Hypothesizing and discrepant events

The unexpected often happens in the natural world. These unexpected events fly in the face of common sense or what we think we know. These type of unexpected events that have logical explanations are called discrepancies or discrepant events. We must take time for thoughtful observations, logical inferences, careful identification of variables and hypothesizing.

Bobbing cans

Predict and test to see what will happen to 2 types of canned pop when placed in water.

Materials:

· Aquarium filled with water

· Unopened diet and regular pop in cans

1. Predict what will happen when two cans of pop are placed in an aquarium filled with water.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Place the cans of pop in the aquarium.

3. Write observations, inferences, variables, and a hypothesis below.

Observations

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inferences:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Variables:

Manipulating: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Responding:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlled:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis:

If___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________then_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Some think it’s hot

Predict and test to see if temperatures vary between a cup of BB’s and a cup of beans.

Materials:

· Cup of half full BB’s

· Cup of hall full of beans

· Thermometer

1. Predict which is colder – a cup half full of BB’s or a cup half full of beans.

______________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________2. Place one finger in each cup and record your observations.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. Measure the temperature of each cup. Record your observations.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________4. Write observations, inferences, variables, and a hypothesis below.

Observations

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inferences:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Variables:

Manipulating: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responding:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlled:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis:

A bag with holes

Predict and then test to see what will happen when you poke two holes with one pencil into a plastic bag fully filled with water.

Materials:

· Plastic ziplock bag

· Water

· pencil

1. Fill your bag with water to the top and zip it closed. What do you think will happen when you poke a pencil into the bag so that it sticks out at two ends (leave it in)? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Poke the pencil through the bag so that it sticks out at two ends.

3. Write observations, inferences, variables, and a hypothesis below.

Observations

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inferences:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Variables:

Manipulating: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responding:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlled:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis:

Paper Towel Roll-up

Predict and test the absorbency of two paper towels when placed in water.

Materials:

· Stack of paper towels

· Water

· 2 400 mL beakers

1. Take two paper towels from the stack. You should have a plain sheet and a patterned sheet. Which towel do you think will absorb more water? Why?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Fill each beaker half full with water. Roll each paper towel into a cylinder. Place one towel in beaker A and the other in beaker B.

3. Write observations, inferences, variables, and a hypothesis below.

Observations

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inferences:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Variables:

Manipulating: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responding:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlled:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis:

Which grape is heavier?

Predict and test to see what will happen to 2 grapes – one with peel and one without

Materials:

· Fresh grapes

· 7-Up

· beaker

1. Peel one grape and fill the beaker with 7-Up.

2. Predict what will happen when the two grapes are released in the beaker with 7-UP

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Drop both grapes in and observe what happens.

4. Think about the following questions?

a. Which grape is lighter in weight?

b. What makes one of the grapes float? Why?

c. What property does the grape peel have?

5. Write observations, inferences, variables, and a hypothesis below.

Observations

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inferences:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Variables:

Manipulating: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responding:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlled:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis:

Floating ball

Predict and test to see what will happen with a ping pong ball in funnel (open, wider end facing ceiling) when you blow air through it

Materials:

· Ping pong ball

· Funnel

1. Predict what will happen when you blow air through a funnel with a ping pong ball in it. How high will the ball go?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Place ping pong ball in funnel. Blow air through it. Hold the wider end of funnel facing the ceiling.

3. Think about the following questions:

a. Why do you think the ball behaved the way it did?

b. What scientific principles would explain this behaviour?

4. Write observations, inferences, variables, and a hypothesis below.

Observations

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inferences:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Variables:

Manipulating: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responding:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlled:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis:

Full of hot air!

Predict and test to see what will happen to a ping pong ball when placed in stream of hot air.

Materials:

· Hair dryer

· Ping pong ball

1. Predict what will happen when you place a ping pong ball in a stream of hot air from a blow dryer that is vertically placed upward.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Place the ping pong ball in the stream of hot air

3. Write observations, inferences, variables, and a hypothesis below.

Observations

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inferences:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Variables:

Manipulating: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responding:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlled:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis:

Sinking ice – teacher demo

Predict and test to see what ice is placed in two liquids

Materials:

· 2 bottles with liquids

· 2 ice cubes

· 2 beakers

1. Predict what will happen when ice cubes are placed in the two liquids.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Place one ice cube in each liquid.

3. Write observations, inferences, variables, and a hypothesis below.

Observations

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inferences:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Variables:

Manipulating: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responding:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlled:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis:

Does paper fall like a book?

Predict and test to see what happens when one sheet of paper is dropped at the same time as several sheets bound in a book.

Materials:

· Book

· Sheet of paper

1. Predict what will happen when a piece of paper is dropped at the same time as a book.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Place the piece of paper on top of the book and let them go.

3.Write observations, inferences, variables, and a hypothesis below.

Observations

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inferences:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Variables:

Manipulating: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responding:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlled:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis:

Colourful liquids

Predict and test to see what happens when various clear liquids are mixed together

Materials:

· Liquid A

· Liquid B

· Liquid C

· Spotting plate

1. Predict what will happen when liquid A is mixed with B, C is added to A and C is added to B

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2.. Complete the three combinations.

3. Write observations, inferences, variables, and a hypothesis below.

Observations

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inferences:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Variables:

Manipulating: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responding:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlled:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis:

Upside down!

Predict and test to see what happens when a baby food jar filled with water and covered with an index card is turned upside down.

Materials:

· Babyfood jar

· Index card

· water

1. Predict what will happen when a baby food jar is filled with water, covered with the index card and then turned upside down.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Write observations, inferences, variables, and a hypothesis below.

Observations

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inferences:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Variables:

Manipulating: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responding:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlled:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesis: