Nature of Science (NOS)

Strategies to help students get started

View of Nature of Science Questionnaire Form C Purpose: Assess learners nature of

science views. Question: By incorporating the

following pedagogies in my teaching BSCS 5E model Inquiry Toolkit Student designed lab project

Will students learn more about the nature of science?

Student Population N = 36 Foundations of biology course for

non-science majors Foundations: primarily first year

students

Implementation 5-6 BSCS 5E activities

Each activity reinforced a particular concept.

3-4 Guided Inquiry Labs Helping students identify:

Independent and dependent variables Question Hypothesis What is a control? Number of trials?

Student based lab project

How does the VNOS measure Nature of Science (NOS) Views?

Views are classified as: More naïve or More informed Interviews are key

Avoid misinterpretation of respondent meaning

Indicating problems with previous instruments

Generate profiles of meanings ascribed to NOS aspects

Methods Pre and Post Assessment (10 questions) Focus Questions:

Question #1a: What is science? Question 1b: What makes science (or

scientific discipline such as physics, biology, etc.) different from other disciplines of inquiry (e.g. religion or philosophy)?

Question #2: What is an experiment?

VNOS Analysis 8 out of 19 UMF natural scientists 1 Physicist, 1 Geologist, 1 Chemist, 4 Biologists, 1 Environmental

Science Educator Established More Informed Concepts Inter-rater reliability

3 undergraduate researchers Science educator

Pre Test Percentages

76

87

71

24

13

29

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1A 1B 2

Questions

Percentage (%)

Naïve

More Informed

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

Pretest Results

Q 1a

Q 1b Q2

Post Test Percentages

64

78

44

36

22

56

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1 2 3

Questions

Percentage (%)

Naïve

More Informed

Posttest Results

%

%

%

%

%

%

Q 1a

Q 1b

Q 2

Results Summary Question 1a: What in your view is

science? 14% were more informed

Question 1b: What makes science (or a scientific discipline such as physics, biology, etc.) different from other disciplines of inquiry? 9% were more informed

Question 2: What is an experiment? 27% were more informed

Nature of Science Evolution PBS Evolution Resources

How to Observe and Describe Go outside and find 4 natural objects 4 objects must look exactly like each-other (i.e. four leaves of

the same size and shape from the same tree) Work in pairs and choose 1 set of 4 objects Label each of the objects A, B, C, D Write a DETAILED description for each object on one side of

the index card. On the back of the index card indicate the correct

corresponding letter. When you are done be sure to have your descriptions facing

up and mix them up. Visit another groups objects and attempt to match the object

with its description. ONLY after all 4 objects have been matched, you can check

the back of the index cards to see if your matches are correct.

Mystery Cube

Beginning to look for trends/patterns

Mystery Shapes: Trends Arrange the 17 figures into

groups. You can have as many groups as you and your partner want.

On a piece a paper write down a statement describing why you have placed the figures in each particular group.

Mystery Shapes Data•Group 1 •Group 2 •Group 3 •Group 4

•NKMIAGD •NPJC

•FSCJ •GKIADE

•LOBH •SOLFB

•E •MH

•P

What if? Instructor chooses two interesting groupings (e.g. Team 1 & 3) Splits class in half 1/2 class arranges shapes like Team 1 1/2 class arranges shapes like Team 3 Students try and decide why team 1 (or 3 whichever is appropriate) arranged

the figures as they did, and they right down the reasons. This is their HYPOTHESIS.

Instructor passes out shapes Q & R and students TEST THE HYPOTHESIS by placing Q & R into the groups they think team 1 (or 3) would.

Students state why they think Team 1 (or 3) arranged the figures into their groups and to which group they think Team 1 would place Q & R

Team 1 now reveals whether the discussion has been accurate. If so the HYPOTHESIS IS SUPPORTED. If not, the hypothesis is not supported and must be rejected.

If Q & R are placed in the right group but for the wrong reasons other than those that Team 1 originally stated, the hypothesis is supported, but the hypothesis is incorrect. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT FOR DISCUSSION

Checks Lab

NOS Skills in Action

Getting Organized Divide into research teams

2 per team Envelope with 16 checks is distributed

Envelope contains the same set of 16 identical cancelled checks from the same family or individual.

Select only four checks at random WAIT FOR THE INSTRUCTOR TO TELL YOU TO DO SO!!.

Analyze Checks What kinds of data do these cancelled checks

give us?” Select one recorder per group to keep track of

the data (4 check sets randomly chosen) Remove any four checks blindly and randomly

from the envelope and begin constructing a “story” about this family or individual.

What does this have to do with science? This phase is similar to scientists getting

information in a non-linear fashion and at different intensities.

Summary On Newsprint record an outline of your story

and select someone in your group not the recorder to share you conclusions.

Investment in your data Scientists who may study a phenomenon for years

cannot help but have an investment in the data they have been collecting. It is when this data and personal buy-in becomes public that ideas are either supported or refuted. That is how science works.

Checks Lab Directions Individual teams collaborate after

preliminary analysis Individual teams must collaborate

Similar to a scientist traveling to the Antarctic during a specific time of the year because of the weather.

Scientists must collaborate with each other to piece together a “story”

Beluga’s

Location

Beluga Characteristics

Donner Party: What is the data telling us?

•Observations •Interpretations

NOS Video PBS Nature of Science

NOS in Action Observations:

Young woman enters theater alone

Young man enters theater alone and sits next to woman

He does not say anything to her

How to start? What Questions

do you have about the situation?

Organizing Information What can we change? (Note: you can not ask

the two people questions) What will we observe? When we change______________ will the

man/woman _____________? Based on this question, We predict,______

__________________________ FORMING A HYPOTHESIS: Converting a

question into a statement.

Inquiry Grab BagWorking with Donner party data

teacher stuff

Introductory Exercises to Promote Science Thinking

Skills Observation skills Mystery Shapes: Looking for

Trends Analyzing Data: Looking for

Trends