Lessons Incorporating Information Literacy and SCIENCE 
I. History and Nature of Science Title: WHAT IS A SPECIES? Standards: Research Process, Reading/Media Literacy Overview: Adapted from "Species: An Evolving Concept." Students will recognize that scientists use different definitions of species, be able to assess the strengths and limitations of species definitions depending on their context, use definitions of species to enhance their understanding of speciation, and understand the concept of taxonomy and biodiversity inventories.
Title: EXPLORING HUMAN HISTORY Standards: Research Process, Technology Use, Reading/Media Literacy Overview: Students will learn that anthropology is divided into four main subdivisions: archeology, linguistics, cultural, and physical. They will explore the fieldwork of several contemporary anthropologists to compare their methods and applications. In the process of scientific inquiry, students will explain how they reach their own conclusions and be able to listen with an open mind to how others reached theirs.
Title: CARBON: STRUCTURE MATTERS Standards: Research Process, Technology Use, Reading/Media Literacy Overview: Students will explore the molecular structure of matter and how it can affect the physical characteristics of specific material. By using online resources, students will view and compare the similarities and differences of graphite and diamond, fullerene and buckeyball molecules, and lonsdaleite. Students will also create pyramids and cubes out of straws. A possible follow-up lesson is CHEMISTRY OF PETROLEUM.
Title: AN AD FOR AN ELEMENT Standards: Research Process, Technology Use, Reading/Media Literacy Overview: Students will prepare an advertisement for an element, including its use and properties. Students will use an attention-getting format as used by advertising agencies such as posters, brochures, and video or audio commercials. Not only will students learn about their chosen element, but they will also remember details of other elements from the students' presentation of the content.
Title: HOW MUCH IS AN ECOSYSTEM WORTH? Standards: Research Process, Technology Use, Reading/Media Literacy Overview: Students will explain the economic importance of ecosystems, define and give examples of ecosystem services, research and analyze environmental data, and suggest specific actions that would protect ecosystem services.
Title: ORIGINS: EARTH IS BORN Standards: Research Process, Technology Use, Reading/Media Literacy Overview: Students will collect and identify micrometeorites from space. After creating a filter, teams of students will work together to collect particulate matter over a designated period of time. Then they will prepare slides with the matter and learn how to identify sky dust using a variety of pictures from online resources. Students will prepare one-page summaries about the origins, similarities, and differences of asteroids and meteorites.
Title: BIOMAGNIFICATION IN THE GREAT LAKES ECOSYSTEM Standards: Research Process, Reading/Media Literacy, Responsible Use Overview: Students will draw a diagram of a food chain, label maps to show progress on environmental issues, and understand problems related to biomagnification in the Great Lakes and other ecosystems.
Title: MAPPING THE BRAIN Standards: Research Process, Technology Use, Reading/Media Literacy Objective: Students will develop meaningful icons to represent the different functions of different parts of the brain and use these icons to label maps of the brain. Students will be able to identify various parts/structures/functions of the brain in 2D and 3D, connect the fuctions of the brain to activities in daily life, and create icons to represent complicated ideas. |
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