Science: Observations vs Inferences Worksheet

Question 1

A student says, "The leaf is green." Is this an observation or an inference? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

This is an observation because the student can see that the leaf is green.

Question 2

A student sees puddles on the sidewalk and says, "It rained last night." Is this an observation or an inference? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

This is an inference because the student is using the puddles as clues to make an idea about what happened.

Question 3

Write one observation you could make about an apple using your eyes.

Accepted Answer

One observation is that the apple is red, green, or yellow, depending on the apple. This is something you can see.

Question 4

Write one observation you could make about an apple using your sense of touch.

Accepted Answer

One observation is that the apple feels smooth. This is something you can notice by touching it.

Question 5

A dog is barking at the door. A student says, "The dog wants to go outside." Is this an observation or an inference? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

This is an inference because the student is using the dog's barking as a clue to guess what the dog wants.

Question 6

A cup of cocoa has steam rising from it. Which statement is an observation: "The cocoa is hot" or "Steam is rising from the cup"?

Accepted Answer

"Steam is rising from the cup" is an observation because it is something you can see.

Question 7

A student hears thunder and says, "A storm is nearby." Is this an observation or an inference? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

This is an inference because the student uses the sound of thunder as a clue that a storm may be nearby.

Question 8

Circle the observation: A. The rock is heavy. B. The rock came from a volcano. Explain your choice.

Accepted Answer

A is the observation because you can feel that the rock is heavy. B is an inference because it is an idea about where the rock came from.

Question 9

A student says, "The classroom lights are off." Is this an observation or an inference? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

This is an observation because the student can see that the lights are off.

Question 10

A plant has droopy leaves and dry soil. A student says, "The plant needs water." Is this an observation or an inference? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

This is an inference because the student uses the droopy leaves and dry soil as clues to decide that the plant needs water.

Question 11

List two observations about a pencil.

Accepted Answer

Two observations could be that the pencil is yellow and that it has an eraser. These are things you can see.

Question 12

A student sees cookie crumbs on the table and says, "Someone ate a cookie here." Is this an observation or an inference? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

This is an inference because the student uses the crumbs as clues to make an idea about what happened.

Question 13

Read the sentence: "The flower smells sweet." Is this an observation or an inference? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

This is an observation because the smell of the flower can be noticed with the nose.

Science: Observations vs Inferences