Download 4.04 Workfile

Lesson 4.04
Objectives (Learning Goals)
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
-Recognize the importance of presenting material in more than one way
-Identify the advantages and disadvantages of various mediums used to share information
-Effectively evaluate modes of communication
Academic Vocabulary
*Use the paragraph and activities below to help you define and understand these words:
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Medium
○ Definition:
○ Examples:
Static Multimedia
○ Definition:
○ Examples:
Dynamic Multimedia
○ Definition:
○ Examples:
Text
○ Definition:
○ Examples:
Video
○ Definition:
○ Examples:
Audio
○ Definition:
○ Examples:
Graphics
○ Definition:
○ Examples:
Have you ever been bored while reading a long lesson? How about confused when looking at a
website that has too many links or advertisements? Knowing how to present information to
audience in just the right way is a very valuable skill to learn. Oftentimes it’s best to present your
information in more than one MEDIUM (method of communicating ideas). Mediums can be
STATIC (still/non-moving) or they can be DYNAMIC (moving). Presenting your ideas in more than
one medium ensures that your message reaches the widest audience possible.
Static Multimedia
Text (newspaper article, formal report)
Graphics (pictures, graphs, charts, maps)
Posters, Billboards
Dynamic Multimedia
Video (commercial, TV news segment)
Audio (radio broadcast, podcast)
Power Point, Websites
Advantages
Short Memorable
Messages.
Disadvantages
Passed by quickly.
Message has to be
condensed to grab
attention.
Advantages
Engages many types of
learners.
Disadvantages
Can distract from the
message if it’s too
flashy or outdated.
Let’s Complete the Assessment!
In this lesson your will write a reflection paragraph that compares two presentations
about DNA. In your reflection paragraph, you will answer these questions:
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each medium used for the DNA information?
• Why can it be helpful to present ideas in more than one medium?
• Which medium did you like better, and why?
• Which medium do you feel taught you the information better, and why?
• How do your answers compare to those of your classmates based on the poll results?
Step 1: Read this article about DNA:
Is DNA forensic analysis reliable? Guilty as charged.
Kathryn Holmes, Department of Justice
What if you came home one day and discovered your iPod was not in its usual place? Instead of resting on your nightstand,
you found it tossed on the floor with a big scratch on the screen. First, you would examine the scene. Picking the iPod up, you
see it has a peanut butter smudge on it. That’s when you start making a mental list of potential iPod-scratching suspects. Since
you have a little brother and sister whose favorite afternoon snack is peanut butter crackers, you determine they are the
prime suspects. But which one committed this offense? You storm down the stairs to begin your investigation.
When law enforcement is faced with a real crime and must analyze a crime scene, they take a much more detailed approach.
Using science and technology, they can conduct what is called a forensic analysis. For example, the police might find written
documents and have the handwriting analyzed by an expert. They can even use ballistics testing to examine markings on a
bullet to see if it was fired from a suspect’s weapon.
But out of all the methods, the most reliable forensic technique police use is called DNA fingerprinting. As opposed to
traditional fingerprinting in which the actual fingerprints are lifted from the crime scene, this type of fingerprinting looks inside
the cell of a human being to determine who committed the crime.
Scientists and investigators count on DNA fingerprinting for its accuracy. That’s because DNA is similar to a fingerprint—
everybody’s DNA is different. (The only exception is identical twins. They have the exact same DNA.) This unique genetic
code can be found in all body cells, including hair, skin, and blood. That means investigators can examine these types of
evidence found at the scene of the crime, with the hopes of matching it to a suspect’s DNA.
Although it is widely used today, DNA analysis technology has not always been around. Scientists developed this method in
the 1980s. Since then, police and investigators have used it to help convict criminals and solve numerous crimes. This
technology has proven useful in solving cold cases, too. Those are cases that were previously thought to be unsolvable.
But DNA analysis isn’t just for convicting criminals. Over the past few decades, it has been used to help free prisoners who
were wrongly convicted of a crime. Some of these prisoners were even on death row. Archeology is another profession that
uses DNA analysis. Ancient peoples are studied using DNA samples taken from 3,000-year-old mummies. The scientists
determine interesting characteristics, such as the health of the Egyptian family lineage. A more recent use of DNA analysis
involves preventing health problems before they start. If a person’s DNA indicates that he or she has a propensity for heart
problems, he or she could start exercising and eating well in order to avoid getting sick.
Since the start of DNA analysis, investigators needed a way to keep track of all the data they were collecting from crime
scenes. So the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice developed what’s called the “Combined DNA Index System,” or
“CODIS” for short. CODIS is a database of DNA records of convicted offenders. It is used worldwide to share and compare
DNA data. Any forensics laboratory can use CODIS for free to run a DNA sample against the database to see if there are any
matches. Once a criminal’s DNA code is in the system, it remains there for identification in future crimes.
Although DNA fingerprinting would not really be used to solve the mystery of the scratched iPod, for more serious matters,
investigators around the world agree—when it comes to reliability, DNA analysis is guilty as charged.
Step 2: View this INTERACTIVITY on DNA and be ready to compare what you learn from it to
what you learned in the article above.
http://www.safeyoutube.net/w/Oqk
Step 3: Take notes for your reflective paragraph by answering these questions:
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each medium used for the DNA information?
• Why can it be helpful to present ideas in more than one medium?
• Which medium did you like better, and why?
• Which medium do you feel taught you the information better, and why?
• How do your answers compare to those of your classmates based on the poll results (go to Lesson 4.04, page 7)?
Step 4: Write your reflective PARAGRAPH HERE:
After reviewing the article about DNA written by __________ and the interactivity about DNA in the
lesson I have discovered that there are advantages and disadvantages to each medium.
In regards to the DNA article by ________, I found that the advantages to this medium were
______________________________________________________________________________.
However, the disadvantages the static text medium were _________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________.
In regards to the DNA interactivity, I found the advantages of that medium were_____________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
This dynamic medium also had disadvantages. The disadvantages of the interactivity were ________
______________________________________________________________________________________
.
I personally liked the ______________________________ medium better because ________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________.
My feelings about this medium are _______________(the same/or different) than my classmates
that took the class poll. It can be helpful to present information in more than one medium because
___________________________________________________________________________________.
Turn these questions and answers into PARAGRAPH FORM. Your reflective paragraph should be at least 5 sentences
long and provide answers to the questions above.
_____ Write a paragraph of at least five complete sentences that summarizes the answers to the questions above.
Write your reflective PARAGRAPH HERE:
_____GRADE yourself on THIS rubric! It is the SAME rubric your teachers will be using when they grade
this assignment for you.
4.04 Rubric
Task
Mediums
Explanation
Success Achieved
Close to Success
15-9
8-0
____ I clearly identified the advantages and
disadvantages of the two mediums on the
DNA information.
____ I explained why using more than one
medium can be helpful.
20-14
Evaluation of
Mediums
____ I clearly explained which medium I
liked better and which I thought was more
effective.
10-6
Comparison to Poll
Results
Clear Writing
____I clearly compared my own responses
to those of my classmates in a thoughtful
manner.
5
____ I partly identified the advantages and
disadvantages of the two mediums on the
DNA information.
____ I partly explained why using more
than one medium can be helpful.
13-0
____ I partly explained which medium I
liked better and which I thought was more
effective.
5-0
____ I partly compared my own responses
to those of my classmates in a thoughtful
manner.
4-0
Points I
think I
Earned
____ I clearly used correct grammar,
punctuation, and spelling. I wrote at least
five complete sentences.
Earned
Points
Grade
____ I partly used correct grammar,
punctuation, and spelling. I wrote fewer
than five complete sentences.
______out of_ 50