1. Observation & Inference
SEPTEMBER 4, 2015
SCIENCE 8A
modified by Liz LaRosa , from original posted at:

2. What is an observation? Any information collected with the senses.
Your five senses are smell, taste, sight, touch, and sound.
The skill of describing scientific events.
An observation is a statement describing a fact.

3. Observations Quantitative – measureable or countable
3 meters long
4 marbles
50 kilograms
35 degrees Celsius
Qualitative – describable, not measureable
red flowers
smells like fresh baked cookies
Tastes bitter

4. Qualitative vs. Quantitative
Quantitative (measurable)
The 500 kg lion has 6 cm long claws at the end of each of its 18 toes.
Qualitative
(not measureable)
The cute, fuzzy, tan colored lion has sharp teeth and a long tail.

5. Qualitative or Quantitative
The candy was sour
The bug was 5 cm long
The flower is red
The mass of the beaker was 122 g
My fingernail is 2 cm long
The slug was slimy
That laptop is white
She is 150 cm tall
His hair is black
You have three sisters

6. Observation
In your notebook, record 5 observations about our classroom. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

7. Inference
A statement based on your interpretation of the facts.
Cannot be directly observed.
The process of drawing a conclusion from given evidence.
Practice:
Observations:
I hear people screaming
I smell cotton candy, popcorn, and hamburgers
I see a lot of people
Inference = ?
When you infer, you make a mental judgment based on observations. Inferences cannot be directly observed. They require thought. For example, if you get up in the morning, look up at the sky and observe dark clouds, observe the air is cool and humid, and observe puddles on the ground, you might infer that it has recently rained. Note: you did not see rain; you decided that it rained based on your observations. An inference is a statement based on your interpretation of the facts.

8. Inference You get up in the morning, look up at the sky and:
observe dark clouds,
observe the air is cool and humid, and
observe puddles on the ground.
. . .you might infer that it has recently rained.
Note: you did not see rain; you decided that it rained based on your observations.

9. Inference 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 from the morning.
A dog peed on the grass!
All of these inferences could possibly 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.

10. List 3 inferences about the classroom1. 2. 3.

11. Complete the Handout

12. Look at these two sets of animal tracks.
List 3 OBSERVATIONS
Make an INFERENCE
In your science journals

13. Now what do you think?
Make 3 OBSERVATIONS
Make an INFERENCE

14. Now what do you think?
Make 3 OBSERVATIONS
Make an INFERENCE

15. Conclusion
In your journal, write 2-3 sentences about what you learned from Mystery Footprints

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