Writing a testable hypothesis What observations did you

Writing a testable hypothesis

What observations did you make about the koi fish?

Starts with observations. Observations turn into questions.

A hypothesis … • a complete sentence • an educated guess based on an observation or prior knowledge • includes an explanation of why a guess may be correct • is testable • AKA a claim

Hypothesis have 3 parts IF • What is being done to test the question THEN • Prediction of what will occur BECAUSE • Justifies why it occurred

Writing a hypothesis Question: What will happen to potatoes when soaked in water? Potatoes soaked in water overnight will increase in size because water is entering the potatoes cells via osmosis. If, then, because? Testable?

Testing a hypothesis • Experiment • Cause & effect relationships • Has a control, independent variable, & dependent variable • Investigation • Question driven • Doesn’t have to have a hypothesis

A procedure is… • a set of steps in a experiment or investigation • used to collect evidence to evaluate a claim Ødetailed enough that another person could replicate it

Procedures often have a… • Control group • Independent variable • Dependent variable

Parts of a procedure • Variable- what is being measured • Ex: height, weight, time, reactivity etc. Types: • Independent variable- variable that stands alone & isn’t change by other variables being studied • Examples: time, age • Dependent variable- variable that changes based on other factors • Examples: height, weight

Practice Sponge. Bob Clean Pants Sponge. Bob noticed that his favorite pants were not as clean as they used to be. His friend Sandy told him that he should try using Clean-O detergent, a new laundry soap she found at Sail. Mart. Sponge. Bob made sure to wash one pair of pants in plain water and another pair in water with the Clean-O detergent. After washing both pairs of pants a total of three times, the pants washed in the Clean –O detergent did not appear to be any cleaner that the pants washed in plain water.

How to determine if a hypothesis is valid • Data supports the THEN statement of the hypothesis • Repeat experiment or investigation and get same results