It's Critical We Teach Good Science
There are several topics in science that have become politicized, and some commentary lacks quality scientific grounding. Topics have been billed as "controversial," though they are not controversies in the science community. Instead, they're better referred to as "challenged" topics, as they're challenged by the lay public for various reasons. As noted in our vision for science learning in Wisconsin, we want all students to "possess sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on related issues [and be] careful consumers of scientific and technological information." For that reason, effective instruction on these topics, and understanding bias in information we receive, are important aspects of science learning. Some resources for this work include:
General resources
- Why Do Many Reasonable People Doubt Science? - informative National Geographic article
- How Science Works - terms related to the nature of science and why the notion of "just a theory" is problematic (lots of other "nature of science" resources on this website, too)
- 4 Tips to Detect Bad Science Reporting: Above the Noise - PBS Learning Media resource - video and discussion guide; also have a lesson plan on detecting bias
- Resisting Science Misinformation - series of lessons created by WGBH
- "Your Glorified Ignorance Wasn't Cool Then and Your Scientific Illiteracy Isn't Cool Now" - nice article by Forbes relating to the nature of science and current dialogue
Evolution
- National Science Teachers Association Teaching Evolution Resources Site
- HHMI BioInteractive Evolution Resources - lots of phenomena, media, and lessons related to evolution
- Teaching and Understanding Evolution Resources - from the National Center for Science Education
- Understanding Evolution - site from the University of California, Berkeley
- PBS NOVA Evolution - site providing media and links to other evolution instructional resources
Climate Change
- National Academy of Sciences Climate Change Resources Site - details resources linked to research, also supported by the UK Royal Society
- National Science Teachers Association Position Statement on Teaching Climate Change
- Scientific American Article - study shows that students can change their parents' minds about climate change
- Standards Testimony from UW-Madison Professor Jon Martin - wherein he discusses the importance of understanding climate science, but more importantly the process of scientific understanding
- Teaching and Understanding Climate Change Resources - from the National Center for Science Education
- American Association for the Advancement of Science - reaffirms its position on climate change - related letter sent to Congress from 31 scientific organizations
- National Science Foundation - describes and provides evidence and information on climate change
- NOAA Climate Science Resource Page - includes scientific reports on various impacts of climate change
- Washington State Project on Teaching about Climate Change
Vaccines
- U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Vaccine Information and Resources - there are also several research-based pages dispelling common concerns about vaccines
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Resources