Other Related Texts for Discovery
TEXT 1: POEM Ulysses, by Alfred Lord Tennyson (The spirit of Discovery...)
BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON
It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd
Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when
Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me--
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Exercises
In your exercise book or notepad complete the following:
1. Match the lines from the poem with a modern interpretation:
MODERN INTERPRETATION LINE FROM POEM LANGUAGE DEVICE USED
2. What do you think inspired Tennyson to think of Ulysses in this way?
3. Which line most strongly captures the spirit of discovery for you?
4. What ideas and language features make the line: "To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield" so powerful?
5. Extended Writing: Using a line, an image, feeling, or situation from the poem as stimulus, write a one and half page creative response in the first person.
TEXT 2 - WEBSITE
http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/0_0_0/whatisscience_02, published by UCLA - Berkeley
Discovery: The spark for science
"Eureka!" or "aha!" moments may not happen frequently, but they are often experiences that drive science and scientists. For a scientist, every day holds the possibility of discovery — of coming up with a brand new idea or of observing something that no one has ever seen before. Vast bodies of knowledge have yet to be built and many of the most basic questions about the universe have yet to be answered:
We don't know the complete answers to these and an overwhelming number of other questions, but the prospect of answering them beckons science forward.
EVERYDAY SCIENCE QUESTIONS
Scientific questions can seem complex (e.g., what chemical reactions allow cells to break the bonds in sugar molecules), but they don't have to be. You've probably posed many perfectly valid scientific questions yourself: how can airplanes fly, why do cakes rise in the oven, why do apples turn brown once they're cut? You can discover the answers to many of these "everyday" science questions in your local library, but for others, science may not have the answers yet, and answering such questions can lead to astonishing new discoveries. For example, we still don't know much about how your brain remembers to buy milk at the grocery store. Just as we're motivated to answer questions about our everyday experiences, scientists confront such questions at all scales, including questions about the very nature of the universe.
To learn about how others have gotten involved in science and how you can develop your own scientific outlook on the world, check out this side trip:
Discoveries, new questions, and new ideas are what keep scientists going and awake at night, but they are only one part of the picture; the rest involves a lot of hard (and sometimes tedious) work. In science, discoveries and ideas must be verified by multiple lines of evidence and then integrated into the rest of science, a process which can take many years. And often, discoveries are not bolts from the blue. A discovery may itself be the result of many years of work on a particular problem, as illustrated by Henrietta Leavitt's stellar discovery …
STELLAR SURPRISES Astronomers
Henrietta Leavitt had long known about the existence of variable stars — stars whose brightness changes over time, slowly shifting between brilliant and dim — when, in 1912, Henrietta Leavitt announced a remarkable (and totally unanticipated) discovery about them. For these stars, the length of time between their brightest and dimmest points seemed to be related to their overall brightness: slower cycling stars are more luminous. At the time, no one knew why that was the case, but nevertheless, the discovery allowed astronomers to infer the distances to far-off stars, and hence, to figure out the size of our own galaxy. Leavitt's observation was a true surprise — a discovery in the classic sense — but one that came only after she'd spent years carefully comparing thousands of photos of these specks of light, looking for patterns in the darkness.
Read more about Henrietta Leavitt's investigation of variable stars.
The process of scientific discovery is not limited to professional scientists working in labs. The everyday experience of deducing that your car won't start because of a bad fuel pump, or of figuring out that the centipedes in your backyard prefer shady rocks shares fundamental similarities with classically scientific discoveries like working out DNA's double helix. These activities all involve making observations and analyzing evidence — and they all provide the satisfaction of finding an answer that makes sense of all the facts. In fact, some psychologists argue that the way individual humans learn (especially as children) bears a lot of similarity to the progress of science: both involve making observations, considering evidence, testing ideas, and holding on to those that work.
Exercises
1. Trace the concept of discovery through the text by highlighting the word, 'discovery.'
2. Draw up a three column table. Copy/paste the quote in the MIDDLE column 'QUOTE', in the left column state the language device/s used 'TECHNIQUE,' and in the column on the right explain its meaning for discovery under the heading MEANING.
3. What is effect of the change in number from the singular to the plural form of discovery?
4. How is time related to discovery in this science article?
5. In what ways is it suggested that scientists are different from everyday people? What does this aura of meaning suggest about the intended purpose and audience of the article?
6. What is being suggested about the scientific process?
7. Use these notes to write a response to the question: How is discovery being used in this extract?
BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON
It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd
Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when
Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me--
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Exercises
In your exercise book or notepad complete the following:
1. Match the lines from the poem with a modern interpretation:
MODERN INTERPRETATION LINE FROM POEM LANGUAGE DEVICE USED
- It is dissatisfying being a king
- Discovery fills you with the desire for more
- Exploring the world brings you into contact with so much
- We are transformed by what we discover
- It is boring to stop exploring
- We want to keep searching for knowledge, no matter how old we are
- You ar enver to old to go searching
- It is human desire too keep searching for something new and not giving in
2. What do you think inspired Tennyson to think of Ulysses in this way?
3. Which line most strongly captures the spirit of discovery for you?
4. What ideas and language features make the line: "To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield" so powerful?
5. Extended Writing: Using a line, an image, feeling, or situation from the poem as stimulus, write a one and half page creative response in the first person.
TEXT 2 - WEBSITE
http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/0_0_0/whatisscience_02, published by UCLA - Berkeley
Discovery: The spark for science
"Eureka!" or "aha!" moments may not happen frequently, but they are often experiences that drive science and scientists. For a scientist, every day holds the possibility of discovery — of coming up with a brand new idea or of observing something that no one has ever seen before. Vast bodies of knowledge have yet to be built and many of the most basic questions about the universe have yet to be answered:
- What causes gravity?
- How do tectonic plates move around on Earth's surface?
- How do our brains store memories?
- How do water molecules interact with each other?
We don't know the complete answers to these and an overwhelming number of other questions, but the prospect of answering them beckons science forward.
EVERYDAY SCIENCE QUESTIONS
Scientific questions can seem complex (e.g., what chemical reactions allow cells to break the bonds in sugar molecules), but they don't have to be. You've probably posed many perfectly valid scientific questions yourself: how can airplanes fly, why do cakes rise in the oven, why do apples turn brown once they're cut? You can discover the answers to many of these "everyday" science questions in your local library, but for others, science may not have the answers yet, and answering such questions can lead to astonishing new discoveries. For example, we still don't know much about how your brain remembers to buy milk at the grocery store. Just as we're motivated to answer questions about our everyday experiences, scientists confront such questions at all scales, including questions about the very nature of the universe.
To learn about how others have gotten involved in science and how you can develop your own scientific outlook on the world, check out this side trip:
Discoveries, new questions, and new ideas are what keep scientists going and awake at night, but they are only one part of the picture; the rest involves a lot of hard (and sometimes tedious) work. In science, discoveries and ideas must be verified by multiple lines of evidence and then integrated into the rest of science, a process which can take many years. And often, discoveries are not bolts from the blue. A discovery may itself be the result of many years of work on a particular problem, as illustrated by Henrietta Leavitt's stellar discovery …
STELLAR SURPRISES Astronomers
Henrietta Leavitt had long known about the existence of variable stars — stars whose brightness changes over time, slowly shifting between brilliant and dim — when, in 1912, Henrietta Leavitt announced a remarkable (and totally unanticipated) discovery about them. For these stars, the length of time between their brightest and dimmest points seemed to be related to their overall brightness: slower cycling stars are more luminous. At the time, no one knew why that was the case, but nevertheless, the discovery allowed astronomers to infer the distances to far-off stars, and hence, to figure out the size of our own galaxy. Leavitt's observation was a true surprise — a discovery in the classic sense — but one that came only after she'd spent years carefully comparing thousands of photos of these specks of light, looking for patterns in the darkness.
Read more about Henrietta Leavitt's investigation of variable stars.
The process of scientific discovery is not limited to professional scientists working in labs. The everyday experience of deducing that your car won't start because of a bad fuel pump, or of figuring out that the centipedes in your backyard prefer shady rocks shares fundamental similarities with classically scientific discoveries like working out DNA's double helix. These activities all involve making observations and analyzing evidence — and they all provide the satisfaction of finding an answer that makes sense of all the facts. In fact, some psychologists argue that the way individual humans learn (especially as children) bears a lot of similarity to the progress of science: both involve making observations, considering evidence, testing ideas, and holding on to those that work.
Exercises
1. Trace the concept of discovery through the text by highlighting the word, 'discovery.'
2. Draw up a three column table. Copy/paste the quote in the MIDDLE column 'QUOTE', in the left column state the language device/s used 'TECHNIQUE,' and in the column on the right explain its meaning for discovery under the heading MEANING.
3. What is effect of the change in number from the singular to the plural form of discovery?
4. How is time related to discovery in this science article?
5. In what ways is it suggested that scientists are different from everyday people? What does this aura of meaning suggest about the intended purpose and audience of the article?
6. What is being suggested about the scientific process?
7. Use these notes to write a response to the question: How is discovery being used in this extract?
Text 3 - Editorial Cartoon, by Alan Moir, SMH, 8/10/2104
Exercises
Analysis of Other Related Text (ORT). In this activity you will be responding to questions that resemble those found in the Common Paper 1 - Area of Study: Discovery. There are some 'rules of the game' to consider using if you want to maximise your marks in Section 1 of Paper 1; the analysis of three or four unseen texts. If you need a refresher on the ROTG, please speak with your teacher, tutor, or 'study buddy.'
1. What is the purpose of this text? 1M
2. Explain one unintended discovery that Moir has represented in the cartoon. Support your idea with specific reference to the text. 2M
3. How has Moir used language and visual features to highlight the consequences of unintended discoveries? 3M
4. What are two effects created by Moir's choice of colour in this image? 2M
5. Compare the form of editorial cartoon and news report of the same aspect of discovery. How does the form of text affect meaning? 3M
6. Would you choose this text as an ORT for use in an extended analytical response for the HSC? Why or why not? 4M
Total Marks - 12
Analysis of Other Related Text (ORT). In this activity you will be responding to questions that resemble those found in the Common Paper 1 - Area of Study: Discovery. There are some 'rules of the game' to consider using if you want to maximise your marks in Section 1 of Paper 1; the analysis of three or four unseen texts. If you need a refresher on the ROTG, please speak with your teacher, tutor, or 'study buddy.'
1. What is the purpose of this text? 1M
2. Explain one unintended discovery that Moir has represented in the cartoon. Support your idea with specific reference to the text. 2M
3. How has Moir used language and visual features to highlight the consequences of unintended discoveries? 3M
4. What are two effects created by Moir's choice of colour in this image? 2M
5. Compare the form of editorial cartoon and news report of the same aspect of discovery. How does the form of text affect meaning? 3M
6. Would you choose this text as an ORT for use in an extended analytical response for the HSC? Why or why not? 4M
Total Marks - 12