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Question the claim

https://easebrain.live/curriculum/question-the-claim


CHALLENGE

A fictional product claims to cut a school’s water use by half. Identify the evidence needed to assess the claim, audit three sources and design a fair comparison.


LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Compare rates with consistent units and denominators.

Distinguish correlation, alternative explanations and evidence of causation.


LEARN & APPLY

1. Trace the source
Record who made a claim, when, for what purpose and on what evidence. An original report often reveals details that a summary leaves out. Check that a source actually supports the sentence attached to it.
Practice: Create a source table with author, date, evidence and limitations.

2. Ask what changed
To judge a claimed improvement, identify the baseline, units and other possible causes. A decrease in total water use could reflect fewer people at school rather than a better device.
Practice: Write a researchable question and two alternative explanations.

3. Design a fair test
Use a comparison, repeat measurements and decide how you will record the results before starting. A small or incomplete dataset may justify ‘we do not yet know’.
Practice: Write a test plan another team could follow.


WORKED EXAMPLE

Water use falls from 1,000 to 750 litres/day while attendance falls from 100 to 60. Total use falls 25%, but use per learner rises from 10 to 12.5 litres/day. A headline about total savings hides the changed denominator.


YOUR PRACTICE QUESTION

Does this example establish that the device saves water per learner?

Write your answer before reading the explanation below.


EXPLANATION

No. Water use per learner rose 25%, and a before-and-after comparison still cannot isolate the device's effect. Check attendance, measurement conditions and a suitable comparison.


STRETCH

Draw the data with labelled units and axes. Explain how missing measurement days could change your conclusion.

PRACTICAL: The water-saving claim that changed

Suggested time: 45–60 minutes

Illustrated crew scenario (fictional learning example)

Water use fell after we added our device. It must work!

Attendance fell too. Let’s compare litres per learner before making that claim.

PREDICT: If total use falls while attendance falls faster, can use per learner increase?

STARTER: Fictional readings before: (1,000 litres,100 learners), (950,95), (1,080,108). After: (750,60), (800,64), (875,70). Each row represents one day. No names or personal records are needed.

1. Define the measure
Write a data dictionary: period, daily litres and daily attendance. Decide that litres per learner = litres ÷ attendance. A zero attendance value is undefined, not zero use per learner.

2. Calculate and compare
Use the data lab. Calculate all six ratios; label a chart with units. Explain the difference between total use and use per learner.

3. Rewrite the claim
State what the numbers support and what they cannot prove. Suggest a competing explanation and one additional observation that could help test it.

COMPARE AFTER TRYING: Every before day is 10 L/learner; every after day is 12.5 L/learner. The per-learner measure increased by (12.5−10)/10 ×100 =25%. Lower totals alone do not establish savings. Even this comparison cannot isolate the device’s effect from other changes.

SELF-CHECK

All ratios have units and a nonzero denominator.

My claim agrees with the 25% increase per learner.

I separate an association from a causal explanation.

TRANSFER: Repeat with one missing attendance value. Explain why you exclude or investigate it instead of inventing a number.

WORKBOOK TEMPLATE

Period | Litres | Attendance | Litres/learner | Data concern
Claim before analysis:
Claim after analysis:
Alternative explanation:
Additional evidence needed:


EVIDENCE CRITERIA

Three traceable sources with limitations

A testable question and fair comparison

A conclusion no stronger than the evidence

Deliverable: Source audit, test plan and a short evidence judgement


SESSION PLAN (adapt with your facilitator)

Recall & plan: 30 minutes

Model & discuss: 45 minutes

Guided practice: 75 minutes

Build & test: 120 minutes

Feedback & revise: 60 minutes

Reflect & next step: 30 minutes


RESOURCES

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics: Statistical Abstracts — https://www.knbs.or.ke/statistical-abstracts/


AI DISCLOSURE TEMPLATE

Tool/version; date; task; information shared; claims checked and sources; what I changed; what I can explain myself.


No AI or equipment purchase is required. Keep personal information out of project evidence.