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Name _______________________________________________ Date________________ Class______________
Science Skills Worksheets
RESEARCHING SKILLS
Identifying Bias
Suppose that while researching nutrition, you run across the following:
Vitamin A is an important nutrient. It is used to make rhodopsin,
a pigment in our eyes. Thus, Vitamin A is necessary for healthy
vision. People can develop night blindness if they do not get
enough of it. Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A.
Carrots should be a part of your daily diet.
At first, this paragraph seems to offer good information. Would you be
more skeptical if you learned that it was written by people who grow
carrots commercially? How would your opinion change? Explain your
answer below.
Bias Is Everywhere
Bias is a subjective way of thinking that tells only one side of a story,
sometimes leading to inaccurate information or a false impression.
When you research, it is crucial that you identify the level of bias in
potential sources. Below are some possible sources of bias.
The writer is relying on incomplete information.
The writer is trying to deceive the reader.
The writer wants to believe what he or she is saying.
The writer’s past experience is influencing his or her thinking.
The writer is trying to persuade the reader.
In the passage above, the writer does not mention that ingesting too
much vitamin A can make people sick. The writer fails to tell the reader
that eggs and sweet potatoes are also good sources of vitamin A.
Bias Rating
When reading information, think about what possible bias might be
distorting the facts. You might use a scale such as the following:
1 almost totally unbiased; highly objective; accurate
2 mostly unbiased; fairly reliable
3 somewhat biased; accuracy is questionable
4 fairly biased; distorted; probably unreliable
5 totally biased; highly subjective; inaccurate
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R
ESEARCHING
S
KILLS
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Name _______________________________________________ Date________________ Class______________
Identifying Bias, continued
Bias Begone!
As you read the following paragraphs, determine the kind of bias
being used. Explain your reasoning.
1. Returning wolves to their native habitats is critically important. The
wolf is an original top predator in the natural ecosystems of North
America. If these ecosystems are out of balance, they may collapse.
If that happens, millions of organisms will go extinct. Even humans
are in danger if we do not do something soon. We must make sure
that there are wolves in all of North America’s remaining natural
areas.
2. Scientists use powerful computers to study the Earth’s atmosphere.
These computers help scientists predict changes in world climate.
For instance, scientists use computers to study what might happen
if pollution increases or decreases. Computers can also help scien-
tists make recommendations to businesses, individuals, and other
polluters. Eventually, we will know enough about climate changes
to be able to control them.
Debaters often use bias intentionally
to strengthen their position. Select
one of the topics above, and have a
debate with your classmates. Do
your research, choose your position,
gather your evidence, and have a
vigorous debate!
TRY THIS!
When reading a passage, ask your-
self, “Will the writer benefit if I be-
lieve what is being told to me?” If
the answer is yes, then the passage
is likely to be biased.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Reading Detective
®
B1 Nonction
78 © 2005 The Critical Thinking Co.™ • www.CriticalThinking.com • 800-458-4849
33. Galileo’sVision
byDavidWhite
A
1
It was a clear night in 1610 when
Galileo Galilei looked through his telescope
and saw the four closest moons of Jupiter.
2
They were only dots in the sky, but they
were there.
B
3
It was quite a discovery.
4
In fact, the
moons Galileo saw were the first moons
other than our own moon that anyone had
ever seen.
C
5
Now, Galileo didn’t invent the
telescope.
6
Hans Lippershey of Holland did in
1608.
7
He designed it so people could look at
things far away.
8
But Galileo was the first to
use a telescope to look at stars and planets.
D
9
Using the telescope, Galileo also
discovered that our moon was not the
perfect, mysterious sphere everyone thought
it was.
10
He proved that the moon was filled
with craters.
11
He also proved that the light
that seemed to be coming from the moon
was actually a reflection of light coming from
the sun.
E
12
Galileo was also the first scientist
to prove a theory by testing it and recording
results.
13
Until that time, scientists would
prove their theories by making arguments
without giving evidence.
F
14
Galileo was the first to provide visual
evidence in support of the theory that Earth
revolves around the sun.
15
A man named
Copernicus of Poland had written in 1543
that Earth was not the center of the universe.
16
He had said that the sun was the center of
what we call the solar system and that Earth
circled the sun.
17
Not many people believed
him.
18
Teachings until that time had placed
Earth firmly at the center of the universe,
with everything else revolving around it.
19
Galileo, night after night, saw the moons
of Jupiter at different points in the sky.
20
It
was clear that they were circling Jupiter,
not Earth.
21
What Galileo saw helped prove
Copernicus’s theory.
G
22
Astronomy has come a long way
since 1610.
23
We now know that Jupiter has
at least 16 moons.
24
We know that our own
solar system has nine planets.
25
We know
that seven of those planets have moons.
26
We know that the universe contains other
solar systems like ours.
27
We have telescopes
searching the night sky for signs of life.
28
Thousands of people now do what one man
started on a hill in Italy almost 400 years ago.
Directions: Choose or write the best answer to each of the following questions using
the evidence presented in the passage. When required, list specific sentence numbers or
paragraph letters from the story to support your answer.
© 2005 The Critical Thinking Co.™ • www.CriticalThinking.com • 800-458-4849 79
Reading Detective
®
B1 Nonction
1. Which of these best explains why
people before Galileo hadn’t seen
moons around Jupiter?
A. They hadn’t looked in the right
place.
B. They hadn’t turned the telescope
toward the night sky.
c. They thought Jupiter didn’t have
moons.
D. They thought Earth was the
center of the universe.
Give the number of the sentence that
best supports your answer. ____
2. Which of these words best describes the
process that Galileo introduced to
scientific theory?
A. visualization
B. determination
c. argumentation
D. experimentation
Give the number of the sentence that
best supports your answer. ____
3. The author’s purpose in writing this
passage was probably
A. to discuss modern astronomy.
B. to show how to use a telescope.
c. to prove Galileo’s theories about
the universe.
D. to show Galileo’s contributions
to science.
4. Scientists before Galileo proved
theories by making arguments. This
kind of proof can best be described as
A. theoretical.
B. historical.
c. natural.
D. technical.
5. Compare the two scientific theories
described in paragraph F.
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
6. Explain one way that Galileo changed
the way people thought about the Moon.
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Give the letter of the paragraph that
best supports your answer. ____
7. Which of these statements about the
passage is an opinion?
A. The moon is filled with craters.
B. Galileo put the telescope to
good use.
c. Galileo discovered four moons
of Jupiter.
D. People didn’t believe
Copernicus’s theory at first.
Name:
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Graduated Cylinders
Read each graduated cylinder and write the amount. Be sure to include mL in your answer.
10
20
30
mL
a.
14 mL
10
20
30
40
50
mL
b.
25
50
75
100
mL
c.
100
200
300
400
500
mL
d.
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mL
e.
20
40
60
80
100
mL
f.
5
10
15
20
25
mL
g.
100
200
300
mL
h.
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Graduated Cylinders
Read each graduated cylinder and write the amount. Be sure to include mL in your answer.
10
20
30
mL
a.
14 mL
10
20
30
40
50
mL
b.
25
50
75
100
mL
c.
100
200
300
400
500
mL
d.
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
mL
e.
20
40
60
80
100
mL
f.
5
10
15
20
25
mL
g.
100
200
300
mL
h.
42 mL 90 mL
43 mL
36 mL 18 mL
250 mL
100 mL
ANSWER KEY
Name: ______________________________
MAGICIAN OF THE SEA1
by Kelly Hashway
What do three hearts, eight arms, and one huge
brain add up to? An octopus, a creature that can do
amazing things.
Octopuses are extremely intelligent. They can learn
new things just like humans. They’ve even learned a few
tricks to get them out of sticky situations. If an octopus is
threatened by a predator, such as a shark or bird, it can
use some pretty incredible skills to get away. Octopuses don’t have teeth or sharp claws to
defend themselves. Instead, they use more clever ways to fool their attackers. Octopuses like
to hide themselves in the sand on the bottom of the ocean floor. How you ask? Well, the
octopus is like a chameleon because it can change the color of its skin to match the sand.
And this color change, or camouflage, happens in less than a minute.
Some octopuses like to stay in more shallow water where there are rocks and coral.
Because octopuses are invertebrates, meaning they don’t have backbones, they can squeeze
themselves into small spaces between the rocks to get out of reach of their predators. Another
way an octopus can hide is by shooting ink. An octopus uses a part of its body called a siphon
to shoot ink into the water. The ink forms a cloud that hides the octopus. By the time the ink
clears and the predator can see again, the octopus has swum away or hidden. It’s very much
like a magician doing a vanishing act.
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If you think that’s a neat trick, then you’ll love what else these creatures have up their
sleeves. If an octopus is being attacked, it can actually make itself look like a venomous sea
snake. It will bury itself in the sand, keeping two arms visible. It will change the color of those
arms to match a sea snake. But what if there’s no time to hide? If an octopus is in trouble, it can
break off one of its arms. The arm will then change colors and squirm around in the water to
distract the predator while the octopus swims away to safety. Don’t worry though. The
octopus’s arm will grow back.
There is one kind of octopus that has venom to use in defense. The blue-ringed octopus is
tiny; it could fit in the palm of your hand. Predators might think this size makes the octopus a
great snack, but they know to stay away. The blue-ringed octopus is very poisonous and can
kill predators much larger than itself, including
humans.
So the next time you see an octopus in the
aquarium or while you’re snorkeling, remember that
inside that oversized head is a very large brain,
making them a clever addition to the sea.
About the Author
Kelly Hashway's latest book, May the Best Dog Win, is now available!
Dash has the perfect life until the Super Sweeper 5000 shows up. Sweeper
runs all over the house sucking up the leftover food scraps, and he even gets
his own room! But Dash won't give up his place as the favorite dog without a
fight.
Hashway, Kelly. May the Best Dog Win. ISBN: 9780984589081
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.com
Name: ______________________________
Magician of the Sea
by Kelly Hashway
1. Complete the graphic organizer.
2. How are an octopus and a chameleon alike?
a. They both like to hide on the ocean floor.
b. They can both change the color of their skin.
c. They are both invertebrates.
d. They both use their arms to kill predators.
3. Explain how shooting ink helps an octopus to escape from predators.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What happens to an octopus if it loses one of its eight arms?
a. It will grow a new one. b. It will die.
c. It is no longer poisonous. d. It can swim faster.
5. What is the author's purpose for writing this article.
a. to explain how octopuses eat, live, and play
b. to show how dangerous octopuses are
c. to describe the physical characteristics of octopuses
d. to explain how octopuses protect themselves
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Name: ______________________________
Magician of the Sea
Vocabulary Activity
The scrambled words below are vocabulary words from the article.
Unscramble each word and write it on the line. Please be sure
each word is spelled correctly.
1. ____________________________ t i i e e g t l l n n
hint: smart; brainy
2. ____________________________ m u a f c l o e g a
hint: ability to blend in
3. ____________________________ r i b n e v e t a e r t
hint: animal without a backbone
4. ____________________________ b e i s v i l
hint: in sight; able to be seen
5. ____________________________ t e s o r d p a r
hint: animals that hunt other animals
6. ____________________________ r o k s e n g n i l
hint: diving under water with a breathing tube
7. ____________________________ n i m a c g i a
hint: person who performs tricks
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