Teaching students to think critically

The point of the chapter is to provide an example, which can be modified by teachers of different subject, of how to provide students with an example of critically examining what we know and... See More

The point of the chapter is to provide an example, which can be modified by teachers of different subject, of how to provide students with an example of critically examining what we know and why we know it through the process of interpreting evidence and providing logical arguments for and against a model based on this evidence. While this could be done in an ongoing inquiry activity, this example asks students to look at one of the grounding models in science, the rotation of the Earth vs. the heavens, and suggests additional examples from other science content areas. It does a fairly good job of introducing the process and defining the terminology used.

Great start to thinking about argumentation

Scientific disagreement and argumentation is a skill as well as a "habit of mind" that our students need to learn. This chapter discusses the place of interpretation and argumentation with... See More

Scientific disagreement and argumentation is a skill as well as a "habit of mind" that our students need to learn. This chapter discusses the place of interpretation and argumentation within an example of extended inquiry, discussing the argumentation/reasoning skills necessary.