Notice, Wonder, Investigate
Use observations to ask questions that evidence can answer.
Lesson objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- Distinguish an observation, an inference, a prediction, and a personal opinion.
- Compare and group safe materials using an observable property.
- Write a question that can be answered using observations or measurements.
- Suggest a testable explanation and a related prediction, then describe how evidence can help revise an idea.
A school bag gets wet in the rain. Which lining might help keep a notebook dry? Before choosing a material, learn to separate what you notice from what you think.
From a wondering to an explanation
Follow the connections. New evidence can send you back to an earlier step.
Start with evidence
Observe a material. Ask a question you can investigate. Suggest an explanation and predict a result.
Put the idea to a test
Choose a safe method. Observe or measure carefully, and record what actually happens.
Explain what you found
Compare the results with your prediction. Say what the evidence supports, then share your findings.
Unexpected evidence? Recheck the method, improve the explanation, or ask a new question. A prediction does not have to be correct for the investigation to be useful.
Example: notice water on a cover → test how much passes through → explain which tested cover kept the tissue drier.
1. Build an evidence notebook
Science helps us explain the natural world using evidence. Evidence includes observations, measurements, and results that others can examine. A careful investigator records what happened, even when it is surprising.
| Skill | What it means | Notebook example |
|---|---|---|
| Observe | Describe what your senses or tools detect. | Three drops stayed on the plastic sheet. |
| Infer | Suggest an explanation for an observation. | The sheet may resist water. |
| Predict | Say what you expect to happen next. | Another drop will probably remain on top. |
| Compare and classify | Find similarities and differences, then group by a stated property. | Group the samples as flexible or stiff. |
| Measure | Use a tool and a unit to describe an amount. | The sample is 8 cm wide. |
| Model | Use a drawing or object to represent an idea. | Draw where water moves through the layers of a bag. |
Think carefully: “The paper has a dark wet patch” is an observation. “Water passed through the paper” is an inference that could be checked. “This paper is the nicest” is a preference.
2. Turn a wondering into a testable question
A useful question tells you what to compare and what evidence to collect. “Which cover is best?” is too broad. “Which of these three covers lets the fewest drops reach a dry tissue in one minute?” gives a clear way to compare them. Questions about favourite colours ask for opinions; questions about measurable properties can be investigated.
3. Link an explanation to a prediction
A hypothesis is a possible explanation that can be tested. For example: “A tightly woven cloth may let less water through because it has smaller gaps.” A related prediction is: “If I use the tightly woven cloth, fewer drops will reach the tissue.” The explanation and the expected result are connected, but they are not the same thing.
Notice something → ask a question → suggest an explanation → plan and collect evidence → examine results → explain and share.
You may return to an earlier step. An unexpected result can lead to a better question. Not all scientists use experiments: some observe nature, compare records, or use models.
Try it: a material detective walk
With an adult, choose three clean, safe objects such as a spoon, a dry cloth, and a plastic container. Record two observations about each. Group them by one property, such as flexibility. Then write one inference and one question that could be tested. Do not taste materials or touch unknown substances.
Remember
Describe evidence clearly, distinguish it from your explanation, and ask questions that observations or measurements can answer.
Review at a glance
The big ideas
- Describe what you observe before suggesting why it happened.
- Ask a question that observations or measurements can answer.
- Connect a possible explanation to a prediction you can check.
- Use evidence to improve your ideas, and share what you find.
Key terms & meanings
- Science
- A way of learning about the natural world by using evidence and testing explanations.
- Evidence
- Observations, measurements, or results used to support or question an idea.
- Observation
- A detail noticed using your senses safely or detected with a tool.
- Inference
- A possible explanation based on observations and what you already know.
- Prediction
- A statement about what you expect to happen.
- Hypothesis
- A possible explanation that can be tested using evidence.
- Testable question
- A question that can be investigated through observations or measurements.
- Comparison
- Finding similarities and differences between things.
- Classification
- Grouping things according to a shared property.
- Measurement
- Using a tool and a unit to describe an amount.
- Model
- A drawing, object, or other representation of selected features of something.
- Opinion
- A personal belief or preference; it is not, by itself, scientific evidence.
Observation: “The cloth is wet.” Inference: “It may have absorbed water.” Prediction: “It will absorb another drop.”
Study tip: Cover the meanings, explain each term in your own words, then check your explanation.