In this activity, students discuss the importance of observation in science. They are given the opportunity to observe an image of a native frog and record their observations.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
- appreciate the importance of observation (the act of noting and recording something) rather than merely looking or seeing
- explain why good observation skills are important for scientists
- discuss important features of one of our native frogs and make inferences from their observations and background knowledge.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
- introduction/background notes
- instructions on what you need and what to do
- discussion questions
- ideas for extending your students
- Maud Island frog image.
Related content
Read more about the importance of observation in science in these articles that look at some of the key science ideas and concepts:
- The role of observation in science (has an earthworm focus)
- Observation and science (water focus)
Activity ideas
Why not use one or more of these observation activities in your class.
- Observing earthworms
- Observing harakeke
- Observation in science – three-level reading guide
- Titiro – observing my environment
- Determining the properties of plastic and glass
Professional learning development
Take a look at our professional learning development webinar recordings to learn more about Developing an eagle eye and Making sense of what we see.
Our webinar Observology for the classroom shows you how observing nature can lead to engaging science learning.
Useful links
Visit this Australian education website (Victoria Department of Education and Training) for a discussion of student versus scientific views.
Visit the NZFROG website for lots of information about frogs in New Zealand.
