The Fool and the Heretic
Reflect on how this attitude and understanding contrasts with the idea that science and faith are incompatible or inherently at odds? What thoughts or questions does this idea raise for you?
There are many options for books, videos, and podcasts discussing the issues of science and faith. A particularly helpful one is called The Fool and the Heretic by Wood and Falk. Read this book and journal questions raised as well as observations about the authors’ relationship. How would this book serve to set an example for students in how to communicate with others who hold different ideas and opinions than themselves?
Another aspect of science studies in the upper grades is the lab experiments. We continue to build from the work of Form 3 seeing and understanding the forces of physics play out in the real world and asking questions of what we are observing. A guide such as The Student Lab Report Handbook by John D. Mays provides the next steps in increasing the types and complexity of the data gathered and how to present and interpret the information in the lab report. Read chapter 6 from the Handbook in the Appendix. Note the growing complexity as the students move through the upper forms in how they utilize and interpret their data. Read some of the lab work from The Apprentice’s Companion in the Appendix that corresponds to Chapter 2 of General Biology. Jot down your thoughts, observations, and questions.