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Overview:
This lesson will teach students about conducting science experiments based on theories and using rigorous scientific principles. They should learn about the ways in which scientific investigation is used in the "real world." This lesson asks students to consider the theories and methods Robert Ballard may have used in some of his recent deep-sea investigations.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, earth science
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 17: "How to apply geography to interpret the past"
Standard 18: "How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future"
Time:
Two hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Writing materials
Objectives:
Students will
- visit two Web sites for background information about Ballard's work;
- explain what a theory is and provide examples of theories students have already investigated;
- explain the theories Ballard investigated in his recent deep-sea research;
- read and take notes about the technology Ballard uses; and
- write research plans Ballard might have used to explore one of his theories.
Geographic Skills:
Asking Geographic Questions
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Answering Geographic Questions
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Development:
Ask students the following questions: What is a theory? What does one generally do to test a theory? Discuss theories that students have investigated in their studies or everyday lives. How did they come up with the theories, or were they the ideas of other people? How did they test the theories? Did the results surprise them?
Ask students whether Ballard bases his work on theories or just "dives in" hoping to find something. Have a class discussion or ask students to write a paragraph about the theories that Ballard chose to investigate in the expeditions they have read about.
Have students find out more about Ballard's work and the way he goes about testing his theories, focusing on the technology he uses on his expeditions. Ask them to go to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Deep Submergence Vehicles page and read about Alvin, Jason II/Medea, Argo II, and DSL-120A. Have students take notes on the pros and cons of each kind of equipment, explaining the advantages one type might have over another in specific situations.
Closing:
Read students this quote from a speech by Robert Ballard: "Just as Lewis and Clark's exploration of the Louisiana Purchase led to the settling of the west, the exploration of the sea will lead to its subsequent colonization." You may want to have students read the entire speech to get a better understanding of the quote's context. Have students discuss what they think Ballard means by this statement and whether they agree with him.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Have students look back at their descriptions of Ballard's theories and choose one of them. Ask them to write scientific research plans that Ballard might have used in his attempt to find evidence supporting the theory. The plan should be written according to the scientific method that students have learned in their science classes; students have probably been taught a standard way in which to write up experiments, and they should use this format in this activity. At a minimum, the plans should include:
- the general question Ballard is attempting to answer (based on the theory);
- a statement of hypothesis (a tentative answer to this question including a measurable outcome he expected to find);
- a list of materials required for the investigation (including a description of the technology Ballard used); and
- a list of steps Ballard took in his investigation.
After they have written their research plans, have students write paragraphs explaining why it is important for a scientist such as Ballard to base his work on well-researched theories.
Extending the Lesson:
- Have students read Ballard's biography and describe the qualities and skills that make him well qualified to be a scientist who tests hypotheses and attempts to solve problems. What skills did he gain in his education? In what way are these skills similar to the skills he uses in his research today?
- Have students follow the field reports from Ballard's most recent expedition to the Solomon Islands to search for PT-109. Do they think the boat Ballard found is PT-109?
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