The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about hypotheses. It is designed to find out if students understand what a hypothesis is, when it is used, and how it is developed. Elementary students typically engage in inquiry to begin to construct an understanding of the natural world but their knowledge and observations are too incomplete for them to hypothesize. Middle school students develop an understanding of what a hypothesis is and when one is used. High school students have acquired more scientific knowledge and experiences and so are able to propose tentative explanations. Teacher notes, standards, assessment, and references are provided. This book selection also includes the Table of Contents, Dedication, Preface, Introduction, and Index.