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Exploring a Hypothesis
Reaction Times in Sports
Constructing a Hypothesis
Writing a Procedure
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Duration: Approximately 50 minutes
Students learn the essential elements of a scientific hypothesis and learn to identify whether or not a statement contains these essential elements. Additionally, students learn to write a detailed procedure for a science experiment.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Students understand the essential components of a hypothesis.
Teacher Tune-up
- What is a hypothesis and why is it so tricky to teach?
Teaching Notes
ACTIVITY OVERVIEW
Introducing the concept of hypothesis (10 minutes)
Working with examples as a class (20 minutes)
Working with examples individually or in groups (20 minutes)
Paraphrase :
When we construct a scientific hypothesis, we include:
- a view that states what we think is true and
- a reason or cause that we can test with a measurement.
Both examples include two statements from the script of the scene about reaction times in baseball.
The first is Malik’s hypothesis that “Boys are better at hitting fastballs than girls because boys have faster reaction times.” This statement has both elements.
It’s important that students recognize that regardless of our feelings or experiences, a statement that contains the essential elements is indeed a scientific hypothesis.
The second model includes Stephanie’s statement that “They lost because everybody has a bad day now and then.” While this statement has a view that Stephanie believes is true, the reason or cause cannot be tested with a measurement. Some students may insist that this can be tested with a measurement. If they do, encourage them to think about how they would measure having a bad day “now and then.” While Stephanie’s statement may be true, it cannot be a scientific hypothesis because it lacks the second element.
There are other correct ways to frame a hypothesis, such as using an if/then statement.
See here for an explanation of this alternate structure as well as an introduction to the terms dependent and independent variable.
Students identify whether or not a statement can be considered a hypothesis.
Check off whether or not the statement contains the components of a hypothesis.
Students write a brief explanation of their thinking for each statement.
Sample responses :
- George’s statement is a hypothesis because it includes both of the essential parts. First, he states his view that he believes fish are dying because of the pollution from the factory. The cause can be tested with a measurement because someone could measure the amount of pollution found in the stream.
- Christina’s statement contains the essential elements of a hypothesis because she can measure the amount of hours that students study and see if those who study more get higher grades. Because her statement includes a view that she thinks is true and a reason that can be tested with a measurement, Christina’s statement is a hypothesis.
- Tashia’s statement is not a hypothesis because it does not contain a cause or reason that can be measured.
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The Scientific Method Lesson Plan: Developing Hypotheses
Submitted by: charlie conway.
This is a lesson plan designed to be incorporated into a elementary or middle school general science class. Using BrainPOP and its resources, students will be introduced (or further exposed) to the steps necessary to undertake scientific experimentation leading (perhaps) to a Science Fair project. The Scientific Method is a core structure in learning about scientific inquiry, and although there are many variations of this set of procedures, they all usually have similar components. This lesson should take 45-60 minutes, with opportunities for extending the lesson further.
Students will:
- Students will use BrainPOP features to build their understandings of the Scientific Method.
- Students will learn how to identify and write effective hypotheses.
- Students will use game play to write an appropriate hypothesis for an experiment.
- Students will identify and utilize the tools necessary to design a scientific investigation.
- Laptops/Computers
- Interactive White Board
- Pencil/Paper
- Class set of photocopies of the Scientific Method Flow Chart
- BrainPOP accounts (optional)
Vocabulary:
Preparation:.
These procedures may be modified according to the needs/resources of each teacher & class. For example, you may decide to do the quiz with pencil/paper, or do the quiz as a class.
Lesson Procedure:
- Ask the students how scientists answer questions and solve problems. Take a few minutes to explore students' prior knowledge with a short discussion.
- Tell the class that you're going to watch a BrainPOP movie about answering a scientific question about plant growth.
- Show the BrainPOP movie on the Scientific Method two times. The first time, students should just watch and listen. The second time they should take notes. Pause the movie at critical STOP points.
- Students should log on to their individual student accounts and take the Scientific Method Quiz to give the teacher some immediate feedback. (This can also be done as a pre-assessment, or at the very end of the lesson). NOTE: If you choose to, you can give a pencil/paper quiz also; students who work best with electronic media can be given accommodations). If you don't have access to individual student logins via MyBrainPOP (a school subscription), students can take the Review Quiz or paper quiz instead.
- Discuss the main points from the movie: a. Write the definition of the scientific method: the procedure scientists use to help explain why things happen. b. Make a list on the board of the steps mentioned as part of the scientific method: problem, fact finding, observation, inference, hypothesis, experiment, conclusions. c. Tell students that there are various versions of the scientific method that they may see, but they are all basically the same.
- Hand out the Scientific Method Flow Chart . Introduce the "If...then...because..." format for writing hypotheses. Give the students 10 minutes to complete the sheet with their group. They may use their notes from the movie to help them, and/or work collaboratively with other students.
- Discuss some of the student responses in class. Focus on the hypotheses, and explain that a good hypothesis is a testable explanation of the problem. For example, a good hypothesis to the third problem would be, "If I move farther away from the microwave oven, then the cell phone signal will improve because I am further away from the source of interference." Show how this is a TESTABLE hypothesis that can lead to a scientific experiment.
- Introduce the students to the Pavlov’s Dog game in GameUP. Allow time for the kids to explore the game without telling them why they are playing it.
- After 10-15 minutes, have the students take a break from playing, and have a short discussion about the game. Ask if anyone was able to complete the task successfully, and have them share how they got the "diploma." If time allows, show the students how to complete the task so that they all understand that the dog has been conditioned to respond to a stimulus (noise before food has been introduced).
- Have the students write a hypothesis that Pavlov may have written before he started his experiment. Students can either do this with pencil/paper, or the teacher may create a BrainPOP quiz and have students submit their hypothesis electronically. This may be used as a part of the assessment.
- Choose some sample responses from the students, highlighting the hypotheses that are TESTABLE, and not just guesses or predictions.
If this lesson is an introduction to allowing students to plan and carry out their own experiments, then all that follows is naturally an extension to the lesson.
Other, shorter extensions are easy to develop as well.
Extension Activities:
- BrainPOP Jr. (K-3)
- BrainPOP ELL
- BrainPOP Science
- BrainPOP Español
- BrainPOP Français
- Set Up Accounts
- Single Sign-on
- Manage Subscription
- Quick Tours
- About BrainPOP
- Terms of Use
- Privacy Policy
- Trademarks & Copyrights
Writing a hypothesis and prediction
Part of Physics Working scientifically
- A hypothesis is an idea about how something works that can be tested using experiments.
- A prediction says what will happen in an experiment if the hypothesis is correct.
Why do scientists ask questions?
Show answer Hide answer
To help find things out and solve problems.
Watch this video about how to make a scientific prediction.
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While you are watching, look out for how different types of variables are identified and used to make a prediction
Video Transcript Video Transcript
Presenter 1: We are going to look at the two words "prediction" and "hypothesis". It's important to know the difference between them.
Presenter 2: A hypothesis is an idea about how something works that can be tested using experiments.
Presenter 1: A prediction is a statement of what we think will happen if the hypothesis is correct.
Presenter 2: So you use your hypothesis to make a prediction.
Student 1: I reckon, because there's more oxygen, it'll last longer. So, I'm thinking maybe 40 seconds?
Presenter 1: Here, my hypothesis is that the more air and oxygen candles have, the longer they stay alight.
Presenter 2: So, if my hypothesis is correct, then my prediction is that candles in larger measuring beakers will burn for longer.
Presenter 1: As the volume of air increases, then the time the candle takes to go out also increases. Our graph shows us the pattern in our results.
Presenter 2: The bigger the measuring beaker, the more air and the longer the candle burnt.
Presenter 1: So, we have seen an experiment looking at how long a candle burns under different beakers.
Presenter 2: We have formed a hypothesis and then we have tested it, looking at the difference between the meaning of the word "hypothesis" and the word "prediction".
What's the question?
Science is all about asking questions and then trying to find answers to them. For example:
- Why are there so many different animals on Earth?
- Why is the sky blue?
- Will humans need to live on the moon?
Science can provide answers to some questions, by using observations close Observation Something that can be seen happening. and experiments. Data is collected to help answer these questions.
The scientific method is a useful way of guiding scientists through an investigation. A hypothesis is developed from an idea or question based on an observation . A prediction is then made, an experiment carried out to test this, then the results are analysed and conclusions can be drawn.
A prediction suggests that there is a relationship between which two types of variables?
Independent and dependent variables.
Prediction and hypothesis
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- How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Steps & Examples
How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Steps & Examples
Published on May 6, 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 20, 2023.
A hypothesis is a statement that can be tested by scientific research. If you want to test a relationship between two or more variables, you need to write hypotheses before you start your experiment or data collection .
Example: Hypothesis
Daily apple consumption leads to fewer doctor’s visits.
Table of contents
What is a hypothesis, developing a hypothesis (with example), hypothesis examples, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about writing hypotheses.
A hypothesis states your predictions about what your research will find. It is a tentative answer to your research question that has not yet been tested. For some research projects, you might have to write several hypotheses that address different aspects of your research question.
A hypothesis is not just a guess – it should be based on existing theories and knowledge. It also has to be testable, which means you can support or refute it through scientific research methods (such as experiments, observations and statistical analysis of data).
Variables in hypotheses
Hypotheses propose a relationship between two or more types of variables .
- An independent variable is something the researcher changes or controls.
- A dependent variable is something the researcher observes and measures.
If there are any control variables , extraneous variables , or confounding variables , be sure to jot those down as you go to minimize the chances that research bias will affect your results.
In this example, the independent variable is exposure to the sun – the assumed cause . The dependent variable is the level of happiness – the assumed effect .
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Step 1. Ask a question
Writing a hypothesis begins with a research question that you want to answer. The question should be focused, specific, and researchable within the constraints of your project.
Step 2. Do some preliminary research
Your initial answer to the question should be based on what is already known about the topic. Look for theories and previous studies to help you form educated assumptions about what your research will find.
At this stage, you might construct a conceptual framework to ensure that you’re embarking on a relevant topic . This can also help you identify which variables you will study and what you think the relationships are between them. Sometimes, you’ll have to operationalize more complex constructs.
Step 3. Formulate your hypothesis
Now you should have some idea of what you expect to find. Write your initial answer to the question in a clear, concise sentence.
4. Refine your hypothesis
You need to make sure your hypothesis is specific and testable. There are various ways of phrasing a hypothesis, but all the terms you use should have clear definitions, and the hypothesis should contain:
- The relevant variables
- The specific group being studied
- The predicted outcome of the experiment or analysis
5. Phrase your hypothesis in three ways
To identify the variables, you can write a simple prediction in if…then form. The first part of the sentence states the independent variable and the second part states the dependent variable.
In academic research, hypotheses are more commonly phrased in terms of correlations or effects, where you directly state the predicted relationship between variables.
If you are comparing two groups, the hypothesis can state what difference you expect to find between them.
6. Write a null hypothesis
If your research involves statistical hypothesis testing , you will also have to write a null hypothesis . The null hypothesis is the default position that there is no association between the variables. The null hypothesis is written as H 0 , while the alternative hypothesis is H 1 or H a .
- H 0 : The number of lectures attended by first-year students has no effect on their final exam scores.
- H 1 : The number of lectures attended by first-year students has a positive effect on their final exam scores.
Research question | Hypothesis | Null hypothesis |
---|---|---|
What are the health benefits of eating an apple a day? | Increasing apple consumption in over-60s will result in decreasing frequency of doctor’s visits. | Increasing apple consumption in over-60s will have no effect on frequency of doctor’s visits. |
Which airlines have the most delays? | Low-cost airlines are more likely to have delays than premium airlines. | Low-cost and premium airlines are equally likely to have delays. |
Can flexible work arrangements improve job satisfaction? | Employees who have flexible working hours will report greater job satisfaction than employees who work fixed hours. | There is no relationship between working hour flexibility and job satisfaction. |
How effective is high school sex education at reducing teen pregnancies? | Teenagers who received sex education lessons throughout high school will have lower rates of unplanned pregnancy teenagers who did not receive any sex education. | High school sex education has no effect on teen pregnancy rates. |
What effect does daily use of social media have on the attention span of under-16s? | There is a negative between time spent on social media and attention span in under-16s. | There is no relationship between social media use and attention span in under-16s. |
If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
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A hypothesis is not just a guess — it should be based on existing theories and knowledge. It also has to be testable, which means you can support or refute it through scientific research methods (such as experiments, observations and statistical analysis of data).
Null and alternative hypotheses are used in statistical hypothesis testing . The null hypothesis of a test always predicts no effect or no relationship between variables, while the alternative hypothesis states your research prediction of an effect or relationship.
Hypothesis testing is a formal procedure for investigating our ideas about the world using statistics. It is used by scientists to test specific predictions, called hypotheses , by calculating how likely it is that a pattern or relationship between variables could have arisen by chance.
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McCombes, S. (2023, November 20). How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/hypothesis/
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Writing a Hypothesis Worksheet & Answers
Subject: Primary science
Age range: 11-14
Resource type: Worksheet/Activity
Last updated
29 October 2022
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*** Worksheet + Answers Set, made for teachers to just print & go!***
This worksheet focuses on writing hypotheses for scientific reports.
It can be used as a lesson supplement or set for homework for students to complete as the steps and examples of writing a hypothesis are included.
Check out my other scientific report writing skills worksheets in my TES store!!!
*This activity was structured using teaching programs, ensuring its alignment to the Australian NSW NESA syllabus and learning outcomes. Such outcomes include SC4-8WS and SC4-9WS from the Stage 4 Science Syllabus.
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Writing a Science Report Skills Bundle
**Science Report Skills Worksheet Bundle + Answers Set!** Clear the confusion and misconceptions around writing scientific reports for students! The lessons include a teacher-guided component and an activity for students to practice their skills along with a sample answer set for teachers to print, teach and go! This bundle includes worksheets on writing- 1. Aim 2. Hypothesis 3. Materials & Risk Assessment 4. Variables 5. Method 6. Choosing the right graph 7. Assessing reliability, accuracy & validity 8. Bibliography For more awesome worksheets, check out the other items on my TES store! *This activity was structured using teaching programs, ensuring its alignment to the Australian NSW NESA syllabus and learning outcomes. Such outcomes include SC4-8WS and SC4-9WS from the Stage 4 Science Syllabus.
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hypothesis. The important steps will be writing a hypothesis, judging whether or not your hypothesis is supported by the results of the experiment, and considering new hypotheses for future testing. The boxes below provide background information to help you write a hypothesis. EXPErimEnt Science Skills—Hypotheses
Students learn the essential elements of a scientific hypothesis and learn to identify whether or not a statement contains these essential elements. Additionally, students learn to write a detailed procedure for a science experiment.
A hypothesis is a(n) educated guess or prediction. An independent variable is what is changed in an experiment. A dependent variable is what is measured in an experiment.
Students will learn how to identify and write effective hypotheses. Students will use game play to write an appropriate hypothesis for an experiment. Students will identify and utilize the tools necessary to design a scientific investigation.
Practice writing a scientific hypothesis with this engaging, no-prep, activity! Project one question at a time as students rotate through multiple partners to write a great hypothesis. Don't want to use the carousel method?
A hypothesis is an idea about how something works that can be tested using experiments. A prediction says what will happen in an experiment if the hypothesis is correct.
Practice writing a scientific hypothesis with this engaging, no-prep, activity! Project one question at a time as students rotate through multiple partners to write a great hypothesis. Don't want to use the carousel method?
A hypothesis is a statement that can be tested by scientific research. If you want to test a relationship between two or more variables, you need to write hypotheses before you start your experiment or data collection. Example: Hypothesis. Daily apple consumption leads to fewer doctor’s visits.
Our How To Write a Hypothesis Activity for 3rd-5th Grade has been designed to help you and your students participate in exciting scientific experiments in school. The activity helps students understand and write a hypothesis.
This worksheet focuses on writing hypotheses for scientific reports. It can be used as a lesson supplement or set for homework for students to complete as the steps and examples of writing a hypothesis are included.