Just a few notes over Observations and Inferences that I used with Middle school students. There was other discussions and hands-on activities that we also used to support the learning.

1. Observation & Inference

2. Glue the “Back to the Future” in
Science Notebook
• 9/4/13
• Question: What do
we do if the fire alarm
goes off?
• Pregunta: ¿Qué hacemos
si la alarma de incendio
se apaga?
• Answer…

3. Science Notebook:
Table of Contents
Date Learning
Target
Title Page
#
9/4/13 Class Back to the Future 1 ?
9/4/13 SI Observations and
Inferences
2

4. Sewer Lice

5. • Observation- information gathered using one
or more of the five senses.
Observations:
•People wearing helmets
•Two people in green and white
•One person in in black
•One person wear stripes
•Persons arms out like a T with a
football in hand
•Persons arms above their head

6. Observations
• Any information collected with the senses.
• 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
• The skill of describing scientific events

7. • Quantitative observation- an observation
dealing with numbers that can be measured
• Examples: Length, height, area, volume,
weight, speed, time, temperature, humidity,
sound levels, cost, members, ages, etc.

8. • Qualitative observation- deals with
descriptions that can be observed but not
measured
• Examples- Colors, textures, smells, tastes,
appearance, beauty, etc

9. Inference- an interpretation of one or more
observations.
Inferences:
•The playier in black scored a
touchdown
•#81 is tackling the player in black

10. Inference
• Conclusions or deductions based on observations.
• 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 = ?