SCI 200 Project Part One Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
Basic scientific literacy is essential for understanding real-world applications of the natural sciences. As a consumer and voter, you will be faced with issues that
require a basic understanding of science. For example, you might ask yourself the following questions: How can genetically modified foods affect my health?
Should scientists be held liable for not predicting earthquakes that led to human casualties, as they were in Italy in 2012? Is anthropogenic climate change real?
Is fracking a concern where I live? Because of the prevalence of natural science issues such as these, it is important to understand basic natural science concepts
and how they impact our daily lives.
The project for this course has two parts. In Part One, you will conduct a research investigation that examines an issue in the natural sciences. You will identify
appropriate resources for investigating the issue you select, use these resources to develop a question related to the issue, and apply natural science principles
to the issue and question. In addition, you will identify an audience who would be interested in the selected issue. In Part Two, you will develop a presentation
for the audience you identified in Part One. In your presentation, you will explain how scientific thinking has impacted you and your audience, supporting your
claims with evidence.
Part One of this project addresses the following course outcomes:
Illustrate the impact of scientific thinking on personal and professional experiences
Select appropriate and relevant science resources in investigating contemporary issues in the natural sciences
Communicate effectively to specific audiences in examining fundamental aspects of the natural world
Apply essential principles of the natural sciences in addressing critical questions related to the natural world
Prompt
Select a contemporary issue in the natural sciences to investigate. You may select an issue that was discussed in the course, or you may select your own, with
instructor approval. You could consider using your topic and question from Perspectives in the Natural Sciences if they are something you would like to
investigate further for this project. After selecting an issue, you will conduct a research investigation, identifying appropriate resources for researching the issue,
developing a question related to the issue, and applying principles of natural science to your issue and question. You will submit your planning document as a
written report.
1
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I.
Introduction: In this section, you will discuss your natural science issue and select resources that you can use to research the issue. This will lead you to
the development of a research question related to your issue. Specifically, you should:
a. Describe the issue in the natural sciences that you have selected to investigate. Why is this issue significant?
b. Describe at least three science resources that you could use to investigate the issue you selected. Your sources must be relevant to your issue
and must be of an academic nature appropriate for the issue. In your description, consider questions such as: What are the similarities and
differences in the content of your sources? What makes them appropriate and relevant for investigating your issue? What was your thought
process when you were searching for sources? How did you make choices?
c. Based on your review of science resources, develop a specific question related to the issue you selected. In other words, what would you like to
know more about?
II.
Body: In this section, you will use the natural science resources that you selected to investigate your question, focusing on an appropriate audience and
the scientific principles related to the issue. Make sure to cite your sources. Based on your research:
a. Identify an audience that would be interested in your issue and the question you developed. For example, who would benefit most from hearing
your message, or who could best help in addressing the issue?
b. Describe how and why you can tailor your message to your audience, providing specific examples. For example, will your audience understand
scientific terminology and principles, or will you need to explain them? How will you communicate effectively with your audience?
c. Identify the natural science principle(s) that apply to your question and issue. For example, if your issue is global climate change, the principle
you might identify is that the sun is the primary source of energy for Earth’s climate system.
d. Explain how the principle(s) you identified apply to your issue and question. In other words, how are the natural science principle(s) you
identified relevant to your question and issue?
III.
Conclusion: In this section, you will conclude your research investigation by discussing future directions for the debate on your issue. Specifically, you
should:
a. Formulate a hypothesis that addresses the question you developed. Make sure your hypothesis is based on your investigation of your question.
b. Explain how a natural scientist would go about collecting evidence to support or refute the hypothesis you formulated. In other words, what
would the next steps be if a natural scientist were to continue researching your hypothesis? Make sure to support your response with the
natural science resources that you selected.
IV.
Provide a reference list that includes all of the science resources you used to investigate your issue and question. Ensure that your list is formatted
according to current APA guidelines (or another format, with instructor permission).
2
Project Part One Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your planning document should be 3–5 pages, double spaced, with 12-point Times New Roman font and one-inch margins. You
should use current APA guidelines (or another format approved by your instructor) for your citations and reference list.
Critical Elements
Introduction: Issue
Exemplary (100%)
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
description is exceptionally
clear and contextualized
Proficient (85%)
Describes selected issue in
natural sciences and its
significance
Introduction: Science
Resources
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
description of resources
demonstrates strong
understanding of information
needed to investigate issues in
the natural sciences
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
response demonstrates insight
into connection between
research and question
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
identification of audience
demonstrates insight into issue
and question
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
response demonstrates
sophisticated understanding of
how to effectively
communicate with specific
audience
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
response demonstrates insight
into essential natural science
principles
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
response demonstrates insight
into essential natural science
principles
Describes at least three
relevant and appropriate
science resources that could be
used to investigate selected
issue
Introduction: Specific
Question
Body: Audience
Body: Message
Body: Identify
Principle(s)
Body: Explain
Principle(s)
Develops specific question
related to selected issue and
based on review of science
resources
Identifies an audience that
would be interested in issue
and question, citing source(s)
Describes how and why
message can be tailored to
audience, providing specific
examples and citing source(s)
Identifies natural science
principle(s) that apply to issue
and question, citing source(s)
Explains how identified
principle(s) apply to issue and
question, citing source(s)
3
Needs Improvement (55%)
Describes selected issue in
natural sciences and its
significance but with gaps in
detail or clarity
Describes at least three science
resources that could be used to
investigate selected issue but
with gaps in appropriateness,
relevance, or detail
Not Evident (0%)
Does not describe selected issue
in natural sciences and its
significance
Value
9.5
Does not describe at least three
science resources that could be
used to investigate selected issue
9.5
Develops specific question
related to selected issue, but
question is not based on review
of science resources
Identifies an audience, but
audience is not appropriate for
issue and question, or there are
gaps in citation
Describes how and why
message can be tailored to
audience but with gaps in
examples or citation
Does not develop specific
question related to selected issue
9.5
Does not identify an audience
9.5
Does not describe how and why
message can be tailored to
audience
9.5
Identifies natural science
principle(s) that apply to issue
and question but with gaps in
accuracy or citation
Explains how identified
principle(s) apply to issue and
question but with gaps in
detail, clarity, or citations
Does not identify natural science
principle(s) that apply to issue
and question
9.5
Does not explain how identified
principle(s) apply to issue and
question
9.5
Critical Elements
Conclusion:
Hypothesis
Conclusion: Natural
Scientist
Exemplary (100%)
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
response demonstrates
understanding of scientific
thinking
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
response demonstrates
understanding of scientific
thinking
Reference List
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented
in a professional and easy-toread format
Proficient (85%)
Formulates hypothesis that
addresses question and is
based on investigation of
question
Explains how a natural scientist
would go about collecting
evidence to support or refute
hypothesis
Provides reference list that
includes all science resources
used to investigate issue and
question, and list is formatted
according to current APA
guidelines (100%)
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Needs Improvement (55%)
Formulates hypothesis that
addresses question, but
hypothesis is not based on
investigation of question
Explains how a natural scientist
would go about collecting
evidence to support or refute
hypothesis, but explanation has
gaps in clarity, detail, or logic
Provides reference list that
includes all science resources
used to investigate issue and
question, but list has gaps in
adherence to current APA
formatting guidelines
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas
Not Evident (0%)
Does not formulate hypothesis
that addresses question
Does not explain how a natural
scientist would go about
collecting evidence to support or
refute hypothesis
9.5
Does not provide reference list
that includes all science resources
used to investigate issue and
question
9.5
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
Total
4
Value
9.5
5
100%
Purchase answer to see full
attachment