The Nature of Science Investigating Key Ideas Related to NOS

Transcription

1 The Nature of Science Investigating Key Ideas Related to NOS To understand what science is, just look around you. What do you see? Perhaps, your hand on the mouse, a computer screen, papers, ballpoint pens, the family cat, the sun shining through the window, a beautiful rainbow in the sky Science is, in one sense, our knowledge of all that all the stuff that is in the universe: from the tiniest subatomic particles in a single atom of the metal in your computer's circuits, to the nuclear reactions that formed the immense ball of gas that is our Sun, to the complex chemical interactions and electrical fluctuations within your own body that allow you to read and understand these words. But just as importantly, science is also a reliable process by which we learn about all that stuff in the universe. Science is not simply a collection of facts; rather it is a path to understanding. When we understand how science works, we are more able to sort science from non-science. Science is different from many other ways of learning because of the way it is done. Science relies on testing ideas with evidence gathered from the natural world. Science helps satisfy the natural curiosity with which we are all born: questions such as why is the sky blue, how did the leopard get its spots, and what causes an eclipse? With science, we can answer such questions without resorting to magical explanations. And science can lead to technological advances, as well as helping us learn about enormously important and useful topics, such as our health, the environment, and natural hazards. Without science, the modern world would not be modern at all, and we still have much to learn. Millions of scientists all over the world are working to solve different parts of the puzzle of how the universe works, peering into its nooks and crannies, deploying their microscopes, telescopes, and other tools to unravel its secrets. To many, science may seem like an endeavor only for the nerdy but that impression is based on a misunderstanding of science. In fact: Science affects your life in many different ways. You can apply an understanding of how science works to your everyday life. Anyone can become a scientist of the amateur or professional variety. This investigation will help you learn more about the Nature of Science and how it applies to your everyday life. When we understand how science works, we are more able to sort science from non-science. (Above adapted from Understanding Science: How It Really Works: Questions 1. What is the Nature of Science? 2. How does the Nature of Science help us understand the natural world? Key Terms nature of science 1

2 Materials Colored pencils Before You Begin Read the statements about the nature of science listed in the following Anticipation-Reaction Guide. Record if you think each statement is true (T = true) or false (F = false) in the Anticipation column. You will complete the Reaction column after you have completed the investigation. Anticipation-Reaction Guide Anticipation Statement Notes Reaction Science is based on the idea that, if a natural event is studied long and hard enough, it can be understood. All scientific ideas result from controlled experiments Scientific ideas and explanations change gradually over time. The scientific method is accepted worldwide as the standard for scientific research. Scientists are unbiased in their research Society has little influence on scientific research. 2

3 Directions Step 1 View the DVD, A Search for Solutions, shown by your teacher. Your teacher will pause periodically to provide you time to jot down some ideas in the notes section of the Anticipation-Reaction Guide on the previous page that refers to, supports, or contradicts the statements in the guide. Step 2 View the Nature of Science PowerPoint and listen to the key ideas presented by your teacher. Record some notes in the space below to summarize the information about each of the seven key concepts that make up the nature of science. The natural world is understandable Notes on the Nature of Science Science demands evidence Science is a blend of logic and imagination Scientific knowledge is durable 3

4 Scientific knowledge is subject to change Science identifies and avoids bias Science is a complex social activity Summary and Synthesis 1. Use your notes on the Nature of Science to complete the graphic organizer on the following page. The graphic organizer has boxes that feature each of the seven concepts of the nature of science. For each box, develop - (1) a catchy phrase that summarizes the main idea of the concept and (2) draw an illustration to accompany the phrase using colored pencils. 2. After completing the organizer, use the Anticipation-Reaction guide you used before to record your opinion on the statements listed in the column labeled Reaction. Rewrite any statements that are false so that they are now true. 4

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6 Application 1. With a partner, read and discuss the following scenarios related to the Nature of Science. Use your notes and Graphic Organizer to help you decide which of the concepts of the Nature of Science most apply. In most cases, more than one NOS concept applies. Make sure you can support your answers with information from the scenario. After all, science demands evidence! Nature of Science Scenarios Scenario Long ago, some believed that the giraffe got a long neck from stretching to reach leaves high up in trees. The currently accepted explanation for their long necks comes from Darwin s theory of natural selection. This theory proposes that random DNA mutation produced a giraffe with a longer neck than other giraffe. That trait allowed the giraffe to eat more than its peers. The long-necked giraffe survived, reproduced and passed the long-neck trait to its offspring. After many generations, the number of giraffe with long necks eventually outnumbered those with short necks. Satellite images from the 1970 s suggested water may exist on Mars. NASA designed spacecraft to investigate. In 2002, scientists reviewing camera images thought they saw some Martian dirt evaporate as the probe landed. In 2008, NASA launched the Phoenix Mars Lander to test Martian soil. The Phoenix scooped up some soil and baked it in a tiny oven. The icy soil evaporated at the boiling point of water. Chemical tests of the vapor found two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. The news headlines read: Water found on Mars! Since the atom was first described by the Greek philosopher Democritis, many chemists have agreed that they exist but have greatly disagreed on its basic structure. In 1803, Dalton conducted experiments that supported Democritus basic ideas, but proposed that atoms could not be divided. Thompson, in 1897, expanded upon Dalton s work and proved the existence of a sub-atomic particle, the electron. In 1991, Rutherford revised the atomic model to include a nucleus. Subsequent scientists have confirmed the basic structure of the atom, but have disagreed on the actual arrangement of electrons outside the atom s nucleus. NOS Concept(s) 6

7 In 1880, Thomas Edison designed a light bulb, based on over 80 years of work by British scientists, which produced light for more than a few hours. His design used an incandescent arc lamp with a carbon filament inside of a glass bulb. Tungsten eventually replaced the carbon filament, but the basic design endures today. In 2014, incandescent bulbs will no longer be available in the US. New technologies using compact fluorescent lights and light-emitting diodes are expected to save as much as 80% in energy usage. Shortly after British and German scientists discovered X-rays in the late 18-century, a French scientist described N-rays. He became immediately famous, and researchers around the world soon confirmed that they, too, had seen the N-rays. When large numbers of French scientists began to describe the properties of N-rays, an American scientist traveled to France to investigate. During an experiment, he secretly removed the crystal that reportedly produced the N-rays. The French scientist continued to see the rays, although the source was no longer there. In the end, the French scientist s experiments were found to be faulty and the results were not repeatable. 2. Select a current science-related news topic. Briefly summarize the topic and explain how the nature of science applies. 3. Cite an example from your own life that illustrates how the nature of science helped you to understand the situation or solve a problem. 4. Ongoing throughout the academic year, you will be asked to use the Nature of Science Focus Questions on the following page to help you make connections between your science investigations and the Nature of Science. 7

8 Nature of Science Focus Questions As you complete lab investigations during the year, you will use the focus questions (below) to help you see connections between your work and the Nature of Science. Be prepared to justify your response(s). The natural world is understandable How did your investigation support the idea that the natural world is understandable? Science demands evidence How did you use inquiry to guide your investigation? o What questions or predictions guided your investigation? o Did you create and/or follow a procedure? o How did you evaluate the validity of your data? o Was your data experimental or observational? o Can you support your conclusion with evidence from your investigation? o Were alternate explanations considered? o How did you communicate your conclusion to others? o How did you connect your findings to the larger body of scientific knowledge on the topic? Science is a blend of logic and imagination How did you use logic, imagination, visualization, and creativity in completing your investigation or formulating your conclusion? What experiences gave you ideas to help you make sense of the data? o Are there other ways you could explain your results? o What patterns did you observe in the data? Where else do you see similar patterns? Scientific ideas are durable What scientific theories or laws did you use to help you formulate a logical conclusion? Scientific ideas are subject to change How has the scientific understanding of your topic changed over time? What caused this change? How have your ideas about this topic changed as a result of this investigation? Science is a social activity How well did you work together and communicate to complete this investigation and/or verify results? How well could someone else understand your data and conclusion? Science avoids bias How did you maintain objectivity when collecting data and formulating your conclusion? What criteria did you use to verify the validity of your data? 8