Sc 300 - Unit 2 Science Meets Real Life

Unit 2 Project Science Meets Real Life

SC300: Big Ideas in Science: From Methods to Mutation

Professor: Christine Snyder

Submitted by Rodrigo Gonzalez

Date: February 14, 2012

Question #1- Is there is a common reason for the absences? Explain.

There seems to be a spike in absences at the Truman Middle and Jackson Middle schools’ band class. The occurrence took place between the dates of May 20th and May, 21. There may possibly be an out-brake of some type of viral infection that has caused so many student’s to be out of school. There seems to be some type of epidemic because it happened in Truman Middle on May 20 & 21st then dwindle down beginning March 22nd, and at the Jackson Middle school on May 20th then this dwindled down on May 22nd. The attendance shows no major impact in all other classes and middle schools. Truman Middle school had an absentee percentage of 33.3% on May 20th and Jackson Middle had a 25% absentee percentage and was due to the band class, all other classes had a normal absentee percentage rate (Community Health Department, 2012). There does not seems to be any attendance dilemma at either The Kennedy Middle or Roosevelt Middle Schools or any other classes at Truman or Jackson Middle Schools other than band on May 20th through May 22nd (Community Health Department, 2012). So whatever seems to be causing the absences happening here within the time frame of May 20th through May 22nd seems to be a very strange coincidence which needs to be evaluated further.

Question #2- Come up with two testable, clear hypotheses about what you think is behind the absences. Be sure to base your hypotheses on the evidence you have obtained (e.g., Health Department Restaurant Inspections) and be thorough in your explanation of who, what, why, when, and how to support your hypotheses.

Hypothesis #1

Before May 20th, the band classes at Truman and Jackson seems to have been infected with possibly the same illness if they were at the same...