Observation resources

For this practical students make observations about dissolving, and plan and carry out an investigation to find out what makes sugar dissolve more quickly.

Task: Students decide whether six animals are insects or spiders and justify their answers. Assessment focus: Using evidence.

Task: Identify how features/adaptations of a starfish help it survive, and decide whether the amount of evidence from scientists' observations supports or does not support their theory/inference. Assessment focus: using observations as evidence to inform theories.

Task: Match birds and nests, and explain why the choice was made. Assessment focus: using environmental cues to make inferences.

Task: Make careful observations of objects in a picture to assess the size of one of the objects.

Task: Use information about differences between moths and butterflies to decide which category examples belong to, and identify what evidence was used. Assessment focus: observation, using evidence.

Task: Make careful observations of a picture to decide what you can see and what you might know but can't see.

Task: Students differentiate between simple observations and inferences, and between observations that require measurement and those that do not. Assessment focus: observing scientifically.

For this task students are provided with photographs of four different types of weta. Students are asked to give two features that weta have in common with each other and to give two features that show weta belong to the group insects.

This practical task requires students to use a plastic comb and wool to generate static electricity. Students investigate different materials to find those that are attracted to the static charge.

Task: Match insects to their adaptations for protection against enemies, and infer two ways stick insects are adapted for their protection against predators. Assessment focus: using observations to make suggestions about survival methods.

Make observations from a photograph, identify potential environmental problems giving reasons, decide which problem is the most important and give reasons for the choice.

Task: Make observations from a photograph, identify potential environmental problems giving reasons, decide which problem is the most important, and give reasons for the choice. Assessment focus: (1) observation, and (2) identifying and prioritising cause and effect relationships.

Task: Make observations from a photograph, identify potential environmental problems giving reasons, decide which problem is the most important, and give reasons for the choice. Assessment focus: (1) observation, and (2) identifying and prioritising cause and effect relationships.

Task: Make observations from a photograph, identify potential environmental problems giving reasons, decide which problem is the most important, and give reasons for the choice. Assessment focus: (1) observation, and (2) identifying and prioritising cause and effect relationships.

Task: Watch a video of two sofas burning, record the results, and use the evidence to make inferences about fire retardants. Assessment focus: using observations to provide evidence.

Task: Make observations from a photograph, identify potential environmental problems giving reasons, decide which problem is the most important, and give reasons for the choice. Assessment focus: (1) observation, and (2) identifying and prioritising cause and effect relationships.

In this task students compare two photographs of a river with normal flow and a river in flood. They make inferences based on their observations.

Task: Look for the similarities and differences in leaf patterns to answer questions about observations and evidence.

This practical task requires students to make observations of three different types of soils and record their observations in a chart.

This practical task requires students to describe to a partner their observations about an ice cube melting. Students then develop questions about what they observe.

For this practical task students follow a plan to determine the best temperature for the reaction of rennet with milk. Students need to make observations and write a report on their findings.

For this practical task students record their observations as an egg is poached in water.

Students complete a plant record for a tree by making observations.

Students use pictures of different types of parakeets to identify distinguishing features. NOTE: This resource needs to be used in colour.