for prof avril
SCI 100 Module Four Short Answer Guidelines and Rubric The Role of Funding in Research
Prompt: In this short answer assignment, you’ll explore what can happen when special interest groups spend money to fight against scientific research that would harm their business. For this assignment, choose one of the following two articles:
1. Clair Patterson and the Age of the Earth: Fighting for a Clean Earth
2. Big Tobacco and Science: Uncovering the Truth
If you chose the first article, respond to the following questions:
1. Why do you think the lead manufacturers and petroleum companies fought so hard against the scientific evidence Patterson uncovered about lead? 2. What tactics did these companies use to try to undermine Patterson’s research? 3. What do their efforts say about the role of funding and “big money” in scientific research?
If you chose the second article, respond to the following questions:
1. Why do you think the tobacco companies fought against evidence that showed the harmful effects of secondhand smoke? 2. What tactics did these companies use to try to downplay this evidence? 3. What do their efforts say about the role of funding and “big money” in scientific research?
Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Submit your responses in a Microsoft Word document. The length of your responses to each question may vary. A good response will be about 1–2 paragraphs in total.
Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Evidence Explains why companies with special interests fought against scientific evidence using evidence from the chosen article
Explains why companies with special interests fought against scientific evidence, but explanation is unclear or lacking support
Doesn’t explain why companies with special interests fought against scientific evidence
30
Tactics Explains the tactics that companies used to downplay or undermine the scientific findings using evidence from the chosen article
Explains what tactics the companies used to downplay or undermine the scientific findings, but explanation is unclear or lacking support
Doesn’t explain what tactics the companies used to downplay or undermine the scientific findings
30
Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Funding Discusses what the companies’ efforts
say about the role of funding and “big
money” in scientific research
Discusses what the companies’ efforts
say about the role of funding and “big
money” in scientific research, but
explanation is lacking detail
Doesn’t discuss what the companies’
efforts say about the role of funding and
“big money” in scientific research
30
Communicates Clearly Clearly communicates key ideas and thoughts in a short-answer response
Response needs clarification in order to support understanding of key ideas and thoughts
Key ideas or thoughts are not understandable
10
Total 100%