Part 2: Writing Hypotheses
Directions: Read each scenario and then write a hypothesis using clues from the reading.

  1. The Effects of Front Row Seating on Science Grades

Scenario: Ryan was grounded by his parents because he received a D in science class. He wondered if moving his seat to the front of the class would help him pay attention in class and raise his grade. He predicted that if he could raise his grade to a C if he moved from the back of the room to the front row of the class.

Your Hypothesis: ______

______

  1. The Effect of Carbohydrates and Weight

Scenario: Hypothesis Bob wondered if eliminating all carbohydrates from his diet would help him lose weight. He weighed himself on Monday, then ate no food high in carbs for 7 days. He re-weighed himself the following Monday expecting that his weight would be the same as the previous week.

Your Hypothesis: ______

______

  1. The Effect of Detentions on Homework

Scenario: Hypothesis Bob predicted that giving detentions for missing homework would lower the amount ofhomework missed in his local middle school. He recorded the number of missed homework for 30 days,then the school agreed to assign detentions for each missed homework assignment. He then comparedthe numbers to see if the policy had any effect.

Your Hypothesis: ______

______

Part 3: Variables Practice

Directions: Read the following scenarios and complete the questions that accompany them in complete sentences.

Smithers thinks that a special juice will increase the productivity of workers. He creates two groups of 50 workers each and assigns each group the same task (in this case, they're supposed to staple a set of papers). Group A is given the special juice to drink while they work. Group B is not given the special juice. After an hour, Smithers counts how many stacks of papers each group has made. Group A made 1,587 stacks, Group B made 2,113 stacks.

1. Identify the Control Group ______

2. Indentify the Independent Variable ______

3. Identify the Dependent Variable ______

4. What should Smithers' conclusion be? ______

  1. How could this experiment be improved? ______

Homer notices that his shower is covered in a strange green slime. His friend Barney tells him that coconut juice will get rid of the green slime. Homer decides to check this out by spraying half of the shower with coconut juice. He sprays the other half of the shower with water. After 3 days of "treatment" there is no change in the appearance of the green slime on either side of the shower.

6. What was the initial observation? ______

7. Identify the Control Group ______

8. Identify the Independent Variable ______

9. Identify the Dependent Variable ______

10. What should Homer's conclusion be? ______

Bart believes that mice exposed to microwaves will become extra strong (maybe he's been reading too much Radioactive Man). He decides to perform this experiment by placing 10 mice in a microwave for 10 seconds. He compared these 10 mice to another 10 mice that had not been exposed. His test consisted of a heavy block of wood that blocked the mouse food. He found that 8 out of 10 of the microwaved mice were able to push the block away. 7 out of 10 of the non-microwaved mice were able to do the same.

11. Identify the Control Group ______

12. Identify the Independent Variable ______

13. Identify the Dependent Variable ______

14. What should Bart's conclusion be? ______

15. How could Bart's experiment be improved? ______

Krusty was told that a certain itching powder was the newest best thing on the market, it even claims to cause 50% longer lasting itches. Interested in this product, he buys the itching powder and compares it to his usual product. One test subject (A) is sprinkled with the original itching powder, and another test subject (B) was sprinkled with the Experimental itching powder. Subject A reported having itches for 30 minutes. Subject B reported to have itches for 45 minutes.

16. Identify the Control Group ______

17. Identify the Independent Variable ______

18. Identify the Dependent Variable ______

19. Explain whether the data supports the advertisements claims about its product. ______

______

Part 4: Wrapping It Up

Directions: Read the following questions and complete the questions.

How Penicillin Was Discovered

In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming was studying Staphylococcus bacteria growing in culture dishes. He noticed that a mold called Penicillium was also growing in some of the dishes. A clear area existed around the mold because all the bacteria that had grown in this area had died. In the culture dishes without the mold, no clear areas were present.Fleming hypothesized that the mold must be producing a chemical that killed the bacteria. He decided to isolate this substance and test it to see if it would kill bacteria. Fleming transferred the mold to a nutrient broth solution. This solution contained all the materials the mold needed to grow. After the mold grew, he removed it from the nutrient broth. Fleming then added the nutrient broth in which the mold had grown to a culture of bacteria. He observed that the bacteria died.

  1. Identify the problem. ______

______

  1. What was Fleming's hypothesis? ______

______

  1. How was the hypothesis tested? What were the variables? ______

______

______

  1. Should the hypothesis be supported or rejected based on the experiment? ______

______

  1. This experiment lead to the development of what major medical advancement?______