Observation vs Interpretation · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Seeing vs. Guessing Why

Science · Scientific Inquiry · ages 6-7
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which sentence is an interpretation?

    • The plant has droopy leaves.
    • The plant needs water.
    • The plant is green.

  2. Which sentence is an observation?

    • The ice turned into water.
    • The ice melted because it was hot.
    • The ice wanted to melt.

  3. An observation is something you notice with your senses.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Sam watches the feeder and writes down, 'There are 5 birds.' What is this?

    • An observation
    • An interpretation
    • A guess

  5. Mia sees wet grass in the morning. She says, 'It rained last night.' Is this an observation or an interpretation?

    • Observation
    • Neither
    • Interpretation

  6. 'The ice melted because of the heat' is only an observation.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. Two friends watch a puddle disappear on a sunny day. Which pair correctly separates observation from interpretation?

    • Observation: 'The sun dried it up.' Interpretation: 'The puddle is gone.'
    • Both sentences are observations.
    • Observation: 'The puddle is gone.' Interpretation: 'The sun dried it up.'

  8. Leo writes in his journal: 'The bean sprout grew taller because it loves sunlight.' What is mixed into this observation?

    • Nothing, it's a perfect observation.
    • An interpretation about why it grew.
    • It doesn't have any numbers in it.
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Seeing vs. Guessing Why W1-mt_Hw70LI5xza-s1

  1. The plant needs water. · It guesses why the plant looks that way, instead of just describing it.
  2. The ice turned into water. · It just tells what happened, without guessing why it happened.
  3. True · Yes. You see it, hear it, touch it, or smell it yourself.
  4. An observation · Writing down what he actually saw is an observation, not a guess about why.
  5. Interpretation · Mia did not see it rain. She is guessing why the grass is wet.
  6. False · That sentence explains why it happened, so part of it is an interpretation.
  7. Observation: 'The puddle is gone.' Interpretation: 'The sun dried it up.' · Seeing the puddle gone is what happened. Saying the sun dried it up explains why, which is a guess.
  8. An interpretation about why it grew. · Saying the sprout 'loves sunlight' is a guess about why, so it's an interpretation mixed into the observation.
Worksheet · LightMySky