent tasks, later evidence or teacher answers. Keep them with the teacher; use the separate stage selections above for handouts.

Teacher files

About the materials

The teacher guide includes complete keys, explanations, alternatives and guidance for choosing a next task.

Accept labeled diagrams, oral explanations pointing to data or connected prose. Clarify unclear responses before assigning a reteach. Do not require a fixed paragraph form.

Complete package

Additional files · teacher preparation

Use the separate stage choices above for student handouts. Complete selections may include later tasks or answers.

Download this resource’s classroom ZIP. Download the complete foundation collection ZIP.

Start Here supplies vocabulary, a response-to-next-task index, sources and a planning record. Use under our Terms of Use. Report a resource issue.