Eating PCBs from Lake Ontario - The Clicker Version: A Case on Science and the Media
- Author:
- Eric Ribbens
- Subject:
- Science and Technology, Social Sciences
- Institution Name:
- National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
- Collection:
- Case Study Teaching in Science
- Grade Level:
- Secondary, Post-secondary
- Grade Sub-Level:
- High School, Community College - Lower Division, College - Upper Division
- Abstract:
This is a "clicker" adaptation of another case in our collection, "Eating PCBs from Lake Ontario: Is There an Effect or Not?" (2001), written by the same author. It encourages students to examine how scientific results get presented and interpreted for the public as well as how experiments are planned, carried out, and analyzed. Students read three different news reports about the same scientific study, then sort through the different accounts to determine for themselves what happened in these studies and what the findings were. The case illustrates the complexities of scientific reporting and challenges students to figure out the original research design and data. It was designed for an introductory biology course for majors that uses personal response systems, or "clickers." The story is presented in class using a PowerPoint (~1MB) presentation punctuated by multiple-choice questions that students answer using their clickers.
- Languages:
- English
- Material Type:
- Activities and Labs, Lesson Plans
- Media Format:
- Graphics/Photos, Text/HTML, Downloadable docs
- Conditions of Use:
- Read the fine print
- Copyright Holder:
- National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo
Comments