A Document-based Case Study in

Making Arguments from Evidence

Sarah Curry, Newton Schools

Tiffany Roby, Des Moines CSD

Summer 2014

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this document-based case study is to provide you with a fictional, but realistic scenario that requires you to use your critical thinking skills to evaluate and analyze documents to inform a decision.

You will be given several documents about the below scenario. Please read through the documents carefully while using problem solving skills that are necessary for science. Please read the below scenario. As you review the sources, you will be considering the credibility of each source and the validity of the data provided.

SCENARIO

Johnny sits down at his computer to begin studying for his last three finals--AP chemistry, AP Government, and AP Literature. It has been an exhausting past two days because he has been studying for an extended period of time, skipping meals, and staying up late in order to prepare his Economics and Theater finals he had on Monday and Tuesday.

He sits down at his computer and decides to surf the web while he drinks his fifth energy drink of the day. He thinks to himself he is so happy his mom bought him a 12 pack. But then, the following article catches his attention.

Teen Dies after Drinking Energy Drinks

A 16-year-old died after drinking energy drinks

Carly Zinc was drinking Metallic Energy Drink (her drink of choice) on the evening she died. Her friends and family believe the energy drink combined with dehydration was the cause of her death. “Carly loved Metallic Energy. She always had it in her hand, and she believed it improved her ability to focus on her studies”, says her friend Brenda Hydrogen, 15. Medical research has yet to confirm that energy drinks pose a risk beyond that of other caffeine-containing beverages.

After reading the article online, Johnny decides he doesn’t need to drink an additional energy drink for the evening. Johnny begins to question his habit of drinking energy drinks. He typically has at least three energy drinks throughout the day. This habit has been occurring for the past two years. Johnny continues to research more about energy drinks to make a decision if he needs to change his habit of drinking at least three energy drinks on a daily basis. For days that he is stressed and under a time restriction, Johnny has been known to drink 4-7 energy drinks a day.

Johnny has researched several documents provided in this case study. He asks you, his best friend, to read through these articles and help him with his decision making. Johnny asks you if you think he should stop drinking the energy drinks, or if he can continue his daily habit of drinking the energy drinks. He values your opinion and gives the documents to you to review.

QUESTION-PRODUCT Your task is to review the information in the attached documents, evaluate it, and propose one of the following options:

1. Johnny should continue his habit of drinking multiple energy drinks a day.

2. Johnny should reduce his energy drink consumption to two energy drinks a week.

3. Johnny should eliminate energy drinks from his diet completely.

You will use a decision matrix to help you pick an option to propose to Johnny. You will provide your reasoning and describe the evidence that supports your thinking from each document. The whole class will have a classroom “debate” over which proposal should be communicated to Johnny. Your personal opinions are important, but this decision must be based on the evidence you find in the documents you have been provided. In other words, be sure to make references to the evidence in those documents and explain how it helped you reach your conclusion. Don't rely on your personal opinions for this task. Please refer to the decision matrix; it will help you clearly communicate which documents support your decision for Johnny and which documents do not.

Document A

Energy Drinks and Negative Heart Health

The Research:

Consuming one to three energy drinks daily may affect your heart rhythm and increase your blood pressure. (severe cases may lead to irregular heart beat and/or death)

A study confirmed individuals between the ages of 18-45 who consumed energy drinks had a 4% change in their heart rhythm and their blood pressure jumped 3.5%

People with existing heart problems and history of heart health issues should avoid drinking energy drinks

Document B

Energy Drinks are Good for Heart Health

Produced by Metallic Energy

The Study * Dr. Matteo Cameli of the University of Siena presented research at the European

Society of Cardiology Congress suggesting that energy drinks are actually good

for the heart, as they improve heart performance.

The Research * In a research study, 35 males (all age 25) participated in a research

study where they all consumed an energy drink containing both

Caffeine as well as Taurine (an ingredient commonly found in

energy drinks). The results of the test include info linked to blood

pressure, heart rate, and left & right ventricle functions are shown

below.

Document C

Office of the Medical Examiner

Metropolitan Government of Silver

Case # 47

Decedent: Carly Zinc

Age: 16

Weight: 165 lbs

Height: 64 Inches

Race: Hispanic

Sex: Female

Date and Time of Autopsy: January 09, 2013 11:00 am

Performed By: Dr. King

Laboratory Results:

Toxicology:

1. Blood:

No evidence of alcohol.

Evidence of heart arrhythmia medicine, equivalent to 40 mg/day.

Blood glucose level 280 mg/dL (normal range 70-125 mg/dL)

Concentration of caffeine in blood equal to 600 mg

Possible Causes of Death:

Cardiac Arrest

Jane King

_____________________

Jane King, MD

County Medical Examiner

Document D

Amount of Caffeine and Sugar in Commercial Products

Drink Size Caffeine Sugar Starbucks Brewed Coffee 16 oz.

(474 mL)

330 mg 0 g

Starbucks Brewed Coffee, Decaffeinated

16 oz. (474 mL)

25 mg O g

Espresso 1 oz. (30 mL)

77 mg 0 g

Regular Mountain Dew 12 oz. (355 mL)

54 mg 46 g

Carbon Boost Energy Drink

2 oz. (60 mL)

200 mg 0 g

Metallic Energy, regular

16 oz. (474 mL)

142 mg 58 g

Excedrin Extra Strength

1 tablet

65 mg 0 g

Chocolate chips, semisweet

1 cup (168 g)

104 mg 36 g

Dark Chocolate-Coated Coffee Bean 28 pieces

336 mg 0 g

Document E

Are Energy Drinks Harmful?

Please watch the following YouTube video on the Hidden Dangers of Caffeinated Energy Drinks. Click on this link: http://youtu.be/iIJ0ovk5Zc0

Document F

How Spiders Spin their Webs when Exposed to Various Drugs

Web created while exposed to a sleeping pill

Web created while exposed to LSD

Web created while exposed to marijuana

Web created while exposed to caffeine

Document G

Side Effects of Caffeine and Sugar

Insomnia and increase anxiety

May increase appetite, which leads to increased BMI

Increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, insulin resistant disorders.

Causes dopamine release which leads to addiction

Damages teeth

Causes rapid heart beat

Document H

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Self-Reported Symptoms Based on Concentration of Caffeine

% of patients reported whenconsumed 100 - 300 mg ofcaffeine

% of patients reported whenconsumed 400 - 600 mg ofcaffeine

Self-Repoted Symptoms

In the month of August of 2013, Harris Hospital sent an online survey to all patients who were admitted to the Emergency room in the past six months. The

survey linked moderate consumption of caffeine (100 -300 mg/ day) and high concentration of

caffeine (400-600 mg/day) to the self-reported symptoms. 136 people were surveyed (70 males and

66 females), ranging from 18 - 45 years of age.

Decision Matrix

Option 1- Johnny should continue his habit of

drinking multiple energy drinks a day.

Option 2- Johnny should reduce his energy drink

consumption to two energy drinks a week.

Option 3- Johnny should eliminate energy drinks from his

diet completely.

Supporting Documents

Non-Supporting Documents

Document Analysis Tool (use with all documents)

Description of the document: When was it written: Why was it written: Who was it written by: Who was it written for: What aspects of the document SUPPORT the claim… What aspects of the document do NOT SUPPORT the claim… Major points from the document that relate to the problem:

Teaching Notes

Are High Caffeinated Beverages Dangerous? Sarah Curry (currys@newton.k12.ia.us) Tiffany Roby ( robytiff@gmail.com )

Intended Audience Check all that apply… x 9th grade x general audience x 10th grade ☐ advanced audience x 11th grade x 12th grade

Check all that apply… x general science x biology ☐ earth science x chemistry ☐ physics/phys sci ☐ biotechnology ☐ environmental science ☐ ___________

Time Required - Be careful to describe in minutes – stay away from the words, “periods or blocks”.

10 minutes to clarify the introduction, scenario, and product 45 minutes to analyze the documents 60 minutes to write their proposal

Introduction/Background Where in the semester is this case best suited, and what type of background do the students have when they encounter the case?

This is intended for the beginning of the school year. This case study will help students look make a claim, analyze the data, and conclude their results. This case study will help students with the necessary components to write a scientific lab report/ proposal.

Objectives of the Case List exactly what the students should know and be able to do after they have finished the case that they didn’t know and couldn’t do before they went through the case.

Students will be able to… Analyze the validity and creditability of a document Link the evidence from the documents to a question/ proposal Make conclusions from the documents to justify their proposal Present information in the form of oral or written communication to

clearly defend their opinion.

Major Issues – Identify the major issues in the case that the students should analyze. Indicate which issues you think will (should) come up and what information you expect students to extract from each document.

Some of the documents in the case study purposely have unclear analysis.

For example, the article that states energy drinks are good for the heart by increasing blood pressure is only positive for someone that has low blood pressure.

The articles are made for students to question the source and validity of the evidence

Classroom Management Tells the reader just how the case should be used in a classroom situation. The explanation must be presented in detail. What to do first, second, and last? How long do certain activities take? Indicate any pre-class assignments and follow-up assignments that

There are no pre-activities necessary for this case study. The case study is intended to teach students how to accurately make claims, communicate the evidence, and justify the reasoning. 1) Have the students read the introduction, scenario and product. Make sure the students clearly understand the process of doing this case study. 2) Watch the YouTube vide presented in the documents together as a whole class. 3) Pair students in partners to read and analyze the documents that are provided. 4) Once the students have analyzed the results, students will individually choose their form of communication to “Johnny” and start writing their proposal for Johnny.

Teaching Notes

might be used after a discussion of the case is finished. Include study questions and questions you will be asking in the classroom throughout the case. Include what you write on the board to direct and guide students throughout the case. Provide closure for students – how do you wrap up this activity up?

The follow up to this activity would be to discuss the necessary components of a lab report. The students should understand the importance of stating a claim, using evidence to support the claim, and justifying the reasoning of the claim.

References & Resources Include a list of references to follow up particular lines of thought or included in your documents. May also include online resources & associated URLs.

Refer to reference list

Assessment of product – Identify the product that students will produce as a result of this DBCS. Do you evaluate class discussions? Do you have students complete peer evaluations? What are students expected to complete? Do you have a rubric to evaluate the final product? Include as many tools for this element as possible.

While completing the DBCS and preparing for the class discussion, students will complete two key documents: the reading prompts for each document and the decision matrix. The purpose of these two documents is to 1) help scaffold students’ understanding and critical evaluation of each document and 2) to provide the teacher with formative assessments of students’ understanding in order to clarify students’ misconceptions.

Teaching Notes

Assessment Answer Key (for each document) Relevant Information

Presented and Critical Thinking Skill Addressed

Questions to ask students to promote Critical Thinking

Document A

Identify the study is from

the American Heart

Association

Consuming 1-3 Energy

Drinks Daily shows a

positive correlation of

irregular heart rhythm and

higher blood pressure

What was motive for the American

Heart Association to publish these

results? (Intended to show

harmful effects of energy drinks on

the Human heart)

Are the individuals studied

comparable to Johnny? (Yes, the

age range is 18 -45 and they drink

energy drinks daily)

Document B

On the surface, students

should understand the

purpose of document is

state a positive heart health

due to energy drinks.

Looking deeper, it states

energy drinks raise blood

pressure, which is only

good if the person has look

blood pressure. Also,

energy drinks enhance

heart contractions. The

document is saying this is a

positive statement with

heart health, however, it

can cause negative effects

with rapid heart rate

Is the study valid? (No, all males

and no females, everyone is the age

of 25)

Could there be alternative motives

for Metallic Energy producing their

own research? (Yes, they would

like to provide a positive spin on

their research)

Is the chart clear? (No, it does not

include a title, or provide clear

data to the claim)

Teaching Notes

Relevant Information

Presented and Critical Thinking Skill Addressed

Questions to ask students to promote Critical Thinking

Document C

Students should notice that

Carly’s cause of death was

cardiac arrest which is

associated with the over

consumption of caffeine;

however, Carly had a pre-

existing heart condition

that could have also led to

her cause of death.

Students should recognize

that Johnny doesn’t have

any known heart

conditions, based on the

information provided.

How generalizable is Carly’s

death?

What needs to be true of Johnny

for the death to be generalizable to

him?

To what extent to we know if these

conditions are true for Johnny?

o Does Johnny have a known

heart condition?

o How does the amount of

caffeine that Johnny

consumes on average

compare to that found in

Carly’s bloodstream?

Document D

Students should notice that

there are other products on

the market that provide the

same amount of caffeine, if

not more than the Metallic

Energy Drink, and those

products are more socially

acceptable than the energy

drinks.

Also, there are alternative

products with caffeine

Johnny could assume to

increase his mood and

alertness.

What other products could Johnny

consume that would provide him

with the same effect of increasing

his mood and alertness?

o Refer to Documents A and H

Document E

Energy drinks are not

regulated by the FDA

Contains more sugar than

multiple cans of Cola and

cheesecake

Includes dangers of energy

drinks mixed with alcohol

Labels may be missing

important

consumption information

Discusses the side effects of

both sugar and caffeine

What is the importance of a doctor

discussing the hidden dangers?

(She has studied the effects to

great extent and has a tremendous

knowledge about the dangers of

energy drinks

Would this YouTube video relate

to a high school student? (Varied

responses)

Teaching Notes

Relevant Information

Presented and Critical Thinking Skill Addressed

Questions to ask students to promote Critical Thinking

Document F

Students should notice the

caffeine web is drastically

different than a drug free

spider web. The LSD web

appears to be made better

than the caffeine web

Students should

understand spiders are

animals but humans will

probably not have the same

effect.

Would a human have the

same effect as a spider?

Spiders and humans both

have a central nervous

system.

Spiders and humans differ

greatly in their make-up

Do humans spin webs?

How could this picture relate

to humans?

What can we reject from this

picture?

Document G

Students can see the

side effects of caffeine

and sugar

What items does this

document not provide that

may be important for the

proposal for Johnny?

(It does not include the

concentration of the sugar or

caffeine. It also doesn’t include

the side effects for the mixture

of both caffeine and sugar)

Document H

Students should

identify there are

positive side effects

from drinking caffeine

in moderation.

Students should

identify there are

negative side effects

from drinking caffeine

in excess

Why is important that this

data was collected from a

hospital? (There is no

alternative motive)

Why is it important that the

data is self-reported? (It

shows validity in the

responses)

What is the importance of the

patients being admitted to the

ER? (These patients had at

least one serious health

concern in the past six

months)

Teaching Notes

References: Document A: "New Study: Do Energy Drinks Affect Your Heart Health?" Men's Fitness. American Media, 2014. Web. 15 July 2014. Available online at: http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-drink/energy-drinks-heart-health Document B: "Study Suggests Energy Drinks Are Good for the Heart." The Mary Sue Study Suggests Energy Drinks Are Good for the Heart Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2014. Available online at: http://www.themarysue.com/study-energy-drinks-good-for-heart/ Document D: Adapted from "Nutrition and Healthy Eating." Caffeine Content for Coffee, Tea, Soda and More. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, n.d. Web. 15 July 2014. Available online at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20049372?pg=2 "Caffeine Informer." Caffeine Informer. Exis, 2014. Web. 15 July 2014. Available onlilne at: http://www.caffeineinformer.com Document E: "Hidden Dangers of Caffeinated Energy Drinks." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2014. Available online at: http://youtu.be/iIJ0ovk5Zc0 Document F: "Spiders On Drugs." Spiders On Drugs. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2014. Available online at: http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm Document G: "10 Disturbing Reasons Why Sugar Is Bad For You." Authority Nutrition. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2014. Available online at: http://authoritynutrition.com/10-disturbing-reasons-why-sugar-is-bad/ Document H: "Pros and Cons of Caffeine Consumption - Biology, Drugs, Health, Nutrition." ScienceUnraveledcom. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2014. Available online at: http://scienceunraveled.com/2013/02/06/pros-and-cons-of-caffeine-consumption/