This reading resource discusses the strategy of identifying an author's viewpoint. A list of guiding questions is provided to help students as they analyze the author's viewpoint.
Biology 2e is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester biology course for science majors. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology includes rich features that engage students in scientific inquiry, highlight careers in the biological sciences, and offer everyday applications. The book also includes various types of practice and homework questions that help students understand—and apply—key concepts. The 2nd edition has been revised to incorporate clearer, more current, and more dynamic explanations, while maintaining the same organization as the first edition. Art and illustrations have been substantially improved, and the textbook features additional assessments and related resources.
By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:
Identify the shared characteristics of the natural sciences
Summarize the steps of the scientific method
Compare inductive reasoning with deductive reasoning
Describe the goals of basic science and applied science
Covers the scientific experimental design.
A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.
Covers how scientists study the natural world.
A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.
How scientists study the natural world.
A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.
Covers steps of the scientific methods and control group.
A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.
Discusses how scientists think about the natural world.
A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.
Students learn a simple technique for quantifying the amount of photosynthesis that occurs in a given period of time, using a common water plant (Elodea). They can use this technique to compare the amounts of photosynthesis that occur under conditions of low and high light levels. Before they begin the experiment, however, students must come up with a well-worded hypothesis to be tested. After running the experiment, students pool their data to get a large sample size, determine the measures of central tendency of the class data, and then graph and interpret the results.
This page from California State University at Fullerton list twenty-three common fallacies in reasoning. Each includes an explanation and two examples. The list includes the following: faulty cause, sweeping generalization, hasty generalization, faulty analogy, appeal to ignorance, bifurcation, false dilemma, faulty sign, damning the source, tu quoque, equivocation, begging the question, tautology, appeal to authority, appeal to tradition, appeal to the crowd, straw man, slippery slope, appealing to extremes, hypothesis contrary to fact, non sequitar, red herring, and inconsistency.
Few people are aware of how crucial the sense of smell is to identifying foods, or the adaptive value of being able to identify a food as being familiar and therefore safe to eat. In this lesson and activity, students conduct an experiment to determine whether or not the sense of smell is important to being able to recognize foods by taste. The teacher leads a discussion that allows students to explore why it might be adaptive for humans and other animals to be able to identify nutritious versus noxious foods. This is followed by a demonstration in which a volunteer tastes and identifies a familiar food, and then attempts to taste and identify a different familiar food while holding his or her nose and closing his or her eyes. Then, the class develops a hypothesis and a means to obtain quantitative results for an experiment to determine whether students can identify foods when the sense of smell has been eliminated.
A guide to the world of writing in the scientific field. Includes information about scientific-format papers, abstracts, hypotheses and results, and provides several examples.
A video lesson over viewing how to construct a hypothesis explaining the guidelines that need to be followed. Understand that a hypothesis must be logical, account for relevant information, be testable, and be in the simplest form. [2:21]
Students learn about the amazing adaptations of the ptarmigan to the alpine tundra. They focus one adaptation, the feathered feet of the ptarmigan, and ask whether the feathers serve to only keep the feet warm or to also provide the bird with floatation capability. They create model ptarmigan feet, with and without feathers, and test the hypothesis on the function of the feathers. Ultimately, students make a claim about whether the feathers provide floatation and support this claim with their testing evidence.
In the first part of the activity, each student chews a piece of gum until it loses its sweetness, and then leaves the gum to dry for several days before weighing it to determine the amount of mass lost. This mass corresponds to the amount of sugar in the gum, and can be compared to the amount stated on the package label. In the second part of the activity, students work in groups to design and conduct new experiments based on questions of their own choosing. These questions arise naturally from observations during the first experiment, and from students' own experiences with and knowledge of the many varieties of chewing and bubble gums available.
How much water do you use everyday? Find out in this engaging investigation, where you compare your water usage with your classmates and other people around the world. An exploration filled with lots of math and science that students are sure to enjoy.
This comprehensive study guide covers the main terms and concepts needed for an earth science unit on continental drift. Review questions are included at the bottom of the study guide. Part II of II.
A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.
Using observations and scientific experiments to test hypotheses.
A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.
