Scientific Literacy Resource: Promised Land

Transcription

1 Scientific Literacy Resource: Our resources are designed to be used with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at See, think, make. Imagine intofilm.org Into Film is a trading name of Film Nation UK. Registered Charity number

2 Introduction Copyright Property of FocusFeatures (2012). All rights reserved mins Cert: 11+ About this film Steve and Sue are sent to a small farming town where their employer a big energy company plans to extract reserves of natural gas through the environmentally controversial method of fracking. Their task is to convince the local people to sell the rights to drill on their land. It should be easy, since the failing economy has left the place in deprivation and despair, but some members of the community protest. The more Steve and Sue try to persuade them, the more they are forced to confront their own consciences, and consider the value of the new friendships they have begun to form. How to use this resource This resource comprises three main sections: Pupil-facing question sheets (pages 3-6) that advise on scoring criteria (pages 7-15) Accompanying Scienti ic Literacy PowerPoint that contains the relevant film clips, available to download from About this resource Using film as the stimulus and set in modern-day scientific contexts, this series of resources can be used in the classroom to develop students scientific literacy. They help students apply their scientific knowledge and skills to issues in the modern world. The question sets focus on the knowledge, skills and competencies necessary for scientific literacy as set out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. They use a similar style and format to the questions in the OECD PISA tests for scientific literacy, and each question has been linked to the OECD PISA Scientific Literacy Framework to indicate the knowledge and competencies each question focuses on. You will not only find these question sets useful in helping prepare your students for the OECD PISA tests, but also in helping them to develop their scientific literacy skills for the new GCSE examinations, and in preparing them to take an active part in our increasingly scientific and technological world. Into Film would like to thank Rebecca Owen, science-subject specialist at the Welsh Government and the Central South Consortium for her help in creating this resource. For more information on the range of resources created by her team, visit DVD availability You can order the on DVD for free through your Into Film club account via Not yet Into Film? Joining Into Film is easy and free go to to find out more and register, or support@intofilm.org. Filmmaking support As well as viewing the film, this resource offers opportunities for filmmaking. For further information on filmmaking in the classroom, see Into Film s Primary Filmmaking resource: intofilm.org 2

3 Scientific literacy questions Scientific literacy questions Clip 1 In the film, Global Industries are intending to carry out a process called hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to obtain natural gas trapped in the layers of shale rock. QUESTION 1 What type of rock is shale? A B C D sedimentary metamorphic igneous volcanic QUESTION 2 The natural gas in the shale rock has formed over millions of years. Can you explain how the natural gas formed? QUESTION 3 Jerry says the offer of $30,000 dollars from Global Industries is not enough money to secure his agreement for fracking in his town. He says he has done his research. Suggest two things he may have found out from his research that would make him think that $30,000 dollars was not enough money for him to agree to the fracking. Explanation 1 Explanation 2 intofilm.org 3

4 Scientific literacy questions Clip 2 QUESTION 4 Write down one of the things Frank Yates the science teacher says will be an advantage of extracting natural gas by fracking, and one thing he says is a disadvantage. Advantage Disadvantage QUESTION 5 When Frank Yates challenges him, Steve Butler admits that a few companies involved in fracking have had their share of incidents. Suggest an example of one of the incidents that he might be talking about. QUESTION 6 Frank Yates suggests that the people of the town should vote on the fracking scheme. Which of the statements in the table below might be said by a person who will vote for the fracking scheme, and which might be said by a person who will vote against the scheme? Tick the correct box for each statement. The statement about the fracking scheme would be said by a person who would vote: For the scheme Against the scheme When natural gas is burnt, it creates less carbon dioxide than coal or oil Groundwater could be contaminated if the wells or pipes leak Fracking means that other renewable energies are ignored Natural gas will not run out so soon because fracking allows us to access to supplies of gas which we wouldn t otherwise be able to use. intofilm.org 4

5 Scientific literacy questions QUESTION 7 Steve Butler compares fracking to dangerous industries like coal and oil. Which of these statements supports the idea that coal and oil are dangerous industries? Circle yes or no for each statement: Coal dust can cause respiratory diseases in miners Burning coal and oil releases sulphur dioxide that causes acid rain There have been incidents of explosions or collapses in coal mines Coal and oil are non-renewable types of energy Clip 3 Mr Noble talks to a class of children about the process of fracking. QUESTION 8 What is Mr Noble trying to show in his demonstration to the children? QUESTION 9 What will be the most likely effect of Mr Noble s demonstration on the children? A B C D They will tell their parents to vote for the fracking scheme They will want to become farmers They will tell their parents to vote against the fracking scheme They will get better marks in their science tests intofilm.org 5

6 Scientific literacy questions QUESTION 10 Mr Noble gives the children lots of information about the process of fracking during his demonstration. Some of the information he gives the children about the process is scientifically correct, some of the information may not be a scientific fact. Which of the statements in the table below are scientifically correct about the process of fracking? Circle yes or no for each statement: They drill deep into the ground with huge big drills They have to drill lots of holes to get the gas They shoot water, sand and chemicals into the ground to help the drills There is no way to tell where the chemicals are going to go All the dirty water comes back up to the land QUESTION 11 Why might Mr Noble tell the children things that are not scientific facts? QUESTION 12 The children might decide to try to find out which of the things Mr Noble says are facts and which are not. Which of the methods in the table below could they use to help them decide whether what Mr Noble says is correct or not? Circle yes or no for each statement: Carry out some experiments Ask another scientist to come and talk to them Do some research on the internet intofilm.org 6

7 QUESTION 1 A sedimentary rock Sedimentary rock forms in layers, from mud and sediment building up and being squashed and compressed by the sediment that collects on top of it. Natural gas is formed from the remains of marine organisms which have been trapped in the layers of rock. The layers in the rock make it easier to fracture to release the gas. Explain phenomena scientifically Natural resources -national/global Low QUESTION 2 Sea creatures/marine organisms died and sank to the bottom of the sea/ocean. These organisms were covered by/ buried by sediment, which became compressed into rock. Heat and pressure created by the rock changed the organisms into natural gas. Partial credit: From the remains of animals/sea creatures that lived millions of years ago/got buried under rock but with no further explanation. Students must say that the gas forms from animals and not plants (coal was formed from plant matter). They must explain fully that the organisms were buried under layers of sediment and that heat and pressure led to the formation of the gas from the remains of their bodies. intofilm.org 7

8 Explain phenomena scientifically Natural resources - national/global QUESTION 3 Any two reasons from this list: There was much more natural gas under the town than Steve Butler said there was/the natural gas under the town was worth more than Steve Butler said it was. They would be drilling lots of holes to sink the wells, which would damage the environment around the town. Some of the chemicals used in the process of fracking are harmful/carcinogenic/radioactive/could make people ill. The fracking scheme would involve lots of vehicles transporting things to and from the site which could cause a lot of noise and/or pollution in the town. People in areas around other fracking sites have developed illnesses. There have been previous incidents of water being contaminated near to fracking projects. Farmers crops could be/have been killed by chemicals used in the fracking process. Fracking may be linked to the occurrence of small earthquakes/earth tremors. There may not be enough water available for farmers to grow crops as lots of water is needed for fracking. Partial credit: Any one reason from the list above. He has read that fracking is dangerous without being specific about the danger. intofilm.org 8

9 There is a lot of information about fracking available on the internet, where Jerry has got his information from. Some of it is produced by fracking companies themselves, and some by environmental groups. Some of the information on the internet may be biased and scientifically incorrect. This question is not concerned with whether the information is biased or correct, it is just asking the students to use the information available on the internet to explain why Jerry may not be happy with the sum of money that is offered. Explain phenomena scientifically Natural resources - national/global /high QUESTION 4 Advantage - natural gas is a clean and efficient fuel/resource Disadvantage water may be contaminated or extracting the gas is a dirty business Students must only use the advantages and disadvantages that are given by Frank Yates in the film. No credit is given for giving their own advantages and disadvantages. Students can be given credit if the wording is similar but not exactly as Frank Yates says, so long as the same meaning is retained. Explain phenomena scientifically Natural resources - local/national or global intofilm.org 9

10 QUESTION 5 One example from this list: Water has been contaminated with poisonous chemicals from leaking pipes or wells. Small earthquakes/tremors have occurred as a result of fracking. People have suffered illnesses in the areas around fracking schemes. Air pollution has increased in the areas around fracking schemes. Flooding has occurred in areas around fracking schemes. Workers on fracking schemes may have suffered illness from the chemicals they are using. Explosions may have occurred because of water containing lots of chemicals catching fire. Other responses or missing. During the film clips, lots of different examples of such incidents are mentioned, which could be what Steve Butler is referring to. Students may recall their own examples if they have watched television news or documentaries, or have studied fracking in class. Explain phenomena scientifically Natural resources - local/national or global QUESTION 6 For, against, against, for in that order intofilm.org 10

11 Natural gas is considered to be a cleaner fuel than coal or oil because the emissions of carbon dioxide gas during its combustion are lower than coal or oil. People might use this as an argument for the fracking scheme as it would enable us to use the cleaner gas as a fuel rather than coal or oil and thus reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (which can contribute to global warming) going into the air. Possible contamination of groundwater by the chemicals that are pumped into the wells is a common argument against fracking as, were this to happen, the drinking water of a large number of people could be affected and this could lead to illness. Some people argue that fracking continues to rely on fossil fuels to create energy rather than investing in renewable energies, which are less harmful to the environment. Extracting natural gas by the process of fracking can create fuel security for a large number of people for many years. This could be considered a good thing because without fracking that gas would not be accessible and there may be fuel shortages in years to come. Explain phenomena scientifically Natural resources - local/national or global QUESTION 7 Yes, yes, yes, no in that order. The first three statements support the idea that coal is dangerous. Many former miners have suffered from respiratory diseases as a result of breathing in coal dust, so this statement argues that coal is dangerous to their health. Sulphur dioxide gas, which is released during the combustion of coal and oil, is dangerous for the environment as it can cause acid rain, which can kill trees and animals like fish that live in lakes and rivers. Mining disasters, such as those in Aberfan and the Gleision Colliery in Wales, have killed large numbers of people, so mining can be considered dangerous for the workers who extract the coal, and also the wider community, as with the Aberfan disaster. The fact that coal and oil are non-renewable is not dangerous, although it does mean there is a need to explore alternative forms of energy for when they run out. intofilm.org 11

12 Explain phenomena scientifically Hazards - personal/local/national QUESTION 8 Mr Noble is trying to show that the fracking scheme is dangerous/may be harmful to them/may harm the environment. Partial credit: He is trying to show that the fracking scheme is a bad thing without explaining why. Other responses or missing. The film clip starts with Mr Noble appearing to explain to the children how fracking works, but it soon becomes clear he is trying to persuade the children that the fracking scheme will be bad for their town. He does this by saying things like the fracking scheme will take all the water, and that all the poisonous chemicals will come back up to the land, and showing them that the land will catch on fire. He gives the children the impression that these events happen with every fracking scheme. Although there are a number of such incidents documented on the internet, many scientists believe that these events are very rare and fracking is a safe process. Mr Noble does not give this side of the argument. Interpret data and evidence scientifically Hazards - local/national Natural resources - local /national intofilm.org 12

13 QUESTION 9 C They will tell their parents to vote against the fracking scheme The demonstration given by Mr Noble in which he tells the children that all their water will be used up, that poisonous chemicals will go into the ground and then come back up to the land, and even that the land may catch on fire, will likely have the effect of scaring the children and making them think the fracking scheme is dangerous and harmful. The children may then try to persuade their parents that the scheme is bad, and parents will be likely to vote against the scheme if they see their children are scared and upset. Interpret data and evidence scientifically Hazards - local/national Natural resources - local /national QUESTION 10 Yes, yes, yes, no, no in that order. The first three statements are correct about the fracking scheme. They do use large drills to dig deep into the ground, as the gas is often found miles beneath the surface. They also need to drill lots of holes as the gas is spread out within the shale rock, rather than collecting in large pockets in one place. Water, sand and chemicals are pumped into the wells to help the drills work and to extract the gas from the rock. The last two statements are not scientifically correct. The water, sand and chemicals should remain within the wells and pipes and so the fracking company should know where the chemicals are going. Only if there is a leak in a well or pipe, will the movement of water and chemicals be uncontrolled. Under normal circumstances, there should not be free movement of water and chemicals under the ground. The statement all the water and chemicals come back up to the land is not scientifically correct because, in most cases, the water and chemicals are pumped back up out of the well, and may sometimes be recycled and used again. Students may recognise that, in some cases, the events described by the last two statements have occurred, but this should not be routinely true for the fracking process. intofilm.org 13

14 Interpret data and evidence scientifically Hazards - local/national Natural resources - local/national QUESTION 11 He wants to scare them into thinking that the fracking scheme is bad/he wants them to tell their parents they think the fracking scheme is a bad idea/he wants them to be against the idea of fracking. Partial credit: He might be biased against the fracking company. At the start of the clip, it appears that Mr Noble is trying to explain to the children how the process of fracking works, but after a time, as explored in previous questions, he begins to talk about and show the children things which may not actually happen, or happen only rarely. He may tell them these things in order to scare them so they will influence their parents against the fracking scheme. Partial credit may be given for saying that Mr Noble might be biased against the fracking scheme, without an explanation as to why. NB: Students who have watched the entire film will know that Mr Noble is not all he seems and has other motives for his actions (he is actually working for Global Industries). However, students should answer the questions on the basis of what they have seen in the film clips provided only. Epistemic knowledge Interpret data and evidence scientifically Hazards - local/national Natural resources - local/national /high intofilm.org 14

15 QUESTION 12 Yes, yes yes in that order. Other responses or missing. All of the methods suggested can help the students to decide if Mr Noble has given them correct information. They can use experiments to collect data that can prove or disprove what he has said. They can get another scientist to talk to them allowing them to hear information from more than one source and help to eliminate bias. Researching on the internet will also help them to gather more information from various sources which may help them to get a balanced view and eliminate bias. Epistemic knowledge Evaluate and deign scientific enquiry Hazards - local/national Natural resources - local/national intofilm.org 15