1. Issues and Life Science
Unit A: Studying People
Scientifically
Mr. Forde
Scofield Magnet MS

2. Activity .5: August 27, 2013
Getting Started: Write 2 – 3 things that you think would keep
science class safe.
Procedure:
1) Review the science lab rules with the class
2) Form a team of two and think of a science rule that you
would like to illustrate as a team.
3) Review the rubric for your first science grade.
3) Check in with Mr. Forde to get the OK to get started on a rule
to create.
4) Start creating the poster that you will present tomorrow!
Homework…. Have the science safety contract signed and
returned by tomorrow!

3. Let’s Save Poor Fred!

4. Activity 1: Saving Fred
August 30, 2013
Getting Started: 1) Write 2 - 3 sentences describing problem you solved in the
last week and how you solved it. 2) Complete the “before” column on the
anticipation guide.
Introduction: Read and summarize pg. A-4 in one sentence.

5. Challenge: Rewrite the challenge question in your own words.
Key Words: Hypothesis, Scientific Method
(Let’s start a vocab section in your notebook!)
Procedure: Have you read and do you understand the procedure on pg. A5 - A6?
Write one sentence that describes what you will be doing.
Results: Use words and drawings (be as specific as possible ) to describe exactly what
you did to save fred!
Analysis: Answer Analysis Question 5.
Reflection: People face problems in their lives every day. What did you learn from this
activity that you can use to solve other problems? How do you think this compares with
how scientists solve problems?

11. Activity 2: The Pellagra Story
September 3- 4, 2013
Getting Started: List 2 things that scientists could do to learn more about a
disease and its cause or causes?
Introduction: We read the intro.

12. Challenge: What are the common elements of all scientific
problem-solving methods?
Key Words: ethics, evidence, inference, observation
Results: See Worksheets
Fill in “Notes on the Pellagra Story” sheet
Complete “Observation and Inference” sheet
Compare “Dr. Goldberger and the Traditional Scientific Method’
<<Video Link --
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/odys08.sci.life.gen.pellagra/pellagra/>>
Analysis: Answer Analysis Questions 1a, 1b, 2a, (homework)
Reflection: Choose two careers that interest you (police officer, nurse, teacher, scientist,
etc.) and describe the kids of problems they face in their careers and how they solve them.

13. Hypothesis: An educated guess
Scientific Method: Steps that scientists use to complete
their work.
Ethics: Looking at what is right and wrong
Evidence: Info that is collected to see if something is true.
Inference: A conclusion based on evidence
Observation: Looking at something carefully.
Key Words:

14. Should a prisoner who participated
in Dr. Goldberger’s experiment on
Pallegra be allowed to be released
from prison?

15. Activity 3: Testing Medicines- A clinical trial
September 10-11, 2013
Getting Started: Discussed in class. How would you test a
medicine to be sure it is safe and improves the health of
headache patients? Write two ideas here.
Introduction: Participate in a clinical trial to test a medicine!

16. Challenge: How are medicines
tested in a clinical trial?
Key Words: Clinical Trial,
Control Group, Placebo,
Sample Size, Simulation

17. Clinical Trial: A controlled test of a new drug on
humans.
Control Group: The group in a clinical trial that
receives a placebo (fake medicine).
Placebo: A simulation of a medicine.
Sample Size: The number of units (participants) in a
study.
Simulation: An experience that is meant to be “like”
experience.
Key Words:

18. Results: See chart

20. Results (cont:) See Bar Graph - (A-53)

22. Analysis: Answer Analysis Questions 1a, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b and 4
RACE the following question: (Re-state, Answer,
Cite, Explain)
Based on the results for all four classes, do you
think that this headache drug should be sold to the
public?
The Data: Same Better Side effects
Placebo 12 11 25
Medicine 0 43 0

23. Let’s share some ideas:
Restate:
Answer:
Cite Examples:
Explain:

24. Activity 4: Testing Medicines
September 12, 2013
Getting Started: Discuss in class.
How does the USA keep our medicines
safe?
Challenge: How are medicines tested in a clinical
trial?
Key Words:
Informed Consent - permission to be in a clinical trial.
Placebo Effect – Effect of a fake medicine on a person.

25. Main Ideas:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

26. Activity 5: Can you feel the difference?
September 12, 2013
Getting Started: Discuss designing an experiment. (Watch PBS Video-
http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/show/basketball.html)
Introduction: Read and summarize pg. A-20 in one/two sentences.

27. Challenge: What is the smallest distance apart at which you can still feel two points?
Key Words: variables, control variables, sample size, sensitivity
Procedure: We will read the procedures on pg. A21 - A23 together.
Results: See sheet

28. Variables-
Control Variables-
Dependent Variables
Independent Variables
Sample size:
Sensitivity:
Key Words:

29. Analysis: Answer Analysis Questions 1, 3, 4a, 4b and 6.
Reflection: How would you create an experiment to test a person’s sensitivity to sound?

30. Activity 5: Paper Shots
Getting Started: Discussion “How would you design a
basketball shooting experiment?”
(Watch PBS Video-
http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/show/basketball.html)
Challenge: What are the variables of a well designed
experiment?
Key Words: Control Variable, Dependent Variable,
Independent Variable
Procedure: Each student shoots a paper ball 5x at 3, 6,
9,and 12 tiles to collect data.

31. 3 tiles 6 tiles 9 tiles 12 tiles
Data Table:
1 meter shot 2 meter shot 3 meter shot
Class Data:

32. Control Variable- Those things you keep the same
in an experiment.
Dependent Variable- D = data, Data you are
collecting in your experiment.
Independent Variable- The change you are making
(studying) in an experiment.

33. Activity 6: Finding the Nerve
September 16, 2013
Getting Started: What and where are your 5 senses?
Challenge: Why do different parts of the body have different sensitivities to
touch?
Key Words: Homeostasis, Nerves, Nervous System, Neuron,
Procedure: Let’s read together. You will complete the stopping to think
questions at each section in your binder.

34. Analysis: Answer Analysis Questions 1 - 4

35. Nerves – a bundle of nerve cells
Neuron- a nerve cell
Nervous System- Your brain, spinal cord and
nerves.
Homeostasis- the ability to maintain a steady
environment.
Key Words:

36. Activity 7: Studying People Qualitatively and Quantitatively
September 17, 2013
Getting Started: What kinds of data can be collected about
people?
Challenge: How are qualitative and quantitative data used
when testing a hypothesis about people?
Key Words: Data, Qualitative, Quantitative
Procedure: Let’s read together.

37. Analysis: Answer Analysis Questions 1, 2, 3,4 (hw- q5 )
Reflection: Both qualitative and quantitative data provide evidence for making decisions.
How have you used both of these types of dat to make decisions? Describe your
experiences.

38. If….
Then….
Because….

39. Data- Information that you collect about
something.
Qualitative – QUALities; describes the
properties of something (e.g. Color, Texture,
Sound etc.)
Quantitative- QUANTities; describes what can
be measured or counted about something.
(usually numbers!)
Key Words:

40. Notebook Quiz #1:
• Q1: On what DATE did we “Save Fred” in ?
Q2: What is the definition of placebo?
Q3: What was the getting started in
Activity 3?
Q4: What is the definition of the word INFERENCE?
Q5: What was the introduction of Activity 2?
Q6: What were the key words of Activity 7?

41. Challenge: What is the smallest distance apart at which you can still feel two points?
Key Word: range
Procedure 1: Did you read and understand the procedures PART A on page A35?
Results: See sheet and chart below.

42. Activity 8: Data Toss
September 24 2013
Getting Started: Tell me two things that all good experiments should have.
Introduction: Range: is a set of values used to
describe variation in results.

44. Procedure 2: Prepared our original lab on our pre-lab sheet
** Lab Report: Due Thursday 10/3 **
Prepare a full report for Ball Toss Lab B
Write your report on clean sheets of paper and data graph
on graph paper. (Do not hand in the pre-lab sheet!)
See the lab report template for more information on what is
to be included in the report!

45. Activity 10: Evaluating Clinical Trials
September 25-26, 2013
Getting Started: Why do you think it is important for
scientists to review each others work?
Challenge: Which proposals have an experimental design
worth funding?
Introduction: Read “The NIH Committee” and write a
sentence describing what we will be doing today.
Procedure:
Step 1- Do procedure Step 1 with your team below. (page A44)

46. Procedure (continued):
Step 2- Let’s read Study 1 together
Step 3- Use sheet 10.1 to evaluate Study 1.
Step 4- Use sheet 10.2 to evaluate the other studies and decide which one is the best to
recommend.
Analysis: Answer Analysis Questions 3 AND 4
Reflection: How does the way that you solve problems compare to the way scientists solve
problems?

47. Power Point presentations:
Slide One: Why is this an important
thing to care about?
Slide Two: Good clinical trial elements?
Slide Three: Final thoughts?

48. Traits of a great clinical trial:
1. Reproducible procedure
2. Large sample size
3. Diverse sample
4. Qualitative and Quantitative Data
5. Controlled variables
6. Many trials
7. Animal testing before human testing
8. Placebo/control group
9. Good problem and hypothesis
10.Good Background research
11.Informed consent
12. ????

49. New Key Words:
Mean (Average)- add a set of numbers and
divide by the number of items
(e.g 5, 5, 6, 7, 8,10 – Total = 36; Mean = 36/6 = 6)
Trade-off- Losing something in order to
gain something else.
Reproducible- Able to be copied (reproduced)

50. More key words:
Sensory Neuron- Nerve cells that
receive signals from the
environment.