Make Observations About the Problem

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.

Look 👀

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

Listen 👂

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

Touch 🤚

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

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?

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.

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!

Different senses help us observe different problems.

Sense	What You Do	Example Problem
👀 Sight	Look at it closely	A torn book page
👂 Hearing	Listen carefully	A squeaky door
🤚 Touch	Feel it gently	A bumpy road
👃 Smell	Sniff the air	Stinky trash can

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

Step 1 — Look at itWe 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.

Step 2 — Listen to itWe fill the bottle and listen. We hear drip, drip, drip! Water is dripping from the bottom.

We hear: water dripping.

Step 3 — Touch it safelyWe carefully feel the bottom of the bottle. There is a tiny crack! Our finger feels it.

We feel: a crack on the bottle.

Step 4 — Ask questionsWe 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!

Observations use our senses. Guesses do not.

Guessing	Observing
"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."

✦ 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.

Observations lead to solutions!

What We Do Now	What Comes Next
Look at the problem	Draw or tell about the problem
Use our senses	Think of ideas to fix it
Ask questions	Build something to help
Find the real problem	Test if our idea works

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!

PROBLEM 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

PROBLEM 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

PROBLEM 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

PROBLEM 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.

PROBLEM 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.

SUMMARY

What We Learned

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!