(MORE: Brilliant: Why Floundering is Good)įirst, scientists train their attention, learning to focus on relevant features and disregard those that are less salient. In an article published in the journal Review of Educational Research, Eberbach and Crowley lay out the differences between expert observation and “just looking” - with the aim of helping the rest of us observe the way scientists do. As practiced by scientists, observation is a rigorous activity that integrates what the scientists are seeing with what they already know and what they think might be true. “Seeing is not observing,” the University of Pittsburgh researchers point out. But it is not the same as “everyday observation,” as Catherine Eberbach and Kevin Crowley call the kind of casual looking done by those of us who don’t wear lab coats. The scientist’s gaze is clearly a powerful tool for making sense of how the world works. ![]() You might want to go somewhere new so the kids have lots to observe, or you can challenge them to find something new or look at something in a new way in their everyday environment.Follow of science’s most important breakthroughs, from the discovery of microorganisms to the theory of evolution, have come about through observation. Try to work some of these fun observation projects into your schedule this week. Such worksheets can be found or created for any observational study. These particular worksheets ask questions about various aspects of nature to spark good observations. Worksheets, such as this printable Nature Observation Notebook, can help. Sometimes, students need a little guidance when it comes to making good observations. Let the students decorate it and make it their own. It can be fun to keep a notebook dedicated to observations. Older students can write down their observations and younger students can draw theirs. Whether they are recording a science experiment or a walk in the woods. Journaling is a great way for students to record their observations and build their observation skills. ![]() Was there a change in the kids’ observation skills? Journaling Can they tell? Do the activity again, but this time give them a moment to observe the room before they leave and you do your rearranging. Invite the kids back into the room and ask them what is different. Quickly, move pillows or a chair, bring something new into the room….make a change to the room. Do an activity in the room unrelated to the observation lesson. What is different? – Choose a room of the house where you and the kids spend a lot of time. Have them list as many items on the cookie sheet as they can recall. Allow your kids to observe them for 30 seconds, then take the cookie sheet away. ![]() Place 15 or 20 small household items on a cookie sheet. Memory Game – I remember playing this party game growing up. But how do we teach observation skills? Observation Activities Those powers of observation will come in handy throughout their lives – not just in science class. Teaching our students to observe is so important. Notice, it is based on observations. Without correct observations, the entire scientific method is compromised. Did our hypothesis hold true or do we now have another hypothesis? Once that is complete, we analyze our data from our observations to get our conclusion. To test to see if our hypothesis is true, we need to create an experiment or make more observations to gather more information. Our attempt to answer our questions based on our observations, past experience, knowledge and reasoning is an educated guess, or hypothesis. Scientific research and inquiry is based on the power of observation. Our observations often lead to more questions.
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