Texas TEKS5th GradeScience

5.7B— Designing Fair Tests for Force and Motion

Force, motion, and energy · b.7: Force, motion, and energy. The student knows the nature of forces and the patterns of their interactions. The student is expected to:

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What this standard means: TEKS §112.7.7.B asks fifth graders to design a simple fair test that shows how force changes an object's motion. This intervention, Fix the Fair Test, practices that skill by having students diagnose broken investigation plans rather than build one from scratch. In each question, a student changes two variables at once, such as ramp height and toy car, or skips repeated trials, or measures the wrong thing, such as a paper airplane's spins instead of its flight distance. Students must name the specific error and explain the fix: hold one variable steady, repeat trials, or match the measurement to the question being tested. With repetition, spotting an unfair test becomes as automatic as designing a fair one.

What the standard says, word for word · §112.7.b.7.B

design a simple experimental investigation that tests the effect of force on an object in a system such as a car on a ramp or a balloon rocket on a string

Read it at the source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

What’s inside

What you get, and who it’s for

Everything below is measured from the actual lesson and the actual file. Nothing here is an estimate.

Time to run: About 34 minutes. 10 min lesson, then 24 min of practice.
In the download: 9 printable pages: the full lesson, the worked examples, the visual models, and 7 practice questions with space to work. An educator answer key is included at the end, so the student pages come first and it is still ready to hand out. The lesson’s worked examples do show their solutions, because that is how they teach.
Question set: The download carries all 7 questions. The page shows 7 of them as a sample.
Question format: Every question is short answer. Students show their work on the page.
Assumed before this: Students who are shaky on these will struggle with 5.7B. Worth a quick check first.
§112.6.b.7(Grade 4) Students should already be able to plan and conduct descriptive investigations to explore the patterns of forces such as gravity, friction, or magnetism.
Dates: Published August 6, 2026. Last updated August 14, 2026.

The sample intervention

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5.7B

Fix the Fair Test: Force and Motion Investigation Challenge

Design a simple fair test to see how force changes the motion of an object.

Read the passages and examples below to learn about designing a simple fair test to see how force changes the motion of an object. Notice what makes an investigation fair, how to keep one variable changed at a time, and how to use repeated trials and data to support a claim.

A fair test changes only one variable at a time. A variable is something that can change in an investigation. If you want to learn how force affects motion, keep everything else the same. That way, the data tells you what caused the change.

In a toy car ramp test, the ramp height can be the one variable. Use the same car, the same ramp surface, and the same starting spot. Then compare how far the car rolls or how fast it moves. If two things change at once, the results are harder to trust.

Parts of a fair test plan

	Toy car on a ramp
What we change (1 variable)	the ramp height
What we keep the same	same car, same surface, same start
What we measure (the data)	how far the car rolls, in cm
How many trials	3 trials, then compare the results

Use these four lines to check any plan. If a line is missing or has more than one change, the test is not fair.

Repeated trials make results more reliable. One run can be unusual, but several runs show a pattern. Record data after each trial, then look for the same result or a clear trend. This is important when testing balloon rockets, toy cars, or paper airplanes.

How far the car rolled (3 trials)

	Trial 1	Trial 2	Trial 3
Ramp height 10 cm	42 cm	39 cm	44 cm
Ramp height 20 cm	78 cm	81 cm	76 cm

Only the ramp height changed. Trials of the same setup are close but not identical, so one trial alone is not enough.

A good investigation also needs a control or comparison condition. That means keeping one setup the same so you can compare it with the changed setup. For example, a balloon rocket on a string can be tested first with less air, then with more air, while the string, tape, and start point stay the same.

When scientists design an investigation, they plan what to change, what to keep the same, and what to measure. They also decide how to record data. A clear plan helps explain how force changes motion in a way that is fair and repeatable.

Fair Test vs. Not Fair

Sort each idea by whether it keeps one variable changed at a time.

Worked exampleExample 1: Wrong plan — A student changes both the ramp height and the toy car at the same time. Why it is wrong: two variables changed, so the data would not show which change affected motion. Correct plan: keep the same car and change only the ramp height.

Worked exampleExample 2: Wrong plan — A student tests a balloon rocket only once and says the result is final. Why it is wrong: one trial does not give reliable data. Correct plan: repeat the test several times and compare the results.

Worked exampleExample 3: Wrong plan — A student measures how much the toy car weighs instead of how far it rolls. Why it is wrong: the measurement does not match the motion question. Correct plan: measure the distance the car rolls or the time it moves.

Worked exampleExample 4: Wrong plan — A student tests a balloon rocket with no comparison setup. Why it is wrong: there is nothing to compare the new test to. Correct plan: keep the string, tape, and start point the same, then compare two balloon amounts.

Practice questions

1
A student tests whether a paper airplane flies farther when the wings are folded differently. The student changes the wing fold but also changes the paper type and throws one airplane harder than the other. The student says, 'This is a fair test because I changed several things.' What is wrong with the student's claim, and how should the test be changed to make it fair?
2
A student says, 'I changed the ramp height and also switched to a different toy car, so I learned which change affected the motion.' What is wrong with this plan, and how should it be fixed?
3
A student tests a balloon rocket by measuring how far it travels after each launch. The student writes, “Launch 1: measure the distance. Launch 2: measure the distance. Launch 3: measure the distance.” A classmate says, “This is not a fair test because the student should change the launch distance each time.” Explain why the classmate is wrong and describe what repeated trials show in this investigation.
4
A student tested a paper airplane by counting how many times it spun in the air, but the question was, 'How does wing shape affect how far it flies?' What is the mistake in the measurement?
5
Which plan is better for testing how force affects motion: 'Test a balloon rocket once and use that result' or 'Test it three times and compare the results'? Explain your choice.
6
A student writes, 'My toy car rolled 60 centimeters on the ramp, so the ramp height is the only reason the car moved that far.' Why is this conclusion too quick?
7
A student wants to test a balloon rocket on a string. The plan changes the amount of air but does not include a comparison setup. How should the student fix the plan so the investigation has a control or comparison condition?

Part of the question set is shown. Generate the whole intervention, freshly themed and with an answer key, for your own class in the product.

Watch for this

Common mistakes

Changing more than one thing at once is fair test confusion. Students often think an investigation is fair if they can make several changes, but then they cannot tell which change affected the motion. To make the test fair, keep all parts the same except one variable, use a matching measurement, and repeat the trial so the results are reliable.

Vocabulary

Key terms

variable: A variable is something that can change in an investigation.
fair test: A fair test changes only one variable at a time.
repeated trials: Repeated trials mean doing the test several times to look for a pattern.
control or comparison condition: A control or comparison condition is one setup kept the same so it can be compared with the changed setup.

In the classroom

How to use this intervention

Use the 10-minute lesson time for a brief whole-class warm-up to review fair tests, one-variable-at-a-time, and repeated trials before students start the worksheet. Then let students work independently or in small groups during the 24-minute practice time, with quick teacher check-ins to help them spot variables, controls, and matching measurements.

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Questions educators ask

Educator FAQ

What grade is this worksheet for?

It is for Grade 5.

Which TEKS standard does this worksheet align to?

It aligns to TEKS §112.7.b.7.B, which focuses on designing a simple experimental investigation.

Is an answer key included?

Yes, the free worksheet PDF includes all questions with a complete answer key.