DNA, Genes and the Continuity of Life

Context

Investigate one of the following claims:

• Telomere length can predict human health outcomes.

• Genes contribute to physical performance and athletic potential.

• mRNA technology has diverse applications in medicine beyond vaccines.

Task

• Gather secondary evidence related to a research question in order to evaluate the claim.

• Develop your research question based on a number of possible claims provided by your teacher.

• Obtain evidence by researching scientifically credible sources, such as scientific journals, books by well-credentialed scientists and websites of governments, universities, independent research bodies, or science and technology manufacturers.

• You must adhere to research conventions.

To complete this task, you must:

• Select a claim to be evaluated

• Identify the relevant scientific concepts associated with the claim

• Pose a research question addressing an aspect of the claim

• Conduct research to gather scientific evidence that may be used to address the research question and subsequently evaluate the claim

• Analyse the data to identify sufficient and relevant evidence

• Identify the trends, patterns or relationships in the evidence

• Analyse the evidence to identify limitations

• Interpret the evidence to construct justified scientific arguments

• Interpret the evidence to form a justified conclusion to the research question

• Discuss the quality of the evidence

• Evaluate the claim by extrapolating the findings of the research question to the claim

• Suggest improvements and extensions to the investigation

• Communicate findings in an appropriate scientific genre, i.e. scientific report

Checkpoints

• Week 2: Select claim and develop research question

• Week 4: Identify sources and conduct research

• Week 5: Analyse and evaluate evidence

• Week 7: Submit draft

• Week 10: Submit final response

Authentication strategies

• You will be provided class time for task completion.

• Your teacher will observe you completing work in class.

• Your teacher will collect copies of your response and monitor at key junctures.

• Your teacher will collect and annotate a draft.

• You must acknowledge all sources.

• You must submit a declaration of authenticity.

• Your teacher will ensure class cross-marking occurs.

• You will provide documentation of your progress at the checkpoints indicated above.

Scaffolding

The response must be presented using an appropriate scientific genre (i.e. scientific report) and contain:

• a claim

• a research question

• a rationale for the investigation

• justified scientific arguments using evidence

• a conclusion to the research question based on the interpretation of the evidence

• an evaluation of the claim and suggestions of improvements and extensions to the investigation

• a reference list

An example of how one of the claims could be developed into a research question:

• Claim: The use of hormones in agriculture does not affect human health.

• Research question: Does hormone x (i.e. recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST)) affect growth hormone receptors through x (i.e. the consumption of cow’s milk)?

Developing the research question:

1. Identify the key (important) terms in the claim.

   a. Agriculture

   b. Hormone

   c. Human health

2. Propose questions that need to be addressed to refine key terms and narrow the focus of the claim.

   a. Which agriculture?

   b. Which hormone?

   i. Which agricultural industry?

   ii. What area should that division of this hormone have on an aspect of human health?

   c. Consider gathering other information to address the questions.

   i. Does hormone x affect human health?

   ii. Is there a residue from this hormone in food consumed by humans?

   iii. Which hormone is found in cow’s milk?

   iv. Are these hormones also produced in children after human health?

3. Refine and focus the research question.

   Does recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) affect human health through the consumption of cow’s milk?

4. Present the research question to the teacher for approval.

   Does recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) affect human growth hormone receptors through the consumption of cow’s milk?