Science Literacy Assignment

User Generated

qryvtugshy31

Science

Description

Science Literacy Assignment.

Research a topic of the choosing and write a term paper on it following the guidelines below

Unformatted Attachment Preview

BIOL 102: Introductory Biology Science Literacy Assignment Content: There are many misconceptions about scientific concepts that are widely accepted by the general public. Some topics include cracking your knuckles cause arthritis and it takes seven years to digest gum. Students are required to research a topic of their choosing and write a term paper on it following the guidelines below. For assistance in choosing a topic, please consult the internet or your professor. Be sure to use credible sources when conducting your literature search. One of the sources MUST be a credible scientific source such as Science Daily, Science News or Scientific American. Make sure that all sources are properly cited within the text and on a References/Works Cited page. Due Date and Submission: Students will complete this assignment and submit an electronic copy by 11:59 pm on 10/26/17. No paper or email submissions will be accepted; this assignment MUST be submitted via Blackboard. The assignment may be submitted early, but NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED. If a student needs clarification, please email the instructor as soon as possible. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL IT IS DUE TO ASK QUESTIONS! Grading: This assignment will be graded out of 100 points. For a breakdown of points, refer to the second page. Paper Format: Students are expected to turn in a minimum of 4-pages. Use double-space, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, and 1-inch margins on all sides of the pages. The first page is the title page. Be sure to include a creative title and use center alignment. The body of the paper will be a minimum of 2 pages (excluding graphics). The last page will be the References/Works Cited page. Failure to comply with format guidelines will result in point deductions. Drafts: The literacy assignments will be submitted through SafeAssign which is a database that checks for plagiarism. Students are able and encouraged to submit drafts before the final submission to check the percent similarity (plagiarized material). The percent similarity must be below 15%. The instructor will not view the drafts unless requested by the student. Guidelines: Be sure to write a paragraph describing each of the following: 1) Introductory paragraph a. Introduce the misconception and give an overview of the paper 2) Describe the misconceptions and why people believe it. a. Explain the misconception, why people believe the misconception and why it is so widespread. 3) Explain the correct scientific explanation of the phenomenon. a. What is the real cause of the misconception? b. What is the actual science underlining the misconception? 4) What is your personal reaction to the topic? a. Describe your thoughts, feelings, and opinions on the issue. b. Did you believe the misconception? c. Do you believe it now? i. Support your stance with facts. 5) Concluding paragraph a. What is the take-home message of the entire paper? Grading Breakdown: Max pts Category To earn the maximum points 6 pts Format 1-in margins Double-spaced 12 pt Times New Roman font Minimum of 4 pages: title page, reference page, min 2 page body 12 pts Introduction Briefly introduce the topic and controversy Give an overview of what the reader should expect 20 pts Misconception Explain the misconception, why people believe the misconception and why it is so widespread. 20 pts Correct Scientific Explanation Explain the correct scientific explanation underlining the misconception 15 pts Personal Reaction Your feelings and WHY 12 pts Conclusion Concluding remarks 7.5 pts References In-text citations Correctly formatted references (APA format) At least one credible source 7.5 pts Originality, Creativity, Effort Minimum direct quotes Minimum spelling errors Minimum grammatical errors Other helpful hints:  Remember to paraphrase when possible and try to avoid direct quotations. o Be sure to provide in-text citations for information that is not common knowledge or information that was obtained from a source even when paraphrased.  Explain each of the above points in DETAIL! Write more not less.  Feel free to insert diagrams and pictures that help to illustrate your point. However, please remember that they are not included in your page count. So if you insert a graphic, then the body of the paper should be longer than 2 pages.  Reread your paper paying close attention to spelling and grammar.  Seek assistance if you require it.  Do not wait until the day before it is due to begin this assignment. Grading Rubric: Criteria Excellent Above Average Average Below Average Format Followed all format guidelines 6 pts Missing 1 formatting guideline 4-5 pts Missing 2 formatting guidelines 1-3 pts Less than 4 pages 0 pts Introduction Thoroughly introduced the topic and gave a complete overview of the paper 10-12 pts Adequately introduced the topic and gave a satisfactory overview of the paper 6-9 pts Inadequately introduced the topic or gave an incomplete overview of the paper 2-5 pts Provided a poor overview or no introductory paragraph 1-0 pts Misconception Thoroughly stated and explained the misconception and why it is believable 16-20 pts Adequately stated and defined the misconception and why it is believable 15-11 pts Inadequately stated and defined and/or explained the how and why 5-10 pts Stated and defined the NBP but did not explain the how and why 0-4 pts Correct Scientific Explanation Thoroughly explains the correct scientific explanation 16-20 pts Adequately explains the correct scientific explanation 15-11 pts Poorly explains the correct scientific explanation 5-10 pts Incorrectly explains the correct scientific explanation 0-4 pts Personal Reaction Thoroughly describes and explains your pre- and post- opinions using facts 11-15 pts Adequately describes and explains your pre- and post- opinion with little facts 7-10 pts Describes and partially explains your opinion with little to no factual support 4-6 pts Poor description and/or explanation of your opinions 0-3 pts Conclusions Thoroughly provides concluding remarks and delivers a strong takehome message 10-12 pts Adequately provides concluding remarks and a take-home message 7-9 pts Provides concluding remarks without a welldefined take-home message 4-6 pts Poorly concludes the topic 0-3 pts References Provides proper number and format of in-text citations, correctly formatted references page and used at least 1 credible source 6-7.5 pts Missing a couple in-text citations, correctly formatted references page and used at least 1 credible source 4-5 pts Missing most in-text citations and/or references 2-3 pts No references page and/or no in-text citations and/or no credible source used 0-1 pts Effort Less than 5% similarity, minimum errors and minimum to no direct quotes 6-7.5 pts Less than 15% similarity, some errors and minimum use of direct quotes 4-5 pts Less than 15% similarity, excessive use of direct quotes and/or errors reduce readability 2-3 pts More than 15% similarity 0-1 pts Literacy Assignment Topics • Some available topics include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Change in weather causes colds Carrots improve eyesight The 5 second rule Lightning never strikes the same place twice Diamonds form from pressurized coal Insulin digests sugar in the blood Dogs are color blind Dogs "sweat" by salivating All bats are blind Vaccines cause autism Stepping on a Crack can break backs Mother birds will abandon her chicks if humans touch them It takes seven years to digest gum Eating seeds creates babies Toilet flushes backward on the other side of the equator Evolution is "just a theory" like a hunch North star is the brightest star Houseflies only live for 24 hours Seasons are caused by Earth's distance from the sun Microwaves are radioactive Dinosaurs never existed Dinosaurs and humans co-existed Human come from monkeys Rabbits' feet are good luck We only use 10% of our brain Waking up sleepwalkers hurts them Shaving your hair makes it grow coarse Alcohol kills brain cells Loud noise attracts lightening Viruses can be killed The moon has a dark side Microwaving food destroys nutrients Sugar increases hyperactivity Blacks holes are holes Goldfish have a 3-second memory span Humans only have 5 senses Milk increases mucous A dash of salt makes it boil faster Alcohol keeps you warm Dropping a penny can kill a person Caffeine dehydrates humans Bulls hate the color red Sharks cannot get cancer Oil stops pasta from sticking • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Don't eat and swim Evolution is goal-directed There are distinct tasting regions on the tongue Fingernails grow after death Redhead gene is becoming extinct Humans get warts from toads Vitamin C prevents colds Styrofoam causes cancer Chewing gum prevents effects of onions/tears Cracking your knuckles can cause arthritis Sitting on cold surfaces can cause hemorrhoids Putting onions in socks cure colds Breast milk is better than Similac Chewing gum reduces ear pressure Chocolate relieves pre-menstrual cramps Sugar causes diabetes Humans only have five senses Biological ethics You may also find this website to be helpful: http://newyorkscienceteacher.com/sci/pages/miscon/subjectindex.php and you can also google "old wives' tales for some ideas.
Purchase answer to see full attachment
User generated content is uploaded by users for the purposes of learning and should be used following Studypool's honor code & terms of service.

Explanation & Answer

Attached.

Running page: VACCINES AND AUTISM

1

Vaccines and Autism a Tale of Shifting Hypothesis
Author’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

VACCINES AND AUTISM

2

Vaccines and autism a tale of shifting hypothesis
Despite rates of vaccinations in children remaining high, there are concerns by persistent
parents that autism might be caused by vaccinations. Three hypotheses have been produced; (1)
the immune system is overwhelmed by simultaneous administration of different vaccines. (2)
Thimerosal is harmful to the central nervous system and is sometimes used as a preservative in
vaccines. (3) The Rubella vaccine combination causes autism where it damages the lining of the
intestines. The following three theories will be discussed with a review of the significant
evidence. There has been a worldwide increase in autism diagnoses rate likely guided by
increased awareness where concerns have been fueled that exposure to vaccines might cause
autism. However there is no support to these claims by both biological and epidemiological
studies.
In a research article by Stanley Plotkin, Jeffrey Gerber and Paul Offit vaccines and
autism; A tale of Shifting Hypothesis, three related hypotheses were addressed. The lance is an
article which was published in 1999 by Andrew Wakefield about eight children who after being
administered with vaccines developed symptoms of autism. This was within a period of one
month. Wakefield postulated that from the observations the MMR vaccine was responsible for
inflammation in the intestines where non permeable peptides translocated to the bloodstream and
eventually to the brain leading to autism. Many people believed the misconcep...


Anonymous
I was struggling with this subject, and this helped me a ton!

Studypool
4.7
Trustpilot
4.5
Sitejabber
4.4

Related Tags