Welcome to SC300: Big Ideas in Science Unit 1: Introduction/Scientific method Jeff Sigler Kaplan University

Instructor: Jeff Sigler Kaplan This unique course is designed to introduce students to some of the most important “hot topics” in science.

In addition, the class will give students a chance to explore the human aspects of Science: ◦how people put science into practice ◦how societies think about scientific findings This course will help you gain tools to understand what science really is, and how it works.

Please check out: Course Syllabus Course/Term Calendar

Course Materials Main Text: “The Sciences: An Integrated Approach” (6 th Edition) ◦Chapters (in PDF format) can be accessed on each Unit. Documents in DocSharing ◦Writing Tips/Recommendations Web Resources Videos

Grading/Assignments Course Assignments: ◦Discussion Board ◦Projects (five! Word documents, please) ◦Seminars (not graded, but strongly encouraged!) NOTE: There are no tests in this course.

Discussion Board Questions provide a forum for students to discuss topics, ask questions Try to participate throughout the week. I will participate too!

Important Recommendations Use your time and resources wisely. It is OK to word ahead! Try to not fall behind. If you run into problems, contact me!

Tonight’s seminar topic Scientific questions, inquiry and methods This week’s seminar will introduce you to the scientific method. This will help you on the Unit 2 project. (You will be acting as a community health dept. investigator who has been hired to look into a mysterious pattern of student absences at some local middle schools).

Tonight’s seminar topic Scientific questions, inquiry and methods Your first task will be to find out where the unusual spike in absences is occurring, and in what class. Use the Scientific Method to build and test your working hypotheses. Your conclusions should be based on data and evidence from the charts.

The Basic Steps of the Scientific Method 1- Identifying the problem or question What are we trying to figure out? 2- Collecting data (asking preliminary questions) 3- Propose hypothesis a possible explanation for what you observe. *MUST be a). testable and b). falsifiable! 4- Test hypothesis Over time, others will test your hypothesis ◦Does the hypothesis agree with other data? ◦Does the hypothesis have predictive power?

Are these scientific hypotheses? Are these scientific hypotheses? 1- If UV radiation causes skin cancer, then I should observe more incidences of skin cancer in locations that receive more intense solar radiation. 2- The universe is surrounded by a second, larger one that we can’t have contact with. 3- The moon is made of cheese. 4- There is intelligent life beyond the Earth. 5. There is no intelligent life beyond the Earth.

The Scientific Method: An Ancient Example Nearly 2000 years before telescopes, Aristarchus deduced the size of the sun and moon, and the Earth-Sun distance (ca. 250 B.C.) He followed the scientific method: made observations (method relied on several observations on the apparent size of the Sun and the Moon in the sky, the size of the Earth's shadow in relation to the moon during an eclipse, that the angle between the sun and moon during a half moon is very close to 90°). He wasn’t completely correct – Archimedes and others refined his calculations.

Community Health Department Investigation: Letter from Principle Director of Student Band at Truman Middle School informed that on Wednesday, May 20th, 1/3 of his class was absent This is reminiscent of last year’s widespread outbreak of the flu Requests: ◦Can you help us determine if we should be concerned? ◦If there is a problem, can you suggest measures we might take to prevent or contain the disease?

Let’s try it: You are getting reading to log in for your SC 300 seminar, but your computer does not work. What do you do??