Observations and Inferences Essential Question: How do scientists use observations and inferences? Warmup Look at the drawing. What do you notice? What do you think happened? Created by joshua grasso

Observations and Inferences How does your story change?

Observations and Inferences How does your story change?

Observations and Inferences What do you observe? What do you infer? Compare what you think now to your earlier written accounts.

Observations and Inferences Observations are what you notice Inferences are your reactions, thoughts or explanations

Write one observation. Write one inference

Write one observation. Write one inference

Write one observation. Write one inference

Write one observation. Write one inference

Write one observation. Write one inference

Write one observation. Write one inference

Write one observation. Write one inference

Write one observation. Write one inference

Quantitative vs Qualitative Quantitative observations are ones that are based on a QUANTITY. These would be measurements. Weight Height Length Qualitative Observations. These are based on characteristics. Color Size Texture

Summary What is the difference between an observation and an inference. What is the difference between a quantitative observation and a qualitative observation. How can people have different inferences about the same observations.

Scientific Method Scientists do two main types of studies. Experimental Observational Study, Observe, analyze Control, Test

Experimental Study To answer a question or solve a problem through a test. Problem Background information Hypothesis Experiment Analyze data Conclusion.

Observational Can’t always test so scientist will OBSERVE and try to learn that way. Problem: What kind of life is in a pond ecosystem? Observation: Go out into the pond and make observations and collect specimens. Analyze data: Study specimens. Conclusion: Talk about what you learned.

Obsertainer Lab We are going to do an observational experiment to discover what shape is in our obscertainers

Problem First step of the scientific method is to decide your Problem: Problem is what question you are trying to answer. In your lab notebooks write: Observation Lab/ Date Problem: What shape is inside the container?

Background Info Do research to see what you can learn before an experiment. Our containers have a steel ball and some simple shape made out of plastic that the ball will bounce off of.

Experiment Procedure Make observations of the obscertainer. You decide

Collect data/Observations In your notebook write: Data/Observations Here you will record observations such as: Sounds like the ball is falling off a ledge. Sounds like the ball is going in circles.

Make a hypothesis Draw a circle with a shape that you think is inside.

Summary What is an observation? What is the difference between a qualitative and quantitative observation? What is an observational Study?