Mrs.

Hammetts Physical Science Unit 8 The Chemistry Research Paper

Choosing a Topic You will be spending some time in your English class in the days ahead doing some independent Chemistry research on the pH Scale - Acids & Bases. You will need to investigate how the pH scale is used to conduct a variety of science investigations in several branches of scienceecology, environmental science, medicine, marine biology, chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, etc. Choose ONE AREA OF SCIENCE that particularly interests you. Find at least 5 print sources in which pH was used to conduct an investigation in that branch of science. In your English class, write a 1-2 page peer review of that literature. (See SchoolFusions folder titled THE RESEARCH PAPER for an overview on how to do a peer literature review.) You will later use this literature review as part of your INTRODUCTION for your formal RESEARCH PAPER / LAB REPORT in Physical Science class. Consider what Berkley scientists have to say about the necessity of peer reviewing: Peer review does the same thing for science that the "inspected by #7" sticker does for your t-shirt: provides assurance that someone who knows what they're doing has double-checked it. Only articles that meet good scientific standards (e.g., acknowledge and build upon other work in the field, rely on logical reasoning and welldesigned studies, back up claims with evidence, etc.) are accepted for publication. (From http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/0_0_0/howscienceworks_16) The Bottom Line: No one trusts a scientist who hasnt done his or her research ahead of time.

Timeline Friday, March 2, 2012

Begin research for literature review in English class. Find 5 print sources, and write a 1 2 page review of that literature. This should not just be a summary; it should revolve around a theme of some kind that you develop. For example, perhaps you find: 5 print research articles on using pH to test local water samples in lakes, rivers, or streams 5 print articles on how the pH of blood is affected by a persons diet 5 print articles on soil sampling by Kansas Department of Environmental Quality or the Sedgwick County Extension office 5 print articles on the pharmaceutical industrys use of buffers THIS IS YOUR CHOICE. Once you have developed your own theme, decide on a question/problem that you would like to investigate, and write a testable hypothesis. Consider spending some time over the weekend collecting any SAMPLES you think you may need for experimentation. You may email me directly for advice or with questions ahammett@usd259.net; I will respond within a couple of hours at most. 1st half of class Quiz on Writing Chemical Formulas and Balancing Chemical Equations / 2nd half of class Teacher instruction on the pH scale Your formal RESEARCH PROBLEM and HYPOTHESIS are due in Physical Science class for approval by Mrs. Hammett prior beginning your lab the next class period, so come prepared!!

Over the Weekend (3/3-3/4)

Tuessday, March 6

Wednesday, March 7

March 8 9

These are actual LAB DAYS. You will conduct your experiment using pH probes, pH paper, litmus paper, and/or cabbage juice. Consider working on your research paper at home or at Saturday school. You will be given time in class with a computer to work on your formal research paper. NOTE: This is not a simple lab report; it is a full-scale research project and TYPED paper. In the end, you should have produced a paper similar to the 5 initial published source papers you initially found in your English class. I will be providing you with a TEMPLATE and a RUBRIC, which is an expansion of our previous smaller lab reports. You may alter the template to suit your own style and preferences, but you may not delete any part of it if you want full credit for this assignment. YOUR RESEARCH PAPER IS DUE. The last component you will write is an ABSTRACT. An abstract is a brief (250-300 word) summary of your research. (YOU CAN WORK ON THIS IN ENGLISH CLASS AS WELL, IF MS. AQUINO HAS TIME AND ALLOWS THIS.) Submit your stapled, typed paper along with your 5 initial research articles in a manila folder with your name on it. Spring Break

Weekend (3/10 & 3/11) March 12 14

Wednesday, March 14

March 15-25

Sources You may use as many purely online sources as you would like, but - REMEMBER - you must have a minimum of 5 print sources. These sources will be stapled and submitted along with your writing, so do not plagiarize! (These may be referenced in an online database but also must have appeared in a reputable, peer-reviewed print publication.) A good resource will be the following: Database: Username: Subscription ID: Password: www.kan-ed.org NEMSTUDENT 150 NEMHS