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Kindergarten Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Engineering Design

Make Observations About the Problem

Great engineers look closely at a problem before they try to fix it!

Explore the lesson 7 min read
A microscope with leaf and experiment flask for elementary science discovery
Inside this lesson 10 sections 5 questions 5 figures

SECTION 1

Why Do We Look Closely at Problems?

People have always had problems to solve. A long time ago, people needed to stay dry in the rain.

They looked closely at the rain. They watched where it fell. Then they built shelters!

Looking closely is called making observations. That means using your eyes, ears, nose, and hands to learn about something.

Long Ago • Staying Dry

People watched the rain. They saw it fell from the sky. They built roofs to stay dry!

Later • Carrying Water

People needed water far from the river. They looked at the problem. They made clay pots!

Even Later • Crossing Rivers

People watched rivers. They saw that logs float. They built boats and bridges!

Today • You Are an Observer!

You look closely at things every day. You notice what is wrong. You think of ways to fix it!

Every time people solved a problem, they started by looking closely. That is what we will learn to do!

SECTION 2

What Are Observations?

When you make observations, you use your senses. That means you use your eyes, ears, nose, hands, or even your tongue!

An engineer is a person who designs things to solve problems. That means they make things to help people.

1

Look 👀

Use your eyes. What do you see? Is something broken? Is something missing?
2

Listen 👂

Use your ears. Does it make a sound? Is it too loud or too quiet?
3

Touch 🤚

Use your hands. Is it rough or smooth? Is it too big or too small?
4

Ask Questions ❓

Think about what you notice. Ask: What is the problem? Who needs help?
✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

Making observations is like being a detective! A detective looks for clues before solving a mystery. You look for clues about a problem before trying to fix it.

SECTION 3

See How We Observe a Problem

Let us look at our anchoring phenomenon! Imagine you are on the playground. The slide is too hot to go down. Ouch! What can we observe about this problem?

☀️ Sun🌿 Playground GroundHOT!👀 What We SeeThe slide is metal.The sun shines on it.No shade covers it.🤚 What We FeelThe slide feels hot.The ground is cooler.Shade feels nice.❓ Questions We AskWhy is the slide hot?How can we cool it?
This picture shows a hot slide on a sunny day. The boxes show what we can see, feel, and ask about the problem.

We used our eyes and hands. We asked questions. Now we know a lot about the problem! The sun heats the metal slide.

SECTION 4

How Engineers Observe Problems

Engineers follow steps when they observe a problem. They look, listen, touch, and ask questions. Then they think about what they noticed.

This is part of the engineering design process. That means the steps people follow to solve a problem.

Steps to Observe a Problem👀Step 1LOOK at it.What do you see?👂Step 2LISTEN to it.What do you hear?🤚Step 3TOUCH it safely.What do you feel?❓Step 4ASK questions.What is the problem?💡Now You Knowthe Problem!You can start to think of solutions.
Follow the four steps: look, listen, touch, and ask questions. Then you understand the problem!
⚠

Stay Safe!

Always be safe when you observe. Do not touch something that might hurt you. Ask a grown-up for help!

SECTION 5

Using All Your Senses

Different problems need different senses. Let us see which senses help with which problems!

SenseWhat You DoExample Problem
👀 SightLook at it closelyA torn book page
👂 HearingListen carefullyA squeaky door
🤚 TouchFeel it gentlyA bumpy road
👃 SmellSniff the airStinky trash can

Different senses help us observe different problems.

A crosscutting concept we use is structure and function. That means the shape of something tells us how it works. When we observe, we look at the shape and parts of things.

For example, if a cup has a crack, the shape changed. Water leaks out! The structure tells us about the problem.

SECTION 6

Let Us Try It Together!

Here is a problem: The class pet hamster's water bottle is empty every morning! Let us make observations.

Observing the Hamster's Water Problem

  1. 1

    Step 1 — Look at it

    We look at the water bottle. We see it is empty. We look at the cage. The bottom is wet!
    We see: empty bottle, wet cage.
  2. 2

    Step 2 — Listen to it

    We fill the bottle and listen. We hear drip, drip, drip! Water is dripping from the bottom.
    We hear: water dripping.
  3. 3

    Step 3 — Touch it safely

    We carefully feel the bottom of the bottle. There is a tiny crack! Our finger feels it.
    We feel: a crack on the bottle.
  4. 4

    Step 4 — Ask questions

    We ask: Why is the water leaking? The crack lets water drip out! Now we know the problem.
    The problem is a crack in the bottle!

Great job! We used our senses to find the problem. Now we can think of a way to fix it!

SECTION 7

Good Observations vs. Guesses

Sometimes we guess what the problem is. But good observations are better than guesses. Let us compare!

GuessingObserving
"I think the toy broke because it is old.""I see a missing wheel on the toy car."
"Maybe the plant is sad.""The plant's soil feels dry. The leaves look brown."
"The door is probably stuck.""I see a rock blocking the door at the bottom."

Observations use our senses. Guesses do not.

✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

Observations are like taking a photo with your senses. A photo shows the real thing! A guess is like drawing with your eyes closed. Observations help you find the real problem.

SECTION 8

After We Observe, What Comes Next?

Making observations is just the first step! After we observe, we can start thinking of solutions.

What We Do NowWhat Comes Next
Look at the problemDraw or tell about the problem
Use our sensesThink of ideas to fix it
Ask questionsBuild something to help
Find the real problemTest if our idea works

Observations lead to solutions!

You are learning to think like an engineer! First observe, then design. You will learn more about designing solutions next time.

SECTION 9

Practice Time!

A bird feeder in the school garden is broken. Birds cannot get the seeds. Let us practice making observations!

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

What does it mean to make an observation? A) Guess what is wrong B) Use your senses to learn about something C) Close your eyes and think
Show answer
B is correct! Making an observation means using your senses to learn about something. You use your eyes, ears, hands, and nose. It is not guessing. It is looking and noticing what is really there.

Question 2: BASIC

You look at the bird feeder. You see a big hole in the bottom. Seeds fall through. Which sense did you use? A) Hearing B) Sight C) Touch
Show answer
B is correct! You used your sight. You looked at the bird feeder and saw the hole. Your eyes helped you find the problem. Looking closely is one of the best ways to observe.

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

You see the hole. You touch the feeder and feel that the wood is soft and wet. What TWO observations did you make? A) The wood has a hole, and the wood is soft and wet B) The birds are hungry, and it might rain C) The feeder is old, and birds do not like it
Show answer
A is correct! You observed a hole with your eyes and soft wet wood with your hands. These are real observations because you used your senses. The other choices are guesses, not observations. Good job using two senses!

Question 4: APPLIED

Think and share! You want to figure out why the bird feeder broke. What are two questions you could ask about the problem? Tell a friend or a grown-up.
Show answer
Great questions might be: What made the hole in the wood? Did rain make the wood soft? Did an animal chew on it? Why is it wet? Asking questions helps us understand more about the problem. There is no one right answer. Any question that helps you learn about the problem is a good one!

Question 5: CRITICAL THINKING

Your friend says, "The bird feeder broke because a squirrel is mean." Is this an observation or a guess? What would you tell your friend to do instead? A) It is an observation. Your friend is right. B) It is a guess. Tell your friend to use their senses to look more closely. C) It is a guess. Tell your friend not to worry about it.
Show answer
B is correct! Saying a squirrel is mean is a guess, not an observation. We cannot know if a squirrel is mean. We can observe things like teeth marks on the wood or a squirrel near the feeder. Tell your friend to look, listen, and touch to find real clues. Good engineers observe before they decide what happened!

SUMMARY

What We Learned

Summary

Today you learned that making observations means using your senses to learn about a problem. You look, listen, touch, and ask questions. Observations help you find the real problem.

You are thinking like an engineer! Engineers observe before they fix. Observations are better than guesses because they use real clues. The structure of something tells us how it works. Keep observing the world around you!

Varsity Tutors • Kindergarten Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Make Observations About the Problem