Category: perspectives in natural science

Determine fundamental approaches to scientific research in addressing questions related to the natural world
Develop questions about fundamental aspects of the natural world that inform personal assumptions, beliefs, and values using empirical evidence
Investigate questions about fundamental aspects of the natural world that inform personal assumptions, beliefs, and values using empirical evidence
Articulate the value of the natural sciences for their impact on contemporary issues
Overview
This course will introduce you to fundamental ideas in the natural sciences and how scientists study phenomena in the natural world. Having a well-rounded understanding of scientific research is much more than just an academic pursuit. We encounter natural science every day. Consider news headlines about vaccine development, debate about climate change, privatizing space exploration, how bees affect our environment, and whether intestinal health impacts mental health. Think about the conversations you’ve had with friends and family about weather, gardening, cancer, or black holes. These are all natural science topics!
Being scientifically literate helps you to better understand the world, solve problems, and make informed judgments. It also allows you to evaluate the credibility of claims you hear in the news or from members of your community. A society that understands how science works thinks critically about information, is empowered to make better decisions, and is less likely to be misled by those who distort evidence to promote their own agenda.
In this project, you will use a recent news article to identify a natural science topic that you are curious about. You will explore how research is conducted about the topic, scientific developments that have affected it, and its societal significance. This will provide you with a deeper understanding of scientific research and the fundamental aspects of the natural world.
Directions
Complete this project by addressing the criteria below. You will complete parts of the project in each module and receive instructor feedback. Your final submission will be revisions of the work you do throughout the course. Be sure to incorporate instructor feedback from each assignment along the way. Read these guidelines and rubric criteria closely, and reach out to your instructor if you have any questions.
Part 1: Natural Science Topic Exploration
In this section, you will explore a natural science topic by selecting and analyzing a current news story. You will also reflect on your existing knowledge about the topic. Then, you will identify how research on the topic was conducted as described in the news story.
Describe the main idea discussed in your chosen news story.
In other words, what is the key concept or thesis being examined in the news story?
Explain your prior and desired knowledge regarding the main idea in your news story.
What do you already know about the topic? Do you have personal experience with the topic? What else would you like to know about it?
Identify a scientific approach that the scientist(s) used to research the topic.
Consider the way the topic was studied or how evidence was collected. Consult your article for this information. You do not need to conduct outside research.
Part 2: Fundamental Questions About the Natural World
In this section, you will identify questions you want to answer about your topic. Your finalized question will directly influence the hypothesis you write. Finally, you will consider how your opinions and experiences affected the focus of your hypothesis.
Finalize your research question related to the main idea in the news story you selected.
Your finalized question will be based on the questions you began working with earlier in the course.
Propose a hypothesis based on your finalized research question.
Make sure your hypothesis is directly related to your finalized research question and is both testable and falsifiable.
Explain how your personal beliefs, assumptions, and values influenced how you approached writing your hypothesis.
Think about your preexisting opinions and knowledge about the topic. How might they have affected the focus of your hypothesis?
Part 3: Major Developments in the Natural Sciences
In this section, you will research a significant advancement, discovery, or event that has affected how scientists research your topic. You will also explore the interrelationship between science and ethics.
Describe one major development in the natural sciences that has impacted how your topic was or may be studied.
In other words, what advancements or events have changed how scientists research your topic?
Describe the contributions of a scientist (or group of scientists) who was involved in the major development relevant to your topic.
You might consider the scientist’s motivations to study the topic, the challenges they encountered, or how their research changed how we think about the topic.
Discuss how an ethical issue might impact research on your topic.
Some examples of ethical issues in science include bias in research, the impact of politics on science, research funding sources, objectivity in science, or the spread of scientific misinformation.
Part 4: The Value of Studying the Natural Sciences
In this section, you will reflect on the benefit of having a deeper understanding of the natural sciences to you personally and to society as a whole.
Explain how viewing the world through a scientific lens may influence your personal life.
In other words, how might applying scientific inquiry skills to your daily experiences help you better understand them or take action?
Articulate how being a more scientifically informed citizen may affect your relationship with your community.
Think about challenges or opportunities in your community. How might being more scientifically literate benefit your community?
Discuss how being a more scientifically informed citizen may help you understand global contemporary issues.
Consider how being scientifically literate could influence how you approach current challenges or questions in the world, even outside the sciences.
What to Submit
To complete this project, you must submit a Word document using 12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, and one-inch margins. Any sources used should be cited according to APA style.

Overview
All scientific inquiry starts with a question. Scientists may wonder why something exists, how it came to be, or how it interacts with other things. Whatever the inspiration, asking questions is at the heart of scientific research. In this activity, you will revise the research question that you would like to concentrate on as you continue working on your project.
Prompt
Use the provided Module Three Activity Template PDF to complete this assignment. You will consider the research questions you wrote in the previous module and choose one to focus on for your project. Use this opportunity to edit your research question based on instructor feedback and what you have learned so far in the course. Revising your question may involve the following:
Clarifying language
Connecting it more directly to your news story
Making it feasible
Narrowing its focus
Make it measurable
Ensuring it is ethical
You will also reflect on how your personal beliefs, assumptions, and values may have impacted how you wrote and revised your research question. For example, maybe a close family member has chronic fatigue syndrome, and you assumed the medical community does not know what causes it. So you decided to focus your research question on what contributes to the disease.
Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:
Finalize your scientific research question related to main idea of your chosen news story
Explain how your beliefs, assumptions, and values may have impacted your research question
What to Submit
Submit your completed Module Three Activity Template. While not required, any sources should be cited using APA style. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations.

Thus far, you have learned about the fundamentals of scientific inquiry, including the scientific method. An important scientific principle is that in order to uncover truths about the natural world, scientific inquiry should be free from biases, emotions, and value judgments. This includes methods, results, theories, and scientists themselves. But there is always a human element in science that can affect objectivity. Reflect on what you learned from the module resources and respond to the following prompts. You will use your news story when participating in the discussion. Create one initial post and follow up with at least two response posts.
For your initial post, address the following:
Can scientists ever be completely objective when conducting research? Why or why not? Support your argument with course resources. What might be the consequences (positive and/or negative) of emotion in scientific research?

Overview
Throughout this course, you will use a natural science–themed news story to examine a scientific topic that interests you. In this activity, you will choose your news story. While it is a good idea to choose your news story early, you may change it until the next module. You will use this news story for the entire course, so it is important to select something you are truly interested in.
Prompt
Visit the website Science Daily and choose a natural science–related news story published within the past six months. You will use this news story throughout this course to complete activities and project work. You can find a news story by browsing the articles on the homepage, or you can enter a keyword (such as “earthquakes,” “cancer,” or “black holes”) into the search bar.
To ensure your article is appropriately focused on the natural sciences and suited for this project, review the questions below. Please note that these questions are not the graded portion of the assignment. They are simply to help you choose an appropriate news story.
Was your news story published within the last six months?
Is your news story related to living organisms or systems of the natural world? This may include the following topics:
zoology (the study of animals)
botany (the study of plants)
cellular biology (the study of the cell)
anatomy (the study of body structures)
geology (the study of the earth)
meteorology (the study of the atmosphere, weather, and climate)oceanography
oceanography (the study of oceans)
astronomy (the study of the universe)
geophysics (the physics of the earth)
astrophysics (the physics of the universe)
atmospheric (a branch of meteorology)
biochemistry (the chemistry of life)
geochemistry (the chemistry of geological systems)
Does your news story report on the process of conducting scientific research, mentioning elements of the scientific method such as hypotheses, observation, field research, experiments, lab research, computer modeling, or data collection?
If you cannot answer “yes” to the questions above, or you are unsure how to answer the questions, consider reaching out to your instructor for additional guidance.
After you find a story that interests you and meets the criteria above, answer the questions in the Module One Activity Template Word Document. Before proceeding further with the project, your instructor must approve the news story you identify on the activity template.
Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:
Summarize the main idea in your selected news story.
What is the primary focus or thesis of the article? Briefly summarize the major points presented in the article.
Explain any prior knowledge and what you’d like to learn more about regarding your selected news story.
What, if anything, do you already know about the subject of your chosen news story? What would you like to research to learn more?
Discuss the value of the scientific research presented in your selected news story for contemporary society.
Why do you think this research might matter to society? How might it benefit individuals, communities, and/or the world?
What to Submit
Submit your completed Module One Activity Template. While not required, any sources should be cited using APA style. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations.

Create one initial post and follow up with at least two response posts.
For your initial post, address the following:
Based on this week’s resources, what do you think motivates scientists to ask, “Why?” In other words, what inspires scientists to pursue their research? Include specific examples to support your response.
With your response to Question 1 in mind, reflect on why you selected your news story. Respond to the following question: What was it about the news story that interested you or made you curious?
For your response posts, address the following:
Extend your peers’ responses with additional examples about what motivates scientists to pursue research. What ideas did your peers present that you had not considered before?