2 Misleading Evidence

CHAPTER TWO Misleading Evidence Evidence (noun). In science, evidence is information, facts, or data that support a hypothesis or claim. Like when your little brother has cheeks full of chocolate crumbs, and the last brownie went missing—the evidence would be the chocolate crumbs. THE CLUES TO THE MYSTERY at Rosalind Franklin Elementary were everywhere. I considered the evidence. First of all, there were new signs put up last week. As in actual signs. 1. In the library, a giant banner read: Be curious. I ask so many questions, curious could be my middle name. Kate Curious Crawford. (My real middle name is Alexis, which I think sounds like a type of car.) 2. Next to the water fountain by the front office, a poster read: Are you ready? I like to think I was born ready. At least, that's what my soccer coach always says. But the truth is I'm more like just on time or even one to two minutes late,

because I'm always trying to do one more thing before I have to leave. 3. By the lost and found closet, a banner read: Be positive. Maybe this meant, Don't worry. You probably didn't lose your water bottle. Check the lost and found closet! I seriously hate to misplace anything. Once I lost a mitten and I searched for half a day by the pond. Luckily, I found it under a pine tree. 4. By the teacher's lounge, a sign read: Have a growth mindset. That doesn't mean you're supposed to suddenly sprout up like a mushroom. Mom loved to talk about this saying after she went to a conference last summer. She told me it meant you should be up for challenges and believe in hard work. My soccer coach says that good things come to those who sweat! I think it's kind of the same thing. I reviewed all of the signs. Be curious. Are you ready? Be positive and Have a growth mindset. Aha! A pattern had emerged. I could see what all the messages had in common. "I've come up with something," I announced to my friends. "Awesome!" Elijah drummed his hands on his chair.

"The anticipation is killing me," moaned Memito. "Based on the evidence." I spread out my hands. "I think they're going to announce a mindfulness assembly. So we can learn breathing exercises that teachers hope will calm us down in class." Memito pretended to snore. In the chair in front of him, Rory Workman cradled his head and also went, "Zzzzzzzz." "Hey, I like meditating. I do it with my uncle," said Elijah. "Sitting around and learning how to breathe, really?" Jeremy snort-laughed. "Kate, you're going to lose the bet. All of you are going down." "Sorry, there's a hitch in your bet plan." I stared at Jeremy as he flicked his bangs with the dyed purple streak in them. "You never said what you think." "I don't have to guess," he huffed. "I'm betting you guys are wrong." My mother stepped up to the microphone and tapped it. The mic made a loud pop. "Good morning, fifth graders," she said. Jeremy and Rory continued talking. "Zip it," I blurted.

Oops! I hope the principal, aka my mom, didn't hear me say zip it. I try not to blurt stuff out. But sometimes I can't help it. Mom held up her hand as if she were stopping traffic. "It's time for our assembly." Immediately the room grew silent. "Look how quickly you were quiet," she continued. "That's amazing." Kids cheered. "We have a super fun assembly planned for you today," said Mom. "We're going to be kicking off something new." "What is it?" called out Rory. "You'll see," said Mom. "And here's the person to tell you all about it." She stepped away from the microphone. Ms. Daly, the chemistry club advisor, burst out from behind the stage curtain. She wore a baseball cap over her short gray hair. The hat said CHEMISTS HAVE ALL THE SOLUTIONS. Which was typical of her awesome corny humor.

In her arms, she carried a big blue bucket the size of a kindergartner. It wasn't a bucket I recognized. Since I never miss a chemistry club meeting, I pretty much know all of the equipment in our school lab. "What do you think is in there?" whispered Birdie. "Some kind of chemical?" "Maybe," I whispered back. With a heave, Ms. Daly dumped the bucket upside down. Ping-pong balls exploded out, hitting the floor with a series of clacking sounds. They rolled right up to our rows of chairs. Rory reached so far to grab one that he fell off and his seat flipped up. Kids laughed and I had to hold back a gasp. Not because he fell. But because if anyone was going to have their seat flip up, it would have been Jeremy. Birdie and I scrambled to pick a couple of balls careening down the center aisle. I scooped up a bright yellow one. In small writing, it read: STEM Night begins Nov. 20! "STEM Night?" I whisper-shouted to Birdie. "Yes! Yes!" "Kate guessed wrong," sang out Jeremy. "And Memito, you were wrong too. And Birdie." "Quiet back there," called out Ms. Daly. "I'm never wrong," said Memito.

Essh! I don't like being wrong. But if science is involved, I'm kind of okay with it. Ms. Daly began chanting, "One, two, three, eyes on me." "One, two, eyes on you," we chanted back. It's a thing we do at our school when a teacher needs to get our attention. "For the first time ever, Rosalind Franklin Elementary School is going to have a community- wide STEM Night," explained Ms. Daly. "There's going to be hands-on science activities for families to do together, and a science project exhibit area open to fifth graders only." "Fifth graders? That's us!" A huge smile spread across Elijah's face. A ginormous one was on mine, too. "The event will happen in three weeks," continued Ms. Daly. "The science projects are mandatory and must include original experiments." Suddenly, Mrs. Eberlin, my fifth-grade teacher, and Mrs. Que, the other fifth grade teacher, waltzed up onstage. They both wore blue lab coats and goggles and were dancing to loud, happy music playing over the speakers.