CONTENT STANDARD G: History and
Nature of Science
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop
understanding of
Science as a human endeavor
Nature of science
History of science
DEVELOPING STUDENT UNDERSTANDING
Experiences in which students actually engage in scientific investigations
provide the background for developing an understanding of the nature
of scientific inquiry, and will also provide a foundation for appreciating
the history of science described in this standard.
The introduction of historical examples will help students see the
scientific enterprise as more philosophical, social, and human. Middle-school
students can thereby develop a better understanding of scientific
inquiry and the interactions between science and society. In general,
teachers of science should not assume that students have an accurate
conception of the nature of science in either contemporary or historical
contexts.
To develop understanding of the history and nature of science, teachers
of science can use the actual experiences of student investigations,
case studies, and historical vignettes. The intention of this standard
is not to develop an overview of the complete history of science.
Rather, historical examples are used to help students understand scientific
inquiry, the nature of scientific knowledge, and the interactions
between science and society.
GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD
Fundamental concepts and principles that underlie this standard include
SCIENCE AS A HUMAN ENDEAVOR
Women and men of various social and ethnic backgrounds--and with
diverse interests, talents, qualities, and motivations--engage in
the activities of science, engineering, and related fields such as
the health professions. Some scientists work in teams, and some work
alone, but all communicate extensively with others.
Science requires different abilities, depending on such factors
as the field of study and type of inquiry. Science is very much a
human endeavor, and the work of science relies on basic human qualities,
such as reasoning, insight, energy, skill, and creativity--as well
as on scientific habits of mind, such as intellectual honesty, tolerance
of ambiguity, skepticism, and openness to new ideas.
NATURE OF SCIENCE
Scientists formulate and test their explanations of nature using
observation, experiments, and theoretical and mathematical models.
Although all scientific ideas are tentative and subject to change
and improvement in principle, for most major ideas in science, there
is much experimental and observational confirmation. Those ideas are
not likely to change greatly in the future. Scientists do and have
changed their ideas about nature when they encounter new experimental
evidence that does not match their existing explanations.
In areas where active research is being pursued and in which there
is not a great deal of experimental or observational evidence and
understanding, it is normal for scientists to differ with one another
about the interpretation of the evidence or theory being considered.
Different scientists might publish conflicting experimental results
or might draw different conclusions from the same data. Ideally, scientists
acknowledge such conflict and work towards finding evidence that will
resolve their disagreement.
It is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate the results of scientific
investigations, experiments, observations, theoretical models, and
the explanations proposed by other scientists. Evaluation includes
reviewing the experimental procedures, examining the evidence, identifying
faulty reasoning, pointing out statements that go beyond the evidence,
and suggesting alternative explanations for the same observations.
Although scientists may disagree about explanations of phenomena,
about interpretations of data, or about the value of rival theories,
they do agree that questioning, response to criticism, and open communication
are integral to the process of science. As scientific knowledge evolves,
major disagreements are eventually resolved through such interactions
between scientists.
Students should understand the difference between scientific and
other questions and what science and technology can and cannot reasonably
contribute to society.
HISTORY OF SCIENCE
Many individuals have contributed to the traditions of science.
Studying some of these individuals provides further understanding
of scientific inquiry, science as a human endeavor, the nature of
science, and the relationships between science and society.
In historical perspective, science has been practiced by different
individuals in different cultures. In looking at the history of many
peoples, one finds that scientists and engineers of high achievement
are considered to be among the most valued contributors to their culture.
Tracing the history of science can show how difficult it was for
scientific innovators to break through the accepted ideas of their
time to reach the conclusions that we currently take for granted.
Content Standards: K-4
