recognize and explain how the scientific method is used to solve problems make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations weigh evidence and make decisions based on strengths and limitations of scientific know

Written Assignment: Biology and Technology in the Real World

Addresses course outcomes 1-4:

· recognize and explain how the scientific method is used to solve problems

· make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations

· weigh evidence and make decisions based on strengths and limitations of scientific knowledge and the scientific method

· use knowledge of biological principles, the scientific method, and appropriate technologies to ask relevant questions, develop hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, interpret results, and draw conclusions

1. Select one of the topics listed below.

2. Find at least four information sources related to the topic. To locate scholarly resources, review the tips from our Week 3 Discussion or search for articles at the UMUC Library Subject Guides: http://libguides.umuc.edu/science.

3. Write a 2-3 page paper, excluding references and title page. You must read the information sources that you find and summarize the information in your own words, addressing each of the questions and expectations for your chosen topic. Extensive quotes from the article are discouraged. Use APA style for citing references, see http://www.umuc.edu/library/guides/apa.html.

4. Submit your paper via Assignments by the due date listed in the course schedule. Graded papers are not returned.

Topics (select one)

a) Genetically modified organisms (GMOs): What is the purpose genetic engineering of crop plants and domestic animals? Briefly explain how GMOs are created. What foods in your supermarket contain GMOs? Are foods that contain GMOs safe for human consumption? What types of regulations exist for these foods? Clearly explain your reasoning for each answer. The following website from FDA regarding GMO regulation may be helpful: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm352067.htm

b) Stem cells: Your friend had a spinal cord injury after a bad car accident. The medical team has decided that he is a good candidate for a clinical trial using stem cell therapy. Your friend has not had a biology course since high school, so you decide to write him a letter sharing your knowledge of stem cells. Include in your letter a description of the biology of stem cells and how these cells are unique from other cells. Contrast the different types of stem cells, including pros and cons of each. Explain how stems cells are can be used to treat diseases and injury, with special focus on spinal cord injuries. Conclude with your own opinion. The following website from NIH regarding stem cell research will be very helpful: http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp.

c) Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) and tar sands (oil sands):  With society's dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels, the oil & gas industry is turning to the use of hydraulic fracturing and tar (oil) sands to extract natural gas and oil respectively.  A friend asks you "What's all this controversy in the news about fracking and tar sands?"  Briefly explain to your friend how hydraulic fracturing and tar (oil) sands are used to obtain these fossil fuels. Then, in more detail, describe the environmental problems that may result from these processes and why they are controversial. Issues that may be addressed involves, but are not limited to, water, air and soil pollution, effects on human health, effects on other species and natural ecosystems. Finally, give your opinions on possible solutions to these environmental problems, with your reasoning backed by the references that you studied. The following website from EPA may be helpful: http://www2.epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing

d) Extreme weather events and global climate change: You're visiting some old high school friends in your home town when you strike up a conversation with your best friend's father.  He is lamenting how terrible recent winters and spring storms have been in the Pennsylvania-Maryland region.  He concludes with the following comment: "Ha! So much for global warming!" How would you reply to your friend's father? **Be sure to include a brief section in your reply on how climate scientists have measured past climate patterns and how they predict future ones. In addition to OLI resources, these web sites may be helpful as you formulate your reply: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrJJxn-gCdo, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_dcZyoydBo (start it at the 3-minute mark), and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3n93roIFxo

Avoid Plagiarism

I run all papers, lab projects and final exams through the anti-plagiarism website, TurnItIn.com.  Thus, it is very important to write in your own words. If you do copy one or two sentences directly (use sparingly), use quotation marks (") around the copied text, followed by an in-text reference. All information sources need to be included in the reference list and as in-text references. Plagiarism will be reported to the proper UMUC authority. Guidance on how to avoid plagiarism can be found here: How to Avoid Plagiarism.

Here's the grading rubric I'll use to grade your paper:

Due Date

Feb 22, 2016 11:59 PM