Guided Reading for Chapter 7 – The Nature of Science
Bio/Geol405
"Scientific knowledge aims at determining cause and effect, and all that occurs in between.”
PREPARATION: Follow this guided reading approach to reading Chapter 7 in your textbook and the two articles Scientific Knowledge Of The Past Is Possible, and Revising Teaching to Reflect the Nature of Science.
Note : This is perhaps the single most important reading we will cover in this class and has more potential to make you a master science teacher one day than any other thing we will cover in this class.
I. !Take the Myths of Science Quiz in your book on page 101 (use the copy you can download from here) before reading the textbook chapter. Type your answers on your downloaded copy. Print it out and keep it beside you as you read the chapter. If, as you read, you decide to change your original answer place a checkmark in front of the question number.
II. Address the following Questions in each of these different views of Science.
Science as a way of knowing
!Choose to write an essay on one of the following questions to turn in but come prepared to discuss BOTH questions in class. Your essay should be typed and at least one full page single-spaced. Bring a hardcopy to turn in at the beginning of class.
i. Based on what you learned from reading the section of your textbook titled “What is Science”, explain how science differs from non-science. As an exercise and to help us have a more useful discussion please think about how creationism (the belief that God created the earth no more than 6000 years ago and that all species were created separately and perfectly by a Devine being) is an example of a process that does not fit in the realm of scientific ways of knowing. Be prepared to use information and examples from the chapter that differentiate science from non-science.
ii. Explain what is meant by “At the heart of science is the requirement of evidence”. How does this requirement set science apart?
For the remainder of the Views of Science, Ponder the following questions as you read and come prepared to share and apply what you have learned in lab. It would be VERY wise to jot down ideas as you read this chapter (perhaps even outline the chapter) before you come to class. I will NOT be collecting this, however, you will need it to complete your ponder and prove exercise below. If you do not come properly prepared to class you will be wasting valuable class group-work time and will have to find extra time to meet with your partner outside of class.
Science as a Way of Thinking
i. How are beliefs, curiosity, objectivity, skepticism, and imagination important to science?
ii. How are cause and effect relationships established? Why is this difficult?
iii. Explain the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning in your own words either by describing it or by giving an original example.
Science as a way of investigating
“There is no common structure to the events, procedures, and results that constitute science.”
After reading Pages 109-112 in your text AND the article titled, Scientific Knowledge Of The Past Is Possible, and Revising Teaching to Reflect the Nature of Science.
Explain what you think is meant by the above quote. Give specific examples from both the text and the articles to demonstrate your understanding of the differences in the ways of investigating science.
Science as a Body of Knowledge
Explain in your own words the difference between concepts, facts, laws or principles, and theories.
Science and its interactions with technology and society
The National Science Standards stress the importance of teaching the relationship between science and technology. We will cover this topic when we get to chapter 12 later in the semester. There are no questions you need to respond to on this topic at this time. However it should be included in your concept may – see below.
TEACH ONE ANOTHER: We will be teaching one another about our understanding of the nature ofscience as we come together in class.
PONDER AND PROVE: After class introduction and brief discussion period - construct a concept map ( to be assigned in class) that accurately reflects the nature of science as you learned in both ancillary articles and in chapter 7. Use the guided reading questions to guide you in what to include but do not restrict yourself to only these questions or what we actually discussed in class. In our next lab class you and your partner will present and explain your map to the class and will present a plan for incorporating NOS into your science classroom. See complete instructions here.. You may find this document helpful - Concept maps.