Unit 2 Your Personal Science Odyssey

Lead in

1. Within 3 minutes with your partner brainstorm as many terms to do with natural sciences as you can. Compare your lists.

· What natural science(s) do your terms refer to?

2. Read the definition of Astrobiology

Astrobiology studies the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe.

3. Work in pairs and answer the question: What does your field of science study?

Tool box: Giving definitions … is a science / study of … to study, to examine, to investigate, to describe, to deal with, to determine, etc.

Reading

1. Look through the definitions of some natural sciences dealing with environmental issues.

2. Match the definitions with the right titles of sciences. Mark the key words in each definition that helped you to make the right guess. One has already been done for you.

Managing your learning Choosing techniques appropriate for your reading goals can save you time. Here are some reading techniques you may find helpful for reading efficiently—quickly and with good understanding.

• Guessing the new words
• Using a dictionary for new words
• Highlighting repeated or paraphrased key words.

A …uses scientific background to the processes which affect the environment and its management as well as considering the social, legal and policy implications of environmental issues.

B …uses a high level of mathematical technique for the description and analysis of complex environmental systems. It needs complicated statistical methods in the design of experiments and interpretation of measurements in the monitoring of the environment…

C …is concerned with the health of our environment and the significance of pollution. It focuses around our ability to improve our understanding of the effects of pollution on plants and animals and to develop early warning markers of organisms, population or environmental health.

D …is the scientific study of chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur in natural places. It deals with the behaviour of both natural and man-made substances in relation to atmospheric, aquatic and terrestrial environment.

E …is the science of the relationship between organisms and their environments. It is the study of harmful effects of modern civilization on the environment, with a view toward prevention or reversal through conservation.

(Adapted from Lancaster University Undergraduate Prospectus Entry 2005)

1. Pollution Science (C)

2. Ecology ()

3. Environmental Management ()

4. Environmental Chemistry ()

5. Environmental Mathematics ()

Speaking

Which of the sciences listed below go with which sector of the chart according to its popularity with high school leavers? Give reasons for your choice.

Tool box: Making comparisons … is more/ less interesting than… rewarding challenging prestigious perspective well-paid difficult boring … is hard er /better/worse than … … is the old est of all, because … most challenging least difficult

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