This document provides instructions for a Year 10 science research project on genetics and evolution. Students are to complete a digital portfolio on the topic of gene technology. The portfolio will include sections on defining the research task, locating relevant information from multiple sources, evaluating sources, organizing findings, and presenting information while referencing sources properly. A self-evaluation is also required to reflect on the research process. The portfolio is to be submitted through the school's Edmodo account by the due date of March 18, 2012.

1. DIGITAL PORTFOLIO
YEAR 10 SCIENCE
RESEARCH PROJECT
TOPIC: Genetics and Evolution
Due Date:________________________
Name:____________________________
Teacher:__________________________
Class:_____________________________

2. This Digital portfolio (or e-Portfolio) is to be handed in using your class Edmodo
account on/or before the Due Date: Monday 18th March 2012
You will be marked on the completion of all parts of this portfolio and your use of at
least two different web tools. It can contain links to websites, videos and other media.
The marking grid for this portfolio is at the back and you can see the value of each
section.
You are guided through this research project by completing each section of work.
You can add extra pages to your portfolio as needed.
Research Task
Use the skills outlined in the digital portfolio to find out about gene technology.
Your assignment should include
A brief description of gene technology
How gene technology works
How is gene technology used today
What are the arguments for and against gene technology
Using the arguments for and against gene technology, state your judgement
(opinion) about whether gene technology should continue.

3. Step1: Define your Task
The first step of any research project is to DEFINEwhat you need to Find Out!What
areas have you been given to make your choice from or do you have free reign to
go where you choose? Use this mind map to define what you need.
What do I really want to find out?
What
TOPIC:
What are the key words and ideas of
Why do I need to find this the task?
out?
What do I need to do? What is my purpose?

4. Step 2: Locate your Information
Now that you know what you need the next step is to find the information to write
your report. Where can you LOCATE the INFORMATIONyou need?
Ask yourself: What do I already know?
What do I still need to know?
What sources can I use to find the information I need?
Information is available from a variety of sources:
Library books, electronic databases, online magazines, the internet, magazines,
journals, documentaries ….the list is endless.
You need to DECIDE
Remember you can access the Library resources through your STUDENT PORTAL
„My Websites‟ then click onto „My Library‟. You can search to see what print, DVD
and websites, we have in our school catalogue.
After this (and sometimes the first place students go) is the internet.
Step 1 for Searching the Internet:
What Key Words do you have to search with (look to your definition page)
Use a dictionary to Define Key Words at http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
Search Engines find sites by how many matching key words each site has!
Do you want to use a Boolean Search? By doing this you can add words like
„and‟, „or‟ to your Key Words.
What search terms are you going to use? Write them below:
EXAMPLE: “genes and traits”
1)
2)
3)
4)

5. Now we have our Key Words what Search Engines are you going to use?
There are 2 main types of Search Engines.
GENERAL SEARCH ENGINES:
www.google.com.au
www.yahoo.com.au
www.altavista.com.au
www.bing.com.au
META SEARCH ENGINES:
Meta search engines look across a range of search engines and put together a list
of sites from various engines. Many cater for Niche markets such as science. The
ones below are a few to try, but you could „google‟ meta search engines for
science.
www.search.com
Search.com is a meta search engine operated by CNET. It offers both web-wide
search and a wide variety of specialty search options.
www.dogpile.com
Popular metasearch site that sends a search to a customizable list of search
engines, directories and specialty search sites, then displays results from each
search engine individually. Owned by InfoSpace, which also owns MetaCrawler.
REMEMBER our school also subscribes to the Online Encyclopaedia
www.worldbookonline.com
Username: Marsdenhs
Password: Library

6. You have now selected your KEY WORDS and your SEARCH ENGINES!
You must now store your search links below with a small annotation so you know
what you found there:
EXAMPLE:
Link:http://www.genetics.org/
Annotation: This site has a lot of general knowledge and information on genetics.
It is an online magazine and has the latest topics that deal with genetics.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
1) Link:
Annotation:
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)

7. Step 3: Selecting the Information to Use
Now that you‟ve found the information that you need you have to ask yourself
WHAT DO I REALLY NEED TO USE?
Make notes below on what do I need to answer my questions for my report?
EXAMPLE: What do I need to know?
What Impact does this have on ….?
What steps can be taken to control……?
Now you have the idea ask yourself your questions can go through the research
you have done in step 2 and see what answers you can find. Make your notes:

8. HOW RELEVANT AND CREDIBLE IS THE INFORMATION I HAVE FOUND?
Now you need to evaluate the source of your information. This is IMPORTANT
ESPECIALLY WHEN USING WEBSITES.
Print books and journals may be out of date and this is easy to check by looking
at the publish date on the information page at the beginning of the book/journal.
Websites need to be evaluated.
Anyone can publish on the web and this is not checked like a published
book/journal. Websites can carry a lot of misinformation or bias and they must be
checked. If you evaluate a website you can see who created it and when it was
last updated.
Use this simple Website Evaluation form below to Evaluate websites that you would like
your information to come from.Do an evaluation sheet for every website you intend to use in
your report.
Just copy and paste the template for all websites, science journals.
Web Site Evaluation Form
1) Web Site: ________________________________________________
Currency: Is this website created or updated recently? Yes No
Appropriateness: Does the work have the type and amount of Yes No
information I need?
Authority: Is the author of the work knowledgeable on the subject? Yes No
Reliability: Is the information Fact or Opinion? Can it be backed up by Yes No
other sources?
Suitability: Is it easy to find information? (Is there an index and/or table Yes No
of contents that are helpful?
Summary: Based on my evaluation of the website

9. 2) Web Site: ________________________________________________
Currency: Is this website created or updated recently? Yes No
Appropriateness: Does the work have the type and amount of Yes No
information I need
Authority: Is the author of the work knowledgeable on the subject? Yes No
Reliability: Is the information Fact or Opinion? Can it be backed up by Yes No
other sources?
Suitability: Is it easy to find information? (Is there an index and/or table Yes No
of contents that are helpful?
Summary: Based on my evaluation of the website
3) Web Site: ________________________________________________
Currency: Is this website created or updated recently? Yes No
Appropriateness: Does the work have the type and amount of Yes No
information I need?
Authority: Is the author of the work knowledgeable on the subject? Yes No
Reliability: Is the information Fact or Opinion? Can it be backed up by Yes No
other sources?
Suitability: Is it easy to find information? (Is there an index and/or table Yes No
of contents that are helpful?
Summary: Based on my evaluation of the website

10. Step 4: Organising
Now you need to ask yourself How Can I Best Use This Information?
Do I need all the information that I have sourced?
Do I have enough information?
How can I best combine the information I have from different sources?
This is where you start drafting and collating your research!!
YOU‟RE NEARLY THERE!!!!
Sort the information to take notes for the questions in the research task
1 A brief description of genetic engineering (source of this information)
2 How gene technology work (source of this information)
3 How is gene technology used today?(source of this information)
4 Arguments for and arguments against gene technology (source of this
information)
Arguments for Arguments against
5 Your judgement about whether gene technology should continue

11. Step 5: Presenting
It is now time to present your findings.
This is a Digital Portfolio so you can add Podcasts, Images, Vodcasts, Videos,
Web page through links and the possibilities are endless. Remember whatever
you add must be linked to the point you are making!
Copyright
Also you must take into consideration Copyright issues. You can check the law
here athttp://www.smartcopying.edu.au/scw/all-right-to-copy/artc/index.htm
As this is for an academic/education work inside school and not for commercial
use you may be able to use images, video, web pages and pod/vodcasts without
breaching copyright. You must check to see if the site does not allow you to copy
for educational use, as this should be noted on it if this is the case.
Referencing
The last issue you must be aware of is making sure you
reference all your information that you have collected in your report
and
at the end in the Form of a Bibliography.
In the field of Science the MLA (Modern Language Association) style of
referencing is the most common and this is what we will use here.
As you write your report you will reference in text! This is a shorthand version of
what is put in the bibliography at the end. This is so the reader of your report can
go to the bibliography to find out more information on the point you have made.
Referencing
Use this guide to include links to references in your answer. You must reference
„in text‟ your source for a fact. Click this link for an explanation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoO1BPfNnzc For another example Click on
the link below
http://libguides.csusb.edu/content.php?pid=279204&sid=2342437
Bibliography
On this link you can you can follow the guide of how to reference print and online
material http://libguides.csusb.edu/mla in your Bibliography.
ASK YOUR TEACHER FOR HELP and click this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edqVmfha2N4

12. Now you are ready to answer the questions below.
You can use web 2 tools of some of the issues from your research.
You might find the following webpage useful
http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/writing/reports
You can make links to other media (images, web pages…….) by using the insert
HYPERLINK in word (Ctrl + K).
You can add pages to the report.
Make sure that youreference your source
1 A brief description of gene technology
2 How gene technology works.
3 How is gene technology used today

13. 4
Advantages Disadvantages Source
5 Using the arguments for and against gene technology, state your
judgement(opinion) about whether gene technology should continue.

14. BIBLIOGRAHY (write below)

15. Step 6: Evaluation
An important part of this Digital Portfolio is your self-evaluation.
This is where you can let your teacher know what you think of this research
project and if it can be improved in the future or if you would do it differently.
Student Evaluation
Number of weeks you worked on your Digital Portfolio__________________
Task Definition
 Does
 the information in your final
product meet (or exceed) the requirements
of the assignment? Y/N
 Does your final product meet your

teacher’s expectations? Y/N
Information Seeking Strategies
 Did
 the books, web sites, and other
resources you used meet the needs of the
assignment? Y/N
 Did you select the best sources available

to you? How do you know? Y/N
Location & Access
 Did
 you locate the sources you needed?
Y/N
 Did you find the information you needed

in each source? Y/N
Use of Information
 Were
 you able to effectively identify the
information you needed? Y/N
 Were you able to effectively take notes or

gather information? Y/N
Synthesis/Presentation
 Did
 you effectively organize
information? Y/N
 Does your product present the

information clearly? Y/N
Evaluation
 Does
 your product meet (or exceed) the
assignment requirements? Y/N
 Did you use your time well? Y/N


16. CRITERIA SUB CRITERIA 0 1 2 3 4 5 Total
Accesses information from a 3 resources 4 resources Includes 5
range of resources including (includes (includes references
popular scientific journals, 1 resource 2 resources scientific scientific scientific journals,
digital technologies and the journal and journal and internets &
internet internet) internet)
Assess the reliability of Assess the Assess the Assess the Assess the Assess the
Research secondary information by reliability of one reliability of two reliability of reliability of 4 reliability of all
Skills considering information source sources three sources sources sources
from various sources
Selects & uses appropriate 1 referencing Basic Satisfactory Substantial Excellent
methods to acknowledge referencing referencing referencing referencing
sources of information
Answers to questions 1-3 Description of gene How gene technology works How is it used today
technology (2 marks) (3 marks) (5 marks)
0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
Selects one or Selects one web Selects 2 most Selects 2 most Selects 2 most
Use of two web 2 tools 2 tool for appropriate appropriate appropriate web
web 2 for elementary satisfactory web 2 tools web 2 tools for 2 tools for
tools Selects & uses appropriate presentation presentation for good high standard excellent
web 2 tools to present OR presentation presentation presentation
information . Completes the Selects two web
digital portfolio 2 tools for basic
presentation
0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
Critically analyse from the Presents 1 Presents 2 Presents 3 Presents 4 Excellent critical
opinion of others & argument for /or arguments for arguments for arguments for analysis using the
Critical examples of scientific 1 against gene and 2 and 3 and 4 arguments for
Analysis research from past and technology arguments arguments arguments and against gene
present to make judgement against gene against with against gene technology
about the impact of Science technology some analysis technology
on society. OR less with with some
good analysis analysis
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