Increasing student participation and thought

This article presents an outline of a lesson that involves students in discourse of a significant science issue. While the class described is a college class, this could easily be used in an... See More

This article presents an outline of a lesson that involves students in discourse of a significant science issue. While the class described is a college class, this could easily be used in any secondary classroom, although teachers might wish to spend time teaching students how to politely reply first. The authors go on to provide research data on student learning which shows improved understanding of the issue discussed and enthusiasm to learn more. There is an increasing number of research articles that show that classroom discourses like this teach social skills, critical thinking. and appreciation for the way science interacts with society. All of these recommend lessons like this one.