Filtering Coloring Page

About this page

Subby has become a prospector on page 66, pouring sand through a sieve until only the sparkling gems remain. This is filtering, one of the most honest pictures of what researchers actually do all day. Not every observation matters for the question you are asking, so you let the sand fall through and keep the treasure. Kids practice the same skill when they pick every red gummy bear out of the bag or fish their favorite blocks from the bin. Once children see it, they realize data is everywhere and so is the sand around it, and knowing the difference is the skill.

The research skill

Setting a filter rule before you look at the data is the skill Subby's sieve demonstrates. The size of the holes decides everything: sand falls through, and the sparkling gems stay behind. Researchers do the same when they choose, in advance, which observations fit their question, so they are not tempted to keep only the results they like. In Chapter 5, filtering helps the Squad pull useful treasure out of a big pile. At school, it shows up in sorting tasks and later when children search books for the facts they need.

Try it at home

Set up a kitchen sieve challenge with an adult nearby. Mix a cup of dry rice or flour with a handful of larger items such as dry beans or pasta shells. Hand your child a colander or slotted spoon and ask for a prediction: what will fall through, and what will stay? Sift over a tray, then sort the "treasure." Try a second tool with bigger holes and compare. Keep beans and other small pieces away from children who still put things in their mouths.

Talk about it while you color

• What do you think Subby will find hiding in the sand?
• If you had a magic sieve, what would you want it to catch for you?
• When you dig at the beach or sandbox, what treasures have you found?