Strategy Guide Teaching About How Scientists Make Inferences with Science You Can’t See from Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading® Introduction permission. This strategy guide introduces an approach for teaching about how scientists use evidence to make inferences. The ability to gather and further evaluate evidence is central to scientific inquiry, especially when scientists investigate things that are not directly observable. This guide without includes an introductory section about how scientists use evidence to use make inferences, a general overview of how to use this strategy with many science texts, and a plan for teaching how scientists gather evidence to make inferences with the Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading® book classroom Science You Can’t See. than other use or Book Summary Science Background Science You Can’t See introduces readers to the Some scientists investigate things that they work of three scientists who study phenomena cannot observe directly. For example, scientists redistribution, that cannot be observed directly. Karen Chin cannot see dinosaurs, the bottom of the ocean, studies dinosaurs using fossilized remains. or atoms and molecules. Still, scientists want to resale, Edward Saade investigates the depth of know more about these things, so they gather for the ocean floor using sound waves. Farid El evidence about them in other ways. For example, Not Gabaly makes images of magnetic atoms using they make observations of fossil dinosaur an electron microscope. Each of these three droppings or measure the amount of time it scientists must make inferences to answer their takes sound to travel to the bottom of the ocean. California. questions. Their inferences are based on evidence Although atoms and molecules are too small to of that they collect during their investigations. see, scientists use very powerful microscopes to Readers learn that scientists gather and gather evidence about them. Once scientists have interpret evidence and draw conclusions based gathered evidence, they use it to make inferences University on this evidence. about the things they are investigating. For the example, when scientists figure out what is in of a fossil dinosaur dropping, they can then make inferences about what the dinosaur ate when it Regents About This Book was alive. They are not observing the dinosaur The eating—they are using evidence to make an Reading Level Guided Reading Level*: R inference. Similarly, by measuring the amount of time it takes for sound to travel to the ocean Key Vocabulary Copyright floor, scientists are able to make inferences about © accurate, evaluate, evidence, inference, observation how deep the ocean is and what the ocean floor is Text Features bold print, captions, diagrams, glossary, headings, like. Over time, scientists gather more evidence illustrations, labels, maps, photographs, table of and become more and more sure of the inferences contents they have made. *Guided Reading Levels based on the text characteristics from Fountas and Pinnell, Matching Books to Readers. 5 6 1 About Making Inferences between what can be directly observed and inferences that can be made from these Scientists answer questions by gathering and observations. [The coat, the umbrella, the evaluating evidence. One way scientists gather wet shoes. It is raining.] evidence is through firsthand observation; however, sometimes scientists ask questions • Have students practice making observations about things that are not immediately and inferences. Invite them to observe observable. For example, scientists cannot a photograph or an object and share directly observe an extinct organism or the the observations they make. List their surface of a faraway planet. In these instances, observations first, then ask students to make scientists use inferential reasoning to figure out inferences based on their observations. Some permission. answers to their questions based on evidence examples include the following: gathered through observations and from a. Observation: An apple has a missing chunk. further information that they or other scientists have Inference: Someone took a bite of the apple. already discovered about the topic. Scientists without b. Observation: A girl is dressed in shorts understand that inferences are always subject use to revision as new evidence becomes available and a jersey and is holding a basketball. or new ways of thinking emerge. Understanding Inference: The girl is on a basketball team. that observations are based only on what one c. Observation: There are shoe-shaped classroom can detect firsthand can help students learn footprints in the mud. Inference: A person than how scientists make inferences. Distinguishing has been here. between observations and inferences can help other students better understand how scientists use d. Observation: There are pieces of eggshell use evidence to answer questions. in a nest. Inference: A bird hatched from or the egg. Teaching About How Scientists • Ask students to preview the text you have selected and identify one or more questions redistribution, Make Inferences that a scientist can investigate. Focus students’ attention on sources of evidence that the resale, The following guidelines can be used to teach how scientist might use to answer the question(s). for scientists make inferences based on observations. • Have students read the text and pay careful Not • Select an appropriate text. Choose a book or attention to the parts that explain how the an article that discusses the work of various scientist gathers evidence. You may wish to scientists. Good examples include books about have students use the Evidence and Inferences California. paleontologists, astronomers, chemists, or copymaster, included in this guide, to help of other scientists who rely on evidence to make focus their reading. inferences. • Discuss different types of evidence with University • Tell students that scientists learn about the students. Guide students in listing some the world by observing, but that they cannot ways that the scientists gather evidence of always observe everything firsthand. Explain to inform their inferences. Discuss what that scientists often use evidence to make inferences the scientists make based on the Regents inferences about something they are studying. evidence. Encourage students to summarize The Explain that an inference is like a good guess the reasoning that the scientists used to make based on evidence. their inferences. • Provide students with a short list of • Continue using the strategy as students read Copyright © observations that can be used to make an other science texts. Remind students to look inference. For example: A boy comes inside closely at observable evidence as they read and wearing a coat. The boy is holding an umbrella. investigate in science. Find opportunities to His shoes are wet. Ask students to make an discuss the distinction between observations inference based on these observations. [It and inferences and discuss what inferences is raining outside.] Discuss the differences scientists make using evidence. 2 3 What question is What evidence does What inferences does 4. Invite students to read the book in a way that the scientist investigating? the scientist use? the scientist make? is consistent with your classroom routines, How and what did fossil dinosaur the dinosaur was a giving students as much independence as dinosaurs eat? droppings T. rex it ate smaller possible. dinosaurs and crushed bones as it ate 5. Distribute the Evidence and Inferences How deep is the bouncing sound waves how deep the ocean is student sheets and direct students’ attention ocean floor in computer model of in different places to the chart on the board. Ask students to different places? ocean temperature where fish live in the ocean identify the questions that each of the three scientists investigated. Record these questions permission. What patterns do images made by magnetic cobalt on the chart and have students do the same magnetic atoms form electrons bouncing off atoms can clump in very, very small the atoms together in groups on their student sheets. further pieces of metal? 6. Explain that students will revisit the book, focusing on the evidence that each scientist without Teaching About How gathered in order to make inferences to use answer their questions. Scientists Make Inferences with Science You Can’t See 7. Model recording information about the first classroom scientist’s evidence and inferences. Ask students to reread pages 7–8 and identify the than Getting Ready evidence that Karen Chin used to investigate 1. Make a copy of the Evidence and Inferences other her question. [Fossil dinosaur droppings.] copymaster for each student. use Record this on the chart and have students do or 2. Create a blank chart on the board, using the the same on their student sheets. model on this page. Sample responses are 8. Have students reread page 9 and discuss what shown in green; you will fill these in with inferences Karen Chin made based on the students during class. evidence. Record these as well. redistribution, During Class 9. Instruct students to reread the remainder of resale, 1. Briefly explain the difference between the book and record on their student sheets for observations and inferences. Explain that the evidence and inferences that the other two Not an observation is something that can be scientists used. perceived with one or more of the five senses 10. After students gather information from the (sight, sound, smell, taste,