Inferences and Observations You can observe a lot

Inferences and Observations “You can observe a lot just by watching” -Yogi Berra Goal: Describe the scientific processes of observing and inferring

• Observations use one or more of your senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch) to gather information about the world. – Accurate Observation: An exact report of what your senses tell you. – Objective Observation: Avoids opinion, or bias, based on specific points of view. • Qualitative: Descriptions that do not use numbers (colors, smell, taste, textures, sounds). • Quantitative: Observations that use numbers (counting, measuring, weighing).

• Tips for making observations: – Use your five senses…i. e. qualitative – Whenever possible, count or use measuring tools to make quantitative observations. • Estimate if no tools are available! • Make sure that your observations are accurate and objective!

• Do the following describe qualitative or quantitative observations? 1 - The bird has 2 wings. 2 - Mrs. Ing has Blue eyes. 3 - The flower has 7 petals. 4 - The fish feels slimy. 5 - The sloth weighs 217 lbs. 6 - The red flower has 2 green leaves on its stem. 7 - The egg smells. 8 - The road is long.

• How could you make the following example into a quantitative one? • The fish is smelly. Ex: Add a scale, such as 1 -5, 5 being the worst. What would be wrong with an observation such as “the burning bag smelled nasty”? Nasty is a relative term. What is nasty to one, is not to another. In other words…. avoid opinions! To correct this, we would change it to: The burning bag smelled like rotten eggs

Take a minute to list some observations of the given picture.

• List any observations that you can for each demonstration: – Candle in air: – Match in tube: • Use both qualitative, and quantitative observations.

• Infering is the explaining or interpreting of an observation or statement. – Reasonable (logical) Inference: One that makes sense, given that the person knows about the topic. – Unreasonable Inference: One that concludes too much from the evidence. • Inferences are based on past experiences and prior knowledge. They are often changed when new observations are made. – Inferences help to explain our observations!

• Tips for making an inference: – Make your inference based on accurate qualitative or quantitative observations. – Combine your observations with knowledge or experience to make your inference. – Try to make more than one logical inference from the same observation. – Decide what new information you need to show whether your inferences are true. – Gather more information…. If necessary. – Be prepared to modify, reject or revise your inference.

• Examples: 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 urinated 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, dew, the dog doing its thing…