# Year 3 Science · clean learner cards, Days 11–20

Choose how to respond: speak, sign, use AAC, point, draw, move, make or direct an adult as the task allows. You can ask for a quiet/private route. Nobody needs to tell us about their home, body, identity or personal experiences. The original [print mat and complete text route](../print/TEXT-ALTERNATIVES.md) are optional. Your teacher will tell you whether a card uses **real observation**, an **invented model** or a **plan only**. Keep that label with your work.

## Day 11 — The closed rock window

Look through the closed bags at samples R and S. Describe three visible features of each. Mark your guess about a difference as a prediction. What is still unknown? If you have drawings instead, write MODEL.

**Choose a route:** Say and point; draw a two-column sketch; dictate labels to an adult.

**Show:** Name one observed similarity, one difference and one thing the closed bag cannot tell us.

**Home/low-material:** Use two household-safe objects in closed clear containers; label these an analogy, not rock evidence.

## Day 12 — One question, one change

You want to compare how light or dark R and S look. Plan a fair view: what stays the same about light, distance and bag? What one thing changes? Use the paper tokens if useful.

**Choose a route:** Move paper tokens for the variables; speak the plan; draw a same/change table.

**Show:** Explain why moving both the sample and lamp would make the comparison harder.

**Home/low-material:** Use a window-side paper model of equal viewing distances; no rock collecting needed.

## Day 13 — A source with a scale

Measure the visible longest span of the sealed sample or its bag with a ruler. Start at zero and record two whole-centimetre readings. Name exactly what object you measured.

**Choose a route:** Read the ruler visually; use a tactile raised-centimetre ruler; direct an adult to line up zero.

**Show:** Report both readings and say why this is not the bare rock's exact length.

**Home/low-material:** Measure a closed household object or paper shape and name that object accurately.

## Day 14 — Make the observations sortable

These are invented notes: R—large visible grains; S—fine visible grains; T—large visible grains. Make a table, group the matching notes and leave unknown details as unknown. Write MODEL.

**Choose a route:** Use large print table; movable textured labels; dictate cells.

**Show:** Say the pattern and one reason it cannot identify the rocks.

**Home/low-material:** Sort three made-up notes with pencil boxes; no physical samples required.

## Day 15 — A second observer

Two invented observers disagree about R: Jo saw large visible grains from arm's length; Min saw fine grains close to the page. What would you keep the same in a repeat check? Do not decide who is correct yet.

**Choose a route:** Role cards; oral comparison; tactile position tokens on a distance line.

**Show:** Give a cautious conclusion and a further question.

**Home/low-material:** Use two adult voices or two written notes about an invented object.

## Day 16 — Warmth is a transfer question

This invented record says a sealed bottle was 24°C at 0 minutes and 25°C at 2 minutes. What changed? What question would you ask about the cause? Write MODEL.

**Choose a route:** Use number line; adult-read numbers; move one tactile marker from 24 to 25.

**Show:** Say ‘temperature increased by 1°C in the record’; add one testable follow-up question.

**Home/low-material:** Read the paper record. Do not create a household heat experiment.

## Day 17 — Plan a safe temperature check

Plan an adult-managed comparison of two sealed bottles. Choose what stays the same, what changes, when an adult reads a scaled thermometer and how everyone stays safe. A plan is enough today.

**Choose a route:** Arrange sequence cards; explain verbally; point to thermometer drawing.

**Show:** Name the safety boundary and one thing that would make the test unfair.

**Home/low-material:** Use the paper plan only; never ask a family to use hot water or appliances.

## Day 18 — Read a real or model scale honestly

If the teacher has approved real readings, label them REAL. Otherwise use MODEL: 0 minutes—22°C; 2 minutes—23°C; 4 minutes—24°C. Make a table and simple labelled column graph. Which is greatest?

**Choose a route:** Large scale and high contrast; tactile number tiles; adult transcription directed by learner.

**Show:** Point to the greatest reading and read its time and units aloud or by AAC.

**Home/low-material:** Use the model numbers with paper blocks and still mark MODEL.

## Day 19 — Compare before concluding

Invented records over four minutes: A 22→24°C; B 22→22°C. Work out both changes. What can you compare, and what information is missing before you explain why? Write MODEL.

**Choose a route:** Counters on a number line; two spoken sentences; table annotations.

**Show:** State a limited conclusion and one missing detail for a fair explanation.

**Home/low-material:** Use paper arrows for both changes and name one missing condition.

## Day 20 — Explain with an evidence boundary

A pretend art material box has two invented records over four minutes: shelf 24→26°C; cupboard 24→24°C. Write a short note with data, a cautious idea and what a real school would need to check. Write MODEL.

**Choose a route:** Three sentence frames; voice note on school-approved offline device only; AAC or drawing plus explanation.

**Show:** Present to a chosen adult/partner privately; distinguish paper model from a real school decision.

**Home/low-material:** Tell an adult with the paper data; no home materials needed.

Original SubjectNest cards © NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd 2026, [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit, link and note changes.
