Observation and Inference

Answer the following questions How many people are there in the swimming pool? Is there someone on the diving board? What color is the swimming suit of the blonde woman in the foreground? Can you see the sun in the picture? What shape is the child’s buoy in the swimming pool? How many different types of trees are there?

How many people are there in the swimming pool? Is there someone on the diving board? What color is the swimming suit of the blonde woman in the foreground? Can you see the sun in the picture? What shape is the child’s buoy in the swimming pool? How many different types of trees are there?

Answer the following questions How many bread loaves does the customer have under his arm? What is the price shown on the register? What color is the man’s scarf? How many croissants are there in the display cabinet? How many spotlights are there on the ceiling? Is the woman wearing a jacket?

How many bread loaves does the customer have under his arm? What is the price shown on the register? What color is the man’s scarf? How many croissants are there in the display cabinet? How many spotlights are there on the ceiling? Is the woman wearing a jacket?

Observations Any information collected with the senses (something you can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell.) The skill of describing scientific events.

Write three good observations about the picture below.

Inference Conclusions or EDUCATED GUESSES that are based on your observations. The process of drawing a conclusion from given evidence. “This is what I think based on what I observed . . . .”

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

Now what do you think?

Infer what happened based on your observations.

Source of graphic: http://bob.nap.edu/html/evolution98/evol6-e.html