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While doing my middle school rotation, I noticed that a lot of students struggle with how to identify and formulate a hypothesis. The following lesson will focus on what a hypothesis is, as well as giving students the opportunity to practice writing a hypothesis.
This lesson will involve using discipline specific words- what the word hypothesis means, and texts students write that are specific to the discipline- students will be writing a hypothesis using scientific evidence as support.
This lesson is designed to be used in a middle school science classroom.
Now Lets Practice!!
The teacher will discuss each of these examples with the students, and clarify where students might have questions.
It is important for the teacher to check for student understanding of this portion of the lesson before moving on to the next portion. If necessary, the teacher will provide additional examples of each of the 3 ways to write a hypothesis.
Students will now practice writing their own hypotheses. They will watch a short video from an episode of Myth Busters about forces, mass, and acceleration, three related topics that are discussed in an 8th grade physics class.
On the other side/inside of each flap, there will be a teacher generated example:
1. If you get 7 hours of sleep the night before an exam, then you will do better on the test because your brain will be more rested.
2. When you stay up all night before an exam, then you will be more tired the next morning and do poorly on the exam.
3. I think it is important to get a good night's rest before an exam because sleep is one of the most important parts of information storage in your brain.
The following video will be used:
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=r8E5dUnLmh4
**if link does not work, search Myth Busters- car crash force on you tube. The video is 5:46 in length
The 3 examples of how to write a hypothesis that will be listed on the foldable are:
The teacher will show the students the first minute and 30 seconds of the video clip, and then pause the video. Students will then have to generate a hypothesis based on the following question:
1. If/then statement: If_______, then_______.
2. When/then: When_______ happens, then _______.
3. I/because: I think _______ because________.
When the cars collide while both traveling at 50mph, Do you think the cars will look more like the car that hits the wall at 50mph, 100mph, or somewhere in between?
The foldable will be designed/laid out as such:
What is a Hypothesis?
The paper will be folded in half (like a greeting card) and then the "front" of the foldable will be cut into 3 different sections. On the front of each flap there will be a general example of a way to formulate a hypothesis. On the other side of the flap (when you open up the flap) there will be an example created by the teacher that shows how to use each of the general examples. To the right of the teacher example (on the other side of the paper) the students will use this space to practice formulating their own hypothesis.
After students have copied down the definition, discussed the meaning behind it, and the teacher has checked for understanding by asking students to re-state the definition in their own words, the class will move on to the rest of the foldable.
Students will be allowed to work with a partner. They will generate a hypothesis, but will write it 3 different ways using the 3 examples on the foldable.
They will be reminded to use what they already know about forces, mass, and acceleration, because a scientific hypothesis is generated using background knowledge to support ones argument.
After the students have written their hypotheses, they will share as a class to see what different pairs of students have come up with.
During this time, the teacher will be able to gauge student understanding based on the quality of the hypothesis that the students generated.
The next portion of the foldable will focus on specific examples of how to write a hypothesis.
After students copy down the definition, the teacher will expand on the meaning behind the definition. She will ask for students to respond and put into words what they think the definition of a hypothesis is in order to check for student understanding.
Hypothesis:
An idea or explanation that is studied and tested through experimentation. It is something more than a wild guess, but is less than a well established theory.
A Hypothesis is an educated guess, which means that it uses background information in order to support the argument or claim
***This is what students will write down at the top of the foldable and discuss
After students have shared and discussed the hypotheses they have generated, the teacher will show the remainder of the video so the students can find out whether or not they were correct.
Next, the teacher will pass out a piece of paper that the students will make into a foldable. On this foldable, the teacher has created a few scaffolded examples of ways to write a hypothesis. At the top of the folbable is the Title "How to form a Hypothesis" Directly underneath this title is the word "hypothesis", along with blank space next to it. The teacher will project on the board using the LCD projector a definition of the word hypothesis and ask students to copy it down on the foldable. The teacher will read the definition out loud as well for auditory learners.
The final portion of the lesson will involve reflection. With a partner, students will discuss whether or not their hypothesis was correct, and why.
Students will then participate in a class discussion to reflect on whether or not their hypothesis was correct, as well as whether or not they could have done anything else to help improve their hypothesis.
The teacher will remind students that it is OKAY if their hypothesis was not correct. Not all hypotheses will be correct. The important part of the hypothesis is how the student used background knowledge to support their claim
At the end of the lesson, the teacher will encourage the students to keep this folable in their notebook in a place that is easily accessible, because they will be referring to it often throughout the school year.
As the school year progresses, the students will continue to practice writing hypothesis, in hopes that they will need to reference the foldable less and less and their ability to write a solid hypothesis will improve.
Upon completion of this lesson, students will have focused on the following 2 components of the Discourse Analysis:
1. Discipline Specific Words: Hypothesis
2. Texts students write that are specific to the discipline:
Generating their own hypothesis through written practice.
How is it similar to a prediction?
How is it different?
Students will do a think-pair-share in order to answer these questions. They will be given 3-5 minutes to think and write down their thoughts. Next, they will turn to a partner and share their answers. Then the students will share with the teacher and rest of the class. The teacher will write student responses on the board in the front of the classroom
Objectives:
Students will be able to identify components of a scientific hypothesis
Students will complete a foldable about making hypotheses using their knowledge of physics concepts.
Students will make observations while watching a Mythbusters physics video in order to write a hypothesis about what will happen next in the video