1. Observation and Inference ACS Ms. Grogan

2. Observation and Inference Modern science is based on observation and inference. Observation is seeing and noting facts obtained by using your five senses.  Observations generate problems which scientists wish to solve.  Information gathered through observation is known as data. Observations are often followed by inferences, which are logical interpretations based on prior knowledge and experience. Inference is a proposed reason or assumption based on observation. These two principles can be used to form theories.

3. Two Types of Data from Observation Data can be either:  Qualitative: “quality” Ex. Blue, shiny, soft, loud, etc.  Quantitative: “quantity” Ex. 5 inches, 2 meters, 6, 2 gallons, etc.

4. Observation and Inference

5. Practice Dinosaur Scene: A time machine has been invented that travels into the past and takes pictures, sending them to the present. You are asked to look at one of the pictures and interpret what you see. Use the picture on the previous slide to answer the following 18 questions. Put an “O” before the statements that are observations and an “I” before the statements that are inferences. ____ 1. The volcano is erupting. ____ 2. The camptosaurus is going to eat the stegosaurus. ____ 3. The stegosaurus will run into the water to escape.

6. Practice ____ 4. The camptosaurus is leaving tracks in the ground. ____ 5. The ground where the camptosaurus is walking is wet. ____ 6. There are plants growing in the water. ____ 7. The camptosaurus is going into the water to eat the plants. ____ 8. There is a tree growing next to the river. ____ 9. The tree looks like a palm tree. ____ 10. The climate is warm.

7. Practice ____ 11. The stegosaurus is eating the plant. ____ 12. The stegosaurus is an herbivore. ____ 13. There are bones from a dead animal by the shore. ____ 14. The camptosaurus killed the animal. ____ 15. Some more bones are in the water. ____ 16. The camptosaurus can’t swim and will drown. ____ 17. Lava is corning down the sides of the volcano. ____ 18. The camptosaurus has sharp teeth for eating meat.

8. Answers __O__ 1. The volcano is erupting. __I__ 2. The camptosaurus is going to eat the stegosaurus. __I__ 3. The stegosaurus will run into the water to escape. __O__ 4. The camptosaurus is leaving tracks in the ground. __I__ 5. The ground where the camptosaurus is walking is wet. __O__ 6. There are plants growing in the water. __I__ 7. The camptosaurus is going into the water to eat the plants. __O__ 8. There is a tree growing next to the river. __O__ 9. The tree looks like a palm tree. __I__ 10. The climate is warm. __O__ 11. The stegosaurus is eating the plant. __I__ 12. The stegosaurus is an herbivore. __O__ 13. There are bones from a dead animal by the shore. __I__ 14. The camptosaurus killed the animal. __I__ 15. Some more bones are in the water. __I__ 16. The camptosaurus can’t swim and will drown. __O__ 17. Lava is corning down the sides of the volcano. __O__ 18. The camptosaurus has sharp teeth for eating meat.

9. Practice Suppose you are a paleontologist and you have just discovered a layer of rock with many fossils in it, both petrified bones and tracks. Use the picture below to decide whether the following statements are observations or inferences. ____ 1. There are tracks from three different animals in the rock. ____ 2. One animal was chasing another animal. ____ 3. Two different animals died in this spot.

10. Practice ____ 4. When the animals walked here the ground was wet. ____ 5. One of the animals that died here had bony plates. ____ 6. One of the animals that died here had sharp teeth. ____ 7. The animal that had sharp teeth ate meat.

11. Answers __O__ 1. There are tracks from three different animals in the rock. __I__ 2. One animal was chasing another animal. __O__ 3. Two different animals died in this spot. __I__ 4. When the animals walked here the ground was wet. __O__ 5. One of the animals that died here had bony plates. __O__ 6. One of the animals that died here had sharp teeth. __I__ 7. The animal that had sharp teeth ate meat.

12. Practice Place an "I" before the statements that are inferences and an "O" before the statements that are observations. ____ 1. There is a representation of a face on one side of the coin. ____ 2. The words printed on both sides of the coin are Latin. ____ 3. The Latin word "Dei" means "God.“

13. Practice ____ 4. The coin was made by deeply religious people. ____ 5. The date 1722 is printed on one side of the coin. ____ 6. The coin was made in 1722. ____ 7. The face on the coin is a representation of the nation's president.

14. Answers __O__ 1. There is a representation of a face on one side of the coin. __O__ 2. The words printed on both sides of the coin are Latin. __O__ 3. The Latin word "Dei" means "God." __I__ 4. The coin was made by deeply religious people. __O__ 5. The date 1722 is printed on one side of the coin. __I__ 6. The coin was made in 1722. __I__ 7. The face on the coin is a representation of the nation's president.