Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Fieldwork Enquiry Planner: Free Printable Planner for Year 9
- ForYear 9
- StageKey Stage 3
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Fieldwork Enquiry Planner is a free printable planner for Year 9 (ages 13 to 14), in Key Stage 3. Children plan a geography enquiry from a question through to a conclusion. They write an enquiry question, a hypothesis, how they will collect data, where and when, the risks, and how they will present their results. It takes about 30 minutes to plan.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages. Give page 1 to the learner and keep page 2 for the grown-up. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children work through a planning frame for a geography enquiry. They start with an enquiry question, then write a hypothesis that says what they expect to find and why. Next they decide what data to collect and how to record it, and where and when to collect it. They think about risks and how to reduce them, then choose how to present their results.
- Enquiry question
- Hypothesis: what do you expect to find and why?
- Data to collect and how you will record it
- Where and when you will collect it
- Risks and how you will reduce them
- How you will present your results
How the planner builds an enquiry
Start with a question
A good enquiry question is focused and can be answered with evidence. A small local place or a single issue usually works better than a huge topic.
Predict and explain
The hypothesis says what the child expects to find and gives a reason. The reason matters, because it shows the geography thinking behind the guess.
Plan the evidence
Children decide what to measure or observe, how to record it, and where and when to do it. Clear choices here make the real fieldwork smoother.
Think ahead and share
Children consider risks and how to reduce them, then choose how to present results. This links planning to the conclusion that follows.
Why plan fieldwork before you go out
Fieldwork means collecting geographical information first hand, in the place you are studying. It might involve counting, measuring, recording observations or asking people questions. Data collected this way is called primary data. Data that someone else has already gathered, such as a published map or a table of figures, is called secondary data. Good fieldwork often uses both.
Planning matters because a day outside rarely goes back for a second go. If the question is vague or the recording method is unclear, the results can be hard to use afterwards. A short plan helps children decide what counts as evidence, how to keep it fair, and how to judge whether their results are reliable enough to support a conclusion.
This sheet is for planning. When the real fieldwork happens, an adult should agree the place and time first, check the route and the weather, and go along or know exactly where the group will be. Take extra care near roads, water and busy places.
Skills and curriculum link
- Writing enquiry questions
- Making a hypothesis
- Planning data collection
- Thinking about risk
- Choosing how to present results
- Evaluation
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Geography | Geographical skills and fieldwork | Year 9 |
What children will be able to do
- I can plan a geography enquiry step by step.
- I can choose a question to investigate.
- I can say how I will collect my data.
Ideas that help with enquiry planning
- Questions need evidenceAn enquiry question is one that data can help to answer. Questions that depend only on opinion are harder to investigate.
- Fair testingCollecting data in the same way each time makes results easier to compare. Keeping methods consistent is part of a fair plan.
- Sample sizeCollecting more than one reading usually gives a clearer picture than relying on a single reading.
- Timing and placeWhere and when data is collected can change the results. A good plan explains why a place and time were chosen.
Key words
- Enquiry questionThe main question your investigation tries to answer.
- HypothesisA prediction you can test, with a reason for why you expect it.
- Primary dataInformation you collect yourself, first hand.
- Secondary dataInformation collected by someone else, such as a map or a table of figures.
- ReliableResults you could expect to get again if you repeated the work.
- RiskSomething that could cause harm. Planning means thinking how to reduce it.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for the learner. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the sheet through together and talk about what an enquiry question is. Allow about 30 minutes to plan.
- Work through the first one together and talk about each choice. Ask why a place, a time or a method was chosen.
- Check against the notes on page 2. Listen for the reasoning, not just the wording.
- Come back another day to improve the plan. Use it before doing the fieldwork itself.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Choose a small local question, such as how busy one street is at two different times. Write the hypothesis as a sentence starting "I expect...because...". Then fill in the sheet one box at a time, talking through each choice before writing.
To stretch confident children
Add a second hypothesis and say how you would test it. Think about whether the same data would help, or whether you would need something different. Then explain how you would check that your results are reliable.
Make it a game
Swap plans with a friend. Read each other's carefully and give two ways to improve the plan. Look at the question, the hypothesis, the data or the risks. Then make the changes and compare the new versions.
Talk about it
- What is your enquiry question, and why did you choose it?
- What do you expect to find, and what is your reason?
- What data will you collect, and how will you record it?
- Why did you choose that place and that time?
- What could go wrong, and how will you reduce the risk?
- How will you know if your results are reliable?
Take it off the page
Street survey plan
Pick a place near home or school. Write a plan to compare it at two different times, using only paper and a pencil. Decide what you would count or observe.
Sketch map
Draw a simple sketch map of the area you would study. Mark where you would collect data and add a short key.
Present it
Choose a way to show your imagined results, such as a bar chart, a labelled map or a short written report. Sketch your idea on paper.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your teenager for the first go, then let them lead. Ask them to explain each choice. You do not need to know the geography. Questions like "why that place?" and "how will you record it?" are enough.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, homework or table activity before a fieldwork day. It needs no preparation beyond printing. It supports the Key Stage 3 geographical skills and fieldwork strand, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider geography plan. It pairs well with a local walk, a trip to a park or high street, and everyday talk about places. Reuse it for brothers and sisters or for revision later.
Where this fits in geography learning
Before this, children will have used maps, graphs and simple data to describe places and patterns. They will also have asked geographical questions and talked about how to find answers. This planner brings those skills together in one structured plan.
Afterwards, children can carry out the fieldwork itself, then present and evaluate what they find. Later study in geography builds on this, with more detailed enquiries where choosing methods and judging reliability matter even more.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- What is your enquiry question?
- How will you collect your evidence?
- How will you know if your results are reliable?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Fieldwork Enquiry Planner for?
It is written for Year 9 (ages 13 to 14), in Key Stage 3. It suits learners who are moving from remembering facts to applying them and giving reasons for their choices.
- What will children practise?
Children practise planning a geographical enquiry from a question to a conclusion. This includes writing a hypothesis, choosing data to collect, thinking about risks and deciding how to present results.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 30 minutes to plan. Use it before doing the fieldwork itself. Work through it together the first time, then let children try alone or come back another day.
- What if it feels too hard?
Choose a small local question, such as how busy one street is at two different times. A narrow question makes the hypothesis and data choices much easier to write.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters, other groups or revision.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives support and stretch ideas.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. It is a screen free activity that needs only paper and a pencil.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.