1. Observations & Inferences
Science Process Skills

2. Find the 6 differences between the two pictures.

3. Find the 6 differences between the two pictures.
Answers: Tail feathers, snake’s tail, branch, ape’s finger, croc’s nostril, sun

4. Observations
Using your 5 senses - what you see, hear, feel, smell & taste* - to describe something and collect detailed information
The basis of the inquiry process
It begins an investigation & continues throughout it.
Gather your evidence
* with permission only

5. Take a good look at this picture

6. Questions Are there cars parked on the sides of the road?
What color is the pickup truck driving in the road?
Any minivans around?
What does the blue sign say?
What's the speed limit?
Are there any pedestrians on the road?

7. Answers Are there cars parked on the sides of the road? Yes
What color is the pickup truck driving in the road?
Blue
Any minivans around?
What does the blue sign say?
Yard Sale
What's the speed limit?
35 mph
Are there any pedestrians on the road? No

8. Which observations would be good in science class?
It felt funny.
The plant was brown and wrinkled and laying flat in the dirt.
The rock is smooth, flat, & cool to touch.
It smells gross.
It’s cool.
White with rough ridges.
The leaf is very small.
The leaf is oval shaped 2 inches long.

9. How many legs does the elephant have?

10. The square has straight sides

11. Duck or bunny?

12. There are no grey dots in this picture

13. They are all the same height

14. The circles are not moving

15. The shapes are not moving

16. 2 Types of Observations Qualitative: describe what we observe.
Qualitative = quality (descriptive) No numbers
Ex’s: 1. The flower is blue.
2. The flower smells sweet
QuaNtitative: Numbers; measure what we observe.
QuaNtitative = quantity (numerical)
Ex’s: 1. There are three petals on the flower.
2. The flower is 6 cm in height.

17. Let’s Practice!
QuaLitative
QuaNtitative

18. QuaNtitative or QuaLitative
The cup had a mass of 454 grams
QUAN
The temperature outside is 250 C
It is warm outside
QUAL
The tree is 30 feet tall.
The building has 25 stories

19. QuaNtitative or QuaLitative
The building is taller than the tree.
QUAN
The sidewalk is long.
QUAL
The sidewalk is 100 meters long.
The race was over quickly.
The race was over in 10 minutes.

20. An inconsiderate slob dumped trash on Rachel Rabbit's lawn.
One of these two suspects is guilty. Slylock Fox found
evidence that may identify the loathsome litterbug.
What did Slylock observe to help him identify the trash tosser?

21. Solution Slylock found bones in the trash.
The bull is an herbivore and only eats plants.
The raccoon is an omnivore and eats both plants and animals.
The raccoon is the trash tosser.

22. Inferences
An logical explanation or interpretation about things we observe
Based upon prior knowledge and experience
Make an 3 inferences from the picture of the computer and the keyboard.

23. In the Science Lab: In experiments, record observations NOT inferences
Inferences may be used when writing the conclusion in your lab report.

24. Practice Making Inferences
Observation: You observe a dejected-looking student leaving the principals office.
Inference: That student was in trouble.
Observation: You see several people leaving a movie-theater red-eyed and blowing their noses.
Inference: They just saw a sad movie.

25. More Inferences Observation: You observe the sky at noon is darkening.
Inference: A storm is coming.
Observation: The principal interrupts the class and calls a student from the room.
Inference: The principal has something important to discuss with that student.
Observation: All middle school students are bringing their lunch from home.
Inference: The food in the cafeteria is poor.

26. Even More Inferences:
Observation: A former rock-and-roll band member has poor hearing.
Inference: Loud music can damage hearing.
Observation: You leave a movie theater and see the street is wet.
Inference: It rained while you were in the movie theater
Observation: A siren is heard going past the school.
Inference: An emergency vehicle just went by. Someone nearby is hurt or in trouble.

27. Tracks like these are common in parts of New England and in the southwestern United States.
What do you OBSERVE?
What can you INFER?

28. Now what do you think?

29. Infer what happened based on your observations.

30. What inferences can you make from the following pictures?
Making Inferences
What inferences can you make from the following pictures?

34. Prediction
A statement of what may happen in the future based on observations, data, experience or scientific reason

35. Observations = what you know Inferences = what you conclude Predictions = what you think will happen in the future

36. Observations & Inferences
In Notebook
1 observation
1 inference
1 prediction

37. Using Observations to Make Predictions Lab
In Pairs:
1 bag of gum drops
1 paper plate
1 plastic knife
Read and follow all direction
Take turns - 1 person cuts a gum drops in half – the other person chooses which half they want first.
Answer conclusion questions in complete sentences on notebook paper. Staple to lab sheet and turn in.
HW if not done.

39. Practice Observing
Will take a card to find your table. Remember your card.
The person with the spades will bring me the cards
Stand around table, do not uncover the tray.
When I say go, the person who drew the club card will uncover the tray.
You will have 2 minutes to look at the tray – SILENTLY
When I say stop, the person with the hearts card will cover the tray.
You will have 4 minutes to list as many items as you remember – SILENTLY

40. Let’s see how you did

41. For Fun! Get into groups of 2 (or 3) Face each other for one minute
Turn away from each other
The person with the longest first name goes first.
One person changes one thing on them.
The other people in the group have to decide what was changed.
How well did you do?