Name:____________________________
Date:________________
Science in the News Fridays
Overview:
Every Friday, we will do science in the news Fridays. It is your responsibility to find a current event from the
newspaper, an appropriate internet site, or a magazine. You will write a multi paragraph summary about your article. The
summary should be broken into 3 parts, and can be typed or handwritten. If your paragraphs are handwritten, they need to
be legible. Paragraphs that are not legible will be returned so that they can be completed in an acceptable manner.
Part 1: The first part of your summary should summarize the article you selected. A good summary will allow Mr. Haidinger
to understand what your article is about without reading the actual article. It should discuss the 5 W’s (Who, What, Where,
When, and Why) and be longer than 1 paragraph in length (between 9-12 sentences). This means that the shortest article is
not necessarily the easiest article to use.
Part 2: The second part of your summary will describe how the article is related to a specific branch of science. You should
explain why you think your article falls into the branch of science you selected, and you should support your decision by using
examples from your article. Mr. Haidinger has provided you with a list of the various branches of science on the back of this
paper.
Part 3: The third part of your summary should discuss how humanity is affected. This could be at the local community level
(the community that this event is occurring in), and if possible, the global community level as well (people all over the world).
You may wish to discuss possible solutions that can be implemented and applied to the situation. These solutions can come
from the article itself, or from your brain.
Choosing a Branch of Science
The best way to determine a branch of science that best fits your article is by reading your article. As you read, ask
yourself clarifying questions that will eliminate some of the branches of science as well as narrow down your choices. Once
you have identified several possibilities, think about the main point of the article. Match this big concept with one of your
remaining choices in order to choose a branch of science.
Set Up/Presentation of Work
Every Friday, in class, you will mount your news article, summary paragraph, and branches of science/impacts on
humanity paragraph to construction paper. Because you are reflecting on science and how it affects humanity, your articles
are potential candidates for your end of the trimester portfolios. You will be asked to share your article with at least one
person every Friday. Several volunteers will present in front of the class in addition to presenting in small groups.
Suggested Sources to get you Started:
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Any Newspaper
Science Magazines
National Geographic
Fox News
ABC News
CBS News
NPR Science Fridays (http://www.npr.org/programs/sciencefriday/)
Science Friday (http://sciencefriday.com/)
Branches of Science
Anatomy: the study of the structure and organization of living things
Anthropology: the study of human cultures both past and present
Archaeology: the study of the material remains of cultures
Astronomy: the study of celestial objects in the universe
Astrophysics: the study of the physics of the universe
Bacteriology: the study of bacteria in relation to disease
Biochemistry: the study of the organic chemistry of compounds and processes occurring in organisms
Biophysics: the application of theories and methods of the physical sciences to questions of biology
Biology: the science that studies living organisms
Botany: the scientific study of plant life
Chemistry: the science of matter and its interactions with energy and itself
Climatology: the study of climates and investigations of its phenomena and causes
Computer Science: the systematic study of computing systems and computation
Ecology: the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment
Electronics: science and technology of electronic phenomena
Engineering: the practical application of science to commerce or industry
Entomology: the study of insects
Environmental Science: the science of the interactions between the physical, chemical, and biological components
of the environment
Genetics: the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms
Geology: the science of the Earth, its structure, and history
Marine Biology: the study of animal and plant life within saltwater ecosystems
Mathematics: a science dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement
Medicine: the science concerned with maintaining health and restoring it by treating disease
Meteorology: study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting
Microbiology: the study of microorganisms, including viruses, prokaryotes and simple eukaryotes
Molecular Biology: the study of biology at a molecular level
Neurology: the branch of medicine dealing with the nervous system and its disorders
Oceanography: study of the earth's oceans and their interlinked ecosystems and chemical and physical processes
Paleontology: the study of life-forms existing in former geological time periods
Physics: the study of the behavior and properties of matter
Physiology: the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms
Seismology: the study of earthquakes and the movement of waves through the Earth
Taxonomy: the science of classification of animals and plants