A Simple Science Activity to Encourage Close Observation

There is a kind of unspoken expectation that science experiences need to be showy or exotic in order to count. This expectation can make teachers feel like they shouldn’t be doing labs if they can’t do something with elaborate equipment or planning. 

I have been a staunch advocate for the idea of “slow labs,” experiences that aren’t overly exciting but cultivate repeated attention. These kinds of investigations don’t require much in terms of a budget or laboratory equipment, and instead just need a bit of planning and guidance from a teacher. 

One of my favorite slow labs is to take students out for a “weeds walk.” Weeds will grow anywhere that has the minimum requirements for survival, and when students stop to observe, it is pretty remarkable what can be found. 

For example, I went out to Riverside Park in New York City, and in a space of 30 feet I found different weeds growing in what superficially seemed like similar locations. The weeds that were growing under the park bench were visibly different from those that were growing five feet to the left and right of the bench.

Why are the species so different in such a small space? This is the kind of question students can address just by exploring the world around them, without any fancy equipment.

WHY TAKE STUDENTS ON A WEEDS WALK

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasize the importance of learning science through observation, and a weeds walk is a simple way to practice this skill of careful observation. During the activity, students are thinking about how the slight variations in sunlight, water, and human interference can impact how well or poorly something can grow.

This activity also strongly aligns with the NGSS practices of Interpreting Data and Constructing Explanations as students examine, document, and discuss what they observe.

PREPARING FOR A WEEDS WALK

When planning for your weeds walk, you’ll want to choose somewhere that offers lots of weeds: tree-lined streets, park edges, storm drains. Before heading outside, make sure each student has a pencil and a science journal, and take some time to explain what you will be doing and how students should conduct themselves outside so that everyone stays focused and safe.

While we are still in the classroom, I tell students that we are going to go outside and look at different plants. We will sketch what we see, identifying similarities and differences in the plants, and then work in pairs to come up with hypotheses about why those similarities and differences exist. Then, it’s time to go outside.

PART ONE: OBSERVE AND SKETCH

The first part of a weeds walk is observing the plants and sketching them. I start by giving students 10 minutes to walk around the designated space and find one plant to sketch. The goal is not to have a perfect sketch, but instead to take the time to look deeply at the plant and attempt to capture some of its characteristics.

While a perfect sketch is not required, I do ask students to genuinely try their best to sketch the plant and actually take their time. In my class, we do a fair bit of sketching as part of our science work, so my students are used to this process. If you haven’t asked your students to do any sketching in the past, it can be helpful to model the sketches yourself as an example.

I encourage students to work silently to keep them focused on the small details before them. Once the 10 minutes are up, I ask students to find a different plant within the same area and sketch this second plant, focusing on the differences between the two.

In between the two sketches, I like to give students a quick mental break from the focus they’ve been practicing by giving them two to three minutes to chat with their peers before getting back to the activity.

PART TWO: REFLECT AND STATE CLAIMS

After both sketches are complete, I ask students to pair up and share their sketches, discussing the similarities and differences they noticed between the plants. As students are talking, I ask them to take notes in their journals next to their sketches to capture what they’ve observed.

Students often show their partner the plants they drew and talk about why they chose those particular plants to sketch. After these initial conversations, we head back into the classroom to reflect on what we’ve seen and begin to formulate claims about the environment we explored.

While the observation part of the weeds walk represents the data-collection phase of their investigation, the reflection phase is where students develop their hypotheses. Students compare the two different plants, and the respective ecosystems, to generate reasons why the plants would differ in the two places and what characteristics of the environment impact the plants’ ability to grow.

PART THREE: PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT A CLAIM

After students have generated their hypotheses, I ask them to write a claim and support it with evidence. Students choose one of their hypotheses and then use their knowledge of ecosystems and biology to provide evidence that supports it. Students then share their claims and their evidence with the class so we can all discuss the findings.

Throughout the entire activity, students are practicing deep observation, learning to recognize how environments impact life, and honing their ability to state claims backed by evidence. All of this is happening without any fancy equipment or extravagant experiments—students are simply taking the time to notice the world around them and share what they’ve found with one another.