Write a sentence stating your topic. What will you observe?
Remember, your topic must be something that you can recall in great detail. Choose a topic that you can describe to your audience and still be objective.
What is your viewpoint? Where and when did your observation take place?
A good observation is like taking a photograph. You choose a subject. You select a point from which to view the subject and focus on the details. Tell your readers where and when you observed the person, place, object, or event.
List objective details about your subject. What did you see, hear, smell?
The way to write a good observational paper is to support it with details. Include what you directly observed. For example, "The toad was about two inches long, grayish green in color, with rough, bumpy skin." Use details that give accurate physical locations, size, or unique features.
Who is your audience?
Knowing your audience is important. Describing your subject to an expert would be different than describing it to a child. You would select different details for each of these audiences.
What is the purpose of your observational paper?
An observation should provide information. An article about who won the big game would include information about who scored the winning point, what mistakes the losing team made, and how the crowd reacted.
What conclusion do you want your readers to reach about your topic?
Even though you're not focusing on your own emotions or opinions, your detailed observation can make a point.
Example:
A detailed observation of the pollution at a local lake might make
