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Session 1 of 8
What Do You
Notice?
Today we become careful observers — the first skill every data scientist needs.
📊 Data Science for Young Minds · Grade 3
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Today's Plan
What We're Doing Today
- 🎯 Hook — mystery bag of objects
- 👀 Looking carefully vs. really observing
- 🏷️ Attributes — the words we use to describe things
- 🗂️ Object Sort Challenge — sort 3 ways!
- 🔄 Patterns — where do you see them?
- 📓 Observation journal + reflection
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Opening Hook
What Do You Notice?
Your teacher is passing around a bag of objects.
Don't say anything yet — just look. And touch.
Take 2 minutes. Look carefully. What can you say about what's in the bag?
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Lesson 1
Looking vs. Observing
👁️ Looking
- Happens automatically
- Fast, casual glance
- You might miss details
- "Yeah, I see it"
🔍 Observing
- A choice you make on purpose
- Slow and careful
- You notice ALL the details
- "I see it's rough, round, and gray"
Data science starts with careful observation. You can't ask good questions about something you haven't looked at closely.
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Lesson 2
Attributes — Describing Words
An attribute is a specific characteristic of an object.
Color
red, blue, yellow, green…
Size
big, small, medium, tiny…
Shape
round, square, flat, pointy…
Texture
smooth, rough, bumpy, soft…
Weight
heavy, light, medium…
Material
metal, plastic, wood, fabric…
When we describe objects using specific attributes, we're preparing to sort and organize data!
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Lesson 2
Sorting — Same Objects, Different Groups
The same objects can be sorted many different ways depending on which attribute you choose.
Sort by Color
🔴🔴🔵🔵🟡
red / blue / yellow
Sort by Shape
⭕⭕🔷🔷⬛
round / diamond / square
Sort by Size
🔴🟡⭕
small / medium / large
💡 Same objects — completely different groups each time. The rule you choose changes everything.
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Activity Time!
Object Sort Challenge
Your group has a bag of 20+ objects. Your challenge:
- 🗂️ Sort #1 — Choose any one attribute. Sort and label your groups.
- 🔀 Mix back up — Same objects, new sort coming!
- 🗂️ Sort #2 — Choose a DIFFERENT attribute. Sort and label.
- 🔀 Mix again!
- 🗂️ Sort #3 — Try sorting by TWO attributes at once!
⏱ You have 15 minutes. Ready? Go!
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Debrief
What Did You Discover?
"Did your objects end up in different groups each time? What does that tell you about organizing things?"
- What attribute did you sort by first? Why did you choose it?
- Which sort was hardest? The two-attribute one?
- Did any object fit in more than one group? What happened?
- What would happen if everyone in class used DIFFERENT sorting rules?
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🧠
Brain Break — Stand Up Sort!
Your teacher will call out an attribute.
Move to the right side if it describes you,
left side if it doesn't!
Examples: wearing something blue · has laces · round buttons · smooth fabric
You just sorted yourselves like data! 📊
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Lesson 3
Patterns — Rules That Repeat
A pattern is something that repeats or follows a rule. Data scientists look for patterns — it's how they find meaning.
Nature
Seasons repeat every year · Day follows night
School
Same schedule every Monday · Lunch at the same time
Numbers
2, 4, 6, 8… · Every 5th tally mark crosses
Behavior
Most kids pick chocolate milk · Rainy days = more indoor recess
When we find a pattern in data, we can start making predictions — and asking better questions!
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Lesson 4
Observation vs. Opinion
Data science needs observations — not opinions. Can you tell the difference?
✅ Observations (facts you can verify)
- The leaf is 8 cm long
- The button has 4 holes
- The rock is gray and rough
- The pencil is shorter than my ruler
❌ Opinions (feelings/judgments)
- The leaf is beautiful
- The button is cute
- The rock is boring
- The pencil is ugly
Observations can be measured, counted, or verified by anyone. Opinions can't.
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Lesson 4
Your Observation Journal
Data scientists keep observation journals — they record what they notice using words, numbers, AND sketches.
📝 Words
- Specific adjectives
- Uses attribute language
- "The coin is circular, silver, and smooth"
✏️ Sketches + Numbers
- Draw what you see
- Add measurements
- "~2cm wide · 4 holes · round"
Your journal is your scientific memory. If you don't write it down, you'll forget!
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Journal Time
Observation Journal — Your Turn
"Choose ONE object from today's sort.
Write 3 observations. Add a sketch.
No opinions allowed!"
📝 8 minutes of quiet writing. Use your worksheet — Part 3.
Check: Are you writing facts or feelings? Would someone else agree with your observation?
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Vocabulary Review
Words to Know
Observation
Noticing details carefully and on purpose
Attribute
A specific characteristic — color, size, shape, texture
Sorting
Grouping objects by shared attributes
Pattern
Something that repeats or follows a rule
Category
A named group that objects belong to
Opinion
A feeling or judgment — NOT an observation
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Wrap Up
Session 1 Complete! 🎉
- ✅ Observing carefully is a skill — it takes practice
- ✅ Attributes help us describe and sort objects precisely
- ✅ The same objects can be sorted many ways
- ✅ Observations are facts — not opinions
- ✅ Patterns are everywhere — data scientists find them
🔮 Coming up — Session 2: Now that we can observe, how do we turn observations into questions that data can answer?
Take-home: Try your observation journal somewhere at home tonight. What do you notice?