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%