In this lesson, each student team has an envelope containing a series of bank checks. A few are removed at a time, and the team attempts to construct a plausible scenario which involves those checks. With each subsequent removal of checks, appropriate revision of the scenario is done. Final scenarios are compared by the class. Class discussion is designed to show how human values and biases influence ... Full description.

This lesson is designed to help students recognize and deal with bias which may be found in scientific studies. Students will discover that because human values deeply influence terminology, the questions asked, and the criteria for choosing among theories, science incorporates procedures intended to eliminate (or at least reduce) the influence of natural biases we all have. One of these is the requirement ... Full description.

The activities in this lesson provide students with an understanding of the diversity of the scientific enterprise, and the people engaged in the work. Teachers should emphasize the diversity to be found in the scientific community: different kinds of people (in terms of race, sex, age, nationality) pursuing different sciences and working in different places (from isolated field sites to labs to offices). ... Full description.

In this activity, students will learn about data collection and the difference between discrete (snapshots) and continuous and real-time data. They will view a series of snapshots and write their explanation of the event. They then view a continuous video of the event and write what actually happened, and analyze their results. Full description.

In this internet activity, students use search engines to build a list of facts about Earth science that fascinate them. After building the list, students will choose and rank their top ten amazing facts and answer some questions about them. Full description.

This 48 minute radio broadcast discusses the history of science from around the globe, and looks at the ancient roots of modern scientific thought. The math and science of the ancient Greeks as well as some ancient scientific thinkers, including Aristotle and Ptolemy, are well known. But what about people and ideas from the rest of the world? In Asia, Egypt and the Middle East, scientific thinkers ... Full description.

This radio broadcast examines the ideas of science historian and philosopher Thomas Kuhn; current revolutionary theories; and how revolutionary advances in science that change the way people view the world come about. The show explains how Kuhn believed there were periods in science when there is no consensus; what problem solving is like during normal science periods when one paradigm dominates; ... Full description.

This is a National Academy of Sciences project that showcases the accomplishments of contemporary women in science. Using a variety of interactive resources, this project highlights for students the varied and intriguing careers of some of today's most prominent scientists. It draws from and accompanies a ten-volume series of biographies entitled "Women's Adventures in Science". Materials presented ... Full description.

Many scientists study objects and events that they cannot observe directly. But through extensive sampling, observation, and analysis, scientists are able to construct a plausible series of explanations to describe subjects ranging from the birth of our solar system to the lives of extinct creatures. For example, paleontologists work to unravel the stories of our past through the collection and analysis ... Full description.

This reference explains the difference between a scientific law and a theory and how these terms are applied, and discusses the concept of "proof" and why it is unwise to apply it to ideas in science. Links to additional information and to a quiz are embedded in the text. Full description.