| Science - high |
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"The Murray River is dying--rainfall across Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, has been continually declining over the last 100 years. This decline in overall rainfall, combined with increased pressures of commercial irrigation, has slowed the flow of the largest river system in Australia (Murray-Darling river basin) to a trickle... One solution to Australia's river problems offered recently, was to tow icebergs from Antarctica to the Murray. Recently, a large piece of ice has broken away from Antarctica possibly due [to] global warming. This in itself, may make the harvesting of icebergs easier."
Question: "Should Australia harvest icebergs from Antarctica to replenish the flow in the Murray River?"
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"Coal mining is one of Australia's major industries. The ongoing development of mines and use of coal as a source of electric energy to meet consumer needs often engage individuals and communities in strong debate about its contribution to the Australian way of life.
Is this industry one that should be banned from operating in Australia?
What positives and negatives are involved in considering this industry's role in Australia?
What is the role of the industry in international markets?
What are the alternatives?
Are the alternatives viable options?
To be informed citizens of a community means making better judgments for that community. Sometimes it is easier to accept what others tell us than to discover the facts for ourselves."
Question: Should your community vote for the opening of a new coal mine in your region?
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"With summer Olympic 2008 in Beijing in full swing, the athletes are breaking records like never before. New records are set with more than 50% improvement. The tests for performance enhancing drugs (testosterone and anabolic steroids) are negative but still something different about them: they are genetically enhanced athletes; their genes have been altered to increase strength and endurance that is undetectable by any test so far."
"This WebQuest will help you to examine, understand and evaluate the issues of “germ line modifications” and “genetic enhancement” by taking on different roles. With several cooperative groups presenting a different perspective, you will investigate the different sides of the issue to decide for yourselves how you feel. By dividing into roles and working cooperatively, you will work together to understand this topic. The Internet will provide all the resources that you need to explore gene therapy.
So, your task is to understand the issues, gather and analyze the current information provided to you, try to reach on a consensus with your teammates on the questions, write your recommendations and let the world know about it."
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"Just up the road from Melbourne, not too far away from the airport and right over the road from Calder Raceway is the Organ Pipes National Park. Housing has been built almost up to the back of the raceway, and it will soon stretch northwards beyond the raceway. There's a nice big clear area of land along the Calder Highway just south of the park, and just the thing for a housing estate. Nice views towards the city and the airport."
"The class will study the Organ Pipes National Park near Melbourne and some associated land use and management issues."
Question: "Do we need the National Park? OR Do we need the land for housing? There are plenty of other Organ Pipe type parks elsewhere. Why preserve this one?"
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"The year is 2010 and the Antarctic Treaty is due to be renegotiated. The Prime Minister has invited various interest groups to make a presentation regarding their views on the position Australia should take at the forthcoming conference."
Question: What position should Australia take when renegotiating the Antarctic Treaty?
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"Today, more than one half of American soybeans, one half of the cotton, and one third of the corn that is grown is already genetically modified. More than 90 million acres of genetically engineered crops were grown worldwide in 1999 alone. Still, most people do not know very much about genetic engineering and biotechnology."
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"Some 60 years ago amphibians were used to produce clones, but the embryos died at tadpole stage. During the last six decades, the cloning of a mammal was only possible in the imagination of the scientific community. Out of the blue, Ian Wilmut, a researcher from the Roslin Institute in Scotland, announced that his team had successfully cloned a lamb from an adult cell."
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"Last year, a major manufacturing company in Seaside, California closed its operations. Four thousand jobs were lost and the once prosperous town of Seaside quickly slipped into recession. In an effort to revive the economy in Seaside, a group of concerned citizens has lobbied the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and convinced them that Seaside would be an ideal location for California's next nuclear power plant. The citizens of Seaside have been left with two choices: Vote to accept the power plant and all of its benefits or reject the proposal because of the negative aspects of living with the danger of a nuclear power plant in their backyard."
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On December 26, 2004, a 9.0 earthquake in the Indian Ocean caused a devastating tsunami that effected every country in the region, traveled 3,000 miles to the east coast of Africa and continued on effecting waters all over the globe.
Shortly thereafter, storms generating in the Pacific Ocean swept into the Western United States and for fifteen days dropped up to 31 inches of rain in some lowland areas and up to 20 feet of snow in the mountain regions. Saturated hillsides turned into sliding mud rivers burying several homes and taking several lives as the land gave way. The force of overflowing river waters eroded the foundation of nearby houses, and they were lost to the river. Creeks became rapid rivers and took out bridges and roads. Landslides and rockslides took out highways and buried people in their cars. Flood waters rose making roads impassable, and rescue efforts dangerous.
Volcanoes have since erupted in various places around the globe.
Do these events have any relationship to one another, or is this simply coincidental?
Question: "What, if any, effect do natural events that occur in one region of the earth have upon other regions in general and upon California in particular?"
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"As a group you're going to explore the topic of Nuclear Waste. Each member of your team will take on the role of one person interested in the storage of Nuclear waste. Then you'll have to come back together to answer a question that gets to the heart of 'what's the truth and who says so?' "
Question: "What should we do with our Nuclear Waste?"
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"The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood are classic children's fairy tales, but the tale of the Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf is real. In this WebQuest your task will be to analyze the Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf problem."
Question: "Should the wolves in Yellowstone National Park be removed?"
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"As an industrialized nation we depend greatly upon electricity.
Think about it…do you know how much you are using at this moment?
Conventional electrical power plants are mostly fueled by coal, oil, or natural gas; the burning of fossil fuels to create electricity contributes to global warming and air pollution. Wind power does not require fuel, create pollution or consume scarce resources. Many believe the energy future belongs to wind as a clean, renewable energy, especially as global policies to reduce greenhouse gases are adopted.
"While offshore wind farms have already been operating in Europe for some time, the first offshore wind farms are just now being proposed for development in the United States. Despite the many ideal characteristics of wind power, other aspects of wind power can create environmental and community concerns.
Question: Should the United States develop offshore wind farms as part of the national energy policy?
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"Have you ever wondered how they make those supersized tomatoes or seedless watermelons? Could you make an identical copy of yourself? Is it possible to completely free yourself from inheriting a fatal heart disease? How do police officers track down criminals using blood samples? And who pays for most of these discoveries?"
"All of these questions can be answered with the knowledge of genetics. Genetics is a topic that has stirred up a lot of controversy in the last two decades. With new discoveries, genetics is drastically changing the world we all live in. Now is your chance to evaluate these topics and implement your knowledge."
Question: "How should the federal government prioritize funds intended for genetic research?"
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"Imagine this...an orange that contains all the nutrients in a multivitamin, a tomato with more flavor as well as cancer fighting substances, sweeter strawberries, a potato that produces healthier french fries, allergen-free peanuts, a rice high in beta-carotene as well as bananas that deliver needed vaccines.
It's real science and it is happening in laboratories today as genetically engineered foods. To many scientists this is a very exciting time to enter a new frontier called food biotechnology."
Question: What are genetically engineered foods and are they dangerous to our health and to the environment?
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"The penguin population in Antarctica is diminishing. Scientific teams have already investigated predator-prey relationships, disease, and environmental pollution as possible causes. Data has been collected and analyzed. No correlation has been found between these factors and the penguins' decline. The International Symposium on Environmental Issues is meeting late next year in Sydney, Australia. Experts will present their findings on issues such as acid rain, global warming, alternative energy sources, endangered species, and ozone depletion. Many nations met for the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depletion in 1987. Ever since, your team of scientists has been studying the chemical reactions of ozone and its interaction with ultraviolet light. Could this possibly be connected to the penguin's decline in Antarctica? Working together, your team believes they will be the one to solve this puzzle. Find some warm clothes! Antarctica is a severe climate for surviving in the raw elements. The current temperature is -40° Celsius, and the wind is constantly howling at 35 mph. This makes for a wind chill factor of....what?! Well, let's go!"
Questions:
Is there a relationship between the ozone layer and phytoplankton?
What effects would changes in the ozone layer have on Antarctica's penguin population?
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"You have applied for the position as greenhouse manager for Plant World. Your job description includes maintaining greenhouse conditions for a variety of plants from various terrestrial biomes and providing at-home care information for buyers of the plants. For this position, you will be expected to use your knowledge about plant adaptations for survival."
"Once you have the job, you will be required to describe modifications your plant would need in order to survive in another biome."
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"Have you ever watched the evening news with your folks and wondered how the weather person could have been so wrong? You wore shorts to school that day only to find yourself freezing during lunch. Predicting the weather is a very difficult task. In this investigation, you will learn more about El Niño and La Niña cycles, and how they impact the weather in your area."
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"Picture this: you and a team of learners are presented with the task of organizing a debate about whether UFOs exist or not. But instead of looking for a group of outside experts, you are each going to become an expert. Each of you will develop a different point of view."
"Based upon what each of you learned, you will organize a class debate. What's the truth? That will be for you to discover. "
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"A quote from the Bible reads "All flesh is grass." The ancients were keenly aware of the relationship between the foods we eat and our own bodies. However, the foods they ate were designed as nature intended. Today, many foods are genetically altered to increase yield or nutritional benefit. How is this alteration affecting the plants, the planet and, ultimately, us?"
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"We need your help! A young family has sought out your expert genetic research team in order to determine what can be done to help their unborn child. The couple is expecting a child and the doctor has informed them that the infant will likely suffer from a genetic disorder. The family desperately wants to understand how this could happen and they want to know all the ways possible to prevent this illness from afflicting their child and any future children they might have. It is up to your team to help these parents in their time of need."
No Question, but Task: "You will have to fully describe the disorder, explain why it works the way it does, recommend all possible treatment options, and help the family come to grips with any ethical implications of treatment options."
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"Your group has been hired by an automotive company to work on the green-vehicle promotional team. The promotional team has been asked to prepare 4 products to attract potential customers for a new hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV). The 4 products are an operator manual, a green-vehicle brochure, an FAQ and answer sheet to post on the Internet, and a designed sketch of the vehicle that can be included on the Internet and also in the brochure. Your team will also be part of the research and marketing team to identify the price of the car. You expect the general public may be reluctant to embrace this product. You have been asked to highlight many advantages to convince the customer to purchase it."
Question: "How will your team successfully design and market a car that will appeal to a skeptical car-buying audience?"
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"Silent Spring, a book by Rachel Carson, started the public awareness of the environmental problems with toxic chemicals such as DDT. There is a lot of controversy about DDT because science has proved DDT to be a very useful chemical as well as being toxic and detrimental to the environment. Currently, DDT is up for a debate once again. Forty years after the U.S. banned DDT, the United Nations must decide if a worldwide ban should be implemented. You need to determine with a team of three other professionals whether or not DDT should be banned worldwide. You will present your findings to the United Nations so be careful and concise. Your decision will be felt worldwide! Good luck!"
Question: "Should DDT should be banned worldwide?"
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