Watch carefully and follow the directions in the video.
When instructed, you will have one minute to list as many observations as possible.
Try to record as many details as you can.
Simply tell students that they are going to practice making observations.
Do not teach or review the difference between observations and inferences before the activity.
Students may write statements that are actually inferences. That is intentional and becomes an important part of the discussion after the video.
The white object is a piece of potato, and an almond has been inserted into the top.
The almond contains fats and oils that can serve as fuel for combustion.
The appearance of the object, combined with the flame, may lead students to interpret what they see based on familiar experiences.
The final bite provides students with new evidence that may conflict with their original interpretation.
This activity gives students an opportunity to experience the difference between an observation and an inference before those ideas are discussed.
Students often move from observation to interpretation so quickly that they do not realize they have done it.
For example, a student may write, "The candle is burning." That may initially feel like a straightforward observation. However, identifying the object as a candle is already an interpretation of the evidence.
The activity makes that thinking visible and gives students an authentic reason to examine their own statements.
Scientists do more than collect observations. They use observations as evidence to develop explanations.
Those explanations may need to change when new evidence becomes available.
Have students return to the list they created during the one-minute observation period.
Now introduce the distinction between observations and inferences.
Ask students to label their own statements.
The goal is not simply to get every statement categorized correctly. Ask students to explain why they categorized each statement as an observation or inference.
A statement can sound factual and still include an inference.
For example, saying "the wick is burning" assumes that the brown object is a wick.
A student can observe a brown object and a flame. Calling the brown object a wick requires interpretation.
The activity can also lead into a discussion of combustion.
What material is actually providing the fuel for the flame?
Students may initially assume that the almond is functioning exactly like the wick of a traditional candle.
In a traditional candle, wax provides the primary fuel. In this demonstration, the almond itself contains combustible fats and oils.
This can connect to the conditions necessary to sustain combustion, including fuel, oxygen, and sufficient thermal energy.
This resource is intended to be used as a prerecorded demonstration.
The demonstration involves an open flame and an almond, which is a tree nut.
Students should not recreate the demonstration or consume materials that have been part of a combustion activity.
Follow applicable school fire-safety procedures and food-allergy precautions.