Students Writing for Science...

Students Writing for Science...
need to cite sources and follow style manuals.  Sometimes, they complain about this.  These are basic writing skills, however and need to be applied in science as in other fields.

Look at the previous post and you can see a link to instructions for authors  of the new journal.  Every journal has a section guiding authors to the style needed to be followed for that journal.  Students can gather from this professional use of style that the exercise in the classroom does have merit in the real world... and even in the virtual one (since that journal is on-line only.)

Another indication of relevance to citation is any scandal on plagiarism. Schools, colleges, and universities have rules against plagiarism.  It is against the law in many countries if not all.  The recent scandal at Harvard shows none are exempt from having people break the rules:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/ harvard-cheating-ring-uni_n_1844104.html, however, students are often not aware of what plagiarism is.

Pointing out what needs to be cited, and, identifying both quotations and paraphrases, is helpful.  Students may cite quotes but forget to cite paraphrases.  They need to be reminded to cite both quotes and paraphrases/.  Book publishers have been known to copy, even from this blog, without citing.  Imagine! (I am giving them a chance here to "fess up," and make right.)   But, we all need to be vigilant and give credit to authors for their ideas.  Style manuals and instructions for authors give us the correct ways to cite for a particular publication. Even young students can learn to cite correctly:  I have seen kindergarteners do it well (age 5).

Often students who did cite didn't know of style manuals.  They did it according to their grade school or high school teacher's assignment sheets (which may have used APA, MLA,  or other style manual as a base (Were these cited?)

Where can you get style manuals?  Ask the reference librarian at your local library.  For your information,. there are some style manuals at the bottom of the blog post.  Feel free to add others in the comments.  Thanks.

Note:  Special Thanks to the Librarians at Thrall Library (and likely librarians at many other libraries)  for making every effort to educate students on the library skills they need to stay current throughout their lives..

Applications in Plant Sciences (APPS): A New Journal on Novel Protocols and Technological Advancements

In the Botanical Society of America's June 2012 newsletter that, "the American Journal of Botany's online-only, open access section, AJB Primer Notes & Protocols in the Plant Sciences, will be launching as an independent journal in January 2013."  Source:  http://www.botany.org/news/apps.php, Accessed 14 Sept 2012.

The APPS Editorial Board consists of  Theresa Culley (Editor-in-Chief), Richard Cronn, Mitch Cruzan, Kent Holsinger, Jeff Maughan, Mike Moore, Pam Soltis, and Lisa Wallace.  Source:  http://www.botany.org/news/apps.php, Accessed 14 Sept 2012.

Submission guidelines, article types, and other pointers may be found in the Primer Notes Instructions for Authors. Source:  http://www.botany.org/news/apps.php, Accessed 14 Sept 2012.

Manufacturers in the United States who pay attention here may have some new products to develop.

(c) 2012 J S Shipman

Canadian Sustainability Group Provides a Role Model

Here's a link to a Canadian sustainability group:
http://blogs.ubc.ca/biorenewablescafe/.

The Biorenewables Cafe meets informally and provides a networking forum for people interested in sustainability.   The September meeting featured a speaker, Dr. Richard Chandra, from the UBC Faculty of Forestry.  Dr. Chandra is a research associate in the Forest Products Biotechnology/ Bioenergy Research Group. His talk, "Bio-fuels and Bio-products from Biomass:  Breaking apart something that's meant to stay together," will springboard the networking session.  Here is a quote of the abstract from his presentation:

Bio-fuels and Bio-products from Biomass: Breaking apart something that’s meant to stay together! 

The major hurdle to overcome when trying to unlock the energy in leftover agricultural biomass and woody waste to supply our needs for renewable fuels and products is the inherent recalcitrance of the biomass itself. Nature has interwoven the chemical components of biomass into a structure that resists breakdown by biochemical means, thus necessitating various processes called pretreatments. Pretreatments aim to cleanly separate these chemical components in a usable form and, in many cases are analogous to processes used in the pulp and paper industry. This presentation will examine the biology, chemistry and physics responsible for the resistance of biomass to breakdown, while detailing the various pretreatment processes that are currently being examined at UBC which aim to maximize the value obtainable from biomass.

This Canadian sustainability group serves as a model because many of us could form such groups in our own communities where we can learn from one another, listen to experts, read, discuss, and improve science literacy on sustainability.  In fact, global sustainability will increase as more and more of us educate ourselves and each other about how we can sustain the Earth. 

In school communities, each student could spend time becoming a mini-expert by reading up on a particular aspect of sustainability, or, even by "slogging" through a journal article and slowly learning its vocabulary, and content.  Then, students could come together after 2 weeks or three of their independent or small group work and could then learn in a cooperative manner, but also have fun, by having their own Sustainability Cafe...healthy snacks included (by assisting parents and school volunteers).  Please feel free to report back here on your experiences either by adding a comment or by submitting a post. (Please put BLOG POST in the re: line.  Thanks.)

Forest Products Biotechnology/Bioenergy Research Group:  http://www.bioenergy.ubc.ca/
Biorenewables Cafe on Linked-in:  http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Biorenewables-Caf

(c)2012 J S Shipman.  All rights reserved.

In the news...sugar molecule

"Molecule Spotted Near Sun-Like Star

"For the first time, astronomers have discovered sugar—one of the building blocks of life—in a gas cloud near a star. The simple molecule, calledglycolaldehyde, is essential to the formation ofribonucleic acid(RNA), which is present in all living cells. The 10,000-year-old star, known as IRAS 16293-2422, is similar to the Sun and is approximately 400 light-years from Earth. Scientists believe the glycolaldehyde may have been formed as a result of the star's radiation hitting even simpler molecules.More ... Discuss"  Source:  Left hand column for today.  Source:  In the News provided byThe Free Dictionary  http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lookup.htm, accessed 30 Aug 2012


So, what can you say about today's news?  
Can you find journal articles about this topic?  Try to find some.  Here's one:

Deuterated glycoaldehyde: laboratory measurements, analysis and proposed astrophysical research

Walters, A.; Bouchez, A.; Margules, L.; Motiyenko, R.; Guillemin, J. C.; Bottinelli, S.;Ceccarelli, C.; Kahane, C.

Find Similar Articles   

Source:  http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011IAUS..280P.378W, accessed 14 Sept 2012.

Value Systems and Science: Khan Academy and Your Essay

Evolution, natural selection...Do these ideas fit your values?  Have you researched them or blindly repeated what you've heard said?  Data are truth.  Many religions seek truth.  Have you thought about truth?  Science and religion share that they are about truth-seeking.  Some students get excited about science when they study it from the point of their own value systems.

First have students jot down ideas for an essay on evolution from any perspective that they would like.  They can make a map of their ideas, or, use an outline, chart, picture, or list.  Let them use any way they would like to form a presentation of their ideas.

Next, have them put an opinion or feeling they would like to share.  They can circle this or put a box around it...Use some way to keep their sentiment or point in focus.

Set these items aside.

Now, here is a video to watch:
http://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/v/intelligent-design-and-evolution?v=qxOEz9aPZNY

Have the students watch the video.  They may take notes.  They don't have to take notes.  They may use any format for the note-taking they desire if they do take notes.

Have them jot down the major points of the film and then box their feeling or opinion about the film they would like to share.

Have students then take some time even a week or two to write a comparison and contrast essay between their initial ideas and the ideas presented in the video.  Have them add information from 5 other sources of their choosing, religious books, newspaper articles, texts or story books, or, even and hopefully at least one journal article...  Be sure to have them cite the sources.  (They can use a style manual for that.  The librarian can help you find one or you can find some on line.  I suggest using a science one or one for publishing articles in a magazine.)

The purpose of this essay will be for the students to examine science from their own value systems as they are.  The work should not be steered by any adult or voice.  Let the student think deeply.  Let them know that this is where they are now in their thinking and their is no "wrong-ness" in thinking their own thoughts.  Explain that throughout life we use our value systems whether cultural, religious or other, to influence how we think and what we think about topics.  If they were writing this essay in 5 years, their views might be different because of their life experiences, their learning, and their deepening of personal views.  Let them know that periodically re-examining where they stand on issues is a good thing.  Stagnation is not a good thing, on the other hand.
Let the students have fun exploring their values and how they relate to science and how they relate to growth in life.
(c) 2012 J S Shipman

Using On-line Instruction in Science Classes

If you are using on-line instruction in science classes, you might find the following links useful:

 http://ccism.pc.athabascau.ca/html/ccism/deresrce/ride/html.xml

Instructional design of interactive multimedia: A cultural … - Henderson 

Teaching via ITV: Taking Instructional Design to the Next Level ...

Amazon.com: Teaching via ITV: Taking Instructional Design to the ...

Teaching via ITV: Taking instructional design to the next level - Tags ...

Instructional Design at Instructional Communications Systems

Instructional design - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Source:  http://dir.yahoo.com/Education/Distance_Learning/Instructional_Design/;  Accessed August 21, 2012. and Google:teaching via interactive instructional design

And for additional guidance, you might contact:

• Ardamada.com

The following Journal might be of use, too:

• http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/  

Research areas of interest community wide have been identified as:

• "Three areas he recommended that should be studied included the following:

• Students’ competence in and attitudes toward                                         technological studies and attitudes about themselves.

• Determining how political decisions are made.
• Outcomes of technology teacher education."

•  "There is evidence that the challenge has been taken seriously by members of this teaching community. In 2004, faculty from nine universities established the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE), with funding from the National Science Foundation. In July 2006, researchers working with NCETE proposed a research agenda for this teaching field. Major areas that NCETE proposed for continued research included:

• Questions Involving Learning
• Questions Involving Teaching
• Questions Involving Assessment (D. Householder, personal communication, December 8, 2011 as cited by Martin and Ritz)"

• The authors selected the Delphi method to develop a rank-ordered list of topics that would be of substance and which researchers might wish to further explore individually ... In the end, six issues were identified and rank-ordered for Research Question 1 and one issue for Research Question 2. Obviously, it is unknown whether a different set of panelists would have generated a different list of issues. The final rank-ordered list, however, does provide a foundation of information to build upon for future researchers and ...[advisers]... of aspiring graduate research students who have as one of their goals to establish a better knowledge base for the technology education school subject.

 Source:  Research Needs for Technology Education: A U.S. Perspective. Gene Martin and John Ritz PDF [281 KB] HTML [59 KB]  http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v23n2/pdf/martin.pdf; Accessed August 21, 2012.

A link from Fairchild Gardens on Plant Extracts...Let Students design Experiments getting Ideas from this Ethnobotany Teaching Module

Here is a link from Fairchild Gardens on Plant Extracts...Let Students design Experiments getting Ideas from Fairchild Gardens' Ethnobotany Teaching Module.
http://www.fairchildgarden.org/uploads/docs/Education/Downloadable_teaching_modules/ethnobotany/plant%20tinctures%20and%20extracts.pdf
A quote from the module suggests that plants might have antibacterial properties:


"Pl[ant]- Antibiotics:                        
Does your Plant [h]ave                    
Anti-[b]acterial Properties?          

"In this experiment we will find out if your plant extract has the ability to kill the bacteria that turns milk into yogurt (like Lactobacillus acidophilus and/or L. bifidus).  These helpful bacteria enhance digestion and are good for you.  If your plant is able to kill or inhibit the growth of these bacteria, there is a possibility that it may also be effective in controlling harmful pathogenic bacteria.  If so, your plant might be a candidate for further research as a potential antibiotic drug for the future. "

Rather than just going ahead with the module,which is adapted from Paye, Gabriell DeBear, 2000. Cultural Uses of Plants: a guide to learning about ethnobotany. New York Botanical Garden Press, New York, first let students brainstorm.  Let them exercise their brains.

·  Students might reflect on what bacteria cause milk to turn to yogurt

   or other cheeses.

·  What bacteria are in their yogurts?  Does yours have Lactobacillus rhamnosis?

·  Would different bacteria react differently?

·  And so on...  

·  Put down all ideas, even if they seem impossible or tangential.

You might then continue with the module, or, let them design experiments.  Review important parts of experimental design.  Remind them of controls, replication, repeatability.  Ask, "What are the parts of an experimental design?"  Ask, "What type of data will you collect?"


Let students create blank data tables for collecting data.  Let them write out their designs, share them.  Let each student select what he or she feels is the best experimental design.  Remind them of the difference between a laboratory activity and a laboratory experiment.

Decide then if they are going to continue with the module.  You may decide to do that, or, you may prefer to do one or more of the student designs, or, you may wish to do the module and the student-designed experiments, of course paying attention to safety and budget, just like in real-world science.  Remind students of government funding for science.  Ask what kinds of research government should fund. 

· Additional reading:

 The United States, under John Kennedy and Japan, under Emperor Hirohito

"[H]is interest in science and in modernizing his country,"  http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b3hirohito.htm), Accessed July 7, 2012.)

(c)2012 J S Shipman