Ways of Knowing (Write at least everything that is in red.) 7.0.1

We make observations about the world every day We make observations about the world every day. Sometimes we just look at something and say, “What the Heck?!” Photo Credit: wholechildleon.org

We make interpretations about how things work by using several ways of knowing. Photo Credit: theoryofknowledge.net

Legend / Culture = a way of knowing Stories passed from one generation to the next These stories often had a “moral” or a lesson for younger generations to learn Example- Aesop’s fables taught about greed, love, sacrifice, etc.

Religion = a way of knowing Belief in a higher power Ideas are often recorded and passed down through scripture Miracles may happen based on faith Examples Christianity *Hinduism Judaism *Druze Buddhism *Bahi’i Faith Islam *Shinto

Personal Experience = a way of knowing Limited to one’s unique travels, experiences, environment, culture Examples Learning that things always fall downward Learning that fire is hot Learning that ice is slippery Learning that pulling the dog’s ears makes her bite you Photo credit buzzfeed.com

Media = a way of knowing Information related through books, magazines, television, Internet Subject to others’ interpretations and opinions BEWARE ! Anyone can post ANYTHING on the Internet and make it appear to be truth

Science = a way of knowing Relies on observation Experimentation Things work the same way now as they always have Making models to predict Infer from data

For Instance…Devils Tower in Wyoming You’re driving along on a family vacation through relatively flat northeastern Wyoming. Out of nowhere appears this huge rock towering about 400 feet above the other hills. Photo credit: Andrea Harris

When you get closer, you notice that the greenish- grey tower sparkles in the sunlight. Photo credit: usgs.gov

You pitch your tent at the nearby KOA and notice that all of the surrounding rock is red sandstone which is very different from the tower rock. There is also a little river at the base of the tower and trees all over, except on the tower. Photo credit: Andrea Harris

The sides of the tower have tall, vertical columns that look like scratches or like giant strands of yarn. (Those are crazy climbers!) Photo credit: Andrea Harris

“What the Heck?!” You say to yourself, How would you explain how Devils Tower was formed? Why is it flat? Why do the rocks look like strings? . Photo credit: National Park Service

Legend’s explanation of Devils Tower Some young Lakota men were out hunting and lost their way. A giant beast tried to eat the young hunters. The ground rose up to take them out of harm’s way after they prayed to be saved. The scratches on the tower were where the beast tried to climb it. Photo Credit: National Park Service

Religion’s explanation of Devils Tower Christianity: God made Earth for the delight of mankind. Devils Tower exists because it is beautiful and sacred and created by God. Buddhism: Earth is composed of cycles of birth and re-birth. Devils Tower is just part of the planet’s life cycle.

Media’s explanation of Devils Tower Towers like these are remnants of ancient HUGE trees. Cut down by giant humans who once roamed Earth. 1977

Another Media explanation of Devils Tower In the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the characters discover that Devils Tower is actually a space port for aliens. BTW, this movie is shown every night at the KOA Kampground at Devils Tower.

Science’s explanation of Devils Tower Look for other towers around the world and identify patterns. Gather information from reputable sources (other scientists’ writings, government agencies, geologists) Conduct experiments about the types of rocks and how those rocks form. Make a model to explain the process. Boren in Czech Republic

Making a Model As a group, read through the information provided on your handout. Using the evidence, make a model which explains how Devils Tower was formed. Create 3 mini-diagrams which show the process in order Write at least 3 complete sentences which describe the steps in order.