Goals:

To allow students to develop an understanding of the evolution of the scientific method.

To facilitate the students' understanding of the importance of looking at variables from different perspectives.

To allow students to develop their abilities to defend their ideas with facts or theories.

Content Areas:

Science - study of the scientific method

History - study of some historical aspects in scientific discoveries.

Materials:

Optical illusions of some sort.

Illusion Works Home Page: http://www.lainet.com/illusions/ -a great resource for all sorts of illusions and fun science tricks.

A sheet of guidelines for the students to follow for their discussion and presentation.

Procedure: (1-2 hours)

1) Hand out or draw on the chalkboard a few of the optical illusions from the home page.

2) Have students guess what each optical illusion is.

3) After discussing the illusion for a few minutes, explain/reveal what it is.

4) Begin a 15-20 minute lecture giving a broad overview of scientific thought and the major discoveries focusing on the planets and the Earth's place in the solar system. Focus especially on WHY people thought these things and how revolutionary and controversial new ideas were.

5) Have the students get into their planet groups and brainstorm current ideas that, because of new evidence, could be accepted as common knowledge in the future.

6) Have each group perform a simulation for the rest of the class. The simulation will require that the students pretend they are now in the future, teaching a class about the history behind the idea they chose and the history surrounding the origins of a new idea. (i.e., the controversy and revolutionary vision of the idea at the time.)

7) After each group has given its presentation, have students discuss what they learned about the origins of new ideas.

Assessment:

By using the presentation rubric, and discussion rubric the teacher will be adequately able to assess whether or not the students understood why scientific thought has progressed the way it has over history.

Students will exhibit this comprehension through their ability to work in groups and to express their knowledge in their presentations.

Group Work Rubric

Specific Presentation Rubric:
 

Students have complete and accurate research materials and resources for their presentations.

Students are able to work together in a cohesive fashion to accomplish a group goal.

Students exhibit an ability to look at historical events with a different perspective.

Students are creative in their presentation to the class.

 
Making Waves - written by Jennifer Cannistra, Jamie Hanna, Michael LeRoy, & Kim Mongoven

Back to Week 1 - Day 1

This page was submitted by St. Norbert College Ocean Voyagers Program