SCIENCE
PROCESS SKILLS
SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS
Science is more than a
collection of facts.
Learning the process skills is
preparation for becoming a
scientist.
Process skills are the tools
scientists use to “know” about
the world.
Observing
Classifying Measuring
Inferring
Communicating Predicting
OBSERVING
using the five senses to gather
information about objects such
as their characteristics,
properties, similarities and
differences
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
Sample observations using sight:
The creature has 5 eyes.
The baby is walking.
The car is orange.
WHAT DO YOU SMELL?
Sample observations using smell:
The fruit smells sweet.
The coffee smells strong. The
flowers are fragrant.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL?
Sample observations using touch:
The scissors are sharp.
The cat is soft. The
soap is slippery.
WHAT DO YOU HEAR?
Click the pictures to hear sounds:
The girl is laughing.
The audience is clapping.
Someone flushed the toilet.
WHAT DO YOU TASTE?
The watermelon is sweet.
The chili is spicy.
The milk is sour.
MEASUREMENT
comparing an unknown amount
with a known unit to determine the
length, weight, temperature,
quantity, or capacity of an object or
event
MEASUREMENT
…..using both standard and nonstandard
units of measure or estimates to
describe the dimensions of an object or
event
…..comparing an unknown quantity
with a known quantity
……measurements are to be
recorded in an orderly and systemic
fashion with labeled units of
measure.
MEASUREMENT TOOLS
Click each graphic to find out more.
Length – linear measurement
base unit : meter
Volume – capacity
base unit : liter
Weight – mass
base unit : gram
Temperature – hot/cold
base unit :
Celsius
COMMUNICATING
• Using written or spoken words, graphs,
tables, diagrams, models, and video
recordings to share information and
ideas with others
• Observations and experiments should be able to
be duplicated so clear communication is
important
CLASSIFICATION
grouping or ordering objects or
events into categories based on
similarities, differences and
interrelationships.
Example:
Place all leaves having a certain vein pattern into a
one group.
Classify 10 playing cards into different
groups.
INFERENCE
Explaining, making interpretations, or
drawing conclusions about a specific event
based on
observations and data
Examples of inference
Your turn to try
INFERENCE EXAMPLES
….saying a person who used the pencil
made a lot of mistakes because the eraser
was well worn.
….saying that a train is coming
because the cross gate is down.
MAKING INFERENCES
.
Read the paragraph then answer the questions
Tommy and Johnny were hot and sweaty as they
sat outside the principal’s office. Dirt smeared
both of their faces. They could hear the teacher’s Click to hear
the
voice as she gave Mr. Jones her account of what paragraph.
happened. Tommy sneered at Johnny and
Johnny returned an angry glare. As Miss Green
left Mr.
Jones’ office, the boys hung their heads so
they wouldn’t have to look her in the eye.
From the paragraph, you can INFER that……
a. The boys are best friends.
b. The boys had disappointed their
teacher.
The principal was a nice man.
ANSWER
c.
ANSWER: B
What are the clues?
We know the boys are mad at each other because Tommy
sneered at Johnny and he returned an angry glare.
We can guess they had been fighting because dirt smeared
their faces and they were sitting outside the principal’s
office.
The BIGGEST CLUE is the last sentence: the boys hung
their heads so they didn’t have to look her in the eye.
Tommy and Johnny had
disappointed their teacher.
PREDICTING
forming an idea of an expected result—
not a guess– but a belief of what will
occur based on present knowledge,
observations, and inferences
Example: Predicting the height of a plant in two
weeks time based on a graph of its growth during the
previous four weeks.
Real World Connection
WHO USES PREDICTIONS?
Meteorologist –uses weather trends of the past to
predict today’s weather.
Financial advisor – predicts which
investments will be profitable.
Doctors – make predictions of a
patient’s future well being/health.
INTEGRATED SCIENCE
PROCESS SKILLS
Controlling Defining Formulating
variables operationally hypotheses
Interpreting Formulating
Experimenting
data models
CONTROLLING VARIABLES
being able to identify variables that can affect an
experimental outcome, keeping most constant while
manipulating only the independent variable.
Example: Realizing through past experiences that amount of
light and water need to be controlled when testing to see how
the addition of organic matter affects the growth of beans.
DEFINING OPERATIONALLY
stating how to measure a variable in an
experiment.
Example: Stating that bean growth will be measured in
centimeters per week.
FORMULATING HYPOTHESES
stating the expected outcome of an
experiment.
Example: The greater the amount of organic matter
added to the soil, the greater the bean growth.
INTERPRETING DATA
organizing data and drawing
conclusions from it.
Example: Recording data from the
experiment on bean growth in a data table
and forming a conclusion which relates
trends in the data to variables.
EXPERIMENTING
being able to conduct an experiment, including
asking an appropriate question, stating a
hypothesis, identifying, and controlling variables,
operationally defining those variables, designing
a "fair" experiment, conducting the experiment,
and interpreting the results of the experiment.
Example: The entire process of conducting the
experiment on the effect of organic matter on the growth
of bean plants.
FORMULATING MODELS
creating a mental or physical
model of a process or event.
Examples: The model of how the
processes of evaporation and
condensation interrelate in the water
cycle.
References
https://narst.org/research-
matters/science-process-skills
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1
088/1742-6596/895/1/012106
https://www.fortcherry.org/cms/lib03/
PA01000874/Centricity/Domain/135/
PPT_Process_Skills_handouts.pdf
