Observation/Inference&

Hypothesis

September 14th, 2015

What is an observation?

A. When you observe, you become aware of something using one of your senses. Your five senses are smell, taste, sight, touch, and sound. I an observation you simply describe something as it appears. An observation is a statement describing a fact.

ObservationAs a class, lets come up with 5 observations the

classroom.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Qualitative ObservationB. Sometimes scientists must make very careful

observations. Often their senses are not good enough. There are some things that cannot be observed using just your senses. (Examples: radiation, sound waves, planets, cells, etc.)

1. Can you think of ways that scientists have solved this problem? How can scientists extend their senses?

Microscopes, Telescopes, satellites, etc.

What is an inference?

A. 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.

List 3 inferences about the classroom

1.

2.

3.

ExamplesObservations

That plant is extremely wilted.

The car stopped running

The Blue Jays are leading there division

Inferences

That plant is extremely wilted due to a lack of water.

The car stopped running because it was out of gas.

The Blue Jays are leading there division because they are playing well right now.

More examplesWhat observations

can we make about this picture?

What can we infer based on this picture?

What observations can we make from these pictures?

Hypothesis

What is a Hypothesis?

Often described as an ‘educated guess’

If ______ (I do this) _____ then ____ (this)___ will happen

Hypothesis ExampleExperiment:

What temperature of water will make our classroom plants grow the fastest? (icewater,

room temperature, boiling water)

Clear statement?

Can you test it?

Can you measure it?

HypothesisIMPORTANT:

A hypothesis must be a clear statement and more importantly, needs to be something that can both

be tested by experimenting and measured.

A hypothesis also includes an explanation of why the guess may be correct

Good or Bad?When there is less oxygen in the water, rainbow

trout suffer more lice.

Our universe is surrounded by another, larger universe, with which we can have absolutely no contact