The investigator's notebook

The idea

Everything seen and sensed during an investigation is noted down, and each round of investigation usually raises further questions to investigate.

Frying a puri

While a puri fries, there is a lot to notice: how the oil behaves, how it smells, what rises from the pan. (Frying uses hot oil, so it is a job for grown-ups. Here we only imagine it.)

Which of these should an investigator write down?

• Only the numbers
• Everything she sees and senses
• Only what she expected to see

Fill the record page

A scientist's notebook has a place for what you see and sense, for numbers you measure, and for new questions. Tap the part where each card belongs.

Write it all, then ask again

Note down everything you see and sense during an investigation. Each round usually raises further questions to investigate.

The new questions lead to a second round of trials, and the cycle goes on.

• In the notebook | Example from the puri
• What I see and sense | Oil splatter, smell, smoke
• Numbers I measure | Time to puff, in seconds
• New questions | Fresh or stored dough? A hole pricked before frying?

Notes

Note down everything you see and sense in an investigation. Each round usually raises further questions to investigate.

Check yourself

A student does not write down the smoke because it was "not part of the plan". What is the problem?

Which one is a new question that grows out of the first round of puri trials?

Which of these notes is a measurement?

• No problem. Only planned things matter.. No. Unplanned things can be the most useful clues.
• Smoke is not an observation because it cannot be measured.. You can observe smoke with your eyes. A note like "a little smoke" is a fine observation.
• A useful clue may be lost. Even unplanned observations can raise new questions. — correct. Yes. Note down everything you see and sense.
• The puri is tasty.. That is a statement, not a question to investigate.
• What is the capital of India?. It is a question, but it has nothing to do with the trials.
• What happens if I prick a hole in the puri before frying? — correct. Yes. It builds on what we saw and can be tested in a new round.
• The oil smells strong.. A smell is something you sense, not a number you measure.
• Why is one side of a puri thinner than the other?. That is a question to investigate.
• Time taken to puff: _ seconds — correct. Yes. A number from a clock is a measurement.
• A little smoke rose from the pan.. You saw it. It is an observation, not a number.