Lesson

Title/Focus

Observation Vs. Inference

Date

Wednesday. Nov. 26, 2014

Subject/Grade
Level

Grade 6 Science

Time
Duration

45 mins (2:15-3:00)

Unit

Observation and Investigation

Teacher

Grant

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General
Learning
Outcomes:

64: Demonstrate positive attitudes for the study of science and for the application of science in
responsible ways.

68: Apply observation and inference skills to recognize and interpret patterns
Specific
Learning
Outcomes:

6-4: Students will show growth in acquiring and applying the following traits:
Curiosity
Confidence in personal ability to learn and develop problem-solving skills
Inventiveness and open-mindedness
Perseverance in the search for understandings and for solutions to problems

6-8-1: Recognize that evidence found at the scene of an activity may have unique characteristics
that allow an investigator to make inferences about the participants and the nature of the activity
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Define and give examples of observation, inference and conclusion.
2. Apply their observation and memory skills to answer questions about a given picture/drawing.
3. Identify important/distinguishing characteristics of individuals.

ASSESSMENTS
Observations:

Key Questions:

Products/Performances:

Observe as students:
Discuss with their partner/group their definition and example or inference or
observation.
Answer questions on the crime scene picture after looking at it for 2-3 minutes.
Participate in discussion and questions/answers during the characteristics slide
show.
What is an observation? What is an inference? (LO 1)
What skill did you use during this exercise? Maybe something we have just been
talking about. (LO 1,2)
If you come across a crime scene, what should be the first thing you do? (LO 2,3)
Ask for volunteers to answer the questions on the slide: What is a witness? What
is a suspect? (LO 3)
So what happens if you are a witness and you saw the person who maybe was
involved with the crime? What will the police ask you? (LO 3)
We just talked about this but what could be some distinguishing features that you
draw on your paper of your partner? (LO 3)
Important words page (LO 1)
At the scene of the crime questions (LO 2)
Participation during the characteristics power point (LO 3)

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Alberta Program of Studies Science

Grade 6 Evidence and Investigation Resource
Development Services, Edmonton Public Schools, 2006

Characteristics power point

Evidence and Investigation booklet (students
have it)
Face outlines (45)
Smartboard presentation with drawing faces
instructions

PROCEDURE
Introduction

Time

Attention Grabber
Assessment of Prior
Knowledge

Expectations for
Learning and Behaviour
Advance
Organizer/Agenda
Transition to Body
Learning Activity #1

Assessments/ Differentiation:

Learning Activity #2

Write inference and observation on the white board.

Inference/Observation Definition Review (LO 1)
Ask: What is an observation? What is an inference? (Key question
#1)
(Observation: Concrete facts, observed data, 5 senses.
Inference: Theories, guesses, hunches, based on evidence observed)
Ask students to talk with their elbow partner and prepare a definition
and an example of one of the words we learned yesterday that they
could share with the class. (Inference, observation)
Give the students an example:
Inference: I see a smashed window and I infer that someone broke into
the house.
Observation: I hear a splash and see someone jump into the water
Give students 1 minute to come up with their definition and then ask
which groups talked about inferences. For those students who have
their hands up, ask a few pairs to share their definition. Write the
definition on the board for other students to copy.
Do the same thing for observation.
Write the definition of an observation on the board.
Students will participate in class discussion.
Practice their inference skills, and come to conclusions based off of
inferences.
1. Definitions review
2. At the scene of the crime
3. Characteristics PowerPoint
4. Composite drawings (maybe)
Have the students turn to the page at the scene of the crime in their
booklet.
Body
At the Scene of the Crime (LO 2)
Tell students they will have 3 minutes to look at the picture. (Timer on
the smart board). Tell students everyone will just be studying the
picture for 3 minutes. Even if you think you are finished, I want
everyone to keep looking at the picture.
Once the 3 minutes is up, ask students to turn over the page and
answer as many of the questions they can. Tell students they cannot
turn over their page, they must answer the questions by memory, and
based off their observations on the image.
Tell students they have a few minutes to answer as many questions as
they can, and once they are finished they should close their duo-tang.
Once the majority of students have their duo-tangs closed, have
volunteers share their answers. After we look at the answer as a class,
have the students turn the page and check the picture again.
Ask: what skill did you use during this exercise? Maybe something
we have just been talking about. (Key question #2)
Go through some or all of the questions (depending on how much time
we have)
Observation: As students are completing the questions on the back of the
drawing make sure they arent looking at the drawing, and ensure they are
answering questions as well as they can.
Individual activity so students should be silent.
Make sure students know that they should try their best, if they dont know
an answer to the question, they should skip it.
Characteristics (LO 3)
Open the characteristics power point.
Go through the slides:

10 mins
(2:15-2:25)

Time

15 mins
(2:25-2:40)

20 mins
(2:40-3:00)

Assessments/ Differentiation

Sponge Activity

Assessments/ Differentiation

Assessment of Learning:

Feedback From Students:

Slides 1-5: review of inferences. (Ask the students the questions on the
PowerPoint and have students respond)
Ask: If you come across a crime scene, what should be the first
thing you do? (Key question #3)
Slide 6: Ask for volunteers to answer the questions on the slide: What
is a witness? What is a suspect? (Key question #4) (Witness: see or
hear something related to the crime someone told you something
about the crime telephone game example)(Suspect: someone who is
suspected to have been involved or responsible for the crime)
Ask: So what happens if you are a witness and you saw the person
who maybe was involved with the crime? What will the police ask
you? (Key question #5) (Ask you to tell them characteristics of the
person)
Move on to slide 7, 8 (give an example: a shoe made wrongs, so the
tread of the shoe is weirdand ask students for examples of accidental
characteristics)
Look at the next slides on characteristics of people.

Class discussion and questioning students:

If you come across a crime scene, what should be the first thing you
do?
What is a witness? What is a suspect?
So what happens if you are a witness and you saw the person who
maybe was involved with the crime? What will the police ask you?
Make sure class is staying focused, and as one student is answering the
question, that the other students are listening.
Composite Drawing/Sketch(LO 3)
After the slide show, tell students that they will now be making
composite drawings of their partner.
Hand out the paper with the heads on it.
Explain to students that I will have you pairing up after we get the
outline of a face done. So the first steps with the students (eyes, nose,
mouth, ears). Show smart board slide with example on it.
Once the students have an outline of a face, ask students to pair up
with a student from the other class, have all 6N boys and their partners
go to Mrs. Fenskys room and the rest, stay where they are.
Ask: We just talked about this but what could be some
distinguishing features that you draw on your paper of your
partner? (Key question #6) (Moles, dimples, pierced ears, hair)
Tell students: The goal of this activity is NOT for you to draw the most
beautiful drawing of your partner. You should focus on the
distinguishing characteristics. I should be able to look at the drawing
and say, oh, that drawing has big eyes, it may be Hayden. Oh that
drawing has short hair, it may be Kiera.
Make it clear the drawing is a sketch.
Questioning: Ask students what distinguishing characteristics they could
include on their drawings of their partners.
Observation: As students are working with their partner, students should
be staying on task, getting their drawings done. Ensure that students arent
focusing on aesthetic components of the sketch.
Closure
Questioning students while we are looking at the answers to the questions.
Asking students to tell me the difference between inferences and
observation.
The assessment of prior knowledge have students share their definitions.
Observing students work as they are working.
Students participation during the characteristics PowerPoint.

Time

Feedback To Students
Transition To Next
Lesson

Tell students they are really getting the hang of observation and inference,
and we will be having a short quiz tomorrow on it.
Quiz tomorrow, and after we finish the quiz we will start/continue
composite drawings of a partner.
-

Reflections from the

lesson
-

This lesson was the last period of the day, so students were a bit chattier than usual.
The elbow partner activity of them talking with their partner the definitions and
coming up with examples. With such a big class size, it is hard to get all groups to
share their definitions and examples.
The at the scene of the crime activity went well, all students were working
independently and were focused. I could have remembered to tell students that if they
get stuck on a question, they should just skip it. Once the students had 3 minutes to
write down as many answers as they could to the questions, I told them not to look
back at their picture. I should have said as we go through the questions you can
reference the picture because they just ended up looking at it anyways.
While we were going through the answers, the students started to get chatty, I called
on a few students and gave a warning to the class, and they kept talking so we had to
move on to the next activity.
Went through the characteristics PowerPoint, went well, the students were able to
answer the questions.
Had time at the end, so I went in to explain the composite drawing.