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[Dino and Coop singing]

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If you've ever played I-Spy with a friend, then you've definitely experienced first-hand [Two kids in a forest]

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the importance of having strong observational skills.

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You've probably also experienced your friend being super-annoying for the sake of being annoying. [One kid smiling while the other looks annoyed]

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Seriously, "I-spy something green," in a forest??

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Anyway, being a good observer isn't just an [Dino pointing at a blackboard]

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essential part of a good game of I-Spy, it's actually an important part of being a scientist too.

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Scientists have to learn to be good observers.

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And not just to make sure things don't explode in their labs, though that is a plus. [Boy holding a flask that explodes]

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The very first step in the scientific method is to make observations. [Coop pointing at a blackboard]

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Also known as research, this step is all about looking around your area of focus and trying

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to…well…observe!

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This means looking for problems that need solving, questions that need answering, or

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simply finding something that makes you feel extra-curious. [Problem, Question and Curiosity all appear over a boy's head]

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Observations in nature are especially important. Why? Because nature can be pretty complicated.

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Especially when it's asking you tricky multiplication questions…those oak trees always stump us. [Oak tree asking a boy to do multiplication]

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Alright, let's take a look at this scene. Anyone can look at it and think, “So what?

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It's just some dirt and leaves, big whoop.” [Girl looks unimpressed]

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But a scientist with strong observational skills might look at it and think..

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What animal left those tracks?

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Why are there multiple kinds of soil in the same area?

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What caused that tiny hole? Was it an insect? [Arrows pointing to different questions about the picture]

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And that's just a few questions that someone could ask!

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Now imagine if you were a scientist and you walked into this scene…

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You would have more questions than you'd know what to do with. And in this case, that's [Scientist walks into a forest]

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a good thing! But you don't need to go to the rainforest

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to come up with a whole load of thought-provoking scientific observations. Even observations

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in your school garden can reveal some amazing things – whether you're staring down at

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the tiniest little insect or examining the complex and beautiful patterns on a freshly-fallen leaf. [Magnifying glass on a lady bird]

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A keen observer is someone who is able to be curious about the world around them – no [Boy looking down a microscope]

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matter where they look.

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Though we'll be perfectly honest - you'll likely have a more interesting time examining

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the insects in your garden than you would with the lint found in your belly button. [Belly button lint under the microscope]

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