Introducing observable characteristics | Science | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Humans ask ______ to help them understand how and why things happen in the world.
- 'questions' ✓
Which of these questions can be answered with a yes or a no response?
- I am ten. Are you older than me? ✓
- How old are you?
- Is your name Jun? ✓
- What is your name?
- Do you like science? ✓
Which of these question starters would give you a yes or no answer?
- Where
- Are ✓
- Do ✓
- How many
- Is ✓
Why do scientists ask yes/no questions?
- Because they are nosy.
- To find out something they already know.
- Because they like asking questions.
- To help them name unknown things. ✓
- To help them identify unknown things. ✓
Look at the image. Which of the things listed would belong in this group?
- ivy leaf ✓
- green car
- greenfinch
- beech leaf ✓
Match the object to the the most suitable group.
- robin
  
  ⇔
  
  eagle, blackbird, blue tit ✓
- apple
  
  ⇔
  
  strawberry, lemon, grape ✓
- carrot
  
  ⇔
  
  beetroot, cabbage, broccoli ✓
- daffodil
  
  ⇔
  
  rose, bluebell, dandelion ✓
- car
  
  ⇔
  
  lorry, motorbike, boat ✓
- yellow
  
  ⇔
  
  red, green, blue ✓

Exit quiz

To group things is to put ______ things together.
- 'similar' ✓
A group is made up of ...
- things that are different to each other.
- some things that are similar and some things that are different.
- things that are similar to each other. ✓
Look at the image. What do the objects have in common?
- They are both rocks. ✓
- They are both the same shape.
- They are both the same colour.
- They are both natural materials. ✓
- They both have the same texture.
An ______ characteristic is a feature of a living thing that we can see or describe using our senses. We can use these to help identify the living thing.
- 'observable' ✓
Which of these are observable characteristics of a living thing?
- how it moves ✓
- its colour ✓
- its age
- its shape ✓
- its structure ✓
Which of these ways to present information can be used to present objects belonging to more than one group?
- a graph
- a Venn diagram ✓
- a list
- a Carroll diagram ✓
- a table

Worksheet

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Presentation

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

Objects can be organised into groups based on what they have in common.
Observable characteristics can include information about colour, size, shape or structure.
Observable characteristics help us to sort objects into common groups.
A Venn diagram and a Carroll diagram are both ways of presenting objects belonging to more than one common group.

Common misconception

Pupils sometimes rely upon an organism’s habitat to classify it, rather than its physical features; this can lead to misunderstandings and misclassification.

As you model groupings, be clear to use observable features of the objects you are grouping - focus on what you can observe as a characteristic of being human.

Keywords

Group - To group things is to put similar things together.
Common - To have something in common is to share interests or other characteristics with someone or something.
Observable characteristic - An observable characteristic is a feature or property of a living thing that we can see or use our other senses to observe.
Diagram - A diagram is a simplified representation of information.