UPC Science: The Real Prize Inside Documents

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UPC Science: The Real Prize Inside Documents

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UPC Science: The Real Prize Inside

written by Rebecca E. Vieyra
content provider: Robert J. Beichner, Mary Bridget Kustusch, and Jon D. H. Gaffney

This lesson promotes understanding of scientific inquiry as students analyze patterns in UPC barcodes to decipher the meaning of numerical relationships in the codes. It integrates physics and information technology as learners use observational techniques to figure out the "language" of barcodes through close analysis of barcode symbols found on common household products. The culminating task is to determine which classmates' hypotheses can be disproved (science accepts or rejects ideas based on evidence; it does not "prove" ideas.) The lesson was inspired by an article in The Physics Teacher magazine: "The Real Prize Inside: Learning about Science and Spectra from Cereal Boxes" by M. Kustusch, J. Gaffney, and R. Beichner. See Related Materials for a link to read the article at no cost.