One afternoon, while finishing up your shift as the stock manager at Circus Supermarket, the manager tells you that he desperately needs some help with an inventory problem. In the back of the store, he shows you an unmarked, unopened tin can and explains that the store's owners are threatening to fire him and all his staff if they cannot keep track of the items that they sell. He asks you to help him figure out what is inside. There is one catch: He does not want to open the can, just in case there is something expensive inside. During this week's discussion, your instructor will play the role of the Circus Supermarket store manager. Your instructor will answer any questions you have about the can, and you should keep all the answers to all the questions asked in mind as you work on a theory about what is in the can.

After you have asked at least two questions of your own and have read the answers to all the other questions your classmates have asked up until that point, you should come up with and post a specific, testable hypothesis about what is in the can.

You should also request that the store manager do things to the can and then report back the results to you. For example, if you would like to ask, "What sounds do you hear when you shake the can?", that will count as one of your questions. Use all the evidence that your classmates have acquired as you write your hypothesis. During the week, you should also respond to your classmates' questions and revise your hypothesis if a new piece of evidence emerges that proves your hypothesis incorrect.

Note: You will be evaluated this week on your investigation of the mysterious can and your use of scientific inquiry, not on the accuracy of your guesses.