Students need to have a basic understanding of research methods before obtaining a communication degree in order to become an intelligent consumer of research--someone who is able to read, understand, explain, and critically evaluate communication and other research reported in scholarly journals as well as in the popular press. These skills are not only necessary in research methods courses but in any undergraduate course where research and theoretical concepts are discussed. Hands-on learning activities with guidance from an instructor can allow students to create meaningful learning experiences, enhance critical thinking skills, and decrease overall anxiety. This article discusses a single class activity to help students understand and identify independent and dependent variables in addition to developing critical thinking skills while composing hypotheses. This activity works best in an introductory research methods course, but could be applied in any course that involves reading scholarly articles or writing a literature review.