Contributed by: New York State Alternative Assessment in Science
Project (NYSED)
Student Work #2
Task: At this station, you will be establishing the conditions
under which a new experimental drug will be tested.
Background
The drug ALAMAIN has been developed by the Gentronic
Drug Company to lower blood pressure in people whose blood pressure
is too high. The drug has been thoroughly tested on animals with
positive results. The Gentronic Drug Company feels it is now time
for the drug to be tested on humans, and have contacted the Human
Improvement Laboratory to do the testing.
Directions
As chief research scientist at the Human Improvement Laboratory
(HIL) you have been assigned the task of developing the human testing
program for the new high blood pressure drug Alamain. You and your
assistants are to confer on the experimental design of this testing
program, and to write a report outlining the program. The report
is to be submitted to the chairperson of the HIL Drug-Testing Committee
for approval. Complete the following sections as you would include
them on your report.
- Using complete sentences state the hypothesis to be tested.
- A. How many people will be included in the experimental and
the control groups.
B. Using complete sentences explain your answer.
- Since there are several contributing factors that can affect
high blood pressure, list five factors that will
be constant between the experimental and the control groups.
- Based on the factors list in Question 3, using complete sentences
explain why certain criteria need to be used in choosing the participants
in this study.
- Once the list of participants has been created, using complete
sentences explain how they will be selected to be a member of
either the experimental or the control group.
- Using complete sentences, explain the characteristics of what
must be given to the control group in place of the experimental
drug to act as a placebo , and why the participants should
be given this substance. Note: The drug Alamain is to be
developed as a pill to be taken orally with water.
- Using complete sentences, suggest how often the drug is to be
administered to the experimental group, and the placebo control
group.
- Using complete sentences, explain what measurements and/or tests
will be made on the experimental and control groups to judge the
efficiency of Alamain, and how often measurements and/or tests
will be taken.
- Using complete sentences, explain what criteria will be used
to indicate the success or failure of the drug Alamain to reduce
high blood pressure in humans.
Scoring
Circle the student's score for each question. Add points for each
question and write the total score at the bottom of the scoring
form.
|