Observation and Inference activity

Observation and Inference Activity

Objective: In their study of observation and inference the students will use worksheets and coins to:

Differentiate between observation and inference through a problem-solving approach.
Demonstrate their knowledge by analyzing an archaeological artifact and creating their own observation-inference statements.

Skills and Strategies: Scientific inquiry, decision making, problem-solving, comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation.

Materials: “Boy in the Water” activity sheet and “An Ancient Coin” activity sheet for each student. Prepare a transparency of the "Boy in the Water" picture.

Background: Science is based on observation and inference. Anything being studied must first be observed. An inference is a proposed reason for an observation. The hypothesis is a chosen inference that the scientist will prove or disprove through testing. Archaeologists use observations and inference to learn the story of past people. By making observations about objects (artifacts and sites) they infer the behavior of the people who used the objects. When archaeologists find the remains of a large village (observations), they could infer that the people were farmers. To test that inference (hypothesis), they would look for evidence of farming such as farming implements (like hoes), and food remains from crops (corn cobs and squash seeds). If they find these things, their hypothesis is verified. Archaeologists construct careful hypotheses and examine alternatives when making inferences from archaeological data.

Present students with a possible observation-inference scenario from their lives. Example: All the students in this classroom who ate in the cafeteria on Tuesday were ill on Wednesday (observation).
What many and varied reasons (proposed inferences) might there be for this illness? Examples: food poisoning, virus, a student uprising.
In what ways might one or more of these inferences (hypotheses) be tested in order to come to a conclusion about the cause of the illness? Examples: Send all the students to the school nurse for examination; test the food from Tuesday; obtain a medical history from the parents of each student.

Procedure:
1. “Boy in the Water”

a. Project the picture on an overhead projector and distribute the “Boy in the Water” activity sheet to each student.
b. Read each statement and ask students to decide if it is a statement of observation or of inference. Ask them to give reasons for their answers.
c. How might one or more of the inferences (hypotheses) be tested?
d. Correct either as you proceed or immediately following the activity.
e. Create a definition for observation, inference, and hypothesis.

2. “An Ancient Coin”

a. Project or distribute the activity sheet “An Ancient Coin” and explain that the coin was found by an archaeologist at a site.
b. Which statements are observations and which are inferences? Which observation is each inference based on?
c. Many different inferences are possible from one observation. What other inferences might be made from observing this coin?
d. Choose one inference (hypothesis) and think of ways archaeologists might test it by looking at other evidence at the site (e.g., if people are peace loving, archaeologists would not expect to find a lot of weapons or protective gear.)

Ask the students to summarize what they learned about the importance of observation, inference, and hypothesis in archaeology.

Boy in the Water Activity Sheet Answers

1.O 2.I 3.O 4.I 5.I 6.O 7.I 8.I 9.O 10.I 11.I 12.O 13.O 14.I 15.I 16.I

An Ancient Coin Activity Sheet Answers

1.O 2.I 3.O 4.O 5.I 6.I

Next page: How Do Archaeologists Find Sites?

This activity is from Intrigue of the Past: A Teacher’s Activity Guide for Fourth through Seventh Grades. By Shelley Smith, Jeanne A. Moe, Kelly A. Letts, and Danielle P. Paterson. Washington D.C.: United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 1993.

Wilson Butte Cave

Observation and Inference Activity