BASIC SCIENCE PROCESS

SKILL -
PREDICTING

KPLI SCIENCE MINOR

LESSON NOTES
BY
SYLVESTER SAIMON SIMIN
SMD, KTTC
 WHAT?
• Predicting is a process of forecasting events
based on observations and previous
experiences or certain pattern of reliable
data.
• Prediction are reasoned statements based
not only on what we observe but also on the
mental models we have constructed to
explain what we observe.
• Predictions are not just wild guesses
because guessing is often based on little or
no evidence.
• Written in future tense
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 EXAMPLES
• I see it is raining and the sun is coming out.
There could be a rainbow.
• When I flip the switch the lamp will light.
• The weak magnet picked up five paper clips;
I predict the strong magnet will pick up more.
• If I release both balls at the same time, they
will hit the ground at the same time

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 PREDICTION BASED ON OBSERVED PATTERNS
Date Sunrise Time
1. What time did the sun appear to rise on
Jan 1 7:24 Jan 1? On Feb 1?
Jan 15 7:20
Feb 1 7:12 2. Would you expect the sunrise time for
Feb 15 6:52
Jan 15 to be about halfway between
sunrise time for Jan 1 and Feb 1? Is it?
Mac 1 6:35
Mac 15 6:08 3. Use the halfway method to predict the
Apr 1 5:42 sunrise time for Feb 15. What is your
Apr 15 5:21 prediction?
May 1 5:00 4. Predict the sunrise time for Oct 15.
Jun 1 4:31
5. Predict the sunrise time for Sep 10.
Jul 1 4:33
Aug 1 4:56
Sep 1 5:25
Oct 1 5:54
Nov 1 6:28
Dec 1 7:01
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 SELF CHECK
4. 5.
Nov 1 – 6:28
Oct 1 – 5:54
Oct 1 – 5:54
- Sep 1 – 5:25
34 min difference
29 min difference
Half of 34 min is 17 min
Oct 1 – 5:54 10/30 of 29 min = 10 min
+ 17 min Sep 1 – 5:25
6:11 predicted sunrise time + 10 min
for Oct 15 5:35 predicted sunrise time
OR for Sept 10
14/31 of 34 min = 15 min
Oct 1 – 5:54
+ 15 min
6:09 predicted sunrise time
for Oct 15

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 WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
• Information gained through the senses :
OBSERVATION
• Why it happened : INFERENCE
• What I expect to observe in the future :
PREDICTION

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 ACTIVITY 1
Read the frames of the cartoon. Indicate whether each statement
is an observation, inference or prediction

1. In about 2 minutes that mountain is going to blow sky-high. ( )

2. I can feel the rumbling beneath my feet. ( )
3. The rumbling is caused by the volcano. ( )
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 ACTIVITY 2
WRITE YOUR OBSERVATIONS, INFERENCES & PREDICTIONS
FOR THE FOLLOWING PHOTOGRAPH

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 OBSERVATIONS INFERENCES PREDICTIONS

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 THANK YOU

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