Look for: The independent variable is the cause described

10.A Plan an investigation to produce data to support hypotheses about the cause-and-effect relationship between distance and magnetic forces, including identifying independent and dependent variables.

Look for how students translate hypotheses into variables:

• The independent variable is the cause described.
• The dependent variable is the effect described.
• During whole-class co-planning of the investigation, listen for students to plan for varying the independent variable by a quantifiable amount while keeping all other variables constant and measuring the strength of magnetic forces.
• During data analysis, students should use patterns in their graphed data to confirm that as distance between magnets increases and decreases the forces between the magnets change.

Observe students as they grapple with developing hypotheses and describing variables. This will provide information about how much scaffolding will be needed in Lesson 11 when students will be expected to do this on their own.