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Re: Nature of Science (NOS)

I think you need to be very careful about what is false. It is true
that there is no common piece that scientists do that distinquishes it
clearly from other activities, that is, there is no scientific method.
But reasoned action usually makes use of the pieces we see listed in the
stereotypical SM. I am suggesting that reasoned action be reinforced in
children, and that using what we call the scientific method, without
calling it that is a good template for that action.

joe

On Mon, 2 Sep 2002,
Larry Cartwright wrote:

Joseph Bellina wrote:

I'd like to make an arguement for using the "SCIENTIFIC METHOD" with young
children...though I'm not sure what I would define as young. The SM thing
began as we know in a time when decisions were made not on the basis of
reason for the most part. Seems to me that it is still a good place to
start if we are going to teach logical thinking.

I believe that we need to be verrrrrry careful what we foist off on the
young. It is well documented that what a very young child learns is
internalized and retained for a very long time in one way or another,
for better or worse. IMHO, representing any fiction as truth to even
the youngest of children is an act of disrespect.

I continue to be amazed at the level of intellectual sophistication
which even quite young children can process, appreciate and understand.
I believe we need to take that into careful consideration in deciding
how to represent our understanding of the world to them.

Best wishes,

Larry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Larry Cartwright <exit60@cablespeed.com>
Retired Physics Teacher
Charlotte MI 48813 USA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Information is not knowledge,
knowledge is not wisdom,
and wisdom is not foresight.
Each grows out of the other
and we need them all."
(Arthur C. Clarke)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Joseph J. Bellina, Jr. 574-284-4662
Associate Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556