Science·Scientific Inquiry·meta
Science Can Be Revised
Scientific knowledge is provisional — it is the best current explanation based on available evidence, and it can and should be revised when better evidence arrives
Suggested ages 9–11
Learning journey
Your child is developing advanced scientific investigation skills — planning fair tests, taking precise measurements, recording complex data, and evaluating evidence to draw reliable conclusions.
Evidence of understanding
- Give an example of a scientific idea that changed when new evidence was found — e.g. people once thought the Sun orbited the Earth
- Explain that scientists update their ideas when experiments give unexpected results, and that this is a strength not a weakness
- Describe why it is important to keep testing ideas rather than just accepting them because an expert said so
Assessment prompt
Does Science Can Be Revised understand that scientific facts can be revised as new discoveries are made — and that this is science working properly, not a sign that scientists were wrong?
Standards alignment
No external standards are linked to this topic.