Teaching Science to Every Child: Using Culture as a Starting Point ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012...

Teaching Science to Every Child:Using Culture as a Starting Point

©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012

Chapter 3Basic Science Process Skills:Observe, Infer, and Classify


Chapter 3 Topics

Basic Science Process Skills

Characteristics and Importance of Observing

Inferring to Explain Observations

Classifying Observations into Groups

Students with Cognitive Limitations

Moving Toward Integrated Process Skills


Benefits of Science Process Skills

Supporting Scientific Sense-Making

Serves as “Verbs” to the “Nouns” (Concepts)

Assists with Language Development

Building Community within the Classroom

Encourages Curiosity and Its Pursuit


Observing: Gathering Info Via the Senses

Observations as Facts

Paying Attention to the World

Facts over Opinions

Objectivity: Without Bias

Observing Happens Often


Inferring: Explaining Observations

Making an Explanation for the Facts

Multiple Inferences can be Offered

Inferring as Making a Case

Judging Inferences: Best Explanation

Inferences come from Thinking Creatively


Write two observations and two inferences for each panel

Panel 1 Panel 2 Panel 3


Classify: Organizing Observations

Classifying is not about learning established classifications systems

Classifying builds upon everyday efforts to organize but follows particular “rules”

The only properties for classifying come from observations, not inferences or hunches

Standard practice is to divide groups into two opposite categories


Classifying with Tree Diagrams

Dividing into Two Groups

Properties are Observable

Categories are Opposites

Each Object goes into One of Two Subgroups


Complete Tree Diagram

Four properties are required to separate five objects

Each junction is an either/or property, no in-betweens

Dividing continues until each object is alone

Reading “up” a tree gives a full description of each object


A Dichotomous Key

1a Bean shape is round Garbanzo bean1b Bean shape is not round (oblong) Go to 2

2a Bean is dark in color Go to 32b Bean is not dark in color Go to 4

3a Bean color is solid Kidney bean3b Bean color is speckled Pinto bean

4a Bean is entirely white Navy bean4b Bean has a dark spot Black-eyed pea


Process Skills for Those Students with Cognitive LimitationsCertain students will benefit from more time, less complexity, and greater supports

Teachers can predetermine possible struggles within a given science activity

Provide challenges, but not too many at one time

Make conscious decisions in advance about expectations from each child


Integrated Process Skills

Six Basics Process Skills as a Foundation

Investigating = Activities where Students use Process Skills

Integrated Process Skills Require Advanced Developmental Thinking

Experimenting = Systematic use of ALL Process Skills


Chapter 3 Summary

Use of Process Skills to Investigate

Observing: Collecting Facts Using Senses

Inferring: Proposing Cause for Observations

Classifying: Putting Observations into Order

Adjusting Demands so All Children do Science

Integrated Process Skills for Older Students


Teaching Science to Every Child: Using Culture as a Starting Point ©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2012...

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