If you were asked to describe the characteristics of science what would you say and would you know whether professional scientists agree with you? Furthermore, is it important that we understand the workings of science in order to gauge the confidence we can have in the knowledge generated by science? Finally, how does science differ from other fields of knowledge, for instance, what distinguishes science from pseudoscience?

National professional societies such as the NSTA and the AAAS, believe that if middle and high school students understand how science has been and is practiced, they will be more likely to question their own thinking, recognize the power of scientific theories and understand that there are no absolute truths.

This course will take you on an exploration of some fascinating discoveries in the history of science, engage you in debate about controversial issues in science, and involve you in raising your own scientific questions. We shall examine whether there really is a scientific method, why theories are not the same as beliefs, the importance of scientific models and explore what it means to be scientifically literate in today's society.

Instructor

Anita Greenwood, Ed.D.
Professor, Science Education
University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
http://gse.uml.edu/gse/about/faculty/Greenwood.html
anita_greenwood@uml.edu

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