Science Process Skills
Observing – using your senses to gather information
Focus on details
Example – Trees have leaves.
Qualitative observations- color, texture, shape, smell, etc. Example – The craggy old maple tree’s red leaves were rustling in the breeze.
Quantitative observations- measurements, numbers with units. Example – The frog was 10 cm. long and had a mass of 20 grams.
Classifying – putting things into groups or categories
Look for patterns
Identify common characteristics
Example –Ash trees have compound leaves and oak trees have simple leaves.
Measuring – using tools and units to get numeric values for things
Example – The leaf is 7 centimeters long.
Inferring or explaining – using reasoning skills to form conclusions
Example - Striped maple trees have larger leaves in areas where it is shady. They are larger so they can be exposed to more light.
Predicting – saying what will happen as a result of what you have observed.
Example - I think the leaves will fall off most trees in mid October.
Raising questions – being curious about what you have observed
Example - Why do the leaves turn colors before they fall off?
Communicating – Sharing information both verbally (speaking) and non-verbally (charts, graphs, tables).
Example – Sharing information with your class.
