Observations and Inferences

What is an inference? 

• Just a random guess
• A prediction or logical conclusions about our observations
• The same as an observation
• deciding if an observation is qualitative or quantitative

Choose 2 inferences about this picture.

• Today is the dog's birthday.

• There is a candle on the cake.

• The dog has a tag on the collar.

• The dog will eat the cake.

Choose 2 inferences about this picture.

• A laptop is sitting in front of the person.

• The lady wears glasses.

• The lady is wearing a white shirt.

• The lady is frustrated with her work.

Observation or Inference: I think the weather is cold.

• Observation

• Inference

Which two of these can be observations about a gorilla?

• The gorilla wants a bigger banana.

• The gorilla has 5 fingers on his right hand.

• The gorilla is hungry.

• The gorilla has dark brown hair.

A scientist discovers the body of an unknown species of frog in the rain forest of Brazil.  She writes several statements in her journal about the animal shown above.  Which of the following is an observation about the frog?

• The frog might be poisonous because it is very brightly colored.
• It has a mass of 22.4 grams.
• The frog is probably a tree climber because it has large, round toe pads.
• I think the frog is a species of poison dart frog because of its size and color.

A student placed 50 mealworms in the middle of an aquarium containing a light, a cardboard tube and a water dish.  He waited five minutes and then recorded the data for the first trial in the table above.  The student repeated this procedure two more times, and recorded the results.  Read the results of all three trials.  Which inference could you make about mealworms based on the results.

• The mealworms probably prefer the darkness of a cardboard tube.
• There were 6 mealworms under the light in trial 2. 
• Mealworms love water. 
• There were 36 more mealworms in the cardboard tube versus the light in trial 3.

These involve numbers, or an amount. Seeing that you have 2 text messages on

your phone is a(n):

• observation

• inference

• qualitative observation

• quantitative observation

These involve descriptions that cannot be expressed with numbers. Noticing that a bike is blue or that a grape tastes sour are examples of a(n):

• observation

• inference

• qualitative observation

• quantitative observation

Which of the following could be described as an OBSERVATION based on this picture?

• The red object in the picture is approximately twice the size of the gray object above it.

• The duck is about to smash the computer.

• The duck is angry or frustrated.

• The sun is positioned to the right, outside of the frame of the picture.