Year 7 Science Lesson Pack – Variables & Fair Tests

Introduce the concept of variables and fair testing with this complete lesson pack designed for Year 7 Science. Students will learn the difference between independent, dependent, and control variables, practise identifying them in investigations, and apply their knowledge to design their own fair test.

This resource is designed for WJEC KS3 Science but can be adapted for any lower secondary science curriculum. It emphasises practical skills and clear memory hooks (e.g., “Independent starts with I → it’s the variable I change”).

Lesson Content Covers:

Definition of variables

Independent, dependent, and control variables explained

Worked examples with everyday contexts

Practice tasks to identify variables in investigations

Importance of controlling variables for a fair test

What’s Included:

PowerPoint presentation (.pptx) – objectives, worked examples, activities, plenary

Student Worksheet (.pdf) – definitions, table activity, design-your-own experiment

Teacher Answer Key (.pdf) – model answers for quick marking and reference

This lesson is ideal for introducing scientific enquiry skills at the start of Year 7 or revising variables before practical investigations.