Why Study Science? Especially if you don’t want to be a scientist ? Why…? Why…? WHY??

What has science ever done for you ? Make a list of all the things science has done for you personally. Start with the day you were born. Make a list of everything bad about science that you can think of.

Science bestows power Science creates knowledge, which in turn bestows power and economic prosperity. Those nations and individuals that have the greatest understanding of science and technology are increasingly likely to be the most powerful. Most nations have recognized this fact and it have made it a matter of national policy to strive for a scientifically literate population. The US is no exception. A number of organizations have raised concerns about perceived shortcomings of science education in the US.

So what? Is science important to the future of the US? Is there a problem with science education in the US? What if anything could you / should you personally do about it? Why do you think plant biology asked me to teach this class?

US science education America the Invulnerable? The World Looks AgainAmerica the Invulnerable? The World Looks Again The quiet erosion of science education International education comparisons (particularly TIMMSS)International education comparisons

US science education response America's response, project 2061: Project American Association for the Advancement of Science 2061 Benchmarks On-Line Look at "Living Environment" then "cells" for grades Benchmarks On-Line Do you meet the minimum science literacy requirement in this field? How many people do? More national standards documents, including the Ohio Academic content standards.national standards documents Do you meet the minimum state standards for grade 12 life science?life science

Also important - gains in understanding how students actually learn science. Learning theory research resources.Learning theory research resources The importance of inquiry, especially for children. Conceptual change (Posner) –Similar to the way that science itself progresses as suggested by Kuhn. –People have misconceptions that resist change. –Cognitive dissatisfaction must occur for learning to occur. –Assimilation much easier than accommodation. –Accommodation is like a Kuhn’s paradigm shift for science learners at all levels. –Metacognition can help (why?)

Understanding how students learn science continued. Multiple intelligences (Gardener) –Essentially, different people are good at different things and learn in different ways. –Different components of intelligence can vary independently of each other. –Gardner identifies eight different components: verbal, logical, visual, musical, naturalistic, kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal.