What’s on Tap for Today (Our Learning Goals): Utilize technology to enhance students’ ability to make and test hypotheses Reflection on this PDS experience Discussion Board/Lesson Plans for Grant Stipend

Generating and Testing Hypotheses

Let’s Look at What the Research Says: Category Average Effect Size Percentile Gain Number of Studies Identifying Similarities & Differences Summarizing & Note Taking Reinforcing Effort & Providing Recognition Homework & Practice Nonlinguistic Representation Cooperative Learning Setting Objectives & Providing Feedback Generating & Testing Hypotheses Cues, Questions, & Advance Organizers

CATEGORYMcREL DEFINITION Generating and Testing Hypotheses Enhance students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge by engaging then in mental processes that involve making and testing hypotheses

Which strategies will help students practice, review, and apply that knowledge? Where does Generating and Testing Hypotheses Fit In? Which strategies will provide evidence that students have learned that knowledge? What knowledge will students learn? Which strategies will help students acquire and integrate that knowledge?

What Does the Research Say About Generating and Testing Hypotheses? 1. It can be approached in two ways: A. Deductive (.60 effect size) B. Inductive (.40 effect size) Let’s look at the difference between the two….

Deductive Thinking Deductive thinking is the process of using a general rule to make a prediction about a future event or action. “Top-Down” approach Isn’t just for science teachers Example: if the Pythagorean theorem is true, student can use a 2 +b 2 =c 2 to deduce the length of the sides of a right triangle. This approach works well when teachers need all students to discover and discuss the same information. It’s usually narrow in nature and tests/confirms the hypothesis

Inductive Thinking Inductive thinking is the process of drawing new conclusions based on information we know or are presented with. “Bottom-Up” approach Open-ended and exploratory Starts with specific observations; identifying patterns/regularities; developing hypotheses; inference of a general law or theorem This approach many result in many different observations and conclusions.

What Does the Research Say About Generating and Testing Hypotheses? 1. It can be approached in two ways: A. Deductive (.60 effect size) B. Inductive (.40 effect size) 2. Regardless of method used, teachers should ask students to clearly explain their hypotheses and their conclusions Explaining thinking deepens the student’s understanding of the principles being applied; clears up misconceptions

Recommendations for Classroom Practice: Generating and Testing Hypotheses 1. Make sure students can explain their hypotheses and conclusions. Have students complete sentence stems such as, “If I try _____, then _____ will happen.” Provide students with templates for reporting or explaining their work. The grading rubric for an assignment can include “quality of explanation” as a criterion.

Recommendations for Classroom Practice: Generating and Testing Hypotheses Systems Analysis Problem Solving 2. Use a variety of structured tasks to guide students through generating and testing hypotheses. Six types of tasks that employ hypotheses generation and testing are: Decision Making Experimental Inquiry Invention Historical Investigation

Decision Making Incorporating the use of a structured decision-making framework to help examine results of hypothesis testing 1. Describe the decision you are making and the alternatives you are considering. 2. Identify the criteria that will influence the selection and indicate the relative importance of the criteria by assigning an importance score. 3. Rate each alternative on a designated scale to indicate the extent to which each alternative meets each criterion. 4. For each alternative, multiply the importance score and the rating and then add the products to assign a score for the alternative.

Decision-Making Resources Decision Matrix (.pdf) Decision Matrix with calculations (.xls) MarcoPolo

Systems Analysis Activities that ask students to evaluate the parts of a system and generate hypotheses to predict changes if a part of the system was altered. 1. Explain the purpose of the system, the parts of the system 2. Describe how the parts affect each other 3. Identify a part of the system, describe a change in that part, and then hypothesize what would happen as a result of this change 4. When possible, test your hypothesis by actually changing the part of by using a simulation to change the part.

Systems Analysis Resources MarcoPolo UEN Themepark Biology Corner (moth simulation; environmental simulation SmogCity

Historical Investigation Having students create reasonable scenarios of past events for which there is no general agreement 1. Clearly describe the historical event to be examined 2. Identify what is known or agreed on and what is not known or about which there is disagreement. 3. Based on what you understand about the situation, offer a hypothetical scenario 4. Seek out an analyze evidence to determine if your hypothetical scenario if plausible.

Historical Investigations Resources The American Memory Project/Library of Congress The American Memory Project/Library of Congress (using pdf files of old documents to study historical events Smithsonian: You Be the Historian Making History (pre-WWII scenarios) Plimoth Plantation’s You Are the Historian MarcoPolo

Problem Solving Using their knowledge of concepts related to the problem, students evaluate different approaches to a solution and then generate and test their hypotheses 1. Identify the goal you are trying to accomplish 2. Describe the barriers or constraints that are preventing you from achieving your goal. That are creating the problem. 3. Identify different solutions for overcoming the barriers or constraints and hypothesize which solution is likely to work. 4. Try your solution-either in reality or through a simulation 5. Explain whether your hypothesis is correct

Problem-Solving Resources MarcoPolo Amusement Park Physics Bridge-Building Activities

Invention Posing an existing problem to students that requires them to develop a solution to the problem. Invention often leads to the generation and testing of multiple hypotheses 1. Describe a situation you want to improve or a need to which you want to respond. 2. Identify specific standards for the invention that would improve the situation or would meet the need. 3. Brainstorm ideas and hypothesize the likelihood that they will work. 4. When your hypothesis suggests that a specific idea might work, begin to draft, sketch, or actually create the invention. 5. Develop your invention to the point where you can test your hypothesis. 6. If necessary, revise your invention until it reaches the standards you have set.

Invention Resources Invention at Play Kids’ Design Network (can seek advice from an engineer) MarcoPolo Lego League/Robotics Competitions EggDrop

Experimental Inquiry “The Scientific Method”--Creating activities that promote student use of the scientific method across all disciplines 1. Observe something of interest to you and describe what you observe (Why does the water in a pool seem warmer than the air after a thunderstorm?) 2. Apply specific theories or rules to explain what you have observed. 3. Based on your explanation, generate a hypothesis to predict what would happen if you applied the theories or rules to what you observed or to a situation related to what you observed. 4. Set up an experiment or engage in an activity to test your hypothesis. 5. Explain the results of our experiment or activity. Decide if your hypothesis was correct and if you need to conduct additional experiments or activities or if you need to generate and test and alternative hypothesis.

Experimental Inquiry Resources Catapult Simulation Scientific Probes and PDAs MarcoPolo Genetics Simulation Planet Impact