I Notice or I Think?

I Notice or I Think? Worksheet (Grade 3 Science, TEKS 3.1A)

Third graders often jump straight to an explanation. This sheet slows them down: first say what you notice, then say what you think. Simple black-and-white doodles and big, easy-to-read text keep the focus on the thinking, not the reading.

What's Inside

• A worked example with a cup of cocoa: I NOTICE steam, I THINK it is hot
• Part A: check I NOTICE or I THINK for each sentence, with a worked example
• Part B: draw a line from what they noticed to what they think, with a worked example
• Plausible traps, such as "The duck is hungry," that students cannot see
• A visual answer key with answers marked in red, plus a short teacher note

How Teachers Use It

Use it as a mini-lesson follow-up, a quick check, or a center. It takes 5 to 8 minutes, needs no prior knowledge, and prints clearly in black and white. The focus skill is telling an observation from an inference.

This worksheet is part of a grade 3 science series for TEKS 3.1A: ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations. The series moves step by step from noticing with the senses to wondering, asking science questions, asking questions from text, and planning an investigation, with a vocabulary review at the end.

Why It Works

Each sheet teaches the idea first with a worked example, then asks students to use only what the page taught. Every activity has a done-for-you example, and students only circle, check, match, or number, so they can finish on their own. Wrong choices are believable, not silly, so students have to think.