Scientific Method Blog Post
1. I think the student may be falling asleep in class because he isn't getting enough sleep at night with having a late night job or even late night hang outs with his friends.
2. Test:
- I would test this hypothesis by asking the student to make a change by going to bed earlier and not going and hanging out with his friends super late or taking late night shifts.
- If the student starts to get more sleep in week two, this would prove that my hypothesis was correct.
- If the student gets more sleep but still continues to fall asleep in class at the same time snoring, then this would prove my hypothesis falsified.
3. The student keeps falling asleep in class because he is being cursed with bad energy that makes him sleepy during class.
Hi Ashley, you have a very interesting hypothesis. You do not just say that he is not getting enough sleep at night, you also explain what you think the causes his lack of sleep. Your procedure is straightforward and attainable. If you are right, it seems like a simple solution to a simple problem. However, your third point could be falsified. We can test this curse by putting him in an environment with good energy, and if he is still tired, a curse could be a possible solution. It can be tested.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your views and ideas. Your initial hypothesis, that the student is not receiving enough sleep owing to late-night activities, sounds quite plausible and testable. I loved how you prepared a mechanism to see if getting more sleep improves the situation. The second concept regarding a curse is certainly imaginative, though it is perhaps less scientific, it is always enjoyable thinking outside the box! Continue to investigate multiple options, and realize that investigation and observation are critical to determining the true cause.
ReplyDeleteFrom Melina A.
Hi Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your hypothesis and how you related it to real-world factors such as working a night shift or having a social life. That is a very plausible and relatable account of why someone might experience difficulty staying awake in class. You did an excellent job of showing empathy and considering the students outside of school life.
Your test also reflects a valuable mindset – promoting the possible healthier choices for the student around sleep is a thoughtful and proactive way to approach the issue. If you ever wanted to extend this for future reference, perhaps consider added something quantifiable – for example, how often does the student nod off in class interfacing their new sleep schedule. That could prove to be a useful way of gathering a more solid empirical case for your idea.
I also thought your untestable explanation was creative too! Using the idea of a curse with 'bad energy' is a fun mode of demonstration that not all explanations can be questioned scientifically.
Testable Hypothesis (/5) - Good. I appreciate the emphasis on "lack of sleep" here as that is the primary cause, the job or late-night activities, which are secondary causes.
ReplyDeleteTest (5/5) - Okay, but he MUST get more sleep to test this, so you would need some way to confirm this.
Support (3/5) - I'm a little confused about this as you don't connect it to his behavior in class. Just confirming that he gets sleep at night doesn't tell us if it changed the results in class. To support your hypothesis, he would need to get a good night sleep and THEN stay awake in class.
Falsify (5/5) - This is correct. You've connected the change of causal conditions with a lack of change in results.
Untestable Hypothesis (7/10) - Okay... but who is cursing him? Is it a real person who is detectable? If that cursing person is real, then they are detectable and this is actually testable.