Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Ice Cube Melting Test: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 4
- ForYear 4
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Ice Cube Melting Test is a free printable science worksheet for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9). Children plan a fair test, predict which ice cube will last longest, check the ice and record what happens in a table. Then they rank the results, where Rank 1 is the ice that lasts longest. It needs only a pencil and a few ice cubes.
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 your child and keep page 2, which has notes, help, a stretch idea and answers. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children work through a short science investigation. They start by planning: what they will change, what they will keep the same and what they will measure. Next they predict which place will keep the ice longest and explain why. Then they fill in a table with a prediction rank, the minutes to melt and an actual rank, and compare the two.
- What one thing will you change in this test?
- Write two things you will keep the same to make it fair.
- What will you measure, and in which unit?
- Which place do you predict will keep the ice longest? Say why.
- Place for the ice cube
- Prediction rank (Rank 1 = lasts longest)
- Minutes to melt
- Actual rank (Rank 1 = lasts longest)
Getting ready for the test
Make the ice ahead
Freeze water in one tray so the cubes start out the same. Do this the day before so the ice is fully frozen when you begin.
Have a clock ready
Children check the ice each minute, so they need a clock, a watch or a timer they can read easily. An adult can call out the minutes if that helps.
Be ready for water
Melting ice makes puddles. Keep a cloth or kitchen roll nearby and wipe up spills straight away.
Plan before touching the ice
Ask children to fill in their planning answers first. Then set out the cubes. Planning first keeps the test calm and helps them think like scientists.
Why test melting ice?
Ice is water in its solid form. When ice warms up, it melts and becomes liquid water. Children see this all the time, in a drink, on a cold morning or in a freezer bag that has been left out. Because melting is easy to watch and needs no special equipment, it makes a good first investigation for a Year 4 class or a home learner.
A fair test changes one thing and keeps everything else the same, so any difference in the results has a clear cause. Predicting first gives children a reason to watch closely, and they can compare what they expected with what happened. States of matter is a Year 4 science topic, and this sheet also supports the working scientifically strand.
Adults set out the ice cubes and choose where they go. Keep children away from hot items such as ovens, hobs and kettles. Wipe up spills so floors do not get slippery. Do not eat or drink anything that has been used in the test.
Quick facts about ice
- Ice is solid water.
- When ice melts, it changes from a solid to a liquid.
- Water can freeze again and turn back into ice.
- Water can be a solid, a liquid or a gas.
- Ice floats on water.
Skills and curriculum link
- Planning a fair test
- Predicting and ranking
- Recording results in a table
- Reading a clock
- Explaining ideas
Science ideas to talk about
- Fair testA fair test changes one thing at a time. Everything else stays the same, so we can trust the result.
- PredictionA prediction is a sensible guess made before a test. A good one comes with a reason.
- States of matterMaterials can be solids, liquids or gases. Some can change from one to another.
- RankingRanking puts results in order. Here, children match their guesses against what really happened.
Key words
- Fair testA test where only one thing is changed and everything else stays the same.
- PredictMake a sensible guess about what will happen, and say why.
- MeltChange from a solid into a liquid.
- SolidA material that keeps its own shape, like an ice cube.
- LiquidA material that flows and can be poured, like water.
- RankPut things in order. On this sheet, Rank 1 is the ice that lasts longest.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the planning questions together. Let your child answer in their own words before any ice comes out.
- Ask your child to predict and fill in the prediction ranks. An adult then sets out four same size ice cubes.
- Check the ice each minute together and record the minutes to melt in the table. Then fill in the actual ranks.
- Compare the actual ranks with the predictions using page 2. Ask, "What surprised you?" Come back another day to try again.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Give a sentence starter: "I think the ... will last longest because ..." Fill in the planning questions together first, then let your child do the table alone. Remind them that Rank 1 is the ice that lasts longest, and write that on a sticky note.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to repeat the whole test with fresh ice cubes. Do the results match the first time? Ask them to explain why the numbers may differ slightly, and what they could do to make the test even fairer.
Make it a game
Hold a melting race. Everyone guesses which cube will be last to melt and writes it down. Watch together and check each minute. The player whose guess is closest to the real result wins. Adults set out the ice.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child changes more than one thing, so the result is hard to trust.
Try thisAsk, "What is the one thing we are changing?" Say out loud what stays the same, and write it down before starting.
Watch forA child ranks the ice the wrong way round, with Rank 1 for the first cube to melt.
Try thisPoint to the words Rank 1 = lasts longest at the top of the table. Ask them to say it aloud before they fill in each rank.
Watch forA child forgets to check at regular times, so the minutes to melt are a guess.
Try thisUse a timer or clock. Check each minute and note the time straight away, before looking at anything else.
Talk about it
- What do you think will happen to the ice, and why?
- Why does a fair test only change one thing?
- Which result surprised you most?
- Was your prediction right? What would you change next time?
- Where else have you seen something melt?
- How could we make this test even fairer?
Take it off the page
Freeze and melt
Freeze a little water in a small pot. Tomorrow, talk about what changed and what stayed the same. Then let it melt again and discuss it.
Draw the change
Draw ice melting in three or four pictures. Add a label to each one to show what is happening to the ice.
Find solids and liquids
Go on a hunt around the house. Sort what you find into solids and liquids and talk about how you decided.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go and let them lead. Ask them to explain their thinking before you check page 2. Short, calm sessions work best, and you can come back to it another day.
Teachers
Use it as a starter for a states of matter lesson, as practice in planning a fair test or as a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and finding some ice. Page 2 offers support and stretch for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider science plan. It pairs well with books about water, outdoor play and kitchen talk. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or repeat the test a few weeks later to see how their thinking has grown.
Where this fits
Before this sheet, children will have met everyday materials and noticed that some things are solid and others are liquid. They will also have asked simple questions and made observations. This sheet gives them a way to turn those questions into a small test with a plan.
After it, children can compare more materials, look at how things change when they are heated or cooled and plan tests of their own. They can also practise recording results in tables and explaining them clearly, which helps in later years.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Ice Cube Melting Test for?
It is written for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9), in Key Stage 2. Younger children can join in with an adult's help, and older children can use the stretch idea to think more deeply about fair testing.
- Do children need to know the answer before they start?
No. The sheet asks children to predict first, so a wrong guess is part of the learning. What matters is that they give a reason, then compare their guess with what they see.
- Why do children predict before the test?
Predicting makes children think before they act and gives them a reason to watch closely. Afterwards they can compare their ranks with the real ones and talk about what they learned.
- What do adults need to set up?
Adults set out four same size ice cubes and make sure a clock or timer is handy. Keep a cloth nearby for spills. Children then plan, predict and check the ice each minute.
- How long does it take?
There is no fixed time, because it depends on how fast the ice melts. Children check each minute, so they can do quiet jobs in between. An adult can decide when it suits to finish.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, homework or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and ice. Page 2 offers support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Is it free, and do I need colour?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. You do not need colour. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, and you can print it again for revision.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.