Nature of Science Readings & Resources

Student Performance Objectives:

• The teacher candidate will use operational definitions to explain what is meant by "nature of science."
• The teacher candidate will state what students need to know in order to be nature-of-science literate.
• The teacher candidate will identify a comprehensive framework for teaching the nature of science.
• The teacher candidate will explain the role of inquiry-oriented instruction in teaching the nature of science.

Nathaniel Shaler: How Aggasiz Taught Me to See

Thomas H. Huxley: The Method of Scientific Investigation

Jacob Bronowski: The Creative Aspects of Science

Karl Popper: Science - Conjectures and Refutations

Additional resources for understanding the nature of science:

The Nature of Science from Benchmarks for Science Literacy (Skip K-8 sections)

Nature of Science, Chapter 1 of Science for All Americans

A Framework for Teaching the Nature of Science (Source: Wenning, C. A framework for teaching the nature of science, Journal of Physics Teacher Education Online, 3(3), March 2006, pp. 3-10.

Examine the PBS website Teaching Evolution: An Online Course for Teachers to get a better understanding of the Nature of Science using evolution as a model. This very interesting resource will all you to explore how the processes of science develop our understanding of the natural world and reflect on the value and limits of the scientific process.

H. H. Bauer: The So-called Scientific Method (see Chapter 2 of Bauer, Henry H. 1994. Scientific Literacy and the myth of the scientific method. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.)

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