Please answer the following questions and email your responses to email@example.com with the subject line Scientific Inquiry Assignment by 5pm Sept. 17th. Or turn in your responses on paper during class on Sept. 17th. If you have any questions about the assignment, let us know in the comments section of this blog post.
1. Was Darwin’s Theory of Evolution was primarily developed with inductive or deductive reasoning? Why?
2. Take a few minutes to listen to or read the news story “Invasive Pythons Put Squeeze On Everglades’ Animals”.
What is the hypothesis is Michael Dorcas examining? What evidence would support this hypothesis? What evidence could falsify it?
3. Take a few minutes to listen to or read the news story “Monsanto Accused in Suit Tied to Agent Orange”.
What hypothesis about the herbicide in question might be crucial in determining the outcome of this court case? Why? What evidence would support this hypothesis? What evidence could falsify it?
4. Consider this statement in the news story “Mother’s Pesticide Exposure Linked to Kids’ IQ”: “Children exposed to common pesticides before birth can have lower IQ levels when they reach school age…”
Is this a hypothesis or theory or neither? Why?
5. Are these news stories above primary or secondary sources? Why?