Scientists are great noticers. They look closely, listen, smell, touch and measure. What they notice is called an observation.
Key idea
An observation is something you can see, hear, smell, feel or measure. A guess is what you think might be true.
Why it works
Anyone can check an observation. If I say "the beetle has six legs," you can count them too. If I say "the beetle is sad," you cannot check that, because you cannot see a feeling. Scientists write down observations so others can check them.
- A magnifying glass makes small things look bigger.
- A ruler measures how long something is.
- A thermometer measures how warm or cold something is.
Worked example: Let's think it through
You watch an ant for one minute. Is "It carried a crumb three times" an observation?
- Did you see it? Yes.
- Did you count it? Yes, three times.
- A friend watching could check it too.
Answer: Yes, it is an observation.
Common mistake
Children often mix observations with guesses or feelings, like "the bug is sad." An observation is something you can see, hear, smell or measure, like "the bug has six legs."
For the grown-up. Start a nature notebook. Each day, draw one thing you saw outside and write one observation under it. The Teddy Rook Book Nature Study pages have ideas.