Hypothesizing Exercise 12: avoiding work?
© 2003 Edward G. Rozycki

Miss Morelli is dismayed to find out that some of the best students in her German III class, who have had her at least two years, have not signed up for German IV. Instead, they are filling in their rosters with notoriously easy electives. "Don't take it personally," one advises her. "You're a good teacher and we learned a lot. But we're being realistic."

Student's Directions

A. What is influencing the students' choice? Devise several competing hypotheses.

B. Can you combine two or more hypotheses within a more powerful hypothesis?

C. For each hypothesis determine what information you would need to disconfirm its competitors.

D. You will be given additional information. Use it to rule out some of the hypothetical alternatives.

A. Many of Miss Morelli's students intend to be pre-med or pre-law majors.

B. The high school Miss Morelli teaches in is in an affluent middle class neighborhood.

C. This most recent school year, Miss Morelli gave 160 quizzes in 185 school days.

D. Two complete years of a foreign language, though often preferred, is not required by most colleges for admission, nor by most high schools for graduation.

 

1. If Miss Morelli's job depended upon her getting enrollment in German IV, what advice would you give her?

2. If you were Principal at Miss Morelli's high school what curriculum changes would you make if you wanted to raise academic standards?

3. Which groups of people involved with your school would resist your push to raise academic standards through curricular change?

4. How might college admissions policies influence secondary school curriculum?

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