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Unit T5
Exploring a Hypothesis
Scene: Reaction Times in Sports
Duration: Approximately 50 minutes
In this Science Scene, a dialogue to read aloud as a class, students meet three friends who are discussing last night’s baseball game and the slow reaction times of the batters from the opposing team. While the friends acknowledge that there could be many different reasons for these slow reaction times, Malik believes that boys have faster reaction times than girls. Stephanie disagrees and tries to give evidence to the contrary, while Juan suggests that reaction time has more to do with practice than gender. Malik then hypothesizes that girls have to play softball because of their slow reaction times. Juan says that they should try to figure out if this is true or not, and all agree to test Malik’s hypothesis.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Students encounter and discuss a hypothesis that a character puts forward.
Students demonstrate careful reading by identifying accurate details.
Students consider the perspectives of the characters through related questions.
Teacher Tips
- Think ahead about how you will assign the three roles (Juan, Malik, and Stephanie), perhaps in groups or by having volunteers read in front of the class. Note that students often willingly take on roles regardless of the gender of the characters.
- While it is possible for the students to read the PDF of the script online, we suggest printing the script for the students so they can hold it in their hands and mark it as they read. Consider scaffolding the lesson for English language learners: you could let them preview the script before the lesson or read the dialogue silently once and ask questions to a partner.
- Prior to the reading the script, explain to students that they will encounter new vocabulary terms and ideas that may not be familiar. Reassure them that this lack of familiarity is okay. The reading is meant to introduce the ideas, not explain them completely.
- Review the focus words of the week. The focus word chart linked on the unit overview page should be used as a resource for students to review definitions and sample sentences.
- This activity is intended only as an introduction to the concepts.
- When roles are assigned, it is recommended that the teacher read the part of the narrator.
Teacher Tune-up
Teaching Notes
ACTIVITY OVERVIEW
- Set the context (10 minutes)
- Engage with the script (20 minutes)
- Identify the characters' perspectives (10 minutes)
- Discussion (10 minutes)
Set the context (10 minutes)
What is the difference between softball and baseball?
Why do girls play softball and boys play baseball?
Can you think of any good reason why girls should not be playing baseball?
How do you know if your reasons are good ones or are based simply on an opinion or prejudice?
How might you test your reasons to see if they are true?
:
Scientists are always looking for answers to questions about the world around them. They come up with hypotheses and then have to test them. Testing a hypothesis requires developing a procedure and carrying out an experiment.
Discuss the question to the right prior to the students' exposure to the script.
Engage with the script (20 minutes)
Some teachers have several groups of students read at the same time. Other teachers select a few students to "perform" in front of the class.
While it is possible for the students to read the PDF of the script online, we suggest printing the script for the students so they can hold it in their hands and mark it as they read. Consider scaffolding the lesson for English language learners: you could let them preview the script before the lesson or read the dialogue silently once and ask questions to a partner. When roles are assigned, it is recommended that the teacher read the part of the narrator as it is there that the focus words are explained.
The Script
Setting: Stephanie grabbed her backpack and headed for the bus stop. Her friends Juan and Malik were standing at the corner talking so loudly that she could hear them half a block away.
Juan: I can’t believe that game last night. That was crazy! Our new pitcher is amazing.
Malik: No kidding. No one on the other team could hit anything that he threw. It was awesome. We are totally going to win the World Series this year.
Stephanie: Are you guys talking about the baseball game last night? It looked like the other team was asleep every time they got up to bat. They just kept swinging way too late to hit anything.
Malik: Seriously. The batters looked like they were swinging in slow motion.
All three of them laughed and agreed that the batters on the other team seemed to have really slow reaction times.
Juan: Martinez just throws so fast! I know I wouldn’t want to have to bat against him.
Stephanie: No kidding.
Malik: But these guys are supposed to be professionals! They’re supposed to be able to hit anything.
Stephanie: Maybe they were just tired. Everybody has a bad day now and then.
Malik: Or maybe their team just stinks.
Juan: I don’t know. I bet there are lots of things that affect how fast a a batter reacts to a fastball.
Malik: Maybe. But what I do know is that boys can hit a fastball better than girls.
Stephanie: No way is that true! Look at Venus or Serena Williams hit a tennis serve and tell me girls don’t have reaction times that are as fast as boys’. Maybe girls have even faster reaction times.
Juan: Maybe it has to do with being an athlete and not whether you’re a boy or a girl. I think if you play sports a lot you’re always improving your reaction time. What do you all think?
Malik: But guy athletes play baseball and girl athletes play softball. Softball is definitely a slower game. Girls have to play softball because they have slower reaction times. Stephanie just can’t admit it.
Stephanie did not agree with Malik’s hypothesis. It made her mad that Malik said she just wouldn’t admit that boys are faster.
Stephanie: I won’t admit it because it’s not true. I’ll bet my reaction time for returning a fastball is faster than most of the boys in our class.
Juan: Geez, you two. Don’t you think there’s some way to figure this out?
Malik: Come on Juan. You agree with me, right?
Juan didn’t think Malik was right but didn’t want to take sides. Juan thought that maybe he could identify other variables that might affect a person’s reaction times.
Juan: I’m not taking sides. I think there are tons of things that can change how fast your reaction time is whether you’re a boy or a girl. Like Stephanie said, the other team seemed asleep at the bat. Maybe being tired makes your reaction time worse.
Stephanie: Right, but both boys AND girls get tired. So you should be on my side, Juan.
Malik: Even if being tired matters, I bet tired boys are still faster than tired girls. But I do agree with Juan; we need to figure this out. How about a test? Stephanie, are you game?
Stephanie: I’m game! Let’s get this done!
Just then, the bus pulled up and they climbed on, each one wondering how to come up with a plan to measure reaction times and to see what might affect them.
Analysis of character perspectives (10 minutes)
Use the questions about the reading as a quick assessment of student comprehension.
:
- (B) Boys play baseball and girls play softball.
- (B) Juan’s response is to suggest that there are many things that might affect a person’s reaction time.
- (C) Both agree that a test is needed to get a better sense of reaction times.
1. Malik says boys have faster reaction times than girls because:
- His brother is the best batter on the school’s baseball team.
- Boys play baseball and girls play softball.
- Venus and Serena Williams are not as strong as male tennis players.
- All of his male friends are much better athletes than any female athlete at school.
2. What is Juan’s response to Malik’s claim that boys have faster reaction times than girls?
- Juan’s response is to remain neutral because Malik is his friend and he doesn’t want to argue with him.
- Juan’s response is to suggest that there are many things that might affect a person’s reaction time.
- Juan’s response is to disagree with Malik because his mother is a great athlete and his dad isn’t.
- Juan’s response is to agree with Malik’s claim because he knows that Stephanie is not faster than the boys in her class.
3. What do Malik and Stephanie finally agree on?
- Both agree that girls are better at playing baseball than boys.
- Both agree that Serena and Venus Williams have slow reaction times.
- Both agree that a test is needed to get a better sense of reaction times.
- Both agree that they need to practice hitting fastballs.
Discussion (10 minutes)
These questions are designed to encourage students to think about how Malik's hypothesis is or is not supported. It will be interesting for the students to attempt to relate rude or sexist language to the facts of a situation, and to consider the idea of further investigation through experimentation.
:
- Stephanie’s position is that boys do not have faster reaction times than girls.
- She offers evidence such as the fast reaction times such as Venus and Serena Williams.
- Malik says that he knows that boys can hit a fastball better than girls.
- Malik says that boys play baseball and girls play softball. Since softball is a slower game, Malik argues that girls must have slower reaction times.
- Juan remained neutral.
What was Stephanie’s position about boys having faster reaction times?- What evidence did Stephanie share in the Science Scene that supported her position?
- What was Malik’s position about boys having faster reaction times?
- What evidence did Malik share in the scene that supported his position?
- How did Juan approach the disagreement?
BETA Version - Please send comments and corrections to info@serpinstitute.org
This project was supported by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science.
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