Listening Well in Science Talks

You will learn how to listen carefully to other people's science explanations, find the evidence in what they say, and join the discussion politely.

Imagine your class puts two bean plants on the windowsill. One gets watered every day. The other gets water only once a week. After two weeks, your classmate says, "Plants grow taller when they get water every day." That is a claim, which is a statement someone believes is true. Then your classmate says, "The daily plant grew eight centimeters, and the other plant grew only three centimeters." Those measurements are evidence, which is the information you collect that shows whether a claim is true. Your job as a listener is to catch that evidence and hold onto it.

Active listening means keeping your eyes on the speaker, keeping your mouth quiet, and thinking about the words instead of thinking about what you want to say next. Try to picture what the speaker is describing. Ask yourself, what did they actually measure or observe? If you hear numbers, observations, or something they saw with their own eyes, that is probably evidence. If you hear only a feeling or a guess, that is not evidence yet.

When it is your turn, be respectful. You can say, "I agree with your evidence because my plant grew the same way." You can also disagree kindly by saying, "I got a different result. My daily plant grew only four centimeters. Can you tell me more about how you measured?" You question the idea, not the person. Speaking this way helps everyone think better.

Scientists talk to each other all the time. Sharing and listening helps them catch mistakes and find better answers together. Your classroom works the same way.

Try it: If a classmate says the playground slide feels hotter than the swing seat, what evidence could you listen for to decide whether that claim is supported?