Saint Francis High**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
SCIENCE N/A
Subject
Biology
Date
Dec 17, 2024
Pages
6
Uploaded by DrHeron46
AP Biology - CobbName: ____________________________Period: ____Science Challenge - Film Canister MysteryIntroductionBuilding models to explain natural phenomena is part of being a scientist. Models can be made toexplain things that can be seen. But, sometimes, models are made to explain what is unseen.In the 1940s and early 1950s, Linus Pauling (chemist), Francis Crick (biologist), and James D. Watson(biologist) were all on a quest to determine the structure and shape of deoxyribonucleic acid, otherwiseknown as DNA, the genetic material that makes up each organism. DNA is found in the nucleus ofcells and, due to its tiny size, DNA's shape is impossible to see with a microscope. At the time,scientists knew what DNA was made of, but they did not know how it was all arranged. In early 1953,Linus Pauling - who, years earlier, had published the alpha helix structure of proteins - proposed andpublished an incorrect triple helix model of DNA. Later in 1953, using X-ray data collected from otherscientists who were also studying DNA at the time, Watson and Crick published an article thatdescribes the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. Watson and Crick were not the first topublish a model of DNA, but they were the first to connect all the scattered fragments of informationgathered from other experiments that were required to produce a successful molecular model of DNA.ObjectiveIn this activity, you will predict the contents of a sealed, black film canister by building and testingmodels of your own.Materials●Black film canisters (30)●Small, loose items such as: pushpins, paper clips, pennies, cotton balls, marbles,popcorn kernels, screws, sunflower seeds●TapeProcedure1.Before class, the teacher will fill and seal 15 black film canisters with a combination of small,loose items. These are the mystery canisters.2.Take one of the sets that will contain: a mystery canister, an empty film canister, and at least 2of each small, loose item back to your lab table.3.Working with your partner(s), determine what items are in the mystery canisters withoutopening the film canister. This can be done by, first, shaking, rolling, tilting, and jostling thesealed film canister and observing what sounds are produced. Record your observations in thetable provided.4.Then, using the empty film canister and the small, loose items, build and test your own sealedfilm canisters.5.Compare the sounds made by your film canisters to the mystery canister. Do they sound thesame? If not, continue steps 3-5 until both your film canister and the mystery canister do.PROUDLY PRODUCED BYREAL SCIENCECHALLENGE(WWW.REALSCIENCECHALLENGE.COM)
Learning Objectives:1.Write a testable question.2.Design an experiment with a hypothesis and appropriate variables.3.Differentiate between observations and inferences.Part One - Write a QuestionWriteyour testable scientific question here:Identifythe independent variable:Identifythe dependent variable:Writeyour hypothesis here:Part Two - Observations and InferencesBrainstormsome observations you might be ableto make about the black box:Brainstormsome inferences you might be able tomake about the black box:PROUDLY PRODUCED BYREAL SCIENCECHALLENGE(WWW.REALSCIENCECHALLENGE.COM)
Part Three - Data CollectionTest(When I…)Observation(...I hear…)Inference(...which means…)Part Four - Drawing ConclusionsBased on the data you collected,writea claim to answer your scientific question:Includeat least two pieces of evidence that you have to support your claim, below:PROUDLY PRODUCED BYREAL SCIENCECHALLENGE(WWW.REALSCIENCECHALLENGE.COM)
DiscussionUsing the CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) template, summarize what contents you believe arein the mystery film canister.Claim:Evidence:Reasoning:PROUDLY PRODUCED BYREAL SCIENCECHALLENGE(WWW.REALSCIENCECHALLENGE.COM)
PROUDLY PRODUCED BYREAL SCIENCECHALLENGE(WWW.REALSCIENCECHALLENGE.COM)Teacher Notes□I filled my film canisters with a penny, a paper clip, and a cotton ball.□Fill the canisters with 3 or more objects, but do not fill it up completely. The objects need to beable to move in order for students to hear what's going on inside.□[Extension] If you have time, create 15 different mystery canisters and number each one. Youcan then have a different challenge for each group.□[Extension] Have students brainstorm what other ways can be used to determine the contents ofthe film canister. Suggestions can include the high tech (X-ray) to the low tech (determine bymass of individual items) to the creative (blow it up and see what fragments can be retrieved fromthe mess). Then, connect student suggestions to real science applications (ie. x-rays are used todetermine contents in luggage, mass differential can be used to determine the composition of anobject by calculating density, and blowing up objects and analyzing fragments is what is used atCERN to study subatomic particles).PROUDLY PRODUCED BYREAL SCIENCECHALLENGE(WWW.REALSCIENCECHALLENGE.COM)
PROUDLY PRODUCED BYREAL SCIENCECHALLENGE(WWW.REALSCIENCECHALLENGE.COM)PROUDLY PRODUCED BYREAL SCIENCECHALLENGE(WWW.REALSCIENCECHALLENGE.COM)