Exploring Our Fluid Earth

Teaching Science as Inquiry

 

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Engaging in Argument from Evidence

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Engaging in Argument from Evidence

 

<p><strong>Fig. 2.10.</strong> Scientists presenting a poster on mercury in the Gulf of Mexico at the 2014 Ocean Sciences conference in Honolulu, Hawai‘i.</p>

Fig. 2.10. Scientists presenting a poster on mercury in the Gulf of Mexico at the 2014 Ocean Sciences conference in Honolulu, Hawai‘i.

Image by Kanesa Seraphin

Both scientists and engineers must use available evidence to construct explanations and design solutions. In addition, they must be able to use reasoning to support their interpretations and analyze others’ interpretations. In science and engineering, argument is not necessarily an angry exchange. Rather, argument is a set of reasons given with the purpose of convincing someone else about an interpretation. Reasoning and argumentation allow scientists to critically analyze their own work and the work of other scientists. Engineers use argumentation to arrive at the best design solution. In engineering, argumentation often considers aspects of design solutions including costs versus benefits, risks, aesthetics, and market demand. Historically, scientific ideas that withstand scrutiny through the process of argumentation persist. Marine and aquatic scientists and engineers engage in argumentation in a similar manner as scientists and engineers in other disciplines. For example, marine scientists may attend a conference with their peers from around the world (Fig. 2.10) to discuss ideas about the effects of trace metals on the environment. Aquatic engineers may develop different computer models for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), then discuss, evaluate, and compare designs before selecting one to build.

 

According to the framework, learning argumentation through science is essential not just for scientists, but for all careful consumers of scientific information. Students should be able to construct scientific arguments using data and critique their own arguments, as well as those of others. Additionally, students should understand what constitutes a scientific argument, how scientific knowledge is judged by the scientific community, and how scientific arguments are presented, both by scientists and by the media. In the classroom, students should be expected to present and defend their scientific explanations, using data to support their reasoning. Students should also be given the opportunity to question and critique scientific explanations, including their own, their peers’, historical explanations, and modern scientific understandings.

 

  1. Physical > Atmospheric Effects > Effect of Surface Currents > Question Set: Effects of Surface Currents
  2. Physical > Ocean Floor > Continental Movement by Plate Tectonics > Activity: Continental Movement over Long Time Scales
  3. Physical > Ocean Depths > Depth Zones > Compare-Contrast-Connect: Life in the Depth Zones
  4. Chemical > Matter > Properties of Matter > Question Set: Properties of Matter
  5. Biological > Aquatic Plants and Algae > What Are Aquatic Plants and Algae > Question Set: What are Aquatic Plants and Algae
  6. Biological > Aquatic Plants and Algae > Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity > Question Set: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
  7. Biological > Aquatic Plants and Algae > Adaptations > Question Set: Adaptations
  8. Biological > Aquatic Plants and Algae > Growth, Development, and Reproduction > Question Set: Growth, Development, and Reproduction
  9. Biological > Aquatic Plants and Algae > Behavior > Question Set: Behavior
  10. Biological > Invertebrates > What is an Invertebrate? > Question Set: What is an Invertebrate?
  11. Biological > Invertebrates > Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity > Question Set: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
  12. Biological > Invertebrates > Structure and Function > Question Set: Structure and Function
  13. Biological > Invertebrates > Phylum Porifera > Question Set: Phylum Porifera
  14. Biological > Invertebrates > Phylum Cnidaria > Question Set: Phylum Cnidaria
  15. Biological > Invertebrates > Worms: Phyla Platyhelmintes, Nematoda, and Annelida > Question Set: Worms
  16. Biological > Invertebrates > Phylum Mollusca > Question Set: Phylum Mollusca
  17. Biological > Invertebrates > Phylum Arthropoda > Question Set: Phylum Arthropoda
  18. Biological > Invertebrates > Phylum Echinodermata > Question Set: Phylum Echinodermata
  19. Biological > Invertebrates > Phylum Chordata > Activity: Tunicate Life History
  20. Biological > Invertebrates > Phylum Chordata > Question Set: Phylum Chordata
  21. Biological > Fish > What is a Fish? > Question Set: What is a Fish?
  22. Biological > Fish > What is a Fish? > Activity: What is a Fish?
  23. Biological > Fish > Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity - Fish > Question Set: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity - Fish
  24. Biological > Fish > Energy Acquisition, Growth, Development, and Reproduction - Fish > Question Set: Energy Acquisition, Growth, and Reproduction
  25. Biological > Fish > Adaptations - Fish > Activity: Fish Adaptations to the Environment
  26. Biological > Fish > Adaptations - Fish > Question Set: Adaptations
  27. Biological > Fish > Behavior and Sensory Systems > Fish Behavior
  28. Biological > Amphibians Reptiles and Birds > Amphibians > Question Set: Amphibians
  29. Biological > Amphibians Reptiles and Birds > Reptiles > Question Set: Reptiles
  30. Biological > Amphibians Reptiles and Birds > Birds > Question Set: Birds
  31. Biological > Mammals > What is a Mammal? > Question Set: What is a Mammal?
  32. Biological > Mammals > Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity > Question Set: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
  33. Biological > Mammals > Structure and Function > Question Set: Structure and Function
  34. Biological > Mammals > Structure and Function > Question Set: Structure and Function
  35. Biological > Mammals > Adaptations > Question Set: Adaptations
  36. Biological > Mammals > Energy Acquisition > Question Set: Energy Acquisition
  37. Biological > Mammals > Growth, Development and Reproduction > Question Set: Growth, Development and Reproduction
  38. Biological > Mammals > Behavior > Question Set: Behavior

Exploring Our Fluid Earth, a product of the Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG), College of Education. University of Hawaii, 2011. This document may be freely reproduced and distributed for non-profit educational purposes.