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SCI 695
Summer 2002

Instructor:

Dr. Jon Hastings
Office: NS 518 phone: 572-5580,
email: hastings@nku.edu

General Information

Four Major Goals

1) To introduce you to how science is conducted.

2) To improve your understanding of major ideas in science

3) To illustrate how scientific discovery crosses disciplinary boundaries

4) To increase your awareness of current scientific issues and of the importance of scientific literacy to understanding and resolving issues.

Though this experimental course is intended for non-science teachers, it may be useful to science teachers, as well The course employ a workshop approach to learning about science. The large blocks of time provide the flexibility that is necessary in a course of this type. Some meetings may be entirely devoted to one experiment, while most will be a combination of class discussion, student presentation, lecture, computer work, observation, and problem solving.

Text: There is no formal text for this class. Journal articles, newspaper articles, Internet sites, and handouts will be used to supplement class discussion. The course web page will serve several of the functions of a text.

Grade: Your grade will be based on your performance on exams, quizzes, homework assignments, class activities, projects, and presentations. A total possible 1400 course points will be allocated in the following manner:

EXAMS: Mixed format.	total 400 points
Exam 1: July 12	200 points
Exam 2: July 18	200 points
Quizzes:	80 points
Student PowerPoint Presentations:	300 points
Final Project:	100 points
Homework/lab activities: most of these will be completed during class time, some will involve research/writing on your own: total	520 points

Letter Grade: 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79% = C

Tentative List of Topics and Activities

Note: Worksheets are Word 2000 documents (pdf files will be made available soon)

Section I	Section II	Section III	Section IV	Section V
Section VI	Section VII	Section VIII	Section IX	Section X

I. Nature of Science

A. Student preconceptions: class discussion

B. Science and religion: class discussion

worksheet: What is Science?

1. How are the similar?

2. How are they different?

C. Science and pseudoscience: computer exercise

worksheet: Pseudoscience Quiz

D. Pseudoscience project: investigate a specific pseudoscience.

worksheet: Pseudoscience writing assignment

1. Introduction to MS PowerPoint for presentations

E. Scientific Information and Effective Use of the Internet

worksheet: Dietary Supplement

worksheet: Evaluation of a claim

1. How to identify objective, credible evidence

2. Example: magnetic treatment of water and gasoline: bogus or bonanza? Science or pseudoscience?

3. Example: investigate a specific dietary supplement or alternative health method. Science or pseudoscience? Group project

Links:

Science and Pseudoscience

http://www.emory.edu/college/scienceandsociety/scienceinyourlife/pseudoscience.htm

http://skepdic.com/pseudosc.html

http://physics.syr.edu/courses/modules/PSEUDO/pseudo_main.html

Science and Religion

Opposition to Evolution

http://www.aaas.org/spp/dser/evolution/science/kennethmiller.htm

Scientific Information and Effective Use of the Internet

Orgone labs. Magnetic treatment of water and fuel web site

http://www.orgonelab.org/cgi-bin/shop.pl/page=ymagnets.htm

Skeptical Inquirer: Magnetic Water and Fuel Treatment

http://www.csicop.org/si/9801/powell.html

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II. Measurement in science

A. Introduction to computer data and graphing programs:

LoggerPro and Statview

worksheet: Introduction to Logger Pro 2

B. Measurement techniques and significant figures:

1. Computer exercise

2. Lab exercises: density of objects

worksheet: Measurement exercise

worksheet: Significant Figures

Links: Measurement in Science

Significant Figures at DB H.S.

http://dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/SigFigs/SigFigs.html

Significant Figures Drill Problems and Java Applet

http://science.widener.edu/svb/tutorial/sigfigures.html

http://lectureonline.cl.msu.edu/~mmp/applist/sigfig/sig.htm

Significant Figures Lesson

http://faldo.atmos.uiuc.edu/CLA/LESSONS/56.html

Units Conversion

http://www.chemie.fu-berlin.de/chemistry/general/units_en.html

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III. Sampling of Populations and Data Analysis

worksheet: Descriptive Statistics

A. Why sample?

B. What is a random sample?

C. Descriptive statistics: U of Wollongong tutorial

D. Sample size and sampling error

worksheet: Sampling error exercise

E. Testing for differences between groups

worksheet: t-test problems

worksheet: More on t-tests

worksheet: Sample problems

1. t-tests: unpaired t-test, paired t-test

2. mini-project: design and conduct an experiment that uses a t-test

F. Testing for relationships between variables: simple regression

worksheet: Inferential Statistics

1. Factors affecting the period of pendula: group experiment

worksheet: Factors affecting the period of pendula

2. Tree ring analysis: climate and tree growth: group investigation

worksheet: Tree ring composite

worksheet: Group Project

Links: Sampling of Populations and Data Analysis

Samples and Populations: University of Wollongong tutorial

http://www.uow.edu.au/science/biol/biol104/popsam/sp1.html

Sampling Bias

http://www-cta.ornl.gov/npts/1995/courseware/Useable_Nav3_19_27.html

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/Courses/Ed690DR/Class04/samplingbiasbackground.html

Polls and Sampling Bias

http://www.pollingreport.com/sampling.htm

Comparing Populations: t-tests. U of W tutorial

http://www.uow.edu.au/science/biol/biol104/ttest/tt010.html

Correlation and Regression Interactive Introduction

http://research.ed.asu.edu/siip/graph.std/reg2/regress2.html

Pendula

http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/java/Pendulum/Pendulum.html

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IV. Why are there seasons?

worksheet: Seasons

Links: Why are there Seasons?

Here Comes the Sun: Plymouth State College Web Site on the Sun and Seasons

http://vortex.plymouth.edu/sun/suna.html

http://www.scienceu.com/observatory/articles/seasons/seasons.html

http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Sseason.htm

Lesson

http://faldo.atmos.uiuc.edu/w_unit/LESSONS/seasons.html

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V. Nature of light

worksheet: Light

worksheet: More on light

A. Characteristics of light.

B. Types of “light” energy.

C. Wavelength and energy

D. Reflection and refraction of light

E. Why is there color? Spectrophotometry of colored solutions

worksheet: Introduction to Spectrophotometry

F. What is a rainbow?

G. Why is the sky blue?

Links: The Nature of Light

Light and Optics: University of Arizona Web Site

http://acept.la.asu.edu/PiN/mod/light/reflection/pattLight1.html

History of Light

http://members.aol.com/WSRNet/D1/hist.htm

What is Light?

http://www.howstuffworks.com/light2.htm

http://ethel.as.arizona.edu/~collins/astro/subjects/electromag2.html

Electromagnetic Spectrum

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/emspectrum.html

http://imagers.gsfc.nasa.gov/ems/ems.html

Rainbows

http://www.geom.umn.edu/education/calc-init/rainbow/

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/staff/blynds/rnbw.html

Why is the Sky Blue?

http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/sky_blue.html

http://www.why-is-the-sky-blue.org/why-is-the-sky-blue.html

http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/wxwise/bluesky.html

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question39.htm

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VI. Photosynthesis

worksheet: PSN, the process

A. Introduction to microscopy: photosynthetic tissues of plants

worksheet: Photosynthesis Lab

B. Absorption spectrum of photosynthetic pigments

C. Photosynthesis in Elodea: effect of varying wavelength of light

Links: Photosynthesis

Why Study Photosynthesis?

http://photoscience.la.asu.edu/photosyn/study.html

The Process of Photosynthesis

http://gened.emc.maricopa.edu/bio/bio181/BIOBK/BioBookPS.html

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VII. Respiration

worksheet: Madagascar Roach Metabolism

worksheet: Human ventilation

A. Effect of temperature on oxygen consumption in Madagascar roaches

Links: Respiration

Introduction

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/cellresp.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/C004535/cellular_respiration.html

Overview with details

http://old.jccc.net/~pdecell/cellresp/respoverview.html

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VIII. Combustion and the first law of thermodynamics

worksheet: Peanut Barbecue

A. Energy content of peanuts vs. cashews: a calorimetry experiment

B. How does your car engine work?

worksheet: How Do Car Engines Work

Links: Combustion

How Does an Internal Combustion Engine Work?

http://www.howstuffworks.com/engine1.htm

Combustion experiments

http://library.thinkquest.org/2690/exper/exp8.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/2690/exper/exp11.htm

Human Spontaneous Combustion

http://www.apbnews.com/media/gfiles/humancombust/index.html

Peanut Barbecue

http://www.uky.edu/~holler/msc/discover/nutstoyou/hotnuts.html

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IX. Greenhouse Effect and Global Temperature

worksheet: Greenhouse Gases

worksheet: Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Cycle Experiment

A. What are greenhouse gases?

B. Is global warming really a matter for concern?

1. Class debate. Should the USA sign the Kyoto Treaty?

worksheet: Debate on Greenhouse Gases

Power Point Files:

Links: Greenhouse Gases and Global Temperature

Global Pattern of Energy Use

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0011/earthlights_dmsp_big.jpg

Greenhouse Effect Experiment

http://www.kie.berkeley.edu/ned/data/E01-951006-002/full.html

Air Pollution: Ozone Depletion, Photochemical Smog

http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/air/

Global Warming

http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/

Kyoto Treaty: PIPA and other organizations

http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/GlobalWarming/buenos_aires.html

http://www.panda.org/goforkyoto/

http://www.usatoday.com/news/healthscience/science/climate/2002-05-31-kyoto.htm

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X. Final Project: development of a lesson plan.

Lesson Plan Guidelines

Lesson Plan Rubric

Example Lesson Plans:

Examining a Creek Ecosystem

Macroinvertebrates

Model Stream Habitat

For more lesson plans, see www.readingtheriver.org (click on 2001 and the Lesson Plan link.)

Experienced Teacher Standards Addressed by Course (Portfolio): Standards

Experienced TeachStandards

Science Core Content for Assessment: science_cc_30

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Navigation:

SCI 695 Summer 2002

Tentative List of Topics and Activities

SCI 695
Summer 2002