This is another start of the year activity I am going to use to stress the importance between observation and inference. I have a ppt & worksheet for class (left side) and a homework assignment (right side) for this lesson.
I'll start with the power point and have the students write down their observations and inferences as I show one frame at a time. There is a lot of room for interpretation and I look forward to what they come up with!
- This is the power point I modified for my class: Mystery Footprints
- UPDATED 9.16.09 - (I had a few typos towards the end, so the corrected version is posted. My 5's are so helpful in pointing this out!) This is the booklet of notes and where they write down their observations and inferences: Footprints pdf. To make the booklet, copy two sided, fold in half, and glue the 4th page into the notebook. (I found this lesson last year but can't find the link I downloaded it from. I reformatted it, but other than that there are only minor changes)
- And this is the practice assignment for homework and review: Practice pdf
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Here is something I do daily and it doesn't take much time...I put up a picture of the day (using National Geographic online picture of the day or any other source). I ask for 5 observations about the picture (sometimes I will ask for 3 qualitative and 2 quantitative). Then I ask them to make 5 inferences about the picture (what do they think the picture is based on their observations and what they already know) and then I ask them to make 5 predictions about what will happen next in the scene. Done throughout the year students know the difference observation, inference and prediction without thinking. I got the idea from a science convention I went to here in South Carolina and it is has worked for both elementary and middle school students.
ReplyDeleteEve
Great idea! Thanks for sharing it, Eve!
ReplyDeleteYou're a lifesaver! This is exactly what I've been looking for - for hours! I'm definately adding you to my google reader. A student teacher's dream come true. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThis is great... any other observation and inference? i found one pick of a truck with a boat on top of it!
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