Observations and Inferences
Bell Work- Start a new page, and
answer this in your notebook.

Look at this picture. In your science notebook, write a one paragraph
story that explains this picture. Use the facts you see in the picture to
help write your story.
In your science notebook,
answer these questions:

How did your story differ from the true story?

Did you use only FACTS in your story or did you
make some assumptions?
Do Now:

Use a yellow highlighter to go back through your
paragraph. Highlight the FACTS that you used in
your paragraph.

What is a fact?
Experiment Time!

You are going to visit four stations and try to identify
what is in the mystery bag. Here is the catch: YOU
CANNOT OPEN THE BAG!

What ways can you identify what is in the bag?
Data Table
Object Number
1
2
3
4
Observations
What is in the Bag?
Line of Learning

Draw in your line of learning. Think about
these questions, then answer it.

What is the difference between and
observation and an inference?

Were you making observations in the lab just
now, inferences, or both?
Observation

Describing something using your five
senses.

Another word for a fact.

You can not dispute an observation. It
is true.

Examples:

The sky is blue.

It is sunny out.

The item in container 3 weighed 5
grams.
Inference

A judgment using prior knowledge that
explains an observation.

Could be called an opinion.

Not always true!

Examples:

I saw Jake yawn; therefore, he is tired

It is sunny, so it must be hot outside.

Object 3 rolled, so it must be a bouncy
ball.
Do Now:

Go back to the paragraph you wrote about the airplane. Look at what
you thought were “facts.” Are those really facts, or are they inferences?

Make a T-Chart in your notes and record your observations and
inferences from your story!
Observations
Inferences
Homework

Make another T-Chart in your notes. Tonight, when you go
home make 5 observations and 5 inferences about where
you go after school.

Due tomorrow!
Observations
Inferences