Classroom Activities
Elementary Level
- The Incredible Magic Hooey Stick Activity
- This excellent demonstration was developed by teacher John Banister-Marx. Suitable for all ages, instructions for this lesson can be found at http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/mhs.html
Middle School
- Pre- and post-unit questionnaire
- The Incredible Magic Hooey Stick Activity
- This excellent demonstration was developed by teacher John Banister-Marx. Suitable for all ages, instructions for this lesson can be found at http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/mhs.html
High School/College
- Pre- and post-unit assessments
- Questionnaire
- In-class assignment
- Ask students how they personally decide whether or not to believe an assertion made by an apparent authority? In the case of a new scientific discovery or “breakthrough,” have them list at least 3 things they would need to know about the experimental design/researchers themselves before they would seriously consider the claims, and explain why these are important to them.
- The Incredible Magic Hooey Stick Activity
- This excellent demonstration was developed by teacher John Banister-Marx. Suitable for all ages, instructions for this lesson can be found at http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/mhs.html
- Visit a fortune teller. If possible (and with permission), tape the session. Use the Keys to Science Thinking to determine scientific basis for claims. Propose a way to scientifically test the ability of the fortune teller to look into the future.
- Eyewitness Activity (TBD)
- Ask students to research the scientific evidence for a claim they believe
is pseudoscientific, applying Keys to Science Thinking. Topics may include*:
- Alien Abductions
- Astrology
- Bigfoot
- Dousing
- ESP
- Medical Quackery
- Homeopathy
- Iridology
- Magnet Therapy
- Aroma Therapy
- Moxibustion
- Therapeutic Touch
- Naturopathy
- Phrenology
- UFOs
*Some topics (Creationism, Naturopathy, for example) may be too controversial for presentation in certain classrooms. Teachers should use their good judgment as to whether to include these on a list of project options. The purpose of this activity is not to force students into confrontational situations, but to train them to apply the rules of Science Thinking to the decision-making process. Once these patterns have been learned, the hope is that students will apply them to more controversial issues.