Welcome to teaching Biology…. or Welcome Back to teaching Biology!
Should you start the year by teaching Nature of Science and Scientific Process? There is usually a difference of opinion among experienced science teachers about this. This article presents three schools of thought. They are:
Yes. I want to set the tone for how science works.
No, not yet. I want to integrate these principles in the activities my students do throughout the year.
No, I hate teaching this stuff…It is boring and a waste of time.
First let me point out that most states and the NGSS have standards that require teaching Nature of Science and Scientific Process.
These standards recognize the importance of teaching how science works. As an experienced science teacher, former lab scientist and concerned citizen, I agree. When I talk to friends, relatives, and the occasional stranger, I realize that VERY few understand anything about how science works. Those that do know a little about it usually work in a science related field. When people don’t understand how something works, they can become mistrustful. Does this sound familiar? Think about pandemics, vaccines, AI, genetic engineering, and so on. This is why it is vital that we try to instill an understanding of this process in our students. Maybe then they can make better decisions. Decisions based on understanding instead of suspicion and hearsay.
So, which category do you fall into?
Yes, I want to set the tone for how science works.
This is my method of choice for several reasons. By teaching this as a beginning unit you are underscoring the importance of it. You can use this unit to cover crucial vocabulary and methodology that you will use throughout the year. You will have a “hook” to refer to when using these concepts. The students will get multiple exposure to these principles as you go through your units and corresponding lab activities. They will learn to form hypotheses and utilize theories and laws during labs and other activities. They will learn the principles of repetition, data analysis and peer review (group work).
No, not yet. I want to integrate these principles in the activities my students do throughout the year.
This is fine too, and I know several teachers who favor this method. This requires commitment and thoroughness. It also may require the occasional side lesson to go deeper into a scientific process concept. Students will have a hard time integrating these concepts if the teacher is not consistent, so strategies will need to be developed to ensure that the teacher is truly integrating the principles as intended.
No, I hate teaching this stuff…It is boring and a waste of time.
Please refer back to the first point about the standards. Most teachers are required to teach this information and for good reason. Every science class that students have should teach in a way that students aren’t just learning a series of definitions and facts – they are learning to use those pieces of information. Students should develop critical thinking and the scientific process helps with that. Learning in this way makes science more relevant and interesting for the students…and isn’t that what we want as science teachers?
There are some great websites about the scientific process. One of my favorites is from UC Berkley called Understanding Science. Check it out…it has good information and resources for teachers.
I also have resources dedicated to teaching Nature of Science and the scientific process. A couple of them are free! Check out the links below:
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