OBSERVATIONS VS INFERENCES “You can observe a lot by just watching.” - Yogi Berra

1 OBSERVATIONS An observation is the gathering of information by using our five senses. sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch There are two types of observations: Qualitative Quantitative

QUALITATIVE OBSERVATIONS 2 Qualitative observations describe what we observe. “Qualitative” = Quality (descriptive) These observations use adjectives to describe things. Examples: The monkey has a long nose. The flower has white petals.

QUANTITATIVE OBSERVATIONS 3 QUANTITATIVE OBSERVATIONS Quantitative observations measure what we observe. “Quantitative” = Quantity (numerical) These observations use numbers to measure something in a quantitative way. Examples: The monkey’s nose is 4 inches long. The flower has 5 petals.

WHICH IS BETTER? 4 Both types of observations are valuable in science. In an experiment though, quantitative observations can be precisely and objectively compared. Qualitative: The road is long. (describes) Quantitative: The road is 5 miles long. (measures)

5 WHICH IS BETTER? For example, someone might say that a dead fish is smelly. It is hard to know just how smelly the fish is though. To make this quantitative, the scientist could ask the person to rate the “smelliness” on a scale of 1-5. This would then allow you to compare how smelly the fish is.

6 INFERENCES Inferences are an explanation for an observation you have made. They are based on your past experiences and prior knowledge. Inferences are often changed when new observations are made or new information is gathered.

7 HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES Observation: The grass on the school’s front lawn is wet. Possible Inferences: It rained. The sprinkler was on. There is dew on the grass in the morning. A dog urinated on the grass. All of these inferences could explain why the grass is wet. They are all based on prior experiences. We have all seen rain, sprinklers, morning dew, and dogs going to the bathroom.

8 HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES Observation: The school fire alarm is going off. Possible Inferences: The school is on fire. We are having a fire drill. A student pulled the fire alarm. Again, these are all logical explanations for why the fire alarm is going off.

Make 3 observations and 3 inferences about this picture. 9 Make 3 observations and 3 inferences about this picture.

Possible Observations 10 Possible Observations Possible Inferences The baby is crying. It is a boy. He has blonde hair. He has blue eyes. He has blonde eyebrows. The boy has two eyes, two ears, one nose, and one mouth. The boy is upset because he is hungry. He is crying because he misses his mother. He is crying because he fell down and hurt himself. The boy is crying because he needs a diaper change.

Make 3 observations and 3 inferences about this picture. 11 Make 3 observations and 3 inferences about this picture.

Possible Observations 12 Possible Observations Possible Inferences It is a squirrel. The squirrel has whiskers. It is a tan squirrel. It has a bushy tail. The squirrel has a zipper. The squirrel is wearing a superman costume. The squirrel sees a crime in progress and is getting ready to save the day. The squirrel is Superman’s sidekick. The squirrel’s weakness is kryptonite. The squirrel is a hero to all the animals in the forest.