A guess is not a lie, and a preference is not a wrong fact

“The ground is wet” describes something you can inspect. “Rain made it wet” offers a cause. Someone could also have watered it. Both statements might be true, but the wet appearance alone does not establish one cause.

“This picture is the best” expresses a preference. A friend feeling differently does not make it a false observation. Today, try different wording for checked information, an unconfirmed explanation and a personal preference.

Try at home: labels for a paper plane

Make a paper plane and draw two circles on its wings. Any folded shape will do. Look at it together and read these three statements.

1. There are two circles on the wings.

2. I think my sister made this plane.

3. This is my favourite plane.

  1. Point to or count what you can check on the plane.
  2. Ask whether you actually know who made it. If not, keep the maker as an unconfirmed idea.
  3. Let family members have different preferences about the plane.

If your child watched the plane being made, the maker may already be known to them. Do not give the second statement the same label in every situation. Ask how the speaker knows, as well as looking at the words.

Ask about the route to the information

“My sister definitely made it.”
“Did you watch her make it, hear that from someone, or think it might be her?”
“Does a guess mean it’s wrong?”
“It could be right. For now, let’s keep it separate from what we checked and think of a way to find out.”
“I don’t like this plane.”
“We can like different things. Can we also find one feature of the plane we can check?”

Information does not have to come only from looking. If someone asked the maker, say who was asked and what they said. Keep that reported information distinct from what you saw yourself.

Start with two spaces if that is enough

You can begin with “checked” and “needs checking,” then add preferences later. If reading the labels is demanding, say one sentence at a time and let your child point to the plane.

You do not need to keep going until your child guesses the maker. “We don’t know yet; let’s ask” is a reasonable stopping point. If new information confirms the maker, update the wording instead of keeping it labelled as a guess forever.

Finish with one sentence

Try: “One thing I checked is ___. One thing still to find out is ___.” Filling just one gap is fine. The aim is to choose wording that fits the information available, not to memorise an adult’s sorting chart. One attempt at this activity is not a score for critical thinking.

Try distinguishing different kinds of statements

Labels for the exhibit

Sort exhibit descriptions into observed facts, guesses and preferences. A later scene also separates the parts of a sentence containing both fact and preference.

Move from an observation to possible causes and useful questions

The wet grass mystery

Consider possible causes of wet grass and ask questions for more information. Discuss whether confirming one cause automatically rules out another.

Further reading: the original resource

This Project Zero resource distinguishes observation from interpretation and invites further questions. The paper-plane sorting example was written separately by LogiCorgi.

See, Think, Wonder
Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education

These are suggestions for activities and conversations, not evidence of a learning effect from an individual game or an assessment of a child’s ability.