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🔍 Observing and Testing

You are already a little scientist! Use a hand lens to look closely at leaves, snails, and seeds, learn to describe what you see, and do simple guess-try-look tests to answer your own 'I wonder' quest

7
lessons
~20 min
to learn
🔬 Science
subject
Adults
level
Start the course →

What you’ll learn

  1. Scientists Look CloselyUnderstand that a scientist is someone who looks closely, wonders, and tests — things children already do.Science is not just for people in lab coats. Looking closely, asking questions, and trying things out are the core of science, and young children already do them naturally.
  2. A Lens Makes Small Things BigLearn that a magnifying glass (hand lens) makes small things appear bigger, revealing hidden detail.A hand lens is a curved glass that enlarges small objects so more detail becomes visible. Looking through it reveals features of leaves, bugs, and shells that the naked eye misses.
  3. Describe What You SeeDescribe observations using words for color, shape, size, and texture, and sort by a property.Turning what you see into words — its color, shape, size, and feel — sharpens observation. Sorting objects by a property such as smooth or rough is an early way of organizing observations.
  4. I Wonder...Recognize that close observation naturally leads to questions worth investigating.Careful looking sparks 'I wonder' questions. A good question is the beginning of an investigation and the driving force behind finding things out.
  5. A Test Finds the AnswerUnderstand that a fair test answers a question through the steps guess, try, and look.A test answers a question by guessing an outcome, trying it, and observing what happens. Scientists repeat this loop, with each answer prompting a new question.
  6. Try a Sink or Float TestCarry out a simple sink-or-float test by predicting first, then observing the result.A sink-or-float test lets children predict and then check an outcome. Some tests, like watching a seed sprout, unfold slowly and reward patient observation over time.
  7. Tell What You FoundShare findings by telling others what happened in a test.Communicating results — telling someone what happened — is the final step of an investigation and often sparks new questions to explore.

Questions this course answers

What makes someone a scientist?

A scientist looks closely, asks 'I wonder,' and tests to find out — things children already do every day.

What does a magnifying glass do?

A hand lens is curved glass that makes tiny things look big, so you can see hidden details.

In science, what comes right after you look closely at something?

Looking closely makes 'I wonder' questions pop up, and a good question is the start of finding out.

What are the three parts of a fair test?

You guess what will happen, try it, and then look to see if you were right.

You are about to drop a heavy rock into water. What is the best first step?

Scientists guess first, then try and look. Guessing before you test is part of a fair test.

Grounded in trusted sources

  • Next Generation Science Standards, Science and Engineering Practices for K-2, https://www.nextgenscience.org/

Every Wunder lesson is built from real, reputable sources — never invented.

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