Making Hypotheses

Grade/Class: Grade 1 Science

Context: In Science, students learn about the needs of living things including plants.

Learning: The Grade 1s took on the role of scientists as they conduct seed planting experiments.  They learned about making a hypothesis (a scientific guess) and they used their knowledge of what plants need (air, water, food, and sun) to hypothesize whether their beans would grow or not.  Then the students practiced their scientific writing skills by describing the materials they used for the experiment. This step not only reinforced their understanding of the experiment's components but also encouraged them to communicate their scientific ideas in a structured manner. Through this hands-on planting seed experiment, the Grade 1 students cultivate an appreciation for the scientific process, and also develop important skills such as critical thinking, hypothesis formulation, scientific writing, and data analysis.