LEARNING COMPETENCY

Recognize and show scientific attitudes

MODULE 1: SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDES

The stories and discoveries of the leading scientists speak of important and desirable
qualities that contributed to their success. Can you describe some of these characteristics
that you can emulate?
A scientist possesses a great deal of patience and determination in seeing the work to
completion. He/she is open-minded, accepts other ideas while he/she unselfishly shares
his/her own. Although willing to give up an idea when facts go against it, the scientist is not
one who is easily swayed by popular decisions. Thinking critically, he/she evaluates evidence
gathered to support judgement.
The scientist exhibit creativity in the pursuit of novel and original ideas and willingness
to take risks in satisfying his/her curiosity.
Can you identify a scientist who best manifest each of these characteristics?

This module has 3 lessons:

􀂃 Lesson 1 – Scientific Attitudes

􀂃 Lesson 2 – Precautionary measures inside the laboratory
􀂃 Lesson 3 – Improving scientific and researching skills

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. recognize the importance of scientific attitudes in decision making
2. cite precautionary measures while doing inside the laboratory
3. improve scientific and researching skills

PRE TEST

A. Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the correct answer and write it on the answer sheet
provided.
1. Which is not a scientific attitude?
a. Repeating experiments to verify results
b. Suspending judgement until there is accurate evidence
c. Making judgment after looking at one side of the problem
Being systematic in carrying out plans

2. Carlo respects the ideas and opinions of others. He is___.

a.careful c. superstitious
b. open-minded d. scientific

3. When one evaluates evidence to support judgment, he is being____.

a. critical c. determined
b. unselfish d. curious

4. Which attitude helps scientists come up with inventive ways to solve problem
or produce new things?
a. curiosity c. creativity
b. good ethics d. open-mindedness
1
 LEARNING ACTIVITIES

LESSON 1 SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE

Just exactly what do we mean when we say, “let us be scientific?” What does it mean to
have a scientific attitude?

Scientific attitude is the way one approaches a situation, asks a question, or identifies a
problem, and then evaluates a variety of possible solutions to find the best one. In many
situations, it is easy to make a decision based on a precedent. Looking for a pattern is
probably the fastest and most effective way to analyse information and formulate conclusions.

Below are the most important attitudes in scientific investigation.

 Honesty
A scientist must be intellectually honest. This attitude allows a scientist to recognize the
work done by other scientists before him. This attitude is also shown by reporting data
truthfully.
“HONESTY IS THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE BOOK WISDOM.” IF I HAVE SEEN
FURTHER IT IS BY STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS. -SIR ISAAC NEWTON

 Open-mindedness
Open-mindedness A scientist is open minded. Open-mindedness is an attitude that
allows a scientist to look at other possibilities.

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” ― Albert Einstein Evaluate,

validate and accept other people’s idea towards a question.
“By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop
out.” ― Richard Dawkins

 Creative and Critical Thinker

A scientist can do critical assessment of results and limitations. This enables a scientist
to come up with new concepts which lead to discoveries that traditional scientists have
overlooked. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we
currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create. -
Albert Einstein

 Curiosity
A scientist is curious about the world. This attitude/quality-curiosity-enables a scientist
to try to discover more about the things around him. “
Curiosity is the very basis of education and if you tell me that curiosity killed the
cat, I say only the cat died nobly.”

 Risk taker, confident, Persistent

These attitudes are very important because it enables a scientist to continue a project
despite obstacles and failures.
“NO GUTS, NO GLORY”
 Objectivity
A scientist must be objective in declaring results of his/her experiments and Judgment is
based on observable phenomena and not influenced by emotions or personal prejudices
A straight path never leads anywhere except to the objective. -Andre Gide

 Precision
A scientist must always consider the precision of his work if it forms a pattern or repeatedly
occurring in nature. Lack of precision to a work would mean inconsistency. Architecture

2
 arouses sentiments in man. The architect's task therefore, is to make those sentiments more
precise.

 Responsibility
The moral, social and personal responsibility and accountability of a scientist to all of his
works must be observed. “GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY”

 Collaboration and Readiness to reach Consensus

“No Man is an Island” All people need others criticism for us to know if this can be
widely accepted or not.

ACTIVITY 1.1 Scientists and their Scientific Attitudes

Our comfortable and easy lifestyles are the results of the hard work of some scientists. These people
possess certain admirable traits that are worth imitating. You can identify some of these desirable traits
through this activity.

A. Find out the traits scientists demonstrate from the given information about them. Write
it under the second column.
Scientist Trait

1) Galileo Galilei was curious about the 1)

heavenly bodies when he saw them the
first time using a telescope. He was the
first person to study the moon, the sun,
the planets and the stars. What
scientific trait did he possess?
2) Johannes Kepler discovered that the 2)
planets follow an elliptical orbit and that
their motion could be used to predict
the planets’ motion in the future. His
discovery did not agree with the
previous description of the planetary
motion. He rejected the old idea
because evidences supported his new
findings. What scientific trait did he
possess?
3) Isaac Newton formulated the three
laws of motion. He built his laws on the 3)
previous work of Galileo and others.
But then he did not claim Galileo’s work
as his own. What scientific trait did he
possess?
4) Dr. Luz Oliveros-Belardo is a national
scientist whose systematic studies of
various local plants have led to the 4)
production of various new substances
called essential oils which our now
used in perfumes, medicine, and food.
What scientific trait did she possess?
5) Dr. Ricardo M. Lantican is a highly
respected scientist. He is an expert in
plant breeding. He is successful in his
research on cytoplasmic inheritance of 5)
hypersensitivity to a disease in maize.
He is a man who accepts statement as
a fact only if it is supported by

3
 convincing proofs. What scientific trait
did he possess?

6) Dr. William Padolina is best known for

his role in the development of 6)
biotechnology. He was cited for his
pioneering researches in the field of
chemistry and biotechnology. He
considers the evidences carefully
before formulating a conclusion. What
scientific attitude did he posses?

B. WORD GRID

Based from the scientific attitudes formed in the word grid, answer the following questions:

A. What scientific attitude is being referred to by the following?

1) Give truthful opinion ____________________
2) Shows awareness of one’s shortcomings ____________________
3) Improvises laboratory equipment _____________________
4) Correct reasoning and sound sense _____________________
5) Considers suggestions and accepts criticisms ____________________
B. Relate each scientific attitude identified in the word grid to the study of science.

1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________
5. __________________________________________________________

LESSON 2 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES IN THE LABORATORY

SAFETY RULES

Creating, exploring, inventing, investigating—these are essential to the study of science.

Frequently, scientists do their best work in the lab. To make sure that your laboratory
experiences are safe as well as exciting and productive, some safety guidelines should be
established. It’s important that safety rules! So what do you need to know about safety? The
following pages offer important guidelines for staying safe in the science classroom. Your

4
teacher will also have safety guidelines and tips that are specific to your classroom and
laboratory.

5
 1. No food or drink is allowed in lab unless food or drinks are provided as a part
of the lab. Even though lab tables and counters are wiped down before each
lab set up, as a result of some laboratory exercises, chemical residues may be
present on the tables. For labs exercises involving food or drinks, lab
assistants and instructors will follow procedures that allow safe consumption.
Smoking is prohibited in all University buildings.

2. Shoes must be worn in lab.

3. If you have very long hair, please tie it back in the laboratory.
4. Handle chemicals, reagents, and stains carefully and follow all warnings. All
bottles and containers are labeled as to contents and potential hazards. If, for
example, a label says avoid contact with substance and fumes, do so. For
potentially hazardous chemicals, information on the hazards, proper handling,
and clean-up is provided on Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). These are
available in the lab. It is highly recommended that you spend the first few
minutes of the lab consulting the MSDS.
5. Read all precautions in the laboratory manual and on labels and follow
directions exactly.
6. Always double-check the name of the reagent to be used and the name of
the reagent you are using. Reagent bottles should remain stoppered, except
when you are actually pouring solutions out of them. Always replace the
stopper or lid of stock solutions or stains. Be sure to put them on the container
they came from.
Take only as much as you need and never return leftover solutions to a
reagent bottle. Discard leftovers in the proper container.
7. Do not use your thumb as a stopper. Swirl gently or put a piece of parafilm
over the opening to mix solutions.
8. Label all test tubes and other containers with contents
9. Do not pour reagents and chemicals down the sink. Dispose of these only in
designated containers.
10. Put plant remains in the designated containers. Do not discard solids or plant
materials down the sinks. They will clog up the sink. Use specified containers
for such wastes
11. Be sure to use caution when using razor blades to prepare lab materials. Put
the used blades into the designated container from which you obtained them.
Do not leave them loose on the desks or counters. Never put razor blades in
the wastepaper basket.
12. If glassware accidentally becomes broken, carefully clean it up with a broom
and dustpan. Dispose of the broken glass in containers labeled FOR
BROKEN GLASS ONLY.
13. When using hot plates, unplug them before you leave the lab.
14. If you notice that the cord on a hot plate or microscope has become frayed
and wires are showing, report this immediately to the instructor
15. If you are in doubt about directions for an experiment or activity
or about use or disposal of materials, ask first before acting.
16. Your instructor will review with you the location and, where applicable, use of
the safety equipment in the laboratory including:
 emergency phone
 first aid kit
 fire extinguisher
 eyewash

OTHER LABORATORY PROCEDURES

1. When getting solutions for your experiments or stains for experiments or

observations, put the containers or bottles back in their designated place after
6
 you have used them.
2. Unless directed to do so, do not eat our specimens.
Greenhouse materials, for example, are often sprayed with hazardous materials.
3. Do not waste paper towels or any other lab materials.
4. You are expected to clean up after yourselves:
 Take labels from test tubes and/or beakers.
 Wash all glassware and put it back where you found it.
 Place all dirty slides and cover slips in the designated containers.
 Leave tables clean when you leave the lab. Throw away any trash you
generate. Wipe up water, other liquids, soil, and plant material. Be sure to
discard extra plant material in the designated containers.
 Return the prepared slides in the proper slide tray.
 Take the slide off the stage of your microscope, put the scanning (3X)
lens in place, and return your microscope to its proper place in the
microscope cabinet.

Activity 1.2: CARTOON ANALYSIS

A. Look at the cartoons and answer the question concerning laboratory safety

B. LAB SAFETY SCENARIO

Read through each scenario. Under the scenario, write which lab safety rule is being violated.

1. During the lab in class, Carlos realizes his group needs more chemicals. Without asking
the teacher, he leaves the room and enters the science prep room and storage areas to
retrieve more chemicals for his lab.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. Jane is participating in a lab in which she blows carbon dioxide into a beaker of
chemicals. Some of the chemical bubbles up and gets in her eye. Her lab partners tell her
to use the eye wash fountains to rinse her eye out; however, she does not know where the
eyewash fountains are located.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
7
 3. It’s the first lab in science class and Harry just cannot control his excitement. Without
waiting for instructions, Harry turns on the hot plate. His lab partner doesn’t know it’s on
and reaches over to grab her pencil and gets burned.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

4. Brent is in 1st period and he skipped breakfast today. He decides to have a bagel in his
backpack and he will eat it during class when the teacher is not looking.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

5. In order to make sure the correct chemical is being used, Ben smells the chemical.
Instead of using his hand to waft the vapors toward his nose, he sticks his face as close as
he can to the chemical and takes a big whiff of the tray. He feels dizzy and his nose burns
for the rest of the day.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

6. Liz goes into the lab with her backpack on her back. She turns to talk to her friend and
her backpack knocks a beaker full of chemical onto the floor and it shatters.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

7. Rachel wants to look as pretty as possible all the time and so there is no way she will be
caught wearing these nerdy protective eye goggles. She continues through her lab without
any problems until Joel accidentally knocks into her table. He knocks over a beaker of
boiling chemical and it splashes into Rachel’s eye.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

8. Cindy broke a test tube. Carefully she picked up pieces with one had and placed them in
her other hand. Then she dumped the glass pieces into the wastebasket.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

9. Mike and Colleen had a lot of a chemical left from their investigation. They dumped the
chemical in the sink and left the water running in the sink as they left class.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

10. Diana and Mike were going to be late to their next class. After rushing to put away a
few materials, they left the rest of the materials on the lab table.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

LESSON 3 – Improving Scientific and Researching skills

Reading a scientific textbook

8
 How do you read a book? Do you just dive in and read every word? Or do you skip through it,
reading a page here and a paragraph there?

Tools in Your Textbook

Here are some tools that will help you get the most out of your science textbook:

• The Table of Contents—At the front of your textbook is a table of contents, which is an
overview of each chapter of the book. By checking the table of contents, you can see what
topics are in your textbook.

• Section Objectives—At the front of each section you will find a list of objectives, which shows
you what specific information is covered in a section.

• The Index—At the back of most nonfiction books there is an index. The index is more specific
than the table of contents, and it usually lists the people, places, things, and ideas in the
book. For aliens, you could look up the words alien, UFO, or spacecraft.

Finding Information in a Book

Reading is one way to get information from a scientific book or article. It allows you to absorb all
the information. But there are several other ways to get information from a book.

• Section headings, illustrations, and captions—When you find a page that seems to have
useful information, read the section headings on that page to see if they relate to your topic.
Then look at any pictures, diagrams, charts, or maps on the page to see if they relate to your
topic. Be sure to read the captions under the illustrations.

• Find key words in the text—Any word in boldface type or italics is an important word in that
section. By looking at the key words, you can quickly see the main ideas in that section.

• Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph—Often, the main idea of a paragraph
is in the opening sentence. The last sentence often restates that idea. By reading only the
first and last sentences of a paragraph, you can tell if the paragraph is useful.

• Scan—Read only a few words here and there. Scan a passage in order to find important key
words. By scanning, you can decide which parts of the text you want to concentrate on or
skim. In the paragraph on page 19, the key words and ideas are circled.

• Skim—Read only one sentence or paragraph here and there. Look for sentences that seem
especially important. Skim a passage to get a general idea of what it is about or to determine
if you want to read some parts more carefully. In the paragraph on the next page, the
sentences you might skim are underlined.

ACTIVITY 1.3:
A. SCAN AND SKIM

9
 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Look at the Keywords

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Read the first and last sentence
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Scan and Skim
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

B. Now You Try It

Scan the following paragraph, and circle what you think are the key words or phrases.
Then skim the paragraph, and underline the words or phrases that you think are important.

Invisible Killer
The killer was invisible to the naked eye. It seemed to pass from person to person,
even if there was no physical contact. Antibiotics had no effect on it. The doctors
decided it must be an airborne virus. If it was a virus, there was a chance they could
still fight it. Finally, by studying and using the blood samples of people who had died
from the disease, doctors were able to develop a vaccine.

If scanning and skimming seem to be difficult, don't worry. These two

skills take lots of practice. Just keep looking for important words and phrases. Many
times they will be in italics or bold type. When you skim, always start with the first
sentence of each paragraph. That is usually
10 the topic sentence.
 Choosing Your Topic

Your teacher has assigned a research paper, and you have to turn in your topic
tomorrow. You are a little worried about finding a topic that meets the teacher’s
requirements and that interests you. How can you find the perfect topic for your paper?

Generate Topic Ideas

Begin your search for your topic by thinking about the subject area your paper needs to
cover. A subject area is a broad or general category. In this case, let’s say your subject area
is the universe. Now you have to find a topic within your subject area. A topic is the narrow
area within the broad subject area that your paper is going to be about. Where can you find
an interesting topic? Try some of the following:

• Brainstorming (quickly listing all the possibilities that come to mind)

• Your favorite magazines
• On the Internet or World Wide Web
• Skimming through an encyclopedia (hard copy or CD-ROM)

After going through some of the steps listed above, suppose you decide on the topic of
space travel. Brainstorm again, and in the spaces below, list all the ideas you can about
space travel, without stopping to think if they are good or bad topics. The first few are done
for you.

Narrow It Some More

How’s your brain doing? Don’t put it away yet. Now narrow your topic even further.
Suppose from your brainstorm list above, you choose the topic of aliens. Brainstorm again,
focusing on this specific topic. Under aliens, you should be able to list some very narrow
subjects. Finally, after all the brainstorming, you have picked the perfect topic: Could life as we
know it travel from galaxy to galaxy? Congratulations!
space suits, space food, aliens, galaxies, other planets, how far? other life?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Finally, after all the brainstorming, you have picked the perfect topic:
Could life as we know it travel from galaxy to galaxy? Congratulations

Organizing Your Research

Jorge needed a research topic for his science project. He was interested in sharks, so
his teacher suggested a few subjects related to sharks. After some thought, he chose “the
whale shark” as his topic.

At the library, he entered “whale shark” as a title search, but that gave no results. He
figured he needed to broaden his search, so he typed “shark species” as a keyword. From this,
he found that the library contained 97 books related to shark species. He chose the first
five on the list: Shark Species I Have Hunted, Sharks Around the World, Guide to Shark
Species, Sharks of the Atlantic Ocean, and Identifying Sharks.

11
 Three hours later, Jorge realized that none of the books contained information that he
could use. He needed new material. He decided that the next day he would revise his strategy
and start again.

Suggest three things that Jorge might do differently when he starts over.
1.__________________________________________________________________________
2.__________________________________________________________________________
3.__________________________________________________________________________

Mapping Out Your Strategy

When conducting research, think about your strategy. A strategy can refine your search so that
you find exactly the sources you need in an efficient manner

Consider these steps when planning your strategy:

• Pick a topic that interests you and is not too broad or general.
• List your key words.
• List the sources where you might find information (books, CDROMs,
science magazines, Internet), and list where they might be found (school library, home
computer, computer lab, public library).
• Check on-line databases and other on-line sources (such as CDROM encyclopedias
and on-line science magazines) in addition tothe library’s catalog.
• Look more closely at the sources that seem most relevant.
• Scan the book or on-line article.
• Check out or print out sources that have good information.
• Read what you have gathered.

Sometimes it is helpful to write a research plan. It helps you keep things moving by setting a
schedule for finishing tasks. You should start with the date the project is due and then work
backward. Below is an example.

A research map is another useful research tool. It can help you think about your topic from a
broader perspective, and it can show you how information might be located in more than one
source. For example, a research map for a paper on the whale shark might look like this:

12
Information on whale sharks could be located under the topic “all fish” or under the topic
“sharks.” If these searches are unsuccessful, try looking under the topics “plankton and
plankton eaters,” or “large plankton eaters.”

Finding Useful Sources

Name one of your favorite Web sites on the World Wide Web. How did you find that site?
The World Wide Web can be a great source of information. It is like an electronic library with
information on almost every imaginable topic! Professional researchers rely heavily on the
Web. In fact, some researchers find most of their sources on-line. Here are a few tips to help
you conduct your searches effectively and efficiently.

Caught in the Web

As a Web researcher, you will face two major problems:

• too much information
• unreliable information

So, your challenge is to narrow your search to get the most useful information and to make
sure the information is reliable and accurate.
Too Much Information

Here are a couple of hints to help you avoid too much information:
• Most search engines display the best matches at the top of the list.The ones you see
first are the ones that are most likely to be useful.

• Do single-word searches by typing in a single keyword. For example, if your topic is

“the search for life on Mars” and you type in “Mars” as your word, you may get more
than 2,300 responses. If you narrow your search by typing in [“life on Mars” + evidence],
you will get fewer responses, but they will be more focused on your topic.

ACTIVITY 1.4 :You Try It

Go to the Internet. Type in the key word “armadillo.” How many Web sites did you get in
response? Are all of them about the animal called the nine-banded armadillo? Now type in the
key word “nine-banded armadillos.” How many results did you get when you narrowed your
search? Were they more closely related to the interesting mammal?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Unreliable Information

Just about anybody can post information on the World Wide Web. While much of this
information may be very useful, much of it is also incorrect or misleading. As a researcher, how
can you tell the difference?

• A rule of thumb is that reliable information comes from reliable sources. Look for information
from NASA, The National Geographic Society, government agencies, professional
associations, museums, and magazines.

• Be careful about getting information from personal Web sites. They are usually partial
collections of information from other sites (like NASA or museums), or they are full of personal
opinions, not facts.

• In addition, when doing research, watch out for possible sources of bias. A biased source is
one that spreads incomplete or misleading information. For example, someone trying to
convince you to accept his or her point of view about an issue may give you distorted or wrong
information.
13
 Citing Sites

If you use information from a Web site, you must cite that source in a bibliography. To do this,
make sure you get the following information about the Web site:

• the author of the material

• the title of the specific Web page that you use
• the name of the Web site containing that specific page
• the date the page was created
• the exact address (or URL) of that page as well as the date you saw it

Format
The following are sample references to imaginary Web sites. Unless your teacher instructs you
otherwise, your Web site citations should follow the same format.

Author‘s name. “Title of page.” Title of Web site (Date of page creation).
On-line. Name of computer network [Internet, World Wide Web,etc.]. Date you saw it.
Available at [address].

Sample #1:
Smitty, Latisha. “My Travels in Georgia.” Tisha‘s Amazing Home Page
(Feb. 25, 1998). On-line. World Wide Web. May 23, 2000. Available at
http://www.tisha.edu/travels/ga-98.

Sample #2:
Association of Light Bulb Users. ”Don’t Stare Directly at Light Bulbs for a Long Period of
Time.” Warnings to Light Bulb Consumers (Sept. 1,1990). On-line. Internet. June 21,
2000. Available at http://lightbulbusers. org/warnings/staring.htm.

Taking Notes

Suppose you want to write a biography of your favorite movie star and you are invited to
have dinner with him or her. What would you talk about? What questions would you ask? And
how could you ever remember everything for your book? Well, maybe you could take some
notes! You would probably end up with several pages of interesting information.

Take Note of This!

It would be hard to pretend that taking notes for your research paper or speech is just like
going to dinner with a celebrity. But there is no getting around it: sooner or later, you will have
to take notes for a research project. Here are some questions and tips to get you started.

a. How do you think taking notes would help you in doing a research project for science class?
Why was it important to take notes then?
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
b. Where do you write your notes (in a notebook, on cards)?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Places to Keep Your Notes

• Note cards—You can organize the cards in any order.

• An organized notebook—This is probably the most common place to take notes.
• A computer or word processor—These allow you to rearrange your information in
any order.

14
Notes on Taking
Notes

Taking good notes

 Here’s an Example
Here are a couple of paragraphs and sample notes to help you get started:

Early Models of the Atom. Our understanding of atomic structure has changed dramatically
over the years. In the time of Newton, the atom was pictured as a small, hard ball. In 1897, J.
J. Thompson proposed the “plum-pudding” model of the atom, in which negative electrons are
distributed fairly evenly within a positively charged “pudding.” Then in 1911, Ernest Rutherford
performed experiments that demonstrated that the atom is mostly empty space. According to
his experiments, atoms have a dense central core (the nucleus) containing most of the atom’s
mass, and some arrangement of electrons circle the core. Two years later, in 1913, Niels Bohr
did experiments that gave rise to the planetary model of atomic structure. According to this
model, electrons orbit a positively charged nucleus much like the planets of our solar system
orbit the sun.

The Atomic Model Today. Today, the planetary model has been replaced. According to the
current atomic model, electrons exist in a “cloud” around the nucleus. Think of a swarm of
bees (the electrons) buzzing around the outside of a hive (the nucleus).

Sample notes:
I. Early Understanding of Atomic Structure
A. Newton’s time—small, hard ball
B. J. J. Thompson—plum-pudding model
C. E. Rutherford—empty space, central core model
D. Niels Bohr—planetary model
II. Current Atomic Model
A. Planetary model not accurate
B. Electron cloud model—electrons swarm around nucleus like
bees around a hive.

ACTIVITY 1.5 Now It’s Your Turn

Using the notes presented above, create your own notes for the following paragraph (the first
major idea is done for you):

Bogs, swamps, fens, and marshes are all wetlands. Wetlands are areas of land along
lakes, rivers, and ocean coastlines that are covered with water for at least part of the year.
Some wetlands are covered by fresh water, some by salt water, and some by a mixture of
fresh water and salt water. All wetlands are important because they perform a variety of
functions. Wetlands provide a home for many species of plants and animals, some of which
don’t live anywhere else. Wetlands serve as a sink, trapping carbon that would be released
into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. They also function as a filter by removing pollutants
from the water and as a sponge by absorbing extra water when rivers overflow.

A. What are wetlands?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Taking Notes in Class

Taking class notes is a lot like taking notes for research. Here are some extra tips for taking
notes in class:
• Listen 80 percent of the time, and take notes only 20 percent of the time.
• Use your shorthand system.
15
 • Note the words, ideas, or facts your teacher emphasizes during class.
• When your teacher tells you something is important or will be on your test, write it
down!
• Review and reorganize your notes every evening. The same basic principles apply to
both class notes and research notes: be careful, be organized, and be thorough.
Developing your note taking ability will save you a lot of study time and will make your
studying much easier.

APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED!

Read the following situations. Decide whether or not the character in each situation is
thinking like a scientist or not. Explain your answer. If you are in each character would you do?

16
References/Sources

https://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/
scie-tech magazine
http://scientech7.weebly.com/uploads/5/1/3/7/5137090/
scientific_attitude_and_values.pdf
https://www.csus.edu/indiv/r/reihmanm/b12safe.htm
https://static.nsta.org/connections/elementaryschool/
200712TorresHandoutParentNSTAConn.pdf
General Science by Rolando I. Caiquet, Magdalena C. Jauco
Phoenix Science Series Integrated Science By Estrella Mendoza, Maria Reyes, Maria
Donna Ines

17