Types of Scientific Investigations

Types of Scientific Investigations Worksheet (Grade 6 Science, TEKS 6.1B)

Introduce grade 6 students to the three types of scientific investigations used in Texas science classrooms. This one-page reading and activity sheet shows that the question a scientist asks decides which type of investigation to use.

What's Inside

• Three reading cards: Descriptive, Comparative, and Experimental, each with a real example question
• Simple examples about insects at school, soil that holds water, and bean plant growth
• Activity 1: A word bank fill-in to review the key terms
• Activity 2: Students circle the question that fits each type of investigation
• A visual answer key with answers marked in red

How Teachers Use It

Use it to open a lesson on planning investigations or as a review before students design their own. Every term is taught on the page, so no prior knowledge is needed. The sheet takes about 10 minutes, works for independent work, partners, or homework, and prints clearly in black and white.

This worksheet is part of the Reading in Science series for grade 6. It supports TEKS 6.1B: use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems. Pair it with the other sheets in the series to build a full unit on scientific and engineering practices, one skill at a time.

Why It Works

Each sheet teaches one or two new terms in plain words first, then asks students to use only what the page taught. Activities stay at the sort, circle, and match level, so students build confidence while the answer key gives teachers the reasoning they need.