Participant observation is a topic covered in most Introduction to Communication Research classes and specialized courses on qualitative inquiry. However, as humans are natural observers in everyday life, students may not appreciate the importance of systematic and thoughtful observation and note taking. The purpose of the one-to-two class period activity described in this article is to help students see the utility and benefits of using a theoretical framework during observational data collection by highlighting the difference in data between groups who collect data "naturally" and groups who use a particular framework. While the authors recognize it is not unique to have students observe interactions, this approach is different because it helps illustrate how the quality of data is improved with structured observation. To this end, they employ Hymes' (1972) SPEAKING model because it focuses primarily on the language and grammar of communicative interaction. The model focuses specifically on observing the interaction between people while also considering how the context may contribute to and shape that interaction. Additionally, Hymes' framework is a germinal model that is central to the Ethnography of Communication (Keating, 2007) and can be applied to nearly all types of observable interactions.