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I am about to teach a major amount of science to young children (about 3 to 5 years olds).
One of the first tenants of the scientific method is, "observe".
But this seems to imply seeing with the eyes, however sometimes one smells or hears things, or uses ones muscles to decide which of two objects is heavier.
So is there a good alternative to, "observe" that accounts for using some or all of ones senses?
Thanks for any help,
Teacher Ron
Frankly, I think that observe is the perfect word. Its usage in science is not necessarily the same as that in casual conversation, as is the case with theory. It is an important element of science that it has its own terminology, which needs to be used precisely. In general conversation observe may have (and I would not stipulate this) a visual bias, but in science it is to notice, or become aware, by carefully directed attention, regardless of which or how many senses may be involved. In my opinion, your students would be better served by having a clear understanding of just what scientific observation is, rather than trying to find a substitute. At their age they should not have an iron-clad connotation of the word locked in yet, and you should be able to guide it fairly readily.
Of course, I haven't shown you any credentials to back my stand, but I offer it as food for thought.
Peter
PS: Welcome to the forum.
I agree with tromboniator on this. There doesn't appear to be anything inherent in the word "observe" that refers to vision, just as I once discovered that there's not actually a "lux" in "hallucinate" so you can have an hallucination that involves another sense (the sensation that something's brushing against your neck, or that you mysteriously taste peaches, for example).
Incidentally, since you're a teacher and this is a language forum, someone's bound to call this to your attention eventually: it's one of the first "tenets", not "tenants". The two words are related, as they both come from the Latin tenere "to hold". A "tenet" is a belief or doctrine that one "holds", while a "tenant" is someone who "holds" occupation or ownership of property.
I agree that "observe" has a visual implication in common language, but the implication is not totally unavoidable. I also agree that it is possible to use words differently in science and other contexts. If you want a different word that does not favor one sense, "perceive" might be a good choice, but it seems to lack the active interest implied by "observe."
Yes, welcome to the forum rongeom. I taught science for some 30 years, and concur with what the others have said. Observation, as used in science, includes all the senses, even though in common language it does seem to be slanted more toward vision.
I observed that, when the hydrogen sulfide was synthesized, a "rotten egg" smell seemed to fill the room.
As I shortened the tuning fork, I observed the pitch continuously increasing.
When the sodium reacted in a chlorine gas environment, I observed the resulting crystals tasted exactly like salt.
All perfectly logical uses of the word "observe" and fit for a lab notebook. The only alternatives that come to my mind are "data gathering" or "data collection." But I actually like "observe" better, especially if you're talking about the scientific method.
This is Teacher Ron again.
Thank you to everyone who has responded.
I will use the word observe, but will teach that observe includes more than just what we see.
That observe includes all the information we gather from all our senses (which will also be a topic we will explore).
I have often listened to and enjoyed the radio show A Way With Words,I am delighted to now be part of this online community and the value it has added to my life.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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