Pseudoscience Task
Walt: Find and link information across a range of texts
Task
Work on this Doc together with a partner.
What was the author’s main message in pseudoscience
| Pseudoscience is something that sounds scientific but isn’t based on solid evidence. Pseudoscience can often be found in advertising. Advertisements that contain facts or figures are powerful because people usually believe information that’s based on facts. But if you look a bit closer, you might find that you have been given only part of the story. |
What are some of the differences between scientists and advertisers?
| Scientists | Advertisers |
| Has solid Evidence | Doesn’t have solid evidence |
| Gathers data | Shows facts |
Write 3 sentences explaining something new you’ve learned from this reading.
| Something new I learnt about this reading is that extra carrots don’t actually make you see better in the dark. The British soldiers didn’t want the Germans to know about their new radar so they tricked the Germans, by writing an article about the British Soldiers being given extra carrots so that they can see their enemies planes and night better. The Germans fell for the trick and the Germans actually ate extra carrots to make they night vision better. |
True or False
| Statement | True/False | Page Number | Evidence |
| A pseudonym is a false name | True | 3 | For example, a “pseudonym” is a false name that people use instead of their real name. |
| Blackcurrants have vitamin D | False | 3 | In the story all it talks about Blackcurrants is that they have only vitamin C and it doesn’t talk about vitamin D. |
| Flavanols help people remember things | True & False | 4 | Flavanols do seem to help older people who have difficulty remembering things. But the process of turning cocoa beans into chocolate destroys the flavanols, so there is no evidence that chocolate helps with memory at all. |
| Scientists critique each other | True | 5 | Scientists write so their work and ideas can be critiqued by other scientists. |
| Carrots have vitamin A | True | 6 | Carrots have vitamin A in them, and vitamin A is important for healthy eyes. |
| Carrots help us see in the dark | False | 6 | But eating extra carrots won’t improve your night vision. |