Process Skill: Observing
Lesson Objective:
Students will use their five senses to make an
observation outside and record observable
features of what they see.
Essential Question:
How does a scientist use his/her senses to
observe an object’s number, shape, texture, size,
weight, color and motion?
Procedure:
1. Talk about the essential question and
allow the student to share ideas. Tell
student that they will have to use their
senses to observe objects and record
features related to number, shape, texture,
size, weight, color and motion.
2. Share: “When we use one or more of our
senses –sight, hearing, taste, touch, and
smell – to take in information we are
observing.” *Make sure students know that
they will not taste for safety purposes.
3. Look at page 20 from the SMPS text attached:
Observe. Read aloud the vocabulary
portion and discuss an object that you can
use to observe each of the 5 senses.
4. Discuss the “what to do” section on
page 21. In step 1, discuss observable
properties of the flower picture. Refer back
to the vocabulary on page 20 and discuss
how to use five senses to help answer the
questions in step 2. DO NOT do step 3. Only
discuss how they labeled the parts of their
picture to describe what they observed.
5. Have the student choose an object
to observe. Have the students fill out their
handout (attached)based on what they see,
heaer, touch, and smell. *zŽƵ should remind
ƌĞŵŝŶĚstudents that we will not be using our
ƐĞŶƐĞof taste for today’s activity.
6. Ask student to reflect on the lesson by
discussing the questions on the right.
Put handout in STEM notebook.
Grade Level: First Grade
Benchmark:
SC.1.N.1.2 Using the five senses as tools, make
careful observations, describe objects in terms of
number, shape, texture, size, weight, color, and
motion, and compare their observations with
others.
Key Vocabulary:
Observe/observing/observation
Texture
Motion
Shape
Size
Color
Sight/see/seeing/saw
Materials:
-Observing student data collection sheet (attached)
-Crayons/colored pencils, pencils
-Science Methods and Process Skills p. 20-21
(attached)
ŝƐĐƵƐƐƚŚĞƐĞƋuestions:
-What can you tell me about the object you
chose to observe?
-What does a scientist do when he/she
observes?
-Why is it important for a scientist to record
his/her observations?
-Why is it important for a scientist to be detailed
when observing?
-If you could do this lesson again, what type of
object would you observe? Would it be similar?
Would it be different?
Name _____________________________
Observing
1. Observe your object.
2. Record your observations of your object:
 Color:
____________________________________________
 Shape:
____________________________________________
 Size:
____________________________________________
 Texture:
____________________________________________
 Another Observation:
____________________________________________
3. Draw and label a sketch of your object.