WRITING PROMPT – GENERAL SCIENCE
Are students learning enough science in high school? Argue for or against
an expanded science requirement in secondary schools.
In order to save money, your principal is thinking about canceling all field
trips for the remainder of the year. Write an essay persuading him or her
to allow students to continue attending field trips. Use specific reasons
and examples to support your response.
Autobiography Of a Scientist
Students tell their own life story as a future scientist. They project
themselves into the future using what they know given a scenario in which
they apply science in their career, such as an engineer or as a research
scientist. The story may include a future scientific discovery, travel to
another planet, etc. This story should demonstrate that students
understand the nature of science and how scientific contributions are made in society.
The story plot should describe obstacles and conflicts they would face as future
scientists.
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
the assignment below.
We would like to think that progress causes problems to be solved
completely, and sometimes that happens. For example, some diseases
that once posed a serious threat are no longer a problem, thanks to
modern medicine. Some problems can be solved, and they go away. But as often as not,
problems exist in a chain of cause and effect: for each problem solved, a new one
develops.
Adapted from Gregg Easterbrook, The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While
People Feel Worse
Assignment: Does progress reduce the number of problems in the world, or does solving
old problems just lead to new ones? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your
point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below. I spent some part of every year at the farm until I was
twelve or thirteen years old. The life that I led there was full of charm and so
is the memory of it yet. I can call back the faint odors of wildflowers, the
sheen of rain-washed foliage, the clatter of raindrops when the wind shook
the trees, and the far-off hammering of woodpeckers. I can call back the
prairie—and its loneliness and peace.
Adapted from Mark Twain, My Autobiography
Assignment:
Is it important for people to spend time outdoors and to learn to appreciate the natural
environment? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this
issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading,
studies, experience, or observations.
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
the assignment below.
Our distant ancestors survived because they were physically active,
hunting wild animals and gathering fruits and vegetables over large
areas of land. Modern life, however, is characterized by physical
inactivity. Given the resulting health problems and the tremendous
cost of treating them, the government should work with schools and businesses to
ensure that people eat the right foods and get enough exercise each day.
Assignment:
Should the government be responsible for making sure that people lead healthy lives?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support
your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience,
or observations.
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and
the assignment below. Knowledge is power. In agriculture, medicine,
and industry, for example, knowledge has liberated us from hunger,
disease, and tedious labor. Today, however, our knowledge has become
so powerful that it is beyond our control. We know how to do many
things, but we do not know where, when, or even whether this know-how
should be used.
Assignment:
Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.