📝 Recording What We See
Learn to keep track of your observations using pictures and tallies!
📖 Learn
Scientists don't just observe - they record what they notice! Recording means writing down or drawing what we see so we can remember it later.
Ways to Record Observations
- 🖼️ Drawing Pictures - Sketch what you see
- 📊 Tally Marks - Count things with lines: | | | | = 4
- ✏️ Words - Write or say what you notice
- 📋 Charts - Organize information in boxes
What are Tally Marks?
Tally marks help us count things. Each line is one thing. After 4 lines, we cross them with a 5th line.
Counting with Tally Marks
- | = 1
- | | = 2
- | | | = 3
- | | | | = 4
| | | |= 5 (four lines with one crossing)
Remember: 👀 When you record, draw exactly what you see - not what you think it should look like!
💡 Examples
🌸 Example 1: Recording Flowers
Maya looked at the garden. She recorded what she saw:
| Flower Color | Tally | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Red 🔴 | | | | | 3 |
| Yellow 🟡 | | | | | | | 5 |
| Blue 🔵 | | | | 2 |
👀 Maya recorded 10 flowers in all!
🐦 Example 2: Recording Birds
Leo watched birds at the bird feeder. He drew what he saw:
- 🐦 Small brown bird - flew away fast
- 🐦 Big black bird - stayed a long time
- 🐦 Red bird - sang a song
Leo wrote: "I saw 3 birds. The red one was the prettiest!"
☁️ Example 3: Recording Weather
The class recorded the weather for 5 days:
| Weather | Tally | Total |
|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Sunny | | | | | 3 |
| ☁️ Cloudy | | | 1 |
| 🌧️ Rainy | | | 1 |
✏️ Practice
Try these recording activities!
1. 👀 Look around you. Count how many chairs you see. Write the number using tally marks.
2. 👂 Listen for 1 minute. Make a tally mark each time you hear a sound. How many sounds did you count?
3. 🖼️ Look at your shoe. Draw a picture of it. Add details you notice (color, shape, lines).
4. 👀 Count the windows in your room. Write the number as tally marks AND as a number.
5. 📊 Make a chart! Count how many pencils, crayons, and markers you have. Record with tallies.
| Item | Tally | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Pencils ✏️ | ||
| Crayons 🖍️ | ||
| Markers 🖊️ |
6. 👀 Look at a book cover. Draw what you see on the cover.
7. 📊 Count different colors of things on your desk. Make a tally chart.
8. ✋ Feel 3 different objects. Draw each one and write one word to describe how it feels (soft, hard, smooth, bumpy).
9. 👀 How many legs does a chair have? Draw the chair and label the number of legs.
10. 🌳 If you can see outside, count how many trees you see. If you can't, count pictures on the wall. Record with tallies!
✅ Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions to show what you learned.
1. What does "recording" mean?
Think: What do scientists do after they observe?
2. How many tally marks would you draw for 3 apples?
Think: Each tally mark = 1 thing
3. Why do scientists record what they see?
Think: What happens if we don't write things down?
4. Name two ways to record observations.
Think: Pictures, tallies, words, or charts!
🚀 Next Steps
- Practice making tally marks when you count things at home
- Keep an observation journal - draw one thing you notice each day
- Move on to the next lesson to learn how to share your observations