Science helps us understand the world around us.

What do we know about what science is?–draw from what we have done so far:

Ask students to: Review and discuss all the things they have done so far and go back to the Science Toolkit and check off all the scientific processes they have used thus far that characterize “doing science” and explain how each was used.

Students will watch the Powers of Ten video from 1977. There is also an updated version of the video (2022) available. The videos and questions are included in the slide deck.

The key understanding here is to help students understand that scientists investigate areas of science at the MACRO and/or the MICRO level based on their interest and training. Have students think about what scale level they are most interested in.

Students might discuss or write a response to: Which scale did you find most intriguing? Why?

Students are presented with 3 phenomena and are asked to look at the scientific processes used, public reactions, and how science explains events in the natural world.

1) Solar Eclipse – Watch a short video of a total solar eclipse (Eclipse video)(updated from 2024 event) and share answers to a few short questions outlined on the deck.

2) Cholera outbreak – Investigate a second phenomena – the Cholera outbreak in London in 1854. Video and questions are linked in the deck.  There is also an ArcGIS Storymap of Dr Snow’s work available.

Students will describe how this discovery, and way of thinking, could help stop outbreaks, prevent future disease and maybe eliminate certain diseases.

3) Skin Color – Watch the video Skin color and the environment

The questions outlined in the deck ask students to explore how the lack of scientific understanding can lead to negative impacts on how people interact in society.

Have them use the Science Toolkit (go to slide 4 Learning Experience 2) to check off the different scientific processes they see being used in Dr. Jablonski’s research

Draw on the videos and our discussion in this Learning Experience to address the following question:

How do you think the world would be different if everyone understood the science of skin color variations?

Watch this video of how Charles Darwin presented criteria that led to the understanding of evolution. Students can discuss what issues they see that prevented people from accepting his ideas.  The video is long (16 min)