Science in the News

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Science in the News

• The Fear Factor
• (Does the UK need new Nuclear Power Stations?)

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Lesson 1

• Qualities Assessed
• (A) Approach What I am going to do and how
  will I do it
• (B) Analysis What does the evidence collected
  mean
• (C) Evaluation How good is the evidence
  collected
• (D) Issues What is the importance to the
  world around me
• (E) Justifying a conclusion What is my
  considered opinion?
• (F) Quality of Communication How well have I
  presented my report?
• 6 Marks for each category

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How can I improve my approach? (Skill A)

• 4 Marks You must
• Collect 2 pieces of relevant research
• Refer to these in the report and list them
  correctly in a bibliography

• 6 Marks You must
• Collect more than 2 pieces of detailed and
  relevant research.
• Refer to these in the report and present them in
  a sensible order and list them correctly in a
  bibliography.

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Relevant, sensible order and bibliography

• Relevant
• The U.K. needs new Nuclear Power Stations so it
  can be the most powerful nation in Europe!
• The U.K. needs new Nuclear Power Stations so it
  can reduce its Carbon emissions!

• Bibliography
• Date, Author, Title, Source Internet- BBC Website
• Author, Date, Title, Source
• http//bbc.co.uk/nuclearpower/currentissues

• Sensible order
• Background,, Main Argument, Positives, Negatives,
  Conclusion
• Negatives, Main Argument, Positives, Background,
  Conclusion

Any comment needs to link to the argument
Reference the sources youve used and show where
the information is used within the report
The report should be easy to read and flow in an
order that allows the argument to develop.
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Quality B Analysis of the Data
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How smoking is linked to lung cancer in boys and
girls

• What patterns can you see? (er-er sentence)
• 2. Draw a graph of this data
• 3. Describe other patterns can you see in the
  graph?
• 4. Conversion of figures (eg percentages or
  rates)
• 5. Identify anomalies in the trends youve
  described

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• Answers
• 1. As the number of cigarettes smoked gets
  bigger. The risk of Lung Cancer gets bigger.
  (Gets you 2 marks)
• 2. Show how to draw graph
• 3.
• The more cigarettes you smoke the more risk you
  have from getting Lung Cancer (up to 30
  cigarettes)
• Between 30 and 60 cigarettes the risk of Lung
  Cancer remains the same
• Women have a bigger risk than men of Lung Cancer
  for the same number of cigarettes smoked
  (Youve now achieved 4 marks)

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4. Conversion of figures Number___ X 100
Whole sample 2__ X 100 0.2 1000
5. Smoking 41-50 cigarettes appears to give a
higher risk of lung cancer than smoking 51-60
cigarettes. (Youve now achieved 6 marks)
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Skill C

• Evaluation of Data

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ACCURACY

• Accuracy Are the results correct?
• Accurate results
• have been collected recently
• the data relates to a recent event
• did people give honest answers

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People leaving a Take That concert were asked
whether they have ever used cannabis in the
1990s? Yes 12 No 88
Comment on the accuracy of the survey
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RELIABILITY

• Reliability How repeatable is the data?
• A reliable answer
• enough data
• has an unbiased source
• a suitable sample is taken

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20 people in an old peoples home were surveyed
to find the number of ipods used by people in
today's society.
Comment on the reliability of the survey
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Skill D

• Relating to the Data

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To achieve 2 marks in Skill area D

• To achieve 2 marks a candidate must make a
  reference to one issue from the data

The candidate has shown some understanding of
how the data relates to economic issues for
example smoking cannabis increases the risk of
heart disease in later life (British Heart
Foundation.)
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To get 4 marks

• Mark scheme says
• I have discussed how some of the information
  given may relate to communities, the economy
  (money, jobs) or the environment (3 marks)
• I have mentioned more than one issue in this way
  (4 marks)

• E.g. in the Should Cannabis be Legal? one you
  could have written
• The evidence that most drug addicts start with
  cannabis (ref) suggests that legalizing it may
  result in more users of other dangerous drugs (3
  marks)
• But buying cannabis from legal sources would
  reduce the amount of money going to organized
  crime (ref) and provide legitimate jobs for
  growers and suppliers (4 marks)

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To get full marks!

• As 4 marks but with more clear detailed responses
  (give more reasons and explain them more clearly)
• AND include scientific explanations and reasons
  for your responses, eg how cannabis effects your
  brain (use ref)

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Skill E

• Justifying a Conclusion

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What you need to do

• You must say if you agree or disagree with the
  question set in the assignment
• You must back up your decision with suitable
  evidence
• Lets look at an example.

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Should Macmillan Academy have more
discos?Evidence
For
Against

• Miss Daffurn 2006 - normally there are 45
  people per week in seclusion. During the week of
  the last disco there were only 30.
• Mr. McCallum 2006 Average attendance is 91.
  Three days before a disco it is 95 and the day
  before it goes up to 99.

• Mr Tombling Over 45 of the tickets for the
  last disco did not sell.
• Mrs. Lloyd During last year 5 people were
  removed from discos for inappropriate behaviour.

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What is your conclusion?

• You must say if you agree or disagree with the
  question set in the assignment
• You must back up your decision with suitable
  evidence

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Should Macmillan Academy have more
discos?Evidence
For
Against

• Miss Daffurn 2006 - normally there are 45
  people per week in seclusion. During the week of
  the last disco there were only 30.
• Mr. McCallum 2006 Average attendance is 91.
  Three days before a disco it is 95 and the day
  before it goes up to 99.

• Mr Tombling Over 45 of the tickets for the
  last disco did not sell.
• Mrs. Lloyd During last year 5 people were
  removed from discos for inappropriate behaviour.

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2 Mark Answer

• Yes Macmillan should have more discos because
  attendance improves in a disco week (Mr. McCallum
  2006).

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4 Mark Answer

• Yes Macmillan Academy should have more discos.
  This is because attendance improves in a disco
  week (Mr.McCallum). Also, there is an
  improvement in behaviour in a disco week as less
  people go to seclusion (Miss Daffurn).

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6 Mark Answer

• Yes Macmillan should have more discos. This is
  based on Miss Daffurns comment that behaviour
  improved during disco week by 33.3. Mr McCallum
  also stated that the day before a disco the
  attendance improves by 8.
• While there are problems with behaviour on the
  night of the disco this is only a very small
  number of people. Mrs. Lloyd has stated that
  there were only five people removed during all of
  the discos last year.

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Skill F

• Quality of written communication

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The easiest one to get marks on!!!

• Check your spelling,
• Use scientific words
• Your report is well structured e.g. has
  paragraphs.
• One idea flows into the next, it makes sense and
  is easy to follow.