<p>
	Key Ideas Introduced in this Unit:</p>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
	<li>
		A hypothesis grows out of some type of model</li>
	<li>
		Models are generated through a series of related questions</li>
	<li>
		Hypotheses are neither right nor wrong; they are either supported or not supported</li>
	<li>
		Questions can be answered by setting up an experiment, collecting data and analyzing results</li>
</ul>
<h3>
	<a name="TOC-Concepts-and-Relationship:"></a>Concepts and Relationship:</h3>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>
	Students should:</p>
<ul>
	<li>
		Have an idea of which organisms would contain greater amounts of mercury</li>
	<li>
		Have an idea of where organisms are on the food chain (who eats whom)</li>
	<li>
		Have a good idea of the mercury cycle</li>
	<li>
		Be able to relate their study site to more abstract concepts that drive mercury bioaccumulation and patterns (for example, think about whether their site has a lot of wetlands and recall that scientists think wetlands are &lsquo;hotspots&rsquo; for mercury methylation and transport).</li>
</ul>
<h3>
	<a name="TOC-Vocabulary:"></a>Vocabulary:</h3>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
	<li>
		Hypothesis&mdash;an educated, well reasoned guess at the answer to a research question</li>
	<li>
		Claim&mdash;an assertion of something</li>
	<li>
		Evidence&mdash;the medium of proof</li>
	<li>
		Reasoning&mdash;the drawing of inferences or conclusions</li>
</ul>
<div style="color: rgb(76, 17, 48);">
	<h4>
		<a name="TOC-WORDS-TO-AVOID:-Fact-prove-true-rig"></a>WORDS TO AVOID: <i>Fact, prove, true, right, wrong, good, bad</i></h4>
	<p>
		We want to avoid using words like those above because they reinforce the notion that science and the interpretation of data are absolute, or black and white. Really, we are gathering evidence that supports or does not support a hypothesis. We can never know everything about every part of a system, so there&rsquo;s always a chance we&rsquo;ll find out something new down the road that will change how we think the system works. For example: Newton thought that light was made up of particles &ndash; for good, logical reasons. Later, when scientists observed diffraction, they started to wonder if it wasn&rsquo;t a wave instead. We now think it travels as both particles and waves. Newton wasn&rsquo;t wrong. He was basing his hypothesis on sound evidence, but as new evidence came to light our understanding shifted somewhat. It may shift again as we record new observations and phenomena regarding the properties of light.</p>
</div>
<div>
	<h3>
		<a name="TOC-Student-Prerequisites:"></a>Student Prerequisites:</h3>
	<ul>
		<li>
			How to measure volume and square inches</li>
		<li>
			How to convert units such as &micro;g/g to ppb or ppm (see <a href="http://participatoryscience.org/mercury-watersheds/essential-activity-why-do-we-care-about-mercury">Introduction to Mercury in the Environment Essential Activity- Why do we care?</a>)</li>
		<li>
			Proportions</li>
		<li>
			Averages</li>
		<li>
			Ranges</li>
		<li>
			Computer skills</li>
		<li>
			Library skills</li>
	</ul>
	<h3>
		<a name="TOC-Misconceptions-about-mercury:"></a><font size="3"><b>Misconceptions about mercury: </b></font></h3>
</div>
<div>
	<ul>
	</ul>
	<ul>
	</ul>
	<ul>
		<li>
			Hypotheses are difficult to develop</li>
		<li>
			If the data don&rsquo;t support my hypothesis, I got it wrong (or if the data do support my hypothesis, I got it right)</li>
	</ul>
</div>
