Scientists Notice

Scientists Notice Worksheet (Grade 3 Science, TEKS 3.1A)

How do scientists start? They notice. This one-page sheet introduces the five senses as a scientist's tools and shows the difference between what we notice and what we like. Simple black-and-white doodles and big, easy-to-read text keep the focus on the thinking, not the reading.

What's Inside

• A picture strip of the five senses: see, hear, smell, touch, taste
• Ollie the owl, a friendly guide who models the thinking
• Part A: circle which sense was used, with a worked example
• Part B: check I NOTICE or I LIKE for each sentence, with a worked example
• 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 observing with the five senses and telling an observation from an opinion.

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.