If... Then... Machine

About this page

This whimsical contraption turns the most important sentence in science into something kids can see. Water goes in one chute, a flower comes out the other, and suddenly if-then thinking has gears and levers. That simple frame, if I do this, then that will happen, is how researchers of every age state a hypothesis clearly enough to test it. Practicing the pattern out loud while coloring builds the habit long before any classroom asks for it, which is exactly the approach behind this kids' hypothesis coloring book. Try inventing a few silly if-then machines of your own as you color.

Talk about it while you color

• If we put something else down the IF chute, like sunshine or music, what might come out?
• Can you make up your own if-then sentence about something at home?
• What do you think is happening inside the machine between the two chutes?