Many manufacturers make claims about the performance of their products. The Advertising Standards Council has regulations which govern the type of claims that can be made and the degree of accuracy which must be inherent in the claims. Students are given an opportunity in this unit to identify the important characteristics of various products (identify the significant variables), devise comparative and absolute tests of those characteristics (design and conduct controlled experiments), and produce advertisements which communicate the results of those tests (report the results of their procedures).
The unit is intended to allow students to see how the principles of science are applied for purposes other than for pure understanding of how things work. It will give students an opportunity to be creative and critical thinkers, and to undertake an independent project.
Science writing and reading activities, as discussed in this Guide, should be incorporated into each lesson. By writing about what they see, hear, and do, students can make better sense of all this sensory input, some of which contradicts what they already believe or feel intuitively. If they are simply asked to recall what they see, hear and read, they do not have to process the information. A variety of writing tasks is equally important in learning as a variety of input stimuli. Through reflective, narrative, and expository writing students refine their understanding of the concepts of science and develop their ability to communicate through the written word.
Science challenge, as described in this Guide, is meant to extend students' critical and creative thinking abilities in the context of the science concepts being studied. Activities involving science challenge should be incorporated into science lessons in each unit. The challenge is intended to give each student a chance to investigate an area of interest in more depth than would be possible for all students in a class to do. Science challenge is a key strategy for bringing the Adaptive Dimension to the classroom, and for encouraging independent learning. Science challenge activities are included in the activities suggested for use in this unit.
Throughout all grades, students have been encouraged to identify characteristics of objects. They have also learned about controlling variables in experiments and about reporting the results of their investigations. These abilities are all required to test consumer products.
Note: Many of the resources listed in Science: An Information Bulletin for the Middle Level - Key Resource Correlations describe activities or ideas for activities.
Design and conduct controlled investigations which evaluate the product on the criteria identified. Write the script for a radio commercial or design a magazine advertisement which communicates the information which the product evaluation has revealed.
Factors: A4, A9, B8, B9, B21, C5, C11, C16, D5, E13, F3, F7, G6
Objectives: 1.1, 1.3, 1.6, 2.1
Assessment Techniques: observation checklist, written reports, oral assessment
Instructional Methods: research projects, conducting experiments
Factors: A4, A5, B8,
B9, B10,
B21, C11, C16, C17, D3,
E13, F5, G6
Assessment Techniques: written reports, oral
assessment, rating scales
Instructional Methods: conducting experiments,
problem solving
Factors: A5, A8, B10,
B19, B24, C6,
C9, C16, D3,
E4,
F5, G1
Objectives: 2.1, 2.2
Assessment Techniques: oral assessments,
presentations, anecdotal records
Instructional Methods: case studies, research
projects
From the ideas you have brainstormed, compile a checklist
you could use to evaluate cookies, their packaging, and
their advertising. Test the checklist by evaluating several
brands of cookies.
From a cookie cookbook, select an interesting recipe.
Cooperate among your group members to acquire the
ingredients and to make the cookie your group has selected.
Develop a marketing campaign to sell the rest of the class
on the excellence of your cookie. Devise a label to use on
the package of cookies, and an advertising campaign (of at
least one advertisement) to convince people how good your
cookies are.
Develop a package that you feel meets the criteria of the
evaluation sheet developed by the class. Exchange a package
of four of your cookies, the label you have designed, and the
copy for the advertising campaign with another group in the
class. Evaluate the label, the package, the cookies, and the
advertising campaign based on the checklist developed by the
whole class.
Are there suggestions for changes to the evaluation
checklist after you have evaluated the other group's
cookies?