Theories of Relativity

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Develop Your Own Theory”

In this activity, students will develop and test a theory about interactions in their own lives the way Dylan develops theories to manage his social interactions.

Throughout the novel Theories of Relativity, Dylan presents and tests various theories about the way his interactions with others unfold. For this activity, you will be creating and testing your own theory about interpersonal interactions.

• Your theory is not a hypothesis. Your theory should be presented as a statement, not an if/then prediction.
• Theories must be testable. (For example, “The sun will crash into the earth” is not a testable theory, but “Girls will say ‘bless you’ after a sneeze more often than boys” is.) Plan to test your theory 3-5 times and record your results in a chart.
• To record your results, you will create a 3-column chart. The left column will be for the date and time each time you test your theory, the middle column will be a description of the test, and the right column will be a description of your results, including whether the test proved or disproved your theory. Include 3-5 rows—one row for each time you test your theory.

After you have finished testing your theory, write a one-page assessment about the results. Explain whether or not you proved your theory and what you found through testing. If your theory was disproven by testing, finish your assessment with a revised theory to fit what you’ve learned through testing. Include one paragraph that makes a connection between your results and a theory of Dylan’s that was proven or disproven.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may need guidance on the language and presentation of theories as well as what qualifies as a testable theory. You may want to come up with some theories of your own and “test” them in the classroom before introducing this assignment in order to give the students a better understanding of the differences between facts, theories, and hypotheses.