Kedmon+Final+Paper+due

calendar epistemology search for science literacy

=Benchmarks Revealed Assignment=

**Paper on Scientific Literacy**
The textbook from the Learning Materials and Inquiry Module (ED5730a), Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards, puts great emphasis on the process of scientific inquiry as a way to achieve scientific literacy in the classroom. Since this definition and all the other models of scientific literacy that you are probably most familiar with come from the education community (National Science Education Standards, MEGOSE, Michigan Curriculum Frameworks), it would therefore be appropriate to examine and compare scientific literacy definitions from the standpoint of scientists, philosophers of science, or psychologists.

Thus, your written assignment for this module is to __**critique the definition of scientific literacy**__ using viewpoints from scientists, the education community or philosophers of science. You should be exploring such questions as: some definitions of scientific literacy or to be scientifically literate
 * What is the education definition of literacy that has been used?
 * my answer: The education definition of literacy
 * Is the education definition an appropriate one?
 * Is it realistic in terms of what scientists actually do?
 * Is (or are) there other definitions of scientific literacy and are there other methods of achieving it?
 * How is scientific literacy assessed and evaluated?

Sources that you might find useful
Much has been written on this topic. I have provided a starter bibliography. You may also consult some of the following sources if you have access to them: the works of >> Science and ethics : can science help us make wise moral judgments? at Tech Library
 * Carl Hempel
 * wikipedia (contains a bibliography)
 * Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
 * Aspects of scientific explanation, and other essays in the philosophy of science at Tech Library
 * Frontiers of science and philosophy by Carl G. Hempel and others at Tech Library
 * The philosophy of science; edited by P.H. Nidditch at Tech Library
 * Karl Popper
 * wikipedia
 * Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
 * Objective knowledge : an evolutionary approach at Tech Library
 * The logic of scientific discovery at Tech Library
 * Rethinking Popper at Tech Libary (has on-line version)
 * Stephen Toulmin
 * wikipedia
 * Human Understanding at Tech Library
 * The discovery of time at Tech Library
 * Bertrand Russell
 * wikipedia
 * Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
 * Logic and knowledge; essays, 1901-1950 at Tech Library
 * Our knowledge of the external world at Tech Library
 * Mysticism and logic at Tech Library
 * Essays in skepticism at Tech Library
 * Living philosophies, by Albert Einstein, John Dewey, Sir James Jeans ... [and others] at Tech Library
 * Twentieth century philosophy; living schools of thought at Tech Library
 * Martin Gardner
 * wikipedia
 * obituary on the Guardian.UK
 * Philosophical foundations of physics; an introduction to the philosophy of science at Tech Library - checked out (due 11/29/10)
 * Science, good, bad, and bogus at Tech Library
 * Fifty modern thinkers on education : from Piaget to the present at Tech Library
 * Paul Davies
 * wikipedia
 * The matter myth : dramatic discoveries that challenge our understanding of physical reality at Tech Library
 * The last three minutes : conjectures about the ultimate fate of the universe at Tech Library
 * The New physics at Tech Library
 * Paul Kurtz
 * wikipedia
 * The Philosophy of the curriculum : the need for general education at Tech Library
 * Carl Sagan
 * wikipedia
 * Cosmos at Tech Library
 * Broca's brain : reflections on the romance of science at Tech Library
 * Arthur Strahler
 * wikipedia

Specific Parameters
Your plan will be 8 to 10 pages long and contain the following clearly identified sections:
 * Representative definitions of scientific literacy
 * Discussion of the merits of each definition and a comparison to the inquiry definition.
 * Relationships between the various definitions and the Michigan Science Benchmarks Strands - are the Michigan Strands adequate as a foundation to achieve scientific literacy amongst all Michigan students? AS AN ALTERNATIVE, you may discuss the proposed Michigan Merit Curriculum (Science) as your point of reference.

Submission
Your written plan will be submitted electronically to the instructor. This can be done via e-mail, ftp, or http protocols. The plan can be in common word processing format, text, or pdf format. Graded plans will be returned in pdf format.

Criteria for Grading

 * Completeness 30%
 * Communication 30%
 * Analysis 20%
 * Coherency 20%

Due Date
Your completed plan is due on **Friday, October 22, 2010**

STARTER BIBLIOGRAPHY--SCIENTIFIC LITERACY


 * [|Scientific Literacy Another Look at its Historical and Contemporary Meanings and Its Relationship to Science Education Reform.pdf] (George E. DeBoer)
 * [|How Literacy in Its Fundamental Sense Is Central to Scientific Literacy.pdf] (STEPHEN P. NORRIS, LINDA M. PHILLIPS)
 * [|Scientific Literacy A Conceptual Overview.pdf] (RUDIGER C. LAUGKSCH)
 * [|The interaction between undergraduate science students images of the nature of science.pdf] and their experiences of learning sciencep (Ryder J., Leach J., S, and Driver R.)
 * [|Undergraduate science students images of the nature of science.pdf] (Jim Ryder, John Leach and Rosalind Driver)
 * [|Identifying science understanding for functional scientific literacy.pdf] : implications for school science education (Jim Ryder)
 * [|The Nature and Philosophy of Science .pdf] (Wade A. Tisthammer: see also @http://www.angelfire.com/mn2/tisthammerw/science.html)
 * [|TOWARDS SCIENTIFIC LITERACY FOR ALL.pdf] : AN URBAN SCIENCE TEACHEREDUCATION MODEL (PAMELA FRASER-ABDER)
 * [|Scientific Literacy An Educational Goal of the Past Two Centuries.pdf] ( Sajin Chun( J. Steve Oliver, David F. Jackson, Andrew Kemp see also @http://www.educ.sfu.ca/narstsite/conference/chunetal/chunetal.html)