Living Environment- 9th
Observations
How we look at things in science
Day 5
What is observation?
• Observations are made by using:
• Senses
• They are facts not opinions.
Two types of Observation
• Qualitative
• Quantitative
Qualitative Observations
• Hard to measure
• Describes the qualities of something
– Color
– Taste
– Sound
Quantitative Observations
• Can be expressed in numbers
• Can be counted or measured
– Amounts
– Temperature
– Mass
– Length
• Allow us to communicate specifics
• Tools are used to communicate data
• Observations are collected in data tables
Inference
• Drawing a conclusion based on data and observation
• 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 = ?
Observation Inference
• That plant is extremely • That plant is extremely wilted
wilted. due to a lack of water.
• The car stopped running • The car stopped running
because it was out of gas.
• The NY GIANTS are • The NY GIANTS are leading
leading in their division their division because they are
playing well right now.
Let’s Practice….
Look at the picture & decide if the statement is an
OBSERVATION
OR
INFERENCE
There was a garden located
outside the Citadel.
Gardens were an important part of everyday life during
the military years on Alcatraz Island .
People in the garden are in mourning.
Men were required to wear jackets and
women were required to wear dresses
The citadel was made of brick.
There is a picket fence.
People used to spend more time outside.
There are eight people in the photograph.
The garden provided food for the families
living on Alcatraz.
There were no cannons on Alcatraz..
When to use observation &
inference…
You Do/ Practice
Scenarios
One of your favorite summer activities is
going to the water park. You and your
older brother are in line at the top of the
water slide and want to race. Your
brother, who is 3 years older and about 50
pounds heavier than you, beats you to the
bottom. Why do you think this is?
What observation did you make?
What can you infer about this
observation?
You Do/ Practice
Scenarios
You and your sister decide to go on a hike in
the middle of the day. It is really hot outside,
and your sister starts feeling dizzy and weak.
Once you get home, your parents take her to
the hospital because she is dehydrated. When
you finally get to visit your sister in her
hospital room, you notice she is hooked up to
an IV bag to increase her fluids. Upon closer
inspection you notice the IV bag says it has
0.9% sodium chloride, or salt, mixed in with
the water. You wonder why they don’t give
your sister pure water.
What observation did you make?
What can you infer about this
observation?
Wrap up
END OF THE LESSON: Answer the questions below.
1. Define observation :
2. Define inference:
Make an inference based on the observation given:
3. Observation: In August the sun was shining when Sara got up for school in the morning, but in
December it is still dark.
•Inference:
REMEMBER!!!!!!!!
• During experiments, record observations
NOT inferences
• Inferences may be used when writing the
conclusion in your lab report.
