Children should be led to make their own investigations, and to draw upon their own inferences. They should be told as little as possible. Asking the correct question is half the problem. Once the question is formulated there remains to be found only proof of that question. The path to the proof is then direct.
Scientific observation takes time.
Observation takes place over an extended time period both during a single session and throughout a series of sessions. In addition, students are able to observe more complex systems as their skills become more sophisticated. Thus the Kindergarten student may begin by spending two minutes observing a simple inanimate object, while the high school student may need a semester to observe interactions in an ecosystem. The student will observe a simple natural object and describe at least three characteristics of that object. The student will observe a natural object over an extended period of time and describe at least ten characteristics.