Transcript Observation & Inference

Observations & Inferences:
Data Tables and Graphs
modified by Liz LaRosa www.middleschoolscience.com 2009, from original posted at:
www.science-class.net/PowerPoints/Observation_Inference_8th.ppt
Observations
Any information that you can see on the
data table/graph
Quantitative – measureable or countable (must
have a NUMBER!)
◦ Sounds like: “Mrs. Gillespie had 68 bacteria
on her hands at 11:00 a.m.”
◦ Sounds like: “Mrs. Gillespie had 5 bacteria
on her hands at 12:00 p.m.”
Qualitative Observations
◦ Describable, not measureable (does NOT have a number)
Sounds like: “Mrs. Gillespie had the most bacteria on her hands at
11:00 a.m.
◦ Sounds like: “Mrs. Gillespie had the least bacteria on her hands at
12:00 p.m.”
◦ Sounds like: “The amount of bacteria on Mrs. Gillespie’s hands
decreased a lot between the hours of 11:00 and 12:00”
◦ You can describe the trend or pattern in the data:
◦ “The amount of bacteria on Mrs. Gillespie’s hands increased
throughout the morning, and then it decreased sharply between the
hours of 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.:
Suggestions
◦ If you don’t have time to make observations about each data
point, choose the most important points – the highest, lowest,
or changes in the graph
◦ You can do both types of observations in one sentence:
◦ “Mrs. Gillespie had the most bacteria on her hands at 11:00
a.m.; she had 68 bacteria.”
◦ Observations should NOT sound like:
◦ NO: “The amount of bacteria goes up”
◦ YES: “The amount of bacteria increases”
◦ NO: “It increases” or “The line increases”
◦ YES: “The amount of bacteria increases.”
◦ Make sure the observation is about the DATA, not the
title, axes, etc.
Inferences
Inferences = Observations + Background Knowledge
“I think _(inference)_ because _(observation)_,
and I know _(BK)_.”
I think that Mrs. Gillespie washed her hands (inference)
and ate lunch between 11:00 and 12:00 because the
amount of bacteria on her hands decreased
(observation), and I know that people like to wash their
hands before lunch to get rid of all the germs (BK).