The Science of Water is Everywhere

 Introduction:

Science is everywhere and is used by everyone. In almost every ordinary daily activity, we are applying or using science in one form or another.   Many times, we only think of science in a technological sense, but science can also be applied in the simplest forms.   We live in a very diverse world and need to be aware of scientific contributions from all cultures across the globe.  This activity has been designed for students to observe a wide variety of scientific applications in:

Biology -- a science that deals with living organisms, on land and in water, and their body systems and vital processes they undergo.          

Chemistry . a science that deals with the composition, structure, properties, and transformations of substances such as water from a, solid to a liquid to a gaseous state.

Earth Science . a combination of sciences that study the structure of the earth and its environmental processes ranging from land to water.

Physics . a science that deals with matter and energy and their interactions in different fields which includes the way that light travels through water.

Agriculture . the applied life science or art of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock in varying degrees for human use and disposal.

Engineering . the applied physical science dealing with the practical application of science and math, as in the design and construction of machines, vehicles, structures, roads, artificial lakes, dams and systems.

Mathematics . the systematic treatment of magnitude, relationships between quantities, figures and forms.

Medicine . a science or art dealing with the prevention or cure of disease.

National Standard Addressed:

The standard science and technology, under the category understandings about science and technology works in this lesson.  This lesson shows how humans use science and technology to survive in their environments.  It also encourages students to look at the world around them and take notice of the scientific ideas being used.

Science as human endeavor is a standard under the concept of history and nature of science.  This works on the level of how humans use science and technology in different cultures throughout the world.  You can also discover the ways that science has evolved through thousands of years of civilization.  This lab will also cover the standards, Nature of Science and History of Science.  By presenting the ways that these different areas of science were studied long ago we can bring history into this interesting lesson about the nature of science and how it works.

Science as inquiry is a teaching standard that allows the students to ask more questions and raise new ideas about the topic.  This lab gets students involved in many different areas of science.

Objectives and Benchmarks:

This activity will provide students with the opportunity to think about different uses of different kinds of science in different cultures.  Students will find at least three ways that other cultures use science technology differently than we do.  Students will notice at least three technological similarities between our culture and other cultures.

Materials:

A collection of National Geographic magazines

Student Copies of the Worksheet located at the bottom of this page

 Advanced Preparation:

Have access to a collection of National Geographic or similar magazine

Procedure:

Have the students write their own personal definition of the word science in 2-3 sentences.  They should focus on: What it is, Who does it, and Where it is done.  They can share their definitions with the class.  Have them find a partner and choose a couple of National Geographic magazines to thumb through.  They need to look for the application of science from the different domains of science.  When they find an example they think really portrays the application of science from one of the domains, they can fill out the requested information in the chart.  Have them look through as many magazines as it takes to complete the chart.  At the end of class, have students share their examples with the class.  Happy Hunting!

Things to Consider:

Focus on the different cultures and how the people are applying science to their everyday lives and how they employ different forms of science to meet their own needs in their unique environments. 

Possible Integration:

This lesson essentially addresses science and technology but also could be connected to English and Sociology.  An English lesson can be incorporated with the writing of a paper on the uses of technology across cultures.  A sociological approach can be used to show how different cultures use science and technology.      

Critical Concepts:

Science and Technology            Different Science Realms

Worksheet: