Writing Homework Help

Instructions for Lab 1a: What is a Testable Hypothesis?

You have observed (or heard) that your neighbor’s rooster crows every morning just before daylight. Not only are you tired of being woken up before dawn, but you also would like to know why the rooster crows more at that time than at any other time of the day. Below are two hypotheses to investigate this phenomenon. Please answer the questions below:

Hypothesis 1: This rooster’s crowing ensures that the sun will rise.

• • • Is this a testable hypothesis? Why/why not?
    • If you could test this hypothesis, how would you do so? What type of data would you collect? What type of experiment would you conduct to test this hypothesis?
  • Hypothesis 2: The rooster has an “internal clock” based on its genetically determined circadian rhythm (natural biological processes occurring on a 24 hour cycle).
    • Is this a testable hypothesis? Why/why not?
    • If you could test this hypothesis, how would you do so? What type of data would you collect? What type of experiment would you conduct to test this hypothesis?

Rooster

Instructions for Lab 1b: The Scientific Method

Please type your response in a word processing software (e.g., MS Word). Your response should be single-spaced and no longer than 2 pages in length. Please be sure to include citations and a reference page. MLA or APA format is ok.

• Please select one of the observations provided below:

1. 1. Children from low-income households show evidence of malnutrition.
   2. In most humans, the right humerus (upper arm bone) is larger than the left humerus.
   3. Pregnant women who smoke cigarettes often have low-birth-weight-babies.
   4. People living on the island of Palau have the highest rates of schizophrenia in the world.
   5. Orangutans living in captivity (zoos) tend to be overweight compared to orangutans living in the natural environment (i.e., wild orangutans).

• Step 1: Formulate a testable hypothesis to explain the observation you selected.
• Step 2: What type of data do you need to collect to test your hypothesis? You can use bullet points to list the type of data you would collect. Remember, your data must be empirical! Try to include both qualitative and quantitative data if appropriate.
• Step 3: Design an experiment to test your hypothesis. Clearly and thoroughly explain step-by-step how you would collect your data and how you would analyze your data. Remember to apply holism and the comparative method!
• Step 4: Interpret the results. What type of results would you expect to get that would support your hypothesis?
• Step 5: How would you share your results with others?