science

Science Sleuths

Science Sleuths is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Science Sleuths rather than just read about it. In short: Science Sleuths was a series of interactive videos that were produced by Videodiscovery, Inc. from 1991 to 1996. The series was first published on LaserDisc with accompanying manuals.

Key takeaways

Science Sleuths belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Science Sleuths to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Science Sleuths from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Science Sleuths was a series of interactive videos that were produced by Videodiscovery, Inc. from 1991 to 1996. The series was first published on LaserDisc with accompanying manuals. Certain titles were later converted to the CD-ROM format. The original Science Sleuths series included 24 episodes for middle school. An elementary school series was added later. Science Sleuths was distributed with the Science Plus curriculum from Holt, Rinehart and Winston. In 2005, Discovery Education purchased Videodiscovery and its Science Sleuths series. Science Sleuths was released in middle school and elementary school versions:

Science Sleuths: 24 interactive mysteries for middle-school that explore scientific problem solving in the context of different science subjects. Live-action video with actors, graphics, animations, photographs. Videodisc, 1992; CD-ROM, 1995. The series received the 1993 New York Film Festival Bronze Award for Interactive Multimedia; the 1993 National Educational Film & Video Festival Bronze Apple for Interactive Multimedia; and the 1995 Technology and Learning Software Award. Science Sleuths Elementary: 24 interactive mysteries for elementary school students. 1994, interactive videodisc, 1995, & CD-ROM, 1996. Science Sleuths Elementary was developed with Scholastic Corporation for their Science Place curriculum.

References Blackwell, Gerry (January 9, 1997). "Teens will be blinded with science". Toronto Star. p. H.3. ISSN 0319-0781. OCLC 137342540. Retrieved February 7, 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) Broward (November 20, 1999). "TEACHERS GET LESSONS IN TECHNOLOGY". The Miami Herald. p. 1B. ISSN 0898-865X. OCLC 2733685. Retrieved February 7, 2013. Barbanel, Josh (November 5, 1995). "SOFTWARE; Serious On-Screen Fun For Children Young and Old". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved February 7, 2013.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Science Sleuths

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Science Sleuths claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Science Sleuths before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Science Sleuths ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Science Sleuths

In research: Science Sleuths appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Science Sleuths in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Science Sleuths is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Crime investigation simulators, LaserDisc releases, Medical video games, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Science Sleuths outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Science Sleuths in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Science Sleuths means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Science Sleuths out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Science Sleuths in simple terms?

Science Sleuths was a series of interactive videos that were produced by Videodiscovery, Inc. from 1991 to 1996. The series was first published on LaserDisc with accompanying manuals.

Why does Science Sleuths matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Science Sleuths?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Science Sleuths.