Assignment #9: Complete the 4 part assignment format as you read, reflect, and respond to Chapter 9: Generating and Testing Hypotheses.
Remember: Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part C and D. We’re trying to make the blog easier to read and more user- friendly. Thanks!
A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of Generating and Testing Hypotheses in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter.
B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 9 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section of Generating and Testing Hypotheses.
C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may share how you would use this strategy in your classroom) – please post a brief reflection of how this went to the posting labeled Week Nine: Generating and Testing Hypotheses.
D. Final Strategy Reflection: A sequence of questions posted below asks you to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post a brief reflection of how this went to the posting labeled Week Nine: Generating and Testing Hypotheses.
How has the information you read in this chapter on Generating and Testing Hypotheses effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:
• How might I change how use Generating and Testing Hypotheses in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about Generating and Testing Hypotheses?
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C. Recently, in my science class, as my students were preparing to start their state mandated science work samples(inquiry lab), we did a small lesson/assignment on the scientific method.
The scientific method is usually thought of as a rigid, science-only process that scientists follow step-by-step to solve complex science problems.
I teach the scientific method rather as an approach that is followed closely, but not in a super rigid fashion.
Anywho, the point I make with my lesson is that the scientific method is not this ivory tower, brainiac scientisty type thing...but that we use it to solve EVERY day to day problem we face.
I give the kids examples of every day problems that they come across..
-what to buy with their allowance
-how to tie their shoes
-why won't my flashlight work?
-why did my bf/gf dump me and go out with my best friend?
As I give examples, I explain how they would use the scientific method to solve them. I make the examples more and more ridiculous, and as I progress, I have the students start formulating how each step of the scientific method would be used to solve it.
In the end, after convincing them that ANY problem can be solved using it, whether they do it consciously or not, I have them come up with their own problem, they form a hypothesis about how to solve it, explain how they would test the hypothesis, create an outcome, and propose explanations for their outcome at the end.
All in all, I feel the lesson worked very well, and is something I need to use more in the future.
As a science teacher, I already address hypothesis generation and testing pretty heavily (for their state inquiry lab), but definitely see this as a subject that I need to bring up and approach more throughout the year.
Something that middle school students REALLY struggle with is problem solving. Focusing on forming and testing hypotheses throughout the year would hopefully help them overcome this problem.
C. Practice
I really wanted to think outside my box and try to use this hypotheses approach in something other than a science lesson, no such luck. I struggled to figure out how to do that with kindergartners. If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.
What I ended up doing was using my sink and float unit and doing an experiment lesson.
I put students into groups of four and gave each one of them a ball of clay. I asked them to use what we had learned about surface area and mass to figure out what kind of shape/form to make with their clay to get it to float.
I made a big chart and had a spot for each group to record information. As a whole group we got together to test out their creations. Before each group's clay was added to the tub of water I had them share why they chose to create the shape they made. Once we tested it we then revisited the hypotheses of all the groups and tried to come up with a clear statement to explain what makes the clay sink or float.
This lesson was tons of fun and the class got really involved in the outcomes. I feel like these sorts of lessons allow students to use their metacognition to in the end better understand the material. I could do the experiment for them whole group and show them what to do but they would never learn as much as they did having to explain their reasoning to the class.
It was also fun for all levels of students to see that we all have to "guess"/hypothesize before we learn how anything really works. Making predictions and then diving in and testing them is what learning is all about.
Generating and testing hypotheses
c. I tried the idea of generating and testing hypotheses with solving a problem. One of my students was having a hard time sitting down and paying attention in class. I talked with him about the problem, and then instead of coming up with a solution for him, I had him come up with his own solution to try. He decided that we would use a timer and would focus on following the rules for five minutes at a time. If he was able to follow the rules, the whole group would get credit towards are learning game time at the end of class. His hypotheses was that if he only needed to concentrate for five minutes at a time, he would be more successful.
At the end of the first class the whole group was giving this boy high fives for behaving so well. This is from a boy who has severe ODD and rarely stays on task for more than a few minutes at a time. Everyone wanted to know if we could try the idea next time we got together. We have been doing this new program for a week, and this student has been a model student all week. Although it takes a bit of effort on my part to make sure we give him positive attention every five minutes, my life has become 100 times easier and the whole group stays much more on task during our lessons.
d. I would like to continue to use generating and testing hypotheses with students who are having difficulties. I have found that when students come up with their own solutions to test they are much more invested in the outcome. It was interesting to apply this to a social problem, and I think could also be applied to students who are struggling in a class or on taking tests.
C. When beginning a unit about the Spanish conquest of Latin America in my Spanish 2 classes, I opened by providing a list of the conditions under which the Spaniards conquered the natives, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses on each side, but without telling students who I was describing or in what historical context. I wanted them to understand that given the set of circumstances and human nature, the same thing could have occurred and has occurred in other times and places. After providing the set of circumstances, I asked them to make predictions about what would happen when the two cultures came into contact with each other. We had quite a discussion, and debate I might add, about what is defined as “human nature”. The students had many views on this. Is mankind inherently good or evil? A mixture of both perhaps? I’ll leave that for them to decide… The students broke into groups, made their hypotheses, and then shared with the class. Only after that did I start talking about the Aztecs and the Spanish, pointing out that their predictions had been accurate in many areas, and flawed in some. I found that after hypothesizing with them at such length, there was little explanation required of the reasons behind what happened and we could focus on the historical facts without students becoming defensive or overly appalled by what had happened. It came as no surprise to them given the circumstances. It was obvious that the students made personal connections with the events as they could pat themselves on the backs for at least partially predicting the outcome. They were also quite heated in their perceptions about what could have been different and so forth. I then pointed out many circumstances in which similar scenarios have played out. Great discussion and framework!
D. I will definitely try to use this framework as much as possible when discussion social problems and historical events, which we do a lot in the upper levels, even in the target language. I understand that while presenting students with information in a regurgitated form is sometimes necessary, it’s best to find ways for them to link to it personally, even if this is as simple as them being able to say “I knew that would happen”. Once the events seem logical to them, they will be able to assimilate them into their memory banks with less effort or “rote memorization” of facts.
Hi all! I loved the way Henry stated that he shows his students that we use the "Scientific Method" to solve everyday problems...not just some highly scientific problems.
Carrah - you generate and test predictions everyday when you read with your Kindergarteners and ask them to make predictions and support those predictions with information from the text. We ask our students to hypothesize (predict) a certain characters future action based on what they already know about the character.
D. Reflection
This chapter really got me thinking about how I use hypotheses' in my classroom. I never really was making that connection in most of my lessons outside of scientific exploration. I now know that I use this process every day. I loved how Henry taught his class that we use this process to solve our every day problems. I know I specifically teach this strategy in reading but I never really saw it as a hypotheses. It has been interesting to change the window I view my instruction through.
I am a strong believer in never answering a question directly. I always guide my students to solve their own problems and to explore many options. I think in the end I am just more clear on how the vocabulary is used to explain what I already do. It's interesting be reminded that I am teaching them strategies that they will carry with them to work with more challenging content in the future.
WOW! What an awesome idea Sascha! I hope that everyone reads your comment - using "generating and testing hypotheses" to help control discipline problems! Very creative and obviously effective. You were able to give the child control over his own behaviors as well as provide positive reinforcement form his peer group. You should take this idea "on the road". :)
And Carrah - I loved the way you used "generating and testing hypotheses to generate discussion around social problems and a historical event. In using this strategy, your children had purpose for reading the text. It's amazing how much this strategy can be used when you think outside the box...
and you've all done a great job!
Suzie Kabeiseman - Generating and Testing Hypotheses
First let me be another to chime in on Sacha's idea of using this method with a dicipline problem. My brain went into overdrive as to how I too can apply this to several of the students I work with. So great when the ideas are student driven. Nice.
Also loved the idea of a chart for learning math facts. I may use it for my own kids. There is no fancy way around learning those facts. I think they just have to be memorized.
C. Hard to get an in debth hypotheses lesson in 25 minutes, once a week. I tweeked the concept and used the process for a vocabulary lesson that led to the ability to perform a skill on the computer.
In a recent, and brief, lesson in the computer lab I was having my 3rd grade students work on a proofreading web site. (power proofreading, http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/k_5/proofread/proof.htm) I was introducing the lesson and how important it is to practice editing/going over/correcting/fixing/proofreading what we write.
The crux of the lesson was an understanding of the term "proofreading." Most, if not all, of students did no know what it meant. (Title 1 building) Using a variety of language to describe the same thing helped the students prepare for the task they were given. Since many did not know what the term proofread meant they had to hypothesize the answer based on the information and discussion that ensued. This was deductive in nature and primarily a teacher driven inquiry.
This was super quick, but through the discussion, then demonstration, and exposure to a variety of language their understanding helped them to do the practice efficiently and effectively.
D. This process seems like it could be called teaching through inquiry too. Is that right? I think making students think, question with peers and through their own writing is so important and valuable. I will continue to do this. It certainly makes teaching more interesting and allows for the students to have a better experience learning as well.
Also, on all my "big" humanities assignments I had clear expectations and rubrics that the students were able to use and follow. Having clear criteria is so important for the kids and makes grading SO much easier.
I am so impressed with the way everyone used generating and testing hypotheses in different subject areas. Student management, problem solving, history...Wow. I love how Karen introduced her lesson with two cultures, no names, and let the students predict from there. I will definitely be trying that with the explorers and the native americans. The students would be so much more involved. After reading all of your great practices, I am feeling a bit silly, but I will blame it on this terrible cold I have been wrestling with for a week. Thanks for all your great ideas.
Chapter 9
C.
One unit of study in fourth grade is plants. One thing we learn is what a plant needs to grow. It is a very simple system and they quickly memorize what a plant needs. We generally move on from there. Frequently in the younger grades they have already learned this system and even sprouted beans, and planted seeds.
After reading chapter nine I got to thinking that this simple system, which I teach at the beginning of the year, would be a great starting step to generating and testing hypotheses. The students feel comfortable with the system. They are feeling smart. Therefore, introducing generating and testing a hypotheses under positive conditions would be beneficial.
I would use the systems analysis. I would provide them with the general framework:
1. Write the purpose of the system.
The parts of the system.
The function of each part.
2. Describe how the parts affect each other.
3. Identify a part, describe a change in that part, and then hypothesize what would happen.
4. Test it.
Since the system is basic we could test their hypotheses. I think it would be fun, engaging and understandable. Great for the beginning of the year. Sometimes the term hypotheses can overwhelm students, but if they have a positive start than it is less likely.
D.
I have broadened my knowledge of generating and testing a hypothesis. I use it frequently in science. I use problem solving frequently as well. I have not extended it to historical investigation, or to decision making, but I am looking forward to trying it.
Chapter nine has reinforced how open ended generating and testing a hypotheses is, and how it allows for deeper level thinking and knowledge. It reminded me of how proud students look and feel when they are testing their own ideas, and that feeling of empowerment is one thing we want to provide our students with.
It seems like you all were able to really learn a lot from each other with this strategy. Karen you're right it is like teaching through the Inquiry Process...and thanks to both Karen and Carrah for adding their ideas (vocabulary and true science inquiry) to the pool!
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