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Science Videos 34 videos

Science 5: Advertising Techniques
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Science 5: Drawing Conclusions
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Science 5: Osmosis
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We're raisin the water content of raisins today with osmosis. Spoiler alert: even through they may look like grapes again, they're still going to t...

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Science 5: Observations in Nature 17 Views


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Description:

The real  first step in the scientific method is to open your eyes...but we figured we could skip forward to actually observing things. You're a smart bunch, you'll figure it out.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:05

[Dino and Coop singing]

00:14

If you've ever played I-Spy with a friend, then you've definitely experienced first-hand [Two kids in a forest]

00:18

the importance of having strong observational skills.

00:21

You've probably also experienced your friend being super-annoying for the sake of being annoying. [One kid smiling while the other looks annoyed]

00:26

Seriously, "I-spy something green," in a forest??

00:30

Anyway, being a good observer isn't just an [Dino pointing at a blackboard]

00:33

essential part of a good game of I-Spy, it's actually an important part of being a scientist too.

00:38

Scientists have to learn to be good observers.

00:41

And not just to make sure things don't explode in their labs, though that is a plus. [Boy holding a flask that explodes]

00:45

The very first step in the scientific method is to make observations. [Coop pointing at a blackboard]

00:49

Also known as research, this step is all about looking around your area of focus and trying

00:55

to…well…observe!

00:57

This means looking for problems that need solving, questions that need answering, or

01:01

simply finding something that makes you feel extra-curious. [Problem, Question and Curiosity all appear over a boy's head]

01:04

Observations in nature are especially important. Why? Because nature can be pretty complicated.

01:10

Especially when it's asking you tricky multiplication questions…those oak trees always stump us. [Oak tree asking a boy to do multiplication]

01:15

Alright, let's take a look at this scene. Anyone can look at it and think, “So what?

01:20

It's just some dirt and leaves, big whoop.” [Girl looks unimpressed]

01:22

But a scientist with strong observational skills might look at it and think..

01:26

What animal left those tracks?

01:29

Why are there multiple kinds of soil in the same area?

01:32

What caused that tiny hole? Was it an insect? [Arrows pointing to different questions about the picture]

01:35

And that's just a few questions that someone could ask!

01:38

Now imagine if you were a scientist and you walked into this scene…

01:42

You would have more questions than you'd know what to do with. And in this case, that's [Scientist walks into a forest]

01:46

a good thing! But you don't need to go to the rainforest

01:49

to come up with a whole load of thought-provoking scientific observations. Even observations

01:53

in your school garden can reveal some amazing things – whether you're staring down at

01:57

the tiniest little insect or examining the complex and beautiful patterns on a freshly-fallen leaf. [Magnifying glass on a lady bird]

02:02

A keen observer is someone who is able to be curious about the world around them – no [Boy looking down a microscope]

02:06

matter where they look.

02:07

Though we'll be perfectly honest - you'll likely have a more interesting time examining

02:11

the insects in your garden than you would with the lint found in your belly button. [Belly button lint under the microscope]

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