Think Like A Scientist

Think Like A Scientist is a 6 week science course for those interested in science and nature.

In a world where ‘fake news’ is a real danger, the course offers students the basic building blocks required to think like a researcher, guided by the scientific method as a tool to gain understanding (e.g., what are we trying to find out? how do we test that? can we confirm a result? what else do we need to know to be sure of our findings?).

UNDERSTANDING – ANALYSING – COMMUNICATING

Presently, being a scientist is a lot more than testing a hypothesis – you are required to be able to understand how robust your findings are through data analysis, and also be able to present your work in a clear and concise manner. Think Like A Scientist teaches the students how to use the scientific method alongside applying analytical and communication skills.

Think Like A Scientist will be running in prisons in the North East in 2019, becoming the first focussed science education course of its kind to be taught in England. Although geared for the restrictive teaching practices within the prison system, Think Like A Scientist can be adapted for high school and primary school teaching.

Think Like A Scientist course content:

Each class will last around 2 hours and have the same basic framework: introduction to the main science topic; activities surrounding the main topic; assignment of main topic reading to be summarized and analyzed; analytical skills best practices; and a section on improving communication skills.

The current main science topics are: the science of sleep (week 1); the atmosphere and the air we breathe (week 2); earthquakes, volcanoes, and plate tectonics (week 3); planetary science and missions to Mars (week 4); topics related to guest lecturer (week 5).

Main topic reading will be provided through articles from The Conversation – where academics write accessible articles related to their research. The students will dissect The Conversation articles and provide a 300 word summary (learning how to write clearly and concisely) and apply the scientific method to try and understand the research better – e.g., what are we trying to find out? how do we test that? can we confirm a result? what else do we need to know to be sure of our findings?

Data analysis will come from the students writing down information related to their sleep, following on from week 1’s science of sleep. They will collect how many hours they sleep each night and make a note of their mood and energy levels. After three weeks, the group will analyze the data collected using the analytical tools taught in class.

The study of science is often linked to art and creativity – this course will have a creative writing aspect during week 4’s mission to Mars project. The students will produce a blueprint for what is required to setup a colony on another planet – through the lens of science and also humanity.

In the first week of term, the students will be put into pairs to work on a group project – each group will be assigned a scientist that they will learn about and then pitch as the worthy candidate for the new face of the £50 note. In the final class (week 6) the groups will all present a 5-10 minute pitch on why their scientist will be appropriate, with the group voting at the end. The communication skills taught throughout the course will be applied in this final presentation.

The scientists that will be up for the vote will be Alan Turing, Stephen Hawking, Dorothy Hodgkin, Mary Anning, Ada Lovelace, Beatrice Shilling, Frederick Sanger, Rosalind Franklin, and James Clerk Maxwell.

Screen Shot 2018-11-06 at 2.43.47 PM — Students will pitch a scientist to the new face of the £50 note.

In terms of course output, the students will give a group presentation (comprehension and communication skills), a study of their sleep and health (analytical skills), weekly summaries of articles (comprehension, analytical, and communication skills), and a creative writing exercise on planetary science (communication). There will also be questionnaires given at the beginning and end of the course to measure distance travelled.

By the end of the course, the students will have a better understanding of how to Think Like A Scientist – following three main pillars:

UNDERSTANDING – ANALYSING – COMMUNICATING

For further information, please contact Phil Heron (philip.j.heron AT durham.ac.uk).

Think Like A Scientist runs in partnership with:

European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 749664.