Main Idea

• An observation is something that you can see or find out using your senses:

  • • Sight

    • Touch

    • Hearing

    • Smell

• When making observations, it is important to be specific, giving details and measurements where possible. 

Objective

• To make detailed observations. 

Instructions

Imagine you're a Martian (alien from the planet Mars) visiting Earth for the first time. You discover a couple of strange objects: 

• • a sugar cube (they don't have sugar on Mars), and

  • a burning candle (there is no oxygen on Mars). 

Your job is to record as many observations as possible of each object before returning to Mars. Use as many of your senses as you can - sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing. 

You may want to make measurements, and you may want to do something to the object; for example, drop the sugar cube into water. Also, you should observe the candle before, during and after burning.