Contents
Key Stage 1
Meaning
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
Key Stage 2
Meaning
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 something to observe it. 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.
Present tense verbs: Observe, Observes Past tense verb: Observed Noun: Observation
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
Key Stage 3
Meaning
To observe is to collect information during an experiment using our senses and measuring tools and record that information.
Key Stage 4
Meaning
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'.
Key Stage 5=
To observe is to collect and record information during an experiment using scientific tools and instruments in a way that does not affect the experiment. In some experiments observing is not a passive activity and the act of observing changes the results of the experiment.