JoinFavorite Demonstration: Experiencing the Nature of Science—An Interactive, Beginning-of-Semester Activity
Students’ learning about the nature of science (NOS) consists of two related aspects that include their understandings of and ability to apply science processes, and their beliefs about NOS. To help students develop such understandings, the New Society activity gets them talking to each other about science, using the language of science such as observing and hypothesizing, accepting and considering others’ viewpoints and ideas, and acclimating to the inquiry-based scientific processes to be used throughout the course and beyond. The activity is especially effective in courses enrolling primarily nonscience majors.