1. TRUE OR FALSE CAN YOU DETERMINE FACT FROM FICTION? Myth-Busters

2. DETERMINE IF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS ARE FACT OR FICTION True or False?

3. 1. It takes seven years to digest gum.

4. 2. The Great Wall of China is the only manmade structure visible from space. Photo Credit: IMAGE CREDIT: Courtesy of Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center.IMAGE CREDIT: Courtesy of Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center.

5. 3.Humans use only 10 percent of their brains. Photo Credit: IMAGE CREDIT: Courtesy of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and Dr. Kamil Ugurbil, University of Minnesota.IMAGE CREDIT: Courtesy of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and Dr. Kamil Ugurbil, University of Minnesota.

6. 4. Water drains backwards in the Southern Hemisphere due to the Earth's rotation. Photo Credit: IMAGE CREDIT: Morguefile.com / William RoeslyIMAGE CREDIT: Morguefile.com / William Roesly

7. 5. A penny dropped from the top of a tall building could kill a pedestrian. Photo Credit: IMAGE CREDIT: stock.xchngIMAGE CREDIT: stock.xchng

8. 6. A dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's. Photo Credit: IMAGE CREDIT: Morguefile.com / MaryIMAGE CREDIT: Morguefile.com / Mary

9. 7. Lightning never strikes the same place twice. Photo Credit: IMAGE CREDIT: Courtesy Steven Vanderburg, NOAAIMAGE CREDIT: Courtesy Steven Vanderburg, NOAA

10. 8. Seasons are caused by how close the Earth is to the sun. Photo Credit: IMAGE CREDIT: Courtesy NASA/JPL-CaltechIMAGE CREDIT: Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

11. 9. The five second rule. Photo Credit: IMAGE CREDIT: stock.xchngIMAGE CREDIT: stock.xchng

12. 10. Hair and fingernails continue growing after death. Photo Credit: IMAGE CREDIT: stock.xchngIMAGE CREDIT: stock.xchng

13. HOW THEY START AND WHY THEY PERSIST Urban Myths and Legends

14. What are Urban Legends They are not easily verifiable. Usually passed by word of mouth or more commonly today- in e-mail form. Offer insight into our fears and the state of society. Can be good fun. Often too good to be true or at least partly based on fact. Offer a moral lesson. When people don’t understand something, they will fill in the gaps with their own information…often making it up.

15. HTTP://WWW.IH.K12.OH.US/ESMEDIA/LESS ONS_WITH_MR S_WELSH_WEBSITES_TO_EVALUATE_LOOK _AT_THE.HTM Let’s Practice

16. Assignment (Please refer to the assignment sheet for complete instructions) Your task is to become a Myth Buster. Select one of the ten urban legends discussed or one of your own and make a prediction concerning it’s validity. Locate and identify three sources that will validate or invalidate the urban legend you have selected (see assignment sheet) Following your investigation draw a conclusion about the validity of the urban legend. Further Investigation: What type of experiment could you conduct to validate your conclusion?

17. The Five W’s of Web Site Evaluation Who  Who is the author? Credibility? Contact Information? What  Purpose, Credential, Objective When  When Published? Updated? Where  Source? Is there a sponsor? Why  Why should I use this source?

18. Where can I go to validate the information? Credible journals (New England Journal of Medicine, Science, National Geographic) Information and publications from universities and teaching institutions.edu,.gov,.net websites Credible periodicals (New York Times, Wall Street Journal) not tabloids or advertisements! Other ideas??

19. Here’s what you need to do in the computer lab: Myth Busting Select an Urban Myth or Legend, either one we discussed in class or one you find independently. Make a prediction about the validity or truth of the Urban Legend. Locate three sources that validate or invalidate the premise of the myth. For each source complete the table below. Draw a conclusion based on the research you conducted and evidence you collected.

20. Prediction: What and Why Source #1Source #2Source #3 Who: Who is the Author? Do they have credibility? How do you know? Can you contact them? What: What is the purpose of the content? Does the source have credibility and credential? Is it objective? When: When was it published or created, and or updated? Where: Where does the information come from? Is there a sponsor? What is the purpose? Why: Why should I use this source? Conclusion: What does my research support? Name ___________________ Prediction: What and Why Source #1Source #2Source #3 Who: Who is the Author? Do they have credibility? How do you know? Can you contact them? What: What is the purpose of the content? Does the source have credibility and credential? Is it objective? When: When was it published or created, and or updated? Where: Where does the information come from? Is there a sponsor? What is the purpose? Why: Why should I use this source? Conclusion: What does my research support?

21. What Does This Have to Do With Science? Distinguish between factual statements and inferences. Evaluate scientifically related claims against available evidence. Reject pseudoscience as a source of scientific knowledge. Apply principles and concepts of science to explain various phenomena. Distinguish between science and non-science.