Understanding Science
MED 6650

Weber State University
Dr. Adam Johnston

Day 1 readings:

• "The Fish," a poem by Billy Collins
  • In print (New York Times Magazine)
  • Audio of Collins reading the poem (New York Times Magazine)
• The Student, the Fish, and Agassiz (Samuel Scudder)

Reading set, due Sept. 14:

• McComas, W. F. (1996). Ten myths of science: Reexamining what we think we know . . . School Science and Mathematics, 96(1), 10-16.

Reading set, due Sept. 21 & 28:

• Smith, M. U., & Scharmann, L. C. (1999). Defining versus describing the nature of science: A pragmatic analysis for classroom teachers and science educators. Science Education, 83(4), 493-509.
• Settlage, J., & Southerland, S. A. (2007). The Nature of Science Teaching Science to Every Child: Using Culture as a Starting Point (pp. 185-209). New York: Taylor & Francis.

Reading set, due Oct. 5

• Kuhn, T. (1962). Historical context of scientific discovery. Science, 136, 760-764.
• Lightman, A. "Time for the Stars"
• Popper, K. "Science: Conjectures and Refutations"

Reading set, due Oct. 12

• Park, R. L. (2003). The Seven Warning Signs of Bogus Science. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 49(21), B20.
  • (If you're having trouble with the above link from off campus, try this one.)
• [Pseudoscience "research"]

Reading set, due Oct. 19

• Johnston, A. T., & Southerland, S. A. (2007). The multiple meanings of tentative science. Unpublished manuscript.

Reading set, due Nov. 2

• Jackson, D., Doster, E. C., Meadows, L., & Wood, T. (1995). Hearts and Minds in the Science Classroom: The Education of a Confirmed Evolutionist. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 32(6), 585-611.

Reading set, due Nov. 9

• Executive Summary from How Students Learn
  [see here for full text and more information]

Reading set, due Nov. 16

• There are four reading selections for this week. Each student is assigned one of the following readings (so that each reading has two students):
  • Demastes et al. (1996) "Patterns of Conceptual Change in Evolution" -- assigned to Roger & Laura.
  • Cobern et al. (1999) "Conceptualizations of Nature: An Interpretive Study of 16 Ninth Graders' Everyday Thinking" -- assigned to Pamella & Jared.
  • Carlone (2004) "The Cultural Production of Science in Reform-based Physics: Girls Access, Participation, and Resistance" -- assigned to Jason & Tonya.
  • Stahly et al. (1999) "Third Grade Students' Ideas About Lunar Phases" -- assigned to Ron & Danielle.

Reading set, due Nov. 23

• Same drill as last week:
  • Akerson, V. L., Abd-El-Khalick, F., & Lederman, N. G. (2000). The influence of a reflective activity-based approach on elementary teachers' conceptions of the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(4), 295-317. [assigned to Laura, Ron, Danielle]
  • Khishfe, R., & Abd-El-Khalick, F. (2002). Influence of explicit and reflective versus implicit inquiry-oriented instruction on sixth graders' views of nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(7), 551-578. [assigned to Roger, Jared, Tanya]
  • Southerland, S. A., Johnston, A., & Sowell, S. (2006). Describing teachers' conceptual ecologies for the nature of science. Science Education, 90(5), 874-906. [assigned to Pamella, Jason]

 

 

 

 

 

Highlighted resources:

Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science
This text incorporates many of the activities described in other literature (e.g., "Tricky Tracks", etc.) and demonstrates how to emphasize both central biology themes and the nature of science in a life science course.

Project iCAN
This resource provides suggested lessons, assessment tools, and other resources for teaching the nature of science. [See the "For Teachers" link on the navigation bar.] Materials here are based on research you have been reading about in this course.

 

 

Anticipated readings (upcoming)

• Akerson, V. L., Abd-El-Khalick, F., & Lederman, N. G. (2000). The influence of a reflective activity-based approach on elementary teachers' conceptions of the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(4), 295-317.
• Southerland, S. A., Johnston, A., Sowell, S. (2006). Describing teachers' conceptual ecologies for the nature of science. Science Education, 90(5), 874-906

• Jackson, D., Doster, E. C., Meadows, L., & Wood, T. (1995). Hearts and Minds in the Science Classroom: The Education of a Confirmed Evolutionist. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 32(6), 585-611.
• Mahner, M., & Bunge, M. (1996). Is religious education compatible with science education? Science & Education, 5(2), 101-123.

• Akerson, V. L., Abd-El-Khalick, F., & Lederman, N. G. (2000). The influence of a reflective activity-based approach on elementary teachers' conceptions of the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(4), 295-317.
• Khishfe, R., & Abd-El-Khalick, F. (2002). Influence of explicit and reflective versus implicit inquiry-oriented instruction on sixth graders' views of nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(7), 551-578.
• Lederman, N. G. (1999). Teachers' understanding of the nature of science and classroom practice: Factors that facilitate or impede the relationhsip. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(8), 916-929.

• Watson & Konicek (1999). Teaching for conceptual change.
• Ladson-Billings (2003). I used to love science . . . and then I went to school.
• Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (1999). Effective teaching: Examples in history, mathematics, and science. In How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School (pp. 143-177). Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.

• Park, B. (2002). Seven warning signs of voodoo science.

• Kuhn, T. (1962). Historical context of scientific discovery. Science, 136, 760-764.

• Smith, M. U., & Scharmann, L. C. (1999). Defining versus describing the nature of science: A pragmatic analysis for classroom teachers and science educators. Science Education, 83(4), 493-509.

• Gould, S. (1983). Evolution as fact and theory.
• Settlage, J., & Southerland, S. A. (2007). The Nature of Science. In Teaching Science to Every Child: Using Culture as a Starting Point (pp. 185-209). New York: Taylor & Francis.

• Lightman, A. (1996). Time for the stars. In Dance for Two (pp. 107-116). New York: Pantheon Books.
• Popper, K. (1963). Conjectures and refutations.
• Scudder (1874). Learning to see.