Science Seminar - 30 Weeks

(1)	MST1.C.LE.LE.1.1	Students elaborate on basic scientific and personal explanations of natural phenomena, and develop extended visual models and mathematical formulations to represent their thinking.
(1)	MST1.C.LE.LE.1.2	Students hone ideas through reasoning, library research, and discussion with others, including experts.
(1)	MST1.C.LE.LE.1.3	Students work toward reconciling competing explanations; clarifying points of agreement and disagreement.
(1)	MST1.C.LE.LE.2.2	Students refine their research ideas through library investigations, including electronic information retrieval and reviews of the literature, and through peer feedback obtained from review and discussion.
(1)	MST2.C.C.IS.2.2	Students discuss the ethical and social issues raised by the use and abuse of information systems.
(1)	MST2.C.ES.IS.1.1	Students access, select, collate, and analyze information obtained from a wide range of sources such as research data bases, foundations, organizations, national libraries, and electronic communication networks, including the Internet.
(1)	MST2.C.P.IS.1.2	Students prepare multimedia presentations demonstrating a clear sense of audience and purpose. (Note: Multimedia may include posters, slides, images, presentation software, etc.)
(1)	MST4.C.LE.LE.1.1	Students explain how diversity of populations within ecosystems relates to the stability of ecosystems.
(1)	MST4.C.LE.LE.1.2	Students describe and explain the structures and functions of the human body at different organizational levels (e.g., systems, tissues, cells, organelles).
(1)	MST4.C.LE.LE.3.1	Students explain the mechanisms and patterns of evolution.
(1)	MST4.C.LE.LE.5.1	Students explain the basic biochemical processes in living organisms and their importance in maintaining dynamic equilibrium.
(1)	MST4.C.LE.LE.5.2	Students explain disease as a failure of homeostasis.
(1)	MST4.C.LE.LE.6.1	Students explain factors that limit growth of individuals and populations.
(1)	MST4.C.LE.LE.6.2	Students explain the importance of preserving diversity of species and habitats.
(1)	MST7.C.C.CO.1.3	Students design solutions to real-world problems on a community, national, or global scale using a technological design process that integrates scientific investigation and rigorous mathematical analysis of the problem and of the solution.
(1)	MST7.E.SR2	Solving interdisciplinary problems involves a variety of skills and strategies, including effective work habits; gathering and processing information; generating and analyzing ideas; realizing ideas; making connections among the common themes of mathematics, science, and technology; and presenting results.

22. Hate Crimes

Federal Bureau of Investigation

HEALTH

Unit 2 - Mental & Emotional Health

Unit 3 - Violence Education

1. Explain why you do or do not believe hate crimes are a major problem in the U.S.

2. Be able to present statistical analysis of hate crimes for the last 5 years.

23. Animal Behavior, Rights & Animal Abuse

AnimalConcerns.org

Ethics Updates: The Moral Status of Animals

HEALTH

Unit 3 - Violence Education

1. Discuss various physiological components of animal behavior. Do animals have intelligence?

2. Present the studies and findings of famous behaviorists and explain what they found.

3. Does violent crimes dome by humans start from animal abuse?

24. Family Violence

Family Violence Prevention Fund

National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence

HEALTH

Unit 2 - Mental & Emotional Health

Unit 3 - Violence Education

1. What are some causes of family violence?

2. Explain statistics on Family violence as it pertains to number of cases per year in the U.S. and the world, and most common types of violence.

3. State 2 specific cases of family violence. What did they involve? What were the causes? What were the outcomes?

25. Prisons, Rehabilitation & Capital Punishment

Federal Bureau of Prisons

Human Rights Watch: Prisons

Bureau of Justice Statistics: Prison Statistics

Bureau of Justice Statistics: Capital Punishment Statistics

Capital Punishment: Life or Death

Ethics Updates: Punishment and the Death Penalty

HEALTH

Unit 2 - Mental & Emotional Health

Unit 3 - Violence Education

1. How has the prison systems changed from the past to present day?

2. What programs of rehabilitation are established and what are the return rates of those released back into society?

3. What is capital punishment? How has it changed through history and what are the costs involved?