A boy observes a robin outside of his window. He nowes the robin repeatedy – Free 5B
Scientific Reasoning: Observation of Robin Behavior
Question:
A boy observes a robin outside of his window. He notices the robin repeatedly cocks its head to one side before pecking the ground. The boy suspects that when the robin cocks its head, it is actually listening for worms underground. His explanation of the bird’s behavior is an example of:
- a hypothesis
- a theory
- an observation
- an experiment
- both a hypothesis and a theory
Answer:
A hypothesis
Detailed Explanation:
The boy makes an observation of the robin’s repeated head movement before pecking the ground. He then proposes an explanation — that the robin might be listening for worms or insects underground.
This proposed explanation goes beyond what is directly observed. It introduces a possible cause for the observed behavior. This is not a theory in the scientific sense because:
- Scientific theories are broad, well-supported explanations of aspects of the natural world (e.g., theory of gravity, germ theory), developed through extensive experimentation and evidence.
- This is also not an experiment, since no controlled tests or data collection are being done by the boy at this stage.
- It is more than a simple observation because it interprets what the behavior means.
Therefore, the boy’s explanation qualifies as a hypothesis — a tentative statement that can be tested by further observations or experiments.
For example, he could test his hypothesis by setting up a controlled observation to see whether robins catch more worms when they cock their heads, or play artificial underground sounds and observe the robin’s reaction.
Conclusion: The boy has formed a hypothesis, which is the correct scientific classification of his explanation.