Breast Cancer- Cover Sheet

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Author - Rachelle Spell - Summer 1997

Case Purpose This case uses breast cancer as a means of relating the ideas of science to something close to the students. Studetns will all problably know of someone in their family or circle of friends who has been stricken by breast cancer. Following studies of the epidemiology of breast cancer should require little content expertise. Reporting on breast cancer demonstrates the evolving nature of scientific information and may help students gain an understanding of the nature of science itself.

Relation to Texts The case should be useful in exploring the ideas of consensibility and consensuality (Ziman, 1.4); for demonstrating the methods of science (Ziman chapters 2,3,6) and for introducing some of the means by which scientific information is disseminated. The case may be used as an introduction to the beginning of the course, as a means of discussing specific ideas in the Ziman sections referenced above, or as an example to relate back to the discussion of those chapters.

Description of Case Materials The case would consist of three parts:

  1. A list of conflicting newspaper article exceprts about different aspects of breast cancer with questions for class discussion and homework assignments.
  2. A collection of breast cancer information from the American Cancer Society and an original journal article on breast cancer for discussion of methodology. {American Cancer Society: 1996 Breast Cancer Facts & Figures}
  3. Newspaper articles written by the students (about 500 words) that report on the information in the ACS handout and journal article.

Reference List Added by John Shepherd (12/97)