what is a hypothesis 5th grade

The Scientific Method Lesson Plan: Developing Hypotheses

Submitted by: charlie conway.

This is a lesson plan designed to be incorporated into a elementary or middle school general science class. Using BrainPOP and its resources, students will be introduced (or further exposed) to the steps necessary to undertake scientific experimentation leading (perhaps) to a Science Fair project. The Scientific Method is a core structure in learning about scientific inquiry, and although there are many variations of this set of procedures, they all usually have similar components. This lesson should take 45-60 minutes, with opportunities for extending the lesson further.

Students will:

• Students will use BrainPOP features to build their understandings of the Scientific Method.
• Students will learn how to identify and write effective hypotheses.
• Students will use game play to write an appropriate hypothesis for an experiment.
• Students will identify and utilize the tools necessary to design a scientific investigation.
• Laptops/Computers
• Interactive White Board
• Pencil/Paper
• Class set of photocopies of the Scientific Method Flow Chart
• BrainPOP accounts (optional)

Vocabulary:

Preparation:.

These procedures may be modified according to the needs/resources of each teacher & class. For example, you may decide to do the quiz with pencil/paper, or do the quiz as a class.

Lesson Procedure:

• Ask the students how scientists answer questions and solve problems. Take a few minutes to explore students' prior knowledge with a short discussion.
• Tell the class that you're going to watch a BrainPOP movie about answering a scientific question about plant growth.
• Show the BrainPOP movie on the Scientific Method two times. The first time, students should just watch and listen. The second time they should take notes. Pause the movie at critical STOP points.
• Students should log on to their individual student accounts and take the Scientific Method Quiz to give the teacher some immediate feedback. (This can also be done as a pre-assessment, or at the very end of the lesson). NOTE: If you choose to, you can give a pencil/paper quiz also; students who work best with electronic media can be given accommodations). If you don't have access to individual student logins via MyBrainPOP (a school subscription), students can take the Review Quiz or paper quiz instead.
• Discuss the main points from the movie: a. Write the definition of the scientific method: the procedure scientists use to help explain why things happen. b. Make a list on the board of the steps mentioned as part of the scientific method: problem, fact finding, observation, inference, hypothesis, experiment, conclusions. c. Tell students that there are various versions of the scientific method that they may see, but they are all basically the same.
• Hand out the Scientific Method Flow Chart . Introduce the "If...then...because..." format for writing hypotheses. Give the students 10 minutes to complete the sheet with their group. They may use their notes from the movie to help them, and/or work collaboratively with other students.
• Discuss some of the student responses in class. Focus on the hypotheses, and explain that a good hypothesis is a testable explanation of the problem. For example, a good hypothesis to the third problem would be, "If I move farther away from the microwave oven, then the cell phone signal will improve because I am further away from the source of interference." Show how this is a TESTABLE hypothesis that can lead to a scientific experiment.
• Introduce the students to the Pavlov’s Dog game in GameUP. Allow time for the kids to explore the game without telling them why they are playing it.
• After 10-15 minutes, have the students take a break from playing, and have a short discussion about the game. Ask if anyone was able to complete the task successfully, and have them share how they got the "diploma." If time allows, show the students how to complete the task so that they all understand that the dog has been conditioned to respond to a stimulus (noise before food has been introduced).
• Have the students write a hypothesis that Pavlov may have written before he started his experiment. Students can either do this with pencil/paper, or the teacher may create a BrainPOP quiz and have students submit their hypothesis electronically. This may be used as a part of the assessment.
• Choose some sample responses from the students, highlighting the hypotheses that are TESTABLE, and not just guesses or predictions.

If this lesson is an introduction to allowing students to plan and carry out their own experiments, then all that follows is naturally an extension to the lesson.

Other, shorter extensions are easy to develop as well.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, what is a hypothesis and how do i write one.

General Education

Think about something strange and unexplainable in your life. Maybe you get a headache right before it rains, or maybe you think your favorite sports team wins when you wear a certain color. If you wanted to see whether these are just coincidences or scientific fact, you would form a hypothesis, then create an experiment to see whether that hypothesis is true or not.

But what is a hypothesis, anyway? If you’re not sure about what a hypothesis is--or how to test for one!--you’re in the right place. This article will teach you everything you need to know about hypotheses, including: 

• Defining the term “hypothesis” 
• Providing hypothesis examples 
• Giving you tips for how to write your own hypothesis

So let’s get started!

What Is a Hypothesis?

Merriam Webster defines a hypothesis as “an assumption or concession made for the sake of argument.” In other words, a hypothesis is an educated guess . Scientists make a reasonable assumption--or a hypothesis--then design an experiment to test whether it’s true or not. Keep in mind that in science, a hypothesis should be testable. You have to be able to design an experiment that tests your hypothesis in order for it to be valid. 

As you could assume from that statement, it’s easy to make a bad hypothesis. But when you’re holding an experiment, it’s even more important that your guesses be good...after all, you’re spending time (and maybe money!) to figure out more about your observation. That’s why we refer to a hypothesis as an educated guess--good hypotheses are based on existing data and research to make them as sound as possible.

Hypotheses are one part of what’s called the scientific method .  Every (good) experiment or study is based in the scientific method. The scientific method gives order and structure to experiments and ensures that interference from scientists or outside influences does not skew the results. It’s important that you understand the concepts of the scientific method before holding your own experiment. Though it may vary among scientists, the scientific method is generally made up of six steps (in order):

• Observation
• Asking questions
• Forming a hypothesis
• Analyze the data
• Communicate your results

You’ll notice that the hypothesis comes pretty early on when conducting an experiment. That’s because experiments work best when they’re trying to answer one specific question. And you can’t conduct an experiment until you know what you’re trying to prove!

Independent and Dependent Variables 

After doing your research, you’re ready for another important step in forming your hypothesis: identifying variables. Variables are basically any factor that could influence the outcome of your experiment . Variables have to be measurable and related to the topic being studied.

There are two types of variables:  independent variables and dependent variables. I ndependent variables remain constant . For example, age is an independent variable; it will stay the same, and researchers can look at different ages to see if it has an effect on the dependent variable. 

Speaking of dependent variables... dependent variables are subject to the influence of the independent variable , meaning that they are not constant. Let’s say you want to test whether a person’s age affects how much sleep they need. In that case, the independent variable is age (like we mentioned above), and the dependent variable is how much sleep a person gets. 

Variables will be crucial in writing your hypothesis. You need to be able to identify which variable is which, as both the independent and dependent variables will be written into your hypothesis. For instance, in a study about exercise, the independent variable might be the speed at which the respondents walk for thirty minutes, and the dependent variable would be their heart rate. In your study and in your hypothesis, you’re trying to understand the relationship between the two variables.

Elements of a Good Hypothesis

The best hypotheses start by asking the right questions . For instance, if you’ve observed that the grass is greener when it rains twice a week, you could ask what kind of grass it is, what elevation it’s at, and if the grass across the street responds to rain in the same way. Any of these questions could become the backbone of experiments to test why the grass gets greener when it rains fairly frequently.

As you’re asking more questions about your first observation, make sure you’re also making more observations . If it doesn’t rain for two weeks and the grass still looks green, that’s an important observation that could influence your hypothesis. You'll continue observing all throughout your experiment, but until the hypothesis is finalized, every observation should be noted.

Finally, you should consult secondary research before writing your hypothesis . Secondary research is comprised of results found and published by other people. You can usually find this information online or at your library. Additionally, m ake sure the research you find is credible and related to your topic. If you’re studying the correlation between rain and grass growth, it would help you to research rain patterns over the past twenty years for your county, published by a local agricultural association. You should also research the types of grass common in your area, the type of grass in your lawn, and whether anyone else has conducted experiments about your hypothesis. Also be sure you’re checking the quality of your research . Research done by a middle school student about what minerals can be found in rainwater would be less useful than an article published by a local university.

Writing Your Hypothesis

Once you’ve considered all of the factors above, you’re ready to start writing your hypothesis. Hypotheses usually take a certain form when they’re written out in a research report.

When you boil down your hypothesis statement, you are writing down your best guess and not the question at hand . This means that your statement should be written as if it is fact already, even though you are simply testing it.

The reason for this is that, after you have completed your study, you'll either accept or reject your if-then or your null hypothesis. All hypothesis testing examples should be measurable and able to be confirmed or denied. You cannot confirm a question, only a statement! 

In fact, you come up with hypothesis examples all the time! For instance, when you guess on the outcome of a basketball game, you don’t say, “Will the Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics?” but instead, “I think the Miami Heat will beat the Boston Celtics.” You state it as if it is already true, even if it turns out you’re wrong. You do the same thing when writing your hypothesis.

Additionally, keep in mind that hypotheses can range from very specific to very broad.  These hypotheses can be specific, but if your hypothesis testing examples involve a broad range of causes and effects, your hypothesis can also be broad.  

The Two Types of Hypotheses

Now that you understand what goes into a hypothesis, it’s time to look more closely at the two most common types of hypothesis: the if-then hypothesis and the null hypothesis.

#1: If-Then Hypotheses

First of all, if-then hypotheses typically follow this formula:

If ____ happens, then ____ will happen.

The goal of this type of hypothesis is to test the causal relationship between the independent and dependent variable. It’s fairly simple, and each hypothesis can vary in how detailed it can be. We create if-then hypotheses all the time with our daily predictions. Here are some examples of hypotheses that use an if-then structure from daily life: 

• If I get enough sleep, I’ll be able to get more work done tomorrow.
• If the bus is on time, I can make it to my friend’s birthday party. 
• If I study every night this week, I’ll get a better grade on my exam. 

In each of these situations, you’re making a guess on how an independent variable (sleep, time, or studying) will affect a dependent variable (the amount of work you can do, making it to a party on time, or getting better grades). 

You may still be asking, “What is an example of a hypothesis used in scientific research?” Take one of the hypothesis examples from a real-world study on whether using technology before bed affects children’s sleep patterns. The hypothesis read s:

“We hypothesized that increased hours of tablet- and phone-based screen time at bedtime would be inversely correlated with sleep quality and child attention.”

It might not look like it, but this is an if-then statement. The researchers basically said, “If children have more screen usage at bedtime, then their quality of sleep and attention will be worse.” The sleep quality and attention are the dependent variables and the screen usage is the independent variable. (Usually, the independent variable comes after the “if” and the dependent variable comes after the “then,” as it is the independent variable that affects the dependent variable.) This is an excellent example of how flexible hypothesis statements can be, as long as the general idea of “if-then” and the independent and dependent variables are present.

#2: Null Hypotheses

Your if-then hypothesis is not the only one needed to complete a successful experiment, however. You also need a null hypothesis to test it against. In its most basic form, the null hypothesis is the opposite of your if-then hypothesis . When you write your null hypothesis, you are writing a hypothesis that suggests that your guess is not true, and that the independent and dependent variables have no relationship .

One null hypothesis for the cell phone and sleep study from the last section might say: 

“If children have more screen usage at bedtime, their quality of sleep and attention will not be worse.” 

In this case, this is a null hypothesis because it’s asking the opposite of the original thesis! 

Conversely, if your if-then hypothesis suggests that your two variables have no relationship, then your null hypothesis would suggest that there is one. So, pretend that there is a study that is asking the question, “Does the amount of followers on Instagram influence how long people spend on the app?” The independent variable is the amount of followers, and the dependent variable is the time spent. But if you, as the researcher, don’t think there is a relationship between the number of followers and time spent, you might write an if-then hypothesis that reads:

“If people have many followers on Instagram, they will not spend more time on the app than people who have less.”

In this case, the if-then suggests there isn’t a relationship between the variables. In that case, one of the null hypothesis examples might say:

“If people have many followers on Instagram, they will spend more time on the app than people who have less.”

You then test both the if-then and the null hypothesis to gauge if there is a relationship between the variables, and if so, how much of a relationship. 

4 Tips to Write the Best Hypothesis

If you’re going to take the time to hold an experiment, whether in school or by yourself, you’re also going to want to take the time to make sure your hypothesis is a good one. The best hypotheses have four major elements in common: plausibility, defined concepts, observability, and general explanation.

#1: Plausibility

At first glance, this quality of a hypothesis might seem obvious. When your hypothesis is plausible, that means it’s possible given what we know about science and general common sense. However, improbable hypotheses are more common than you might think. 

Imagine you’re studying weight gain and television watching habits. If you hypothesize that people who watch more than  twenty hours of television a week will gain two hundred pounds or more over the course of a year, this might be improbable (though it’s potentially possible). Consequently, c ommon sense can tell us the results of the study before the study even begins.

Improbable hypotheses generally go against  science, as well. Take this hypothesis example: 

“If a person smokes one cigarette a day, then they will have lungs just as healthy as the average person’s.” 

This hypothesis is obviously untrue, as studies have shown again and again that cigarettes negatively affect lung health. You must be careful that your hypotheses do not reflect your own personal opinion more than they do scientifically-supported findings. This plausibility points to the necessity of research before the hypothesis is written to make sure that your hypothesis has not already been disproven.

#2: Defined Concepts

The more advanced you are in your studies, the more likely that the terms you’re using in your hypothesis are specific to a limited set of knowledge. One of the hypothesis testing examples might include the readability of printed text in newspapers, where you might use words like “kerning” and “x-height.” Unless your readers have a background in graphic design, it’s likely that they won’t know what you mean by these terms. Thus, it’s important to either write what they mean in the hypothesis itself or in the report before the hypothesis.

Here’s what we mean. Which of the following sentences makes more sense to the common person?

If the kerning is greater than average, more words will be read per minute.

If the space between letters is greater than average, more words will be read per minute.

For people reading your report that are not experts in typography, simply adding a few more words will be helpful in clarifying exactly what the experiment is all about. It’s always a good idea to make your research and findings as accessible as possible. 

Good hypotheses ensure that you can observe the results. 

#3: Observability

In order to measure the truth or falsity of your hypothesis, you must be able to see your variables and the way they interact. For instance, if your hypothesis is that the flight patterns of satellites affect the strength of certain television signals, yet you don’t have a telescope to view the satellites or a television to monitor the signal strength, you cannot properly observe your hypothesis and thus cannot continue your study.

Some variables may seem easy to observe, but if you do not have a system of measurement in place, you cannot observe your hypothesis properly. Here’s an example: if you’re experimenting on the effect of healthy food on overall happiness, but you don’t have a way to monitor and measure what “overall happiness” means, your results will not reflect the truth. Monitoring how often someone smiles for a whole day is not reasonably observable, but having the participants state how happy they feel on a scale of one to ten is more observable. 

In writing your hypothesis, always keep in mind how you'll execute the experiment.

#4: Generalizability 

Perhaps you’d like to study what color your best friend wears the most often by observing and documenting the colors she wears each day of the week. This might be fun information for her and you to know, but beyond you two, there aren’t many people who could benefit from this experiment. When you start an experiment, you should note how generalizable your findings may be if they are confirmed. Generalizability is basically how common a particular phenomenon is to other people’s everyday life.

Let’s say you’re asking a question about the health benefits of eating an apple for one day only, you need to realize that the experiment may be too specific to be helpful. It does not help to explain a phenomenon that many people experience. If you find yourself with too specific of a hypothesis, go back to asking the big question: what is it that you want to know, and what do you think will happen between your two variables?

Hypothesis Testing Examples

We know it can be hard to write a good hypothesis unless you’ve seen some good hypothesis examples. We’ve included four hypothesis examples based on some made-up experiments. Use these as templates or launch pads for coming up with your own hypotheses.

Experiment #1: Students Studying Outside (Writing a Hypothesis)

You are a student at PrepScholar University. When you walk around campus, you notice that, when the temperature is above 60 degrees, more students study in the quad. You want to know when your fellow students are more likely to study outside. With this information, how do you make the best hypothesis possible?

You must remember to make additional observations and do secondary research before writing your hypothesis. In doing so, you notice that no one studies outside when it’s 75 degrees and raining, so this should be included in your experiment. Also, studies done on the topic beforehand suggested that students are more likely to study in temperatures less than 85 degrees. With this in mind, you feel confident that you can identify your variables and write your hypotheses:

If-then: “If the temperature in Fahrenheit is less than 60 degrees, significantly fewer students will study outside.”

Null: “If the temperature in Fahrenheit is less than 60 degrees, the same number of students will study outside as when it is more than 60 degrees.”

These hypotheses are plausible, as the temperatures are reasonably within the bounds of what is possible. The number of people in the quad is also easily observable. It is also not a phenomenon specific to only one person or at one time, but instead can explain a phenomenon for a broader group of people.

To complete this experiment, you pick the month of October to observe the quad. Every day (except on the days where it’s raining)from 3 to 4 PM, when most classes have released for the day, you observe how many people are on the quad. You measure how many people come  and how many leave. You also write down the temperature on the hour. 

After writing down all of your observations and putting them on a graph, you find that the most students study on the quad when it is 70 degrees outside, and that the number of students drops a lot once the temperature reaches 60 degrees or below. In this case, your research report would state that you accept or “failed to reject” your first hypothesis with your findings.

Experiment #2: The Cupcake Store (Forming a Simple Experiment)

Let’s say that you work at a bakery. You specialize in cupcakes, and you make only two colors of frosting: yellow and purple. You want to know what kind of customers are more likely to buy what kind of cupcake, so you set up an experiment. Your independent variable is the customer’s gender, and the dependent variable is the color of the frosting. What is an example of a hypothesis that might answer the question of this study?

Here’s what your hypotheses might look like: 

If-then: “If customers’ gender is female, then they will buy more yellow cupcakes than purple cupcakes.”

Null: “If customers’ gender is female, then they will be just as likely to buy purple cupcakes as yellow cupcakes.”

This is a pretty simple experiment! It passes the test of plausibility (there could easily be a difference), defined concepts (there’s nothing complicated about cupcakes!), observability (both color and gender can be easily observed), and general explanation ( this would potentially help you make better business decisions ).

Experiment #3: Backyard Bird Feeders (Integrating Multiple Variables and Rejecting the If-Then Hypothesis)

While watching your backyard bird feeder, you realized that different birds come on the days when you change the types of seeds. You decide that you want to see more cardinals in your backyard, so you decide to see what type of food they like the best and set up an experiment. 

However, one morning, you notice that, while some cardinals are present, blue jays are eating out of your backyard feeder filled with millet. You decide that, of all of the other birds, you would like to see the blue jays the least. This means you'll have more than one variable in your hypothesis. Your new hypotheses might look like this: 

If-then: “If sunflower seeds are placed in the bird feeders, then more cardinals will come than blue jays. If millet is placed in the bird feeders, then more blue jays will come than cardinals.”

Null: “If either sunflower seeds or millet are placed in the bird, equal numbers of cardinals and blue jays will come.”

Through simple observation, you actually find that cardinals come as often as blue jays when sunflower seeds or millet is in the bird feeder. In this case, you would reject your “if-then” hypothesis and “fail to reject” your null hypothesis . You cannot accept your first hypothesis, because it’s clearly not true. Instead you found that there was actually no relation between your different variables. Consequently, you would need to run more experiments with different variables to see if the new variables impact the results.

Experiment #4: In-Class Survey (Including an Alternative Hypothesis)

You’re about to give a speech in one of your classes about the importance of paying attention. You want to take this opportunity to test a hypothesis you’ve had for a while: 

If-then: If students sit in the first two rows of the classroom, then they will listen better than students who do not.

Null: If students sit in the first two rows of the classroom, then they will not listen better or worse than students who do not.

You give your speech and then ask your teacher if you can hand out a short survey to the class. On the survey, you’ve included questions about some of the topics you talked about. When you get back the results, you’re surprised to see that not only do the students in the first two rows not pay better attention, but they also scored worse than students in other parts of the classroom! Here, both your if-then and your null hypotheses are not representative of your findings. What do you do?

This is when you reject both your if-then and null hypotheses and instead create an alternative hypothesis . This type of hypothesis is used in the rare circumstance that neither of your hypotheses is able to capture your findings . Now you can use what you’ve learned to draft new hypotheses and test again! 

Key Takeaways: Hypothesis Writing

The more comfortable you become with writing hypotheses, the better they will become. The structure of hypotheses is flexible and may need to be changed depending on what topic you are studying. The most important thing to remember is the purpose of your hypothesis and the difference between the if-then and the null . From there, in forming your hypothesis, you should constantly be asking questions, making observations, doing secondary research, and considering your variables. After you have written your hypothesis, be sure to edit it so that it is plausible, clearly defined, observable, and helpful in explaining a general phenomenon.

Writing a hypothesis is something that everyone, from elementary school children competing in a science fair to professional scientists in a lab, needs to know how to do. Hypotheses are vital in experiments and in properly executing the scientific method . When done correctly, hypotheses will set up your studies for success and help you to understand the world a little better, one experiment at a time.

What’s Next?

If you’re studying for the science portion of the ACT, there’s definitely a lot you need to know. We’ve got the tools to help, though! Start by checking out our ultimate study guide for the ACT Science subject test. Once you read through that, be sure to download our recommended ACT Science practice tests , since they’re one of the most foolproof ways to improve your score. (And don’t forget to check out our expert guide book , too.)

If you love science and want to major in a scientific field, you should start preparing in high school . Here are the science classes you should take to set yourself up for success.

If you’re trying to think of science experiments you can do for class (or for a science fair!), here’s a list of 37 awesome science experiments you can do at home

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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120+ Exciting 5th Grade Science Project Ideas With Hypothesis In 2023

Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey into the world of 5th-grade science projects with hypotheses? Science projects are not just about fun experiments; they also involve forming hypotheses to make educated guesses about outcomes. But what makes a good hypothesis for a science project? In this blog, we’ll explore the key components of a successful hypothesis.

Selecting the right 5th-grade science project can be a challenge, and we’ll share some valuable tips to help you choose the perfect one. We’ll dive into the importance of combining hypothesis with your science project and why it’s a vital aspect of learning and discovery.

But that’s not all! We’ve also compiled an extensive list of 120+ exciting 5th-grade science project ideas with hypothesis, providing you with a wealth of inspiration for your next scientific adventure. Stay tuned with us to unleash the world of  5th-grade science project ideas with hypothesis  and nurture your curiosity in the process.

What Is A Good Hypothesis For A Science Project?

Table of Contents

A good hypothesis for a science project is like a smart guess. It helps scientists figure out what they think will happen in their experiment. To make a good hypothesis, you need to use words like  if  and  then.  For example,  If I water the plant every day, then it will grow taller.  This shows what you’re going to do and what you expect to see.

In addition, a strong hypothesis also needs to be testable. That means you can experiment to see if it’s true or not. It’s like a detective’s clue that leads you to find the answer. Scientists use good hypotheses to guide their experiments and learn new things about the world. So, making a good hypothesis is an important part of any science project.

Things To Remember While Selecting A 5th Grade Science Project Ideas With Hypothesis

Here are some things to remember while selecting a 5th grade science project ideas with hypothesis:

1. Personal Interest

Choose a 5th-grade science project that interests you. Picking a topic you’re curious about makes the project more enjoyable. Whether it’s plants, animals, or space, your passion can make learning fun.

2. Age-Appropriate

Make sure the project is right for your grade level. A 5th-grade project shouldn’t be too simple or too complex. It should match your skills and what you’ve learned in school.

3. Available Resources

Check if you have access to the materials you need. Some projects might need special tools or expensive stuff. It’s essential to choose something you can do with the materials you have.

4. Safety First

Keep safety in mind. Select a project that’s safe to do at home or in school. Make sure you won’t be using anything harmful or dangerous.

5. Clear Instructions

Look for a project with clear instructions. It’s easier when you know what to do step by step. Projects with easy-to-follow directions help you succeed and learn better.

Developing A Hypothesis For Your Science Project

Developing a hypothesis for your science project is a crucial step. It’s like making an educated guess about what you think will happen during your experiment. Here are seven key points to consider while creating a hypothesis:

• Identify the Variables: Determine the two things you’re testing in your experiment, the  if  and  then  parts. For example, if you’re testing plant growth, the variables could be  amount of sunlight  and  plant height. 
• Be Specific: Make sure your hypothesis is clear and precise. Avoid vague or broad statements. The more specific, the better.
• Predict the Outcome: Your hypothesis should state what you expect to happen. Will one variable cause a change in the other? State your prediction clearly.
• Use  If-Then  Statements : Craft your hypothesis using  if-then  statements to show the relationship between the variables. For instance,  If the amount of sunlight increases, then the plant height will also increase. 
• Keep It Testable: Ensure that your hypothesis is something you can test through an experiment. It should lead to concrete results that you can measure.
• Avoid Bias: Make sure your hypothesis doesn’t show your personal beliefs. It should be based on research and evidence, not what you want to happen.
• Revisit and Revise : As you conduct your experiment, be ready to adjust your hypothesis if the results don’t match your initial prediction. Science is all about learning and adapting.

Here we have a list of 120+ exciting 5th grade science project ideas with hypothesis in 2023: 

• Balloon Rocket

Hypothesis –   If I inflate a balloon and release it, then it will move forward because of the escaping air. 

• Moldy Bread

Hypothesis –  I think bread left in different conditions will develop mold at varying rates. 

• Growing Plants 

Hypothesis –   If I give plants different amounts of water, then they will grow differently. 

• Magnet Magic

Hypothesis –  I predict that magnets will attract some objects but not others. 

• Lemon Battery

Hypothesis –  I believe I can create a battery using a lemon because it is acidic. 

• Volcano Eruption

Hypothesis –   I expect that a mixture of vinegar and baking soda will create a volcanic eruption. 

• Density of Liquids

Hypothesis –   I think different liquids have different densities, and some will float on top of others. 

• Solar Still

Hypothesis –   I predict that a solar still can collect clean water from dirty water through evaporation. 

• Bouncing Balls

Hypothesis –   I believe that balls made from different materials will bounce to different heights. 

• Static Electricity

Hypothesis –   I think rubbing a balloon on my hair will create static electricity that attracts objects. 

• Fruit Battery

Hypothesis –  I expect that fruits like oranges and lemons can power a small light bulb. 

• Color-Changing Milk

Hypothesis –  I predict that adding soap to milk with food coloring will make colorful patterns. 

• Tornado in a Bottle

 Hypothesis –   I think that by swirling water and dish soap in a bottle, I can create a tornado-like vortex. 

• Water Filtration

Hypothesis –   I believe that by using sand and gravel, I can filter impurities from water. 

• Rust Formation

Hypothesis –  I predict that metal objects left in water will rust over time. 

• Candy Dissolving

Hypothesis –  I think that different candies will dissolve at different rates in water. 

• Seed Germination

Hypothesis –  If I plant seeds in various conditions, then they will sprout at different rates. 

Hypothesis –  I expect that by using a simple rain gauge, I can measure rainfall accurately. 

• Sound Vibrations

Hypothesis –   I believe that different objects will produce different sounds when struck. 

• Egg Drop Challenge

Hypothesis –   I predict that if I design a protective container, the egg will survive a fall. 

• Paper Airplanes

Hypothesis –   I think that altering the shape of paper airplanes will affect their flight distance. 

• Food Preservation

 Hypothesis –   I expect that different methods of food preservation will keep food fresh longer. 

• Homemade Slime

Hypothesis –  I believe that mixing glue and borax will create a slimy substance. 

Hypothesis –   I predict that combining oil and water with Alka-Seltzer will create a mesmerizing lava lamp effect. 

• Air Pressure

Hypothesis –   I think air pressure can be measured with a simple barometer. 

• Crystal Growth

Hypothesis –  I expect that I can grow crystals by dissolving substances in water. 

• Ocean Currents

Hypothesis –   I predict that hot water and cold water will create ocean currents in a container. 

• Rainbow in a Jar

Hypothesis –   I believe I can create a rainbow by layering different liquids with different densities. 

• Static Electricity Levitation

Hypothesis –  I think that static electricity can make a small object levitate. 

• Melting Ice

Hypothesis –   I predict that adding salt to ice will cause it to melt faster. 

• Potato Battery

Hypothesis –   I expect that a potato can conduct electricity and power a small device. 

• Pendulum Swing

Hypothesis –   I believe that the length of a pendulum will affect its swing time. 

• Soda Geyser

Hypothesis –   I predict that dropping Mentos candies into soda will create a geyser. 

• Chromatography

Hypothesis –  I think I can separate the colors in markers using chromatography. 

• Heat Transfer

Hypothesis –  I expect that different materials will transfer heat at varying rates. 

• Rainfall and Runoff

Hypothesis –   I predict that if I simulate rainfall on different surfaces, some will produce more runoff. 

• Fizzy Lemonade

Hypothesis –   I believe that combining lemon juice and baking soda will make lemonade fizzier. 

• Rock Identification

Hypothesis –  I think I can identify different rocks by their characteristics. 

Hypothesis –  I predict that by cutting a straw, I can make it produce musical sounds like an oboe. 

• Taste Perception

Hypothesis –   I expect that people’s taste perception may change when their sense of smell is altered. 

• Color-Changing Flowers

Hypothesis –   I believe that adding food coloring to water will change the color of white flowers. 

• Solar Cooker

Hypothesis –   I predict that a solar cooker can cook food using only the sun’s energy. 

• Tornado Formation

Hypothesis –  I think that rotating two bottles will create a tornado effect. 

• Vinegar and Baking Soda Rocket

Hypothesis –  I expect that mixing vinegar and baking soda in a bottle will launch it into the air. 

• Popsicle Stick Bridge

Hypothesis –  I predict that I can build a strong bridge using only popsicle sticks and glue. 

• Rainfall Patterns

Hypothesis –  I believe that rainfall patterns can be different in various parts of the world. 

• Chemical Reactions

Hypothesis –  I think mixing certain chemicals will result in a visible reaction. 

• Fruit Decomposition

Hypothesis –   I predict that different fruits will decompose at different rates. 

• Balancing Act

Hypothesis –  I expect that I can balance various objects on a pivot point. 

• Photosynthesis Simulation

Hypothesis –   I believe that using a simple setup, I can show how plants perform photosynthesis. 

• Sinking and Floating

Hypothesis –  I think that objects with different densities will either sink or float in water. 

• Tooth Decay

Hypothesis –  I predict that different liquids will affect teeth differently, simulating tooth decay. 

• Rainwater Collection

Hypothesis –   I expect that by using a funnel, I can collect rainwater efficiently. 

• Soundproofing

Hypothesis –  I think that different materials will block sound to varying degrees. 

• Egg in a Bottle

Hypothesis –   I predict that I can place a peeled hard-boiled egg into a bottle without breaking it.  

• Water Wheel

Hypothesis –   I believe that the flow of water can make a small wheel turn.  

• Invisible Ink

Hypothesis –   I expect that I can create invisible ink that reveals messages under certain conditions.  

•  Heat from the Sun

Hypothesis –   I predict that a dark-colored object will get hotter in the sun than a light-colored one.  

• Layered Liquids

Hypothesis –   I think that liquids of different densities will form layers when mixed.  

• Candle Burning

Hypothesis –   I predict that different types of candles will burn at different rates.  

• Buoyancy with Clay Boats

Hypothesis –   I believe I can make clay boats that float and carry small loads.  

Hypothesis –   I expect that a mixture of cornstarch and water will behave strangely, like a liquid and a solid.  

• Magnetic Slime

Hypothesis –   I predict that adding iron filings to slime will make it magnetic.  

• Stalactites and Stalagmites

Hypothesis –   I think I can grow stalactites and stalagmites using a simple solution.  

Hypothesis –   I expect that different substances will have varying pH levels, which can be tested with indicator paper.  

• Solar Still for Drinking Water

Hypothesis –   I believe that a solar still can produce clean drinking water from saltwater.  

Hypothesis –   I predict that I can create a sundial that tells time using the sun’s shadow.  

• Dissolving Sugar

Hypothesis –   I expect that sugar will dissolve faster in hot water than in cold water.  

• Balloon Inflator

Hypothesis –   I think that a chemical reaction in a bottle can inflate a balloon.  

• Baking Soda and Vinegar Boat

Hypothesis –   I predict that a boat made from materials like baking soda and vinegar will move.  

• Oil Spill Cleanup

Hypothesis –   I believe that using different materials can help clean up an oil spill in water.  

• Seed Dispersal

Hypothesis –   I predict that seeds can be dispersed in various ways, such as by wind or animals.  

• Lemonade Sweetness

Hypothesis –   I expect that lemonade sweetness can be adjusted by adding sugar in different amounts.  

• Density of Solids

Hypothesis –   I think different solid objects will have different densities, which can be measured.  

• Making Ice Cream

Hypothesis –   I predict that I can make ice cream by mxing ingredients and using ice and salt.  

• Conduction and Insulation

Hypothesis –   I believe that different materials will either conduct or insulate heat.  

• Centrifugal Force

Hypothesis –   I predict that spinning an object will create a centrifugal force that affects its path.  

• Balloon-Powered Car

Hypothesis –   I expect that a car powered by a balloon will move because of the escaping air.  

• Candle Extinguisher

Hypothesis –   I think that covering a candle with a glass will extinguish it by using up the oxygen inside.  

• Water Filter Comparison

Hypothesis –   I predict that different water filters will remove impurities to varying degrees.  

• Capillary Action

Hypothesis –   I expect that water will rise differently in materials with varying capillary action.  

• Static Electricity and Salt

Hypothesis –   I believe that salt can be moved with static electricity.  

• Food Coloring in Flowers

Hypothesis –   I predict that adding food coloring to water will change the color of flowers.  

• Bottle Trombone

Hypothesis –   I think I can make a simple trombone-like instrument using a plastic bottle.  

• Windmill Power

Hypothesis –   I expect that a windmill can generate power when exposed to wind.  

• Chewing Gum Flavor

Hypothesis –   I predict that the flavor of chewing gum changes over time as it’s chewed.  

• Yeast Balloons

Hypothesis –   I believe that yeast will produce gas that can inflate a balloon.  

• Water Wheel Efficiency

Hypothesis –   I think that the design of a water wheel affects its efficiency in generating power.  

• Simple Electric Circuit

Hypothesis –   I expect that I can make a light bulb glow by completing an electric circuit.  

• Sugar Crystal Lollipop

Hypothesis –   I predict that sugar crystals will grow on a string dipped in a sugary solution.  

• Temperature and Magnetism

Hypothesis –   I believe that magnets will behave differently at various temperatures.  

• Styrofoam and Acetone

Hypothesis –   I expect that acetone will dissolve styrofoam.  

• Starch in Foods

Hypothesis –   I think I can test for the presence of starch in different foods using iodine.  

• Balloon-Powered Boat

Hypothesis –   I predict that a boat powered by a balloon will move on water.  

• Melting Chocolate

Hypothesis –   I expect that chocolate will melt at different rates when heated.  

• Air Pollution and Plant Growth

Hypothesis –   I believe that exposing plants to air pollution will affect their growth.  

• Simple Motor

Hypothesis –   I predict that I can build a simple motor that turns when an electric current flows through it.  

• Lemon Battery Voltage

Hypothesis –   I expect that different fruits will produce varying amounts of electricity when used as batteries.  

• Fireworks in a Jar

Hypothesis –   I think that mixing oil and colored water will create a fireworks-like display in a jar.  

• Bending Water with Static Electricity

Hypothesis –   I predict that static electricity can bend a stream of water from a faucet.  

• Soda Can Fizz

Hypothesis –   I expect that dropping a mentos candy into a soda can will cause fizzing.  

• Tornado Tube

Hypothesis –   I believe that connecting two plastic bottles with a tornado tube will create a vortex.  

• Magnetic Attraction and Distance

Hypothesis –   I predict that magnets will attract objects from varying distances.  

• Heat Absorption by Colors

Hypothesis –   I think that objects of different colors will absorb heat differently under sunlight.  

• Lemon Battery Power

Hypothesis –   I expect that a lemon battery can power a small LED light.  

• Strawberry DNA Extraction

Hypothesis –   I believe I can extract DNA from strawberries using common household items.  

• Marshmallow Density

Hypothesis –   I predict that marshmallows of different shapes and sizes have different densities.  

• Balloon-Powered Windmill

Hypothesis –   I think a windmill with balloons will turn when exposed to air.  

• Spinning Colors

Hypothesis –   I expect that spinning a color wheel will create the illusion of blending colors.  

• Sound and Vibration

Hypothesis –   I predict that different objects will create different sounds when struck and vibrate differently.  

• Rock Erosion

Hypothesis –   I believe that different rocks will erode at varying rates when exposed to water.  

• Air Pressure and Crushed Can

Hypothesis –   I expect that changing air pressure will crush an empty can.  

• Straw Flute

Hypothesis –   I think that cutting and blowing through a straw can produce musical notes.  

• Bottle Rocket

Hypothesis –   I predict that a bottle rocket filled with water and pressurized air will launch into the air.  

• Fruit Electricity

Hypothesis –   I believe that different fruits can produce electricity using simple circuits.  

• Melting Snow and Ice

Hypothesis –   I expect that different substances can help melt snow and ice at varying rates.  

• Plant Growth in Different Soils

Hypothesis –   I think that different soils will affect the growth of plants differently.  

• Static Electricity and Salt and Pepper

Hypothesis –   I predict that salt and pepper can be moved with static electricity.  

• Floating Paperclip

Hypothesis –   I expect that surface tension can make a paperclip float on water.  

• Crayon Melt Art

Hypothesis –   I believe that crayons will melt and create art when heated.  

• Balloon-Powered Hovercraft

Hypothesis –   I predict that a hovercraft powered by balloons will glide over a smooth surface.  

• Research Topics For Commerce Students
• Maths Project Ideas For College Students

Importance Of 5th Grade Science Project Ideas With Hypothesis For Students 

In this section, we will discuss the importance of 5th grade science project ideas with hypothesis for students: 

1. Hands-On Learning

5th-grade science projects with hypotheses offer students a chance to learn through doing. They get to experiment, make predictions, and see the real-world results. This hands-on approach helps students grasp scientific concepts better.

2. Critical Thinking

These projects encourage critical thinking. Students have to come up with educated guesses (hypotheses) and then analyze their experiments’ outcomes. It teaches them to think logically and solve problems.

3. Curiosity and Exploration

Science projects fuel curiosity. They allow students to explore topics they find interesting, making learning more engaging. This curiosity can spark a lifelong interest in science.

4. Application of Knowledge

The things that students have learned in school can be used in real life. It helps them understand that science is not just in books, but all around them. This makes their education more useful.

5. Confidence Building

Successfully completing a science project with a hypothesis can boost a student’s confidence. They see that they can tackle challenging tasks and find solutions. This confidence can extend to other areas of their education and life.

Understanding what makes a good hypothesis is the first step in any 5th-grade science project with a hypothesis. It’s all about making educated guesses and having clear  if-then  statements. Remember to choose a project that matches your interest, is safe, and fits your grade level. With over 120 exciting 5th-grade science project ideas with hypothesis, you have a world of possibilities to explore. 

Moreover, these projects offer hands-on learning, boost critical thinking, and ignite curiosity. They let you apply what you’ve learned in school to real life. Completing these projects can build your confidence, showing that you can tackle challenges and make discoveries. So, dive into the world of 5th-grade science project ideas with hypothesis and start your exciting scientific journey!

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• Scientific Methods

What is Hypothesis?

We have heard of many hypotheses which have led to great inventions in science. Assumptions that are made on the basis of some evidence are known as hypotheses. In this article, let us learn in detail about the hypothesis and the type of hypothesis with examples.

A hypothesis is an assumption that is made based on some evidence. This is the initial point of any investigation that translates the research questions into predictions. It includes components like variables, population and the relation between the variables. A research hypothesis is a hypothesis that is used to test the relationship between two or more variables.

Characteristics of Hypothesis

Following are the characteristics of the hypothesis:

• The hypothesis should be clear and precise to consider it to be reliable.
• If the hypothesis is a relational hypothesis, then it should be stating the relationship between variables.
• The hypothesis must be specific and should have scope for conducting more tests.
• The way of explanation of the hypothesis must be very simple and it should also be understood that the simplicity of the hypothesis is not related to its significance.

Sources of Hypothesis

Following are the sources of hypothesis:

• The resemblance between the phenomenon.
• Observations from past studies, present-day experiences and from the competitors.
• Scientific theories.
• General patterns that influence the thinking process of people.

Types of Hypothesis

There are six forms of hypothesis and they are:

• Simple hypothesis
• Complex hypothesis
• Directional hypothesis
• Non-directional hypothesis
• Null hypothesis
• Associative and casual hypothesis

Simple Hypothesis

It shows a relationship between one dependent variable and a single independent variable. For example – If you eat more vegetables, you will lose weight faster. Here, eating more vegetables is an independent variable, while losing weight is the dependent variable.

Complex Hypothesis

It shows the relationship between two or more dependent variables and two or more independent variables. Eating more vegetables and fruits leads to weight loss, glowing skin, and reduces the risk of many diseases such as heart disease.

Directional Hypothesis

It shows how a researcher is intellectual and committed to a particular outcome. The relationship between the variables can also predict its nature. For example- children aged four years eating proper food over a five-year period are having higher IQ levels than children not having a proper meal. This shows the effect and direction of the effect.

Non-directional Hypothesis

It is used when there is no theory involved. It is a statement that a relationship exists between two variables, without predicting the exact nature (direction) of the relationship.

Null Hypothesis

It provides a statement which is contrary to the hypothesis. It’s a negative statement, and there is no relationship between independent and dependent variables. The symbol is denoted by “H O ”.

Associative and Causal Hypothesis

Associative hypothesis occurs when there is a change in one variable resulting in a change in the other variable. Whereas, the causal hypothesis proposes a cause and effect interaction between two or more variables.

Examples of Hypothesis

Following are the examples of hypotheses based on their types:

• Consumption of sugary drinks every day leads to obesity is an example of a simple hypothesis.
• All lilies have the same number of petals is an example of a null hypothesis.
• If a person gets 7 hours of sleep, then he will feel less fatigue than if he sleeps less. It is an example of a directional hypothesis.

Functions of Hypothesis

Following are the functions performed by the hypothesis:

• Hypothesis helps in making an observation and experiments possible.
• It becomes the start point for the investigation.
• Hypothesis helps in verifying the observations.
• It helps in directing the inquiries in the right direction.

How will Hypothesis help in the Scientific Method?

Researchers use hypotheses to put down their thoughts directing how the experiment would take place. Following are the steps that are involved in the scientific method:

• Formation of question
• Doing background research
• Creation of hypothesis
• Designing an experiment
• Collection of data
• Result analysis
• Summarizing the experiment
• Communicating the results

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

What is hypothesis.

A hypothesis is an assumption made based on some evidence.

Give an example of simple hypothesis?

What are the types of hypothesis.

Types of hypothesis are:

• Associative and Casual hypothesis

State true or false: Hypothesis is the initial point of any investigation that translates the research questions into a prediction.

Define complex hypothesis..

A complex hypothesis shows the relationship between two or more dependent variables and two or more independent variables.

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Science Fair Wizard

• Pick a topic
• Determine a problem
• Investigate your problem
• Formulate a hypothesis

Experimenting

• Define the problem
• Select your variables
• Draft your hypothesis
• Write your procedure
• Get permissions
• Test your hypothesis
• Compile your data
• Write your research paper
• Construct your exhibit
• Prepare your presentation
• Show Time! Pre-science fair checklist
• Submit your paperwork

Step 5C: Draft your hypothesis

Your draft hypothesis statement should include the following:

• the question or problem you are trying to answer;
• how the independent variable will be changed;
• the measurable or testable effect it will have on the dependent variable ;
• and your best guess as to what you think the outcome will be.

Use the space on the Experiment Design Worksheet to draft your hypothesis statement.

Tip: A hypothesis problem can be stated in different ways.  Here are some examples:

As a question: Does temperature affect the rate of plant growth? As a statement: Temperature may affect the rate of plant growth. As an if/then statement: If temperature is related to the rate of plant growth, then changing the temperature will change the rate of plant growth.

A hypothesis is a statement that predicts the outcome of your experiment, and is informed by the research you have done on your topic.

The digital library project

Screen Rant

The 10 hardest are you smarter than a 5th grader questions in the game show's history.

There are some Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? questions that seem impossible unless one has a very specific knowledge of grade school trivia.

• Some 5th Grader questions are tougher than others, proving adults need a refresher on elementary knowledge.
• Tech jargon like USB can stump contestants, as they struggle to remember what the acronym stands for.
• Challenging game show questions highlight specific facts, requiring contestants to think outside the box.

Some Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader ? questions are harder than others. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is a trivia game show that premiered on Fox in 2007, hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, with John Cena hosting a 2019 reboot of the game show on Nickelodeon . The series, co-created by Mark Burnett, who also created Shark Tank , features a contestant answering 11 questions taken from elementary school textbooks, with each successive correct answer earning them more money up to the $1 million final prize.

Also answering the questions is a panel of five 5th grade students who can help the contestant. Adults are asked questions that 5th graders should know and comedy is produced from the fact that, as it turns out, many adults have no clue of the answer to seemingly simple questions that the panel of kids know all too well. While many of the early questions are a mix of 10 subjects, including math, geography, and science, and are easy to guess, some are particularly difficult and manage to stump both the contestant and the students.

The 20 Earliest Reality TV Shows, In Chronological Order

10 what does usb stand for, answer: universal serial bus.

"What does 'USB' stand for?" is a question that actually requires three guesses, each of increasing difficulty. Like a lot of tech jargon, USB has gone from being an acronym to essentially being the word for the item . Many may not even know it stands for anything and so having to guess what each of the letters refers to is quite difficult. Perhaps older contestants can hope to remember what that stick coming out the side of a laptop, or even the tower of a desktop, is, but knowing all three words is a tall task.

What's worse, none of the three words are necessarily related to one another. "Universal" is easiest to guess, considering objects like "universal remotes" and the fact a USB can be used nearly everywhere. But "serial" is much more difficult, and "bus", being short for "omnibus" and referring to the cables that transport data from the internal components of the computer to the external, would require very specific knowledge.

9 You Have 20 Pairs Of Shoes, But There Is Only Room In Your Closet For Eight Shoes. How Many Pairs Of Shoes Do You Have To Get Rid Of?

It's as if the confluence of English class and math class have combined to short-circuit a student's brain as they try to bring together reading comprehension and algebra.

This is a classic mathematical word problem from the show that hearkens back to the difficult questions on grade school math tests. It's hard to forget flipping through exam pages, solving mathematical equations only to come to the end of the test to face three to four paragraphs that require using mathematical understanding in real-world examples. It's as if the confluence of English class and math class have combined to short-circuit a student's brain as they try to bring together reading comprehension and algebra.

Once the answer is explained, it's easy, but trying to figure out exactly what the question is looking for takes time that contestants don't necessarily have. For example, in this question, a contestant has to quickly reason out that the "eight shoes" is referring to each individual shoe, then realize that the answer is asked for in pairs of shoes. Should a contestant fail to make that distinction, they may accidentally answer "32" which is incorrect.

8 What Is The Smallest Fish In The World?

Answer: the dwarf minnow.

The difficulty of this question comes from having such a specific species of fish as the answer. Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? proves itself as one of the most challenging game shows because some of the harder questions can simply be obscure and require specific knowledge. "What is the smallest fish in the world?" is more like a Guinness Book of World Records fact than a question a fifth grader would be expected to know.

Many contestants may connect "minnow" with "small fish", but even then there's a chance someone could assume minnow isn't a legitimate name for a fish that the show would accept. It's often used more colloquially than something like "Atlantic goliath grouper" (one of the largest fish in the world). Then, even if the contestant still manages to get their way to "minnow", they have to remember to put "dwarf" in front of it.

7 One Inch Is Equal To How Many Centimeters?

Answer: 2.54.

This question has the added frustration of feeling like something everyone should know. Virtually every ruler and tape measure has centimeters on the opposite side of the inch marker, and yet, few people could guess the exact number of centimeters equal to an inch. "One inch is equal to how many centimeters?" is also a question that seems like it could be figured out via some mental math and logic. It's smaller than an inch, but then, "How much smaller?" becomes the question .

This piece of trivia can very easily be overthought by someone trying to remember if it was less than half an inch or more. Even if a lucky, or knowledgeable, contestant realized that an inch was between two and three centimeters, getting the answer to two decimal places would be exceedingly difficult. It's not as if the answer is a round or easy number like 2.75. 2.54 is as random as it gets and guessers are sure to have trouble with it.

6 In Which Country Are The Most Languages Spoken?

Answer: papua new guinea.

"In which country are the most languages spoken?" is a tricky question because someone may think it's asking how many official languages are used, and may choose somewhere like Switzerland or Singapore where the state recognizes a relatively large amount of languages — four, in those cases (via Switzerland and Babbel ). Or contestants may severely overestimate how many languages are spoken somewhere , like the U.S., which has many established living languages at 350 (via USA ) but still doesn't approach the top countries.

Others may have a good handle on the question and still get it wrong. China or India would be good guesses considering their size and ethnic diversity, but those are incorrect. Papua New Guinea is a slightly unexpected answer and may not even be a country that quickly comes to mind when thinking of language stats, but with 839 indigenous living languages (via The Word Point ), it has by far the most.

5 In Colonial America, What Was The Sugar Act?

Answer: a tax on molasses and wine.

Many people, at least those who grew up in the United States school system, will likely have heard about the Sugar Act, but most would assume it's a tax on all sugar . With a name as clear as the "Sugar Act", and a similarly named "Stamp Act" which affected printed materials with a stamp, it would follow that the "Sugar Act" would affect everything with sugar. Guessing molasses and wine specifically raises the difficulty of the question.

While molasses does have a history with the Northeast United States and could possibly be guessed by a clever contestant, wine is not nearly as easy. Alcohol is always grouped in its own separate category, in the same way that tobacco is. One would think there would be a separate "Alcohol Tax" instead of grouping it with sugar as it is in this case.

4 Who Founded The Red Cross?

Answer: clara barton.

"Who founded the Red Cross?" is just a pure factoid question and unless a contestant has that specific piece of knowledge saved in their memory, it's not an answer easily reasoned out. Certainly, there are many social studies textbooks with a quarter-length page of information regarding Barton and her accomplishments, but it's wedged in between the American Civil War and Reconstruction, topics history teachers are much more inclined to devote time to.

Clara Barton is actually a recurring character in The Gilded Age .

Perhaps if Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? aired in 2022, and this question was asked, contestants would have a better chance to answer it correctly. Clara Barton is actually a recurring character in The Gilded Age , the 2022 Max period drama, and she's played by Linda Emond. Those who watched the show may actually have a better chance to answer the question correctly than those who paid attention in history class.

3 In Which Decade Did Hong Kong Revert From British Rule?

Answer: the 1990s.

This is a question that responders could easily answer incorrectly. When it comes to colonies and foreign rule, particularly with England, it feels like the late 19th century and the early 20th century is when these issues were being majorly challenged. India and Vietnam both broke away from their imperial overlords in the early 20th century, so another major Asian holding would be expected to be released around the same time.

The reality is that the British ruled Hong Kong far longer than most people would guess, up into the 1990s. The 1990s feel very recent, and it does not seem obvious that Hong Kong only reverted from British rule then. 5th-grade social studies classes study American history from the colonization of the United States, so there likely isn't time in a school year to get all the way to the '90s, meaning the show's student helpers may not be able to assist the contestant in this case.

2 Who Was The First American In Space?

Answer: alan bartlett shepard jr..

"Who was the first American in space?" is a question that contestants may think they know the twist on, only to be fooled. Neil Armstrong is the classic example of the American astronaut, so sharp contestants may think that Armstrong could not possibly be the answer , as that would be too easy. Instead, they'd guess Buzz Aldrin, the lesser-known, but still renowned, astronaut who went up on the first moonwalk. However, both answers are wrong.

The first American in space was the relatively unknown Alan Bartlett Shephard Jr., who traveled into space on May 5, 1961. Despite his importance to the space race, Shepard's name is not mentioned in the same hallowed tones as Armstrong and Aldrin. This may be because Shepard wasn't the first astronaut in space. That laurel goes to Soviet astronaut, Yuri Gagarin, a more household name still, even in America.

1 Which Civil War Battle Took Place The Farthest North?

Answer: st. albans raid in vermont.

Only history buffs may know the Battle of Gettysburg is generally referred to as the northernmost battle of the American Civil War, and even fewer may know that Gettysburg is only the northernmost major battle of the war. There are some key events in the Civil War that most people who have been through U.S. middle school will have committed to memory, certain battles, and meetings between legendary figures like Abraham Lincoln and General Grant.

But what a Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? contestant probably hasn't heard of is the obscure battle known as "St. Alban's Raid in Vermont". Barely a battle (via Vermont History ), St. Alban's Raid was more of a scuffle but still technically a battle of the war. Even if a contestant were to guess, Vermont is much farther north than anyone would expect and such a specific name for the battle makes it an even harder question to answer.

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Teacher lawsuits over forced grade inflation won’t fix unfair grading – here’s what could

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Laura Link , University of North Dakota

(THE CONVERSATION) After refusing to give some students grades they hadn’t earned, high school chemistry teacher Toni Ognibene sued the Clovis Unified School District in California for allegedly retaliating against her. The lawsuit was filed in December 2023.

In 2020, Michael Ramsaroop, a teacher at the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism High School in Brooklyn, New York, sued his principal , his union and the city’s Department of Education after he was fired following a series of disputes that began when he refused to change his students’ grades.

In 2018, fifth grade teacher Sheri Mimbs sued Henry County Schools in Georgia . She claimed she was fired in 2017 for objecting to the assistant principal’s directive to change a number of zeroes she reported for students’ missing assignments. The district had a policy, she asserts, indicating that a failing grade of 60% is the lowest possible score a student can receive on any particular assignment or exam.

Ognibene, Ramsaroop and Mimbs are among a growing group of teachers rebelling against orders to change grades – and filing federal lawsuits to allege they’ve been disciplined for their refusals or protests.

They object to directives to ease grading standards, pass failing students and implement minimum grade policies – for example, policies requiring all students to receive a grade no less than a “D” or 60%. The educators assert that these are dishonest and unfair practices that misrepresent students’ true academic performance.

As a scholar of education who studies grading practices , I view these lawsuits as proof that some districts are undermining teacher autonomy and disregarding the importance of accurate grades. I’m also aware that in many cases, administrators are trying to correct unfair grading itself.

I believe the system needs serious reforms, and I have some ideas.

Lawsuits over ‘grade inflation’

Each of these lawsuits is alike despite differences in geography, subject matter and grade level.

Ognibene said she received a formal “Memorandum of Concern” after resisting pressure to raise students’ grades on multiple occasions. “I didn’t want to do it, but along with being against it for ethical and moral reasons, my credential was at risk,” Ognibene told the Sacramento Bee . Her lawsuit is pending.

Ramsaroop alleges that his refusal to inflate grades began a series of disputes that led to his 2017 termination. The principal “created a hostile work environment based upon his age and seniority at the Academy … in retaliation for his opposition to falsifying student grades,” the lawsuit claims . Ramsaroop’s lawsuit was dismissed in 2022.

Likewise, in 2018, Mimbs alleged that she was fired for protesting an administrator directive to not give grades below 60%. The case, dismissed on technical grounds, was revived by the Georgia Supreme Court in 2022. It is still pending. Mimbs, meanwhile, says she hasn’t been able to find a teaching job since her firing.

If teachers give students grades they haven’t earned, “how do we know when kids are failing or when they’re doing well?” Mimbs asked WSB-TV in Atlanta.

It’s an important question. Grades remain the primary basis for making important decisions about students. They determine a student’s promotion, honor roll status and enrollment in advanced or remedial classes. They factor into special education services and college admissions. Parents turn to grades to reward their child or determine if support, such as tutoring, is needed.

Everyone involved – the school, the teacher, the specific student, their classmates and colleges – suffers harm when grades are inaccurate, inflated and unjustified .

Research shows bias, inequity in grading is real

Still, there are serious concerns with how grading works. As I wrote for The Conversation in March 2023, there is also a wave of litigation across the U.S. in which students and parents are suing schools over grading schemes they claim are unjust and inappropriate.

While teacher autonomy is a bedrock tradition in education , my research shows it also results in inconsistency, inequity and even unreliability . What one teacher considers a quality assignment or paper, for example, can differ greatly from another. Teachers often include aspects of students’ behavior, such as effort and participation, in the grades they assign.

I contend that mixing students’ behavior with their academic performance distorts the meaning of grades and diminishes their academic accuracy. Students of color may get lower grades when teachers’ implicit biases influence how they consider behavioral factors when assigning grades, studies show.

Minimum grade requirements, then, are a way some schools address these issues. But multiple recent investigations show that report-card grades often don’t accurately reflect how students perform on tests at the end of the year.

Three ways to fix the problem

School leaders shouldn’t wait until a conflict arises to ensure grade integrity. Here are three practical steps administrators can take to head off problems in advance.

First, schools could conduct gradebook audits throughout each marking period to detect common issues like grade deflation, in which an overabundance of lower-than-expected grades or lack of grades are reported. A proactive intervention could avert headaches later.

Second, schools can create grade reports using a three- to five-point scale. This would provide a more accurate reflection of academic proficiency than a conventional 100-point scale. In a three- to five-point scale, a zero or low number wouldn’t excessively penalize a student for one missed assignment or poor performance early in a marking period. Students would still be able to recover from low scores , and this provides an incentive to try.

Finally, teachers could use grading rubrics that are explained to students at the start of the semester or when an assignment is given. As I have written , by establishing clear and detailed criteria for grading, teachers can be more transparent and lessen the potential for their own biases to affect how they grade.

Conflict over grades is a fixable problem. The teachers who are suing feel it’s a professional affront to be forced to alter grades, and families suing believe the grading systems are unfair. Both have important points and perspectives. If these three proactive solutions are implemented, many of the conflicts and legal challenges over grades can be averted.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/teacher-lawsuits-over-forced-grade-inflation-wont-fix-unfair-grading-heres-what-could-225946 .

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Report: Broncos Make Contractual Decision on Patrick Surtain II

• Author: Zack Kelberman

In this story:

The Denver Broncos on Tuesday reportedly exercised the fifth-year option on star cornerback Patrick Surtain II — well ahead of the May 2 deadline — in a no-brainer move that had been telegraphed by team brass for months.

"Pat is going to be here," general manager George Paton said on Feb. 27 at the NFL Scouting Combine. "Obviously we value Pat, and we’ll see where that goes. We’ll work on that. I would say it’s pretty close. That’s an easy one. That’s one of the easier decisions we’ll make.”

Surtain, 24, is now due to collect $19.802 million in 2025 base salary, all of which will count against Denver's salary cap — a staggering jump from the $3.52 million he's slated to earn next season, the penultimate campaign of his $20.962 million rookie contract.

The ninth overall pick of the 2021 draft, Surtain is entrenched among the league's best at his position, securing two Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro nod across his first three seasons. He led the Broncos in pass deflections (12) and finished third in solo tackles (59) last year, playing 99.2% of the defensive snaps.

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While there's been chatter of a potential trade, the Broncos are likelier to use Surtain's option as a baseline for a mega-extension that'd make him one of, if not the league's highest-paid corner.

"Currently 14 CBs with annual average better than $12M so Broncos still getting good value. But Surtain may be one good year away from becoming No. 1," 9NEWS' Mike Klis noted.

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Teacher has rare talent for identifying students’ innermost strengths

Laura senturia, who teaches fourth grade at colin powell elementary in fairfax county, is the washington post’s 2024 teacher of the year.

Once a week, Laura Senturia hands a paper butterfly to each of her fourth-grade students with a classmate’s name on it, and asks them to write them a compliment.

“Sometimes I give them a butterfly and they walk away like they’ve won the Super Bowl because I just handed them their best friend,” says Senturia, a teacher at Colin Powell Elementary School in Fairfax County. “If I hand them someone they don’t know, they say, ‘I need help.’ Even if that person is someone you had an issue with at recess, I say let’s find something really nice that they’ve done.”

Senturia says that skill has become harder since the pandemic. “If we look around the world, seeing another person’s perspective right now is really hard. They might have to practice that skill.” She talks to them about what makes a compliment specific and how to identify a character trait.

“Sometimes the best compliments come from a student they don’t talk to that often,” she said.

Senturia is cultivating a skill in her students that is essential to her work as a teacher. She has a rare talent for identifying her students’ innermost strengths, and that gift has earned her the title of The Washington Post’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, chosen from 19 finalists in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Senturia, 50, began teaching at Colin Powell Elementary in Fairfax County in 2003, following a career in public relations.

“I always said teaching was my ‘after job’ — after I had my kids, after another career. But there was a moment in late 2001, when I thought, ‘If that’s my after job, why am I waiting?’” she said.

She went back to school to get a master’s degree in education, moved to Fairfax County, and got a job teaching fourth grade at Colin Powell.

Senturia’s mother and grandmother were both teachers, and her hesitation about becoming one was that she knew how demanding it would be.

But her dogged efforts to build community at Colin Powell has had a profound impact. She organizes staff outings to Nationals games and attends her students’ Little League games.

“To build that community, that’s something that’s always been important to her. Whether it is kids or adults, she wants them to get that sense of belonging, that they are part of something bigger than themselves,” says Missy Long, 40, who has taught fourth grade with Senturia for most of the past 16 years.

Senturia’s ability to give children a sense of belonging stood out to Chung Kim, a marketing professional and mother of four, who has had two children in her class. Kim’s daughter, now a senior in high school, still has an encouraging note that Senturia wrote to her when she was in the fourth grade.

“I’ve never encountered a teacher that had such an emotional impact on my daughter and gave her so much confidence,” Kim says.

Kim’s son entered Senturia’s class in 2021, after spending all of third grade and part of second grade learning in front of a computer during the pandemic. A twin who had been born premature, he had some academic challenges that were exacerbated by remote school.

Returning to in-person school, he and his twin brother were nervous about being separated. On the first day, Senturia pulled the whole family aside and reassured the boys, telling them they could visit each other in her classroom any time they wanted.

Later that year, even though Kim’s son struggled with public speaking, Senturia encouraged him to run for student government and deliver a speech in front of the whole class. He didn’t win, but he ran again in fifth grade and won.

“I attribute that to Ms. Senturia. She was the one who inspired him not to be afraid. She enlightens kids about their deeper layer that they are nervous to tap into,” Kim says. “You can go for years and not have a teacher who can tap into that, those parts of kids where they need a little bit of a push.”

Senturia’s deep relationships with kids and their parents continue long after they leave her classroom. In 2008, Senturia’s student, Emily Michael, died in the middle of the year from complications after heart surgery. Fifteen years later, Senturia and Emily’s mother are still in touch.

“Laura had just an amazing connection with Emily,” Debbie Michael said. “Even though she was just in school for a few weeks before she went for heart surgery, Laura showed up at the hospital. For a teacher who had known a child for just a few weeks, she was the most impressive I think I’ve ever met.”

Shaken by her young student’s death, Senturia volunteered at an orphanage in Malawi at the invitation of a friend who worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development. There she discovered the Samalani orphanage, which was in need of a new school. When she returned home she asked Colin Powell’s principal if she could host a fundraiser to build the orphanage a school.

It took two years to raise the money. She dedicated the school to Emily. Now there is a picture of Emily on a plaque at the school.

Eventually, Senturia encountered a challenge in her own life that required her to lean on the community she had built. In 2022, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, a disease that had killed her mother and grandmother.

On her first day back at school after surgery, her class and co-workers came to school wearing pink. Senturia cried all day. “It was that emotional release of realizing: ‘Oh, my gosh. You matter. People see you.’ That’s what I try to do in my classroom, is to show students that I see them and that they matter.”

For all her devotion, Senturia is not immune to the challenges that are facing educators across the nation, like learning loss, mental health and behavioral challenges.

“So many of our most passionate and highly qualified people are unsure how they are going to get through another year of school. What we expect from our teachers gets more and more every year and we haven’t changed. We are still just human beings,” she said.

For Senturia, showing up to help students find that deeper layer within themselves keeps her coming back. “Every child deserves their best opportunity,” she said. “Kids need to know how important they are to this world.”

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5th Grade Biliteracy Program Participation Recognition for all SFUSD TK-5 Language Programs

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Announcement Message

The Biliteracy Program Participation Recognition is a new award promoted by the California Department of Education available to all 5th graders enrolled in programs leading to biliteracy. It is provided to all students enrolled in the program and is not based on student proficiency in the target language of the program. This award serves as an entry point on the path to biliteracy or multiliteracy with the ultimate goal of students earning the Seal of Biliteracy upon graduation from high school.

Through this award, we aim to recognize emerging biliterate growth of our 5th grade students in one or more languages, in addition to English, and encourage students to connect with and preserve their home language and culture.

The Multilingual Pathways Department will send student certificates to sites the week of May 13 so they can be distributed at 5th grade during promotion ceremonies. 

Biliteracy Program Participation Recognition Requirements 23-24

Elementary Target Language Guidance (for schools with Biliteracy, Dual Language Immersion, and World Language Programs)

• Exposure to and the opportunity for growth in the world language in addition to English, demonstrated through participating in a program that provides students with the opportunity to develop proficiency in a language in addition to English (including reading, writing, listening, and speaking, or all the modalities that exist in the language).

Elementary English Guidance

• Exposure to and the opportunity for growth in English demonstrated through participating in a program where students are exposed to English and have the opportunity to develop proficiency in English (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).

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