1. Design
Question 4
Generating and Testing
Hypotheses in an Elementary
Science Classroom

2. Who are we?
Cary Kirby, MEd.
University School
Assistant Professor
PK Yonge DRS
The University of Florida
ckirby@pky.ufl.edu
Holly Wall, MEd.
University School
Instructor
PK Yonge DRS
The University of Florida
hwall@pky.ufl.edu

3. Learning Goal
• What is your current understanding of Design
Question 4?
• Today’s goal:
– I can create situations that require students to
generate and test hypotheses in my current
teaching context.
• Rate yourself using this scale:
Text the code for your choice to 37607.
12437
9
12440
4
12440
9
12442
2
12448
0

4. What does DQ 4 mean to me?
• Predict
• Prove
• Reflect

5. Ecology/Life Science
• Generating rules to sort plants and animals
• You can sort them multiple ways
– Classify (mammals, fish, birds, plants, etc.)
– Organize to show the flow of energy
– Organize to show an energy pyramid

6. Ecology/Life Science
1. Students predict how they think the cards
should be sorted, giving reasons.
2. Students read/research how scientists would
sort the species.
3. Students reflect on the similarities and
differences between the two.

7. Physical Science
• Investigate and
describe sound
energy.
• Investigate and
explain that energy
has the ability to
cause motion or
create change.
– Sound waves

8. Physical Science
1. Students research
sound energy.
2. Students hypothesize
how they think they
will make an
instrument and explain
why.
3. Students prove their
predictions either right
or wrong and then
adjust explaining why.
4. Students reflect on
their process and what
they’ve learned.

9. Space Science
Which of the following scenarios best utilizes DQ 4 to answer the
question, “What causes the seasons?”
a) The teacher has two student volunteers stand up and hold
beach balls to represent the Earth and the Sun. The teacher
shows the axis of the Earth on the ball and then directs the
students’ movements pointing out the tilt and how it causes
the seasons.
b) The teacher asks the students to draw or make a small
model individually or in pairs to show how they think the
movement of the Earth causes the seasons. They then
watch a short video that explains the process. This is
followed by the students writing in their journals to explain
the differences between their model and the one in the
video.
c) The teachers gives the student a lab activity with detailed
step-by-step directions on how build a model of the Earth
and Sun. It then directs them how to move the model and
points out how the angle of the tilt is responsible for the
seasons.
20222
20224
20758
Text the code for your choice to 37607.

10. But how do I do
this with labs that
are already made?

11. Simplicity
• Read the lab and
decide the main
idea.
• Use that to create a
question that
requires students
to hypothesize.
• Run experiment/do
demonstration.
• Have students
reflect on their
prediction and the
actual outcomes.

12. Now it’s your turn
• Use the space on the bottom of your hand-out
to write about how you would take an activity
from your context and expand it to require the
students to predict, prove, and reflect on what
they are doing.

13. Learning Goal
• Now rate yourself again.
• Today’s goal:
– I can create situations that require students to
generate and test hypotheses in my current
teaching context.
Text the code for your choice to 37607.
13084
4
13084
5
13084
6
13084
7
13085
4

14. THANK YOU!
Design Question Four
Cary Kirby – ckirby@pky.ufl.edu
Holly Wall – hwall@pky.ufl.edu