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Date:
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Writing a Hypothesis
DIRECTIONS: Read the background information about plastic bag usage.
Develop a research question and formulate a possible hypothesis based on the
information in the text.
The use of plastic bags has increased dramatically over the last twenty years.
Paper bags used to be standard in grocery stores years ago; however, in today’s
world, plastic bags are the norm. Despite efforts to recycle these bags, “the amount
of plastic entering the municipal solid waste stream, more commonly called garbage
or trash,” has greatly increased, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Additionally, “Between 1960 and 2007, the amount of plastic in the total solid waste
stream increased from 1 to 12%.” The latter has lead to horrific injury and even
death to many animals in the wild. Marine and land animals have been greatly
affected by the plastic bags that invariably end up in streams, rivers and oceans.
“Aquatic animals such as fish, whales and seals can be harmed by these bags by
ingesting them, choking on them or be harmed by their toxins. Examples such as the
gray whale that was found in West Seattle in 2010 with 20 plastic bags in its
stomach highlight this issue,” according to the National Wildlife Federation. This
problem can be alleviated through the use of reusable shopping bags. The
Pittsburgh Post- Gazette states, “The typical plastic bag takes hundreds of years to
stop being a bag, a concern to those trying to be environmentally responsible. Then
there's the mess caused by bags released into the wild.” Getting consumers to use
reusable bags as an alternative could be a solution to this growing problem.
Research Question:
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Hypothesis:
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