Educational theorists sometimes debate what human intelligence fundamentally is and how many “intelligences” we may possess. Willingham (2004) suggests that psychometricians view intelligence through a hierarchical structure. At the top is the general (g) intelligence factor that influences both verbal and mathematical intelligence. Verbal intelligence and mathematical intelligence influence related intellectual abilities. In 1983, Howard Gardner, disturbed by the exclusive focus on linguistic and logical-mathematical competencies of the dominant theories on intelligence, published Frames of Mind, which provided a different theory on intelligences. Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences proposed seven intelligences reflecting distinct cognitive capacities. Initially, Gardener identified the following intelligences: logical-mathematical, linguistic, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Since then, Gardner has accepted an eighth intelligence, naturalist, and indicates that there are likely more (Gardner, 1989). Theorists who disagree with the theory of multiple intelligences argue that what Gardner identified are not intelligences but skills or aptitudes. Despite their differences, both Gardner and opposing theorists would agree that finding multiple means to represent or introduce concepts may help students learn the intended topic.
In the science inquiry unit that I taught with 5th graders from Columbine Elementary School, I guided my students through the science cycle, beginning with questioning and ending with sharing. In my first lesson I introduced the concept of making scientific observations. In the context of the science cycle, observation follows questioning and precedes making hypothesis. Scientific observation is an important skill for students to understand and practice when beginning to learn about the process of scientific reasoning. The concept can be introduced in numerous ways that favor certain intelligences or skills over others. In this paper I discuss three activities for teaching scientific observation: a sound map, zoom in/zoom out, and a number pattern activity.
When I taught observation to my group of 5th-graders, I used a sound map activity. In the activity students were given a sheet of paper with a small circle in the center to represent themselves. Students were instructed to find a sit spot away from other students, listen to any sounds that they heard and record them on their sheet of paper in any form that made sense to them. Some students used words to describe the sounds, while others drew pictures. After five minutes of listening and recording, students re-grouped and shared one thing they observed. The goal of this lesson was for students to make observations of sounds. Another goal was for students to understand that observations can happen anytime and anyplace.
The sound map activity mainly favored musical and intrapersonal intelligence. This activity required students to discern the origin of the sounds they heard. Students with strong musical intelligence may have found it easier to describe sounds in more detail. Musical intelligence might help students make auditory observations. Students who are more comfortable or focused working individually might also be advantaged in this activity. Some of my students, who displayed less intrapersonal intelligence or aptitude struggled to stay on task. To make sure I was meeting my learning objectives, I asked my students to share out with the class one observation or describe their experience observing. This debrief of the activity allowed students who struggled to stay on task the opportunity to learn from the observations and experiences of their classmates. The lesson addressed the second learning objective during the debrief session by asking students to consider how this activity may have differed in different environments such as their school or in town. Students were prompted to re-create the activity on their own time in a different environment. Hopefully, students began thinking about how scientific observations can be used in informal and formal scientific settings.
Another approach that could be used to introduce scientific observation is the zoom in zoom out activity. In this activity students are instructed to identify one tree that they want to observe. The activity is divided into two sections. In the first half of the activity, students get up close to their tree and record what they observe about one specific part of the tree. For example, that could include a leaf or a small patch of bark. After around five minutes, students are asked to step back and observe the entire tree and its surroundings. In this activity, students define an observation and record visual observations. To meet the learning objectives, students use their science notebooks to record all their observations. The class comes together to debrief the activity and define scientific observations.
Although students are learning the same concept, this activity favors different intelligences than the sound map activity. The zoom in zoom out activity highlights naturalist and spatial intelligences. Students with a strong naturalist background may be able to make more detailed observations of the tree they are studying. Some students may have more accurate vocabulary to identify and describe what they observe. The activity may also favor students with higher spatial intelligence. Spatial skills can help students record their visual observations in their notebooks. Students with high spatial intelligence may be able to make more complex observations about their tree and its surrounding environment. Like the sound map activity, students with better developed intrapersonal skills might find the observation portions of the activity easier, while students with higher interpersonal intelligence might thrive during the debrief.
A number pattern worksheet is yet one more way that scientific observation could be introduced. The activity would give students the opportunity to practice making observations by requiring them to look for patterns in a series of numbers to fill in the missing numbers within the sequence. Students would receive a worksheet with a handful of problems. Each problem would appear as a list of numbers with some spaces. Students would be required to observe the sequence for a pattern and fill in the blank spaces. For example, a student may see the sequence: 1, 4, 9, 16, __, 36, __. Through observation and deduction, students should identify that the missing numbers are 25 and 49 respectively. This activity should be completed in pairs so that students who are less comfortable with math do not feel discouraged. The main goal of the activity is for students to observe number patterns.
The number pattern worksheet clearly highlights the logical-mathematical intelligence. The activity requires students to use numbers to practice making observations. Students who feel less comfortable working with numbers or performing mathematical functions may struggle to make observations in this activity. Thus, the worksheet is best completed in pairs of students to avoid negative emotions interfering with the learning process. If completed in pairs, the worksheet will require some level of interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. Students must be aware of their teammates and some of their own strengths and weaknesses to effectively work together to finish the assignment.
Educators should consider the intelligences or skills they favor. Educators who are aware of their own intelligences will be more prepared to support the needs of individual students. As illustrated, the concept of scientific observation can be introduced in several ways that favor different intelligences. A sound map activity can be used to work on making auditory observations and favors the musical and intrapersonal intelligences. Similarly, the intrapersonal intelligence along with the naturalist intelligence would be favored in the zoom in zoom out activity. Finally, a number pattern worksheet would give students the opportunity to practice observation while focusing on logical-mathematical and, if done in pairs, interpersonal intelligences. Ultimately, the sound map or zoom in zoom out activity would be the most effective method of introducing scientific observation. Both activities support students with various skill sets such as interpersonal, intrapersonal, and spatial and naturalist, or musical skills. The number pattern worksheet is more limited in the intelligences that it requires and may discourage students who doubt their own logical-mathematical intelligence. Activities that support more intelligences will most likely be accessible to more students.
Works Cited
Gardner, H., & Hatch, T. (1989). Multiple intelligences go to school: Educational implications of the theory of multiple intelligences. Educational Researcher, 18(8), 4-10. https://doi.org/10.2307/1176460
Willingham, D.T. (2004). Reframing the Mind. Education Next, 4, 19-24.