Assignment Instructions: 

Abstract ideas, such as some of the ones we discuss in this course, can often be clarified through examples. For this optional assignment, you will read a book-­‐length account of “science in action” – real people engaging in the practices of science to generate new scientific knowledge. There are many books that are intended for a public audience and provide a window into the thoughts, emotions, and motivations of scientists. This optional assignment offers an additional challenge to synthesize supplemental reading and course objectives, while delving further into some of the big ideas of biology.

This optional assignment, worth up to 100 points extra credit, is an analytical paper, not a book report. Your writing should clarify the reader’s understanding of what scientists do, how science is done, and how new scientific knowledge is generated.

Analyze two specific examples of science-­‐in-­‐action from the book you chose in response to the guiding questions below and make explicit connections to what you have learned and experienced in BSC1005L. Choose examples to demonstrate that you read the book completely; these should be the BEST examples of science-­‐in-­‐action from the book and your analysis should provide evidence that these are appropriate examples.