Observe this picture.

Now write down as many facts/details as you remember about the picture. Next compare your list with the students at your table. Which table observed the most details?

Science A way of learning about the natural world. Scientist use skills such as observing, inferring, predicting, classifying, and making models to learn more about the world.

Observing Using one or more of your senses to gather information. Sight Hearing Touch Taste Smell Quantitative Observations -deal with a number, or amount. Qualitative Observations -deal with descriptions that cannot be expressed with numbers. (using your senses)

Inferring When you explain or interpret the things you observe. Making an inference This is not a random GUESS! It is an educated and well-thought out explanation of what you believe you observed.

Predicting Making a forecast of what will happen in the future based on past experience or evidence. Predictions and inferences are closely related. An inference is typically an attempt to explain what is or has happened. A prediction is a forecast of what you believe will happen.

Classifying The process of grouping together items that are alike in some way. Making Models Creating representation of complex objects or processes.

The study of living things Marine Biologist Biologists Health Care Botanist Life Science The study of living things