Science Snapshots: Observation Versus Inference

In this class students will learn the critical distinction between observations and inferences and when you can use each in science. We will learn about the difference between qualitative and quantitative observations, and why scientists often prefer one over the other. First students will investigate a partial image of a scene and be asked to make observations and inferences about it. Next another piece of the puzzle will be revealed and perhaps their inferences will be changed based on new observations. Following the final reveal, students will prove they understand the differences between inferences and observations by looking at historical images and deciding if claims I make about the images are observations or inferences. To wrap up the lesson, students are encouraged to bring a found object to class (example: something natural from the backyard, a toy, a kitchen tool) and the class will make observations and inferences about the objects. Learners need no prior knowledge to engage in this lesson, but it is also okay if they are using it as a review!