Scientific Literacy

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Scientific Literacy

• Science or Not???
• Pseudo Science or Junk Science
• Current Topics 30S

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Choose a Topic

• Can be anything BUT.
• Its not completely understood at this time
• Something thats a little on the edge
• Could be an old wifes tale
• Could be mythical in nature
• Could be futuristic
• See the list of sample topics at the end

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What to do

• Find out all of the scientific evidence to
  support or explain your topic
• What methods, equipment, studies were employed?
• Who did the research?
• Give examples of experiments, including
  pictures/graphics if possible.

4
More

• Find out all of the not so scientific data
• Hypothetical theories
• Folklore
• Conjecture
• Media presentation
• Compare the scientific data to the not so
  scientific data

5
Bring your topic back to the lab

• Create or find a lab that is related to your
  topic
• You can make one up
• You can find one in a book
• You can find one on the internet
• Have the students complete your lab during your
  presentation it needs to be something where
  everyone is involved

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Lab cond

• If no lab activity is possible
• Generate a series of questions for discussion
  related to your topic
• If you make a quiz, youll have to have answers
  as well
• Find or make up a pen paper activity related
  to your topic
• You could format your questions/activity as a
  webquest or some other type of internet scavenger
  hunt. Hmmm!

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For further research

• All presentations must explore the areas that
  require research in the future to solve the
  issue.. Science or not!
• (the research must not have been done already)
• Make suggestions as to what can be done
• Predict the outcome of the research is your
  topic going to be viewed as Science. Or not
  science???

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Possible topics include

• Where the next earthquake will occur
• Near death experiences
• Dowsing
• Lost civilizations
• Mythical creatures nessie, bigfoot, yeti
  ogopogo, mothman, etc.
• Nasca lines
• Origin of the sphinx pyramids
• Bermuda triangle/ devils triangle
• Easter Island standing stones
• Stonehenge
• Ghosts

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More topics

• Are we alone in the universe?
• Asteroid impacts the destruction of planet
  earth
• Fad diets and nutrition
• Cloning of dinosaurs or other extinct species
• Multiple personality disorders
• Lunar myths (the effects of a full moon)
• Acupuncture
• Astrology
• Plant perception
• Spontaneous human combustion
• Subliminal advertising