Observe

Key Stage 1

To observe is to watch and listen to something very carefully.

Examples

A scientist watched an insect very carefully and saw it had 6 legs.

A scientist listened to the sound that a cat makes.

A scientist looked at lots of flowers and wrote down the different colours.

Used in a Sentence

A scientist wants to observe how long it takes for an apple to rot.

A scientist observed that The Moon is not always in the sky at night.

A scientist made an observation of the colour of different leaves.

Key Stage 2

To observe is to use our senses to study something very carefully or use a tool to measure something. We might watch and listen and if it is safe then we might smell or even touch it to observe something. We might also use a ruler to measure the length of something or a timer to measure how long it takes for something to happen.

Examples

A scientist uses a timer to see how long it takes for a kettle to boil.

A scientist took one picture of a plant every day to see how it grows.

A scientist touched a window, a brick and some carpet to find out which one had the roughest texture.

Used in a Sentence

A scientist wanted to observe how long it takes a kettle to boil.

A scientist observed the growth of a plant by taking a picture every day.

A scientist wrote down observations of the texture of different surfaces.

Key Stage 3

To observe is to collect information during an experiment using our senses and measuring tools and record that information.

Key Stage 4

To observe is to collect and record information during an experiment using scientific tools and instruments. Any data collected during an experiment is called an 'observation'.