Aaron J. Powner, M.Ed.
High School Science Teacher
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Science is only one of many ways of knowing, but it is a powerful one that has heavily influenced what it means to be human in today’s world. A favorite metaphor I use in science education is the jig-saw puzzle. Each scientific concept is like a single piece of the whole puzzle. Science can produce a big picture view of life, the universe, and everything in it. Students must put the puzzle pieces (concepts) together to make meaning of it all – to see the big picture. Humanity still lacks many of the puzzle pieces, but with each new discovery we gain a deeper understanding of nature and life. Such understanding can equip young people to step into the very big, very real world and cope with its very real demands. More than this, science education broadens the horizons of one’s mind to allow greater appreciation of the complexities, challenges, and awesome beauty of our existence
PREZI: Tree of Knowledge
Diagram: Scale of the Universe, Branches of Science, Hierarchy of Science
Lessons:
- Worldviews - Construction of Knowledge
- Truth vs. Knowledge
- Tree of Knowledge
- Demarcation, Required Assumptions, and Limitations of Science
- Degrees of Certainty
- Scientific and Engineering Practices
- Languages of Science
- Metric System
- Laboratory Safety
- Crosscutting Concepts
- STEM and Society
Link for further study: Wiki Portal to Science