I felt that this would be an important issue for these students to think about since all of them are planning on entering some field involving science, and most of them are entering pre-med programs at various private institutions. They will certainly encounter issues as future scientists that stem form a lack of scientific literacy among the general population.
The honors students were not only required to read various pieces of literature highlighting both sides of the vaccine-autism controversy, but they were also required to interview people from their community. I was hoping that this would lead to the realization that the content we talk about in the classroom is linked to the world they are a part of outside of the classroom. I was impressed with the depth of knowledge that the students brought to the discussions and the links that they formed between this issue and others like it in science. Topics such as stem cell research and global warming were used by the students as examples of other instance where scientific illiteracy has led to massive confusion, and controversy among the general public. Such confusion and misunderstanding can lead to uninformed decisions by the public and the creation of unwarranted public policies.
My hope is that the students will take this newly formed knowledge and insight with them as they enter college and become members of the scientific community. I know that this particular group of students could be considered to be scientifically literate, however, they are going to have to deal with the general public in their various scientific career fields. This lesson, at least a variation of it, can be done with general biology students as well. I would probably schedule the unit to be done at the beginning of the year, possibly following a lesson on the “scientific method”, in order to deal with the all too frequently asked question of “Why do we have to learn this?”
The honors students were not only required to read various pieces of literature highlighting both sides of the vaccine-autism controversy, but they were also required to interview people from their community. I was hoping that this would lead to the realization that the content we talk about in the classroom is linked to the world they are a part of outside of the classroom. I was impressed with the depth of knowledge that the students brought to the discussions and the links that they formed between this issue and others like it in science. Topics such as stem cell research and global warming were used by the students as examples of other instance where scientific illiteracy has led to massive confusion, and controversy among the general public. Such confusion and misunderstanding can lead to uninformed decisions by the public and the creation of unwarranted public policies.
My hope is that the students will take this newly formed knowledge and insight with them as they enter college and become members of the scientific community. I know that this particular group of students could be considered to be scientifically literate, however, they are going to have to deal with the general public in their various scientific career fields. This lesson, at least a variation of it, can be done with general biology students as well. I would probably schedule the unit to be done at the beginning of the year, possibly following a lesson on the “scientific method”, in order to deal with the all too frequently asked question of “Why do we have to learn this?”
Resources used for this lesson:
- FDA Development & Approval Process (Drugs)
- Retracted article by Dr Wakefield: Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children
- Media Coverage of the Measles-Mumps_Rubella Vaccine and Autism Controversy and its Relationship to MMR Immunization Rates in the United States
- Portions of the book Autism's False Prophets by Dr. Offit
- Why Should You Be Scientifically Literate?
- Scientific Literacy
