1. Science Process Skills
You Got Skills?
Science Process Skills

2. What are process skills?
Just like a baseball player, a scientist must have certain skills to do her job.
These skills include:
Making observations
Making inferences
Measuring
Conducting controlled experiments

3. Making Observations
An observation is the gathering of information using our 5 senses:
Sight
Smell
Hearing
Taste
Touch
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4. Qualitative observations
Qualitative observations describe what we observe.
Example: The flower has white petals.
Example: Ms. Webster has brown eyes.

5. Qualitative observations
Qualitative observations describe qualities.
Think koala-tative
How could I describe a koala bear?

6. Qualitative observations

7. Qualitative observations
Qualitative observations describe how something looks, tastes, smells, feels, sounds, etc.
There is an L in Qualitative.
Think L for looks.

8. Quantitative observations
Quantitative observations measure what we observe.
Example: The flower has seven petals.
Example: Ms. Webster has two eyes.

9. Quantitative observations
Quantitative observations often involve a number.
There is an N in Quantitative
Think N for number

10. Which is better?
Both types of observations are valuable in science and can be used. It just depends on what you are observing.
If you are describing the smell of a flower, it would be difficult to measure that in any way.

11. Making Inferences
Inferences are an explanation of an observation you made.
They are based on your past experiences and prior knowledge.
It may be an observation plus an educated guess.

12. Making Inferences Example
Observation: The grass on the school’s lawn is wet.
Possible inferences:
It rained.
The sprinkler was on.
There is dew on the grass.
A dog urinated on the grass.

13. an observation plus an educated guess= inference
I observe that the grass is wet.
From past experience, I know that ________ causes grass to be wet.

14. Try These Observation: The school’s fire alarm is going off.
Possible inferences?
Someone has accidentally set off the alarm.
There is a fire in the building.

15. Try These
Observation: A student is called to the office. Possible inferences? The student is in trouble. The student has to pick something up in the office. The nurse of the counselor need to speak to the student.