Encourage pupils to examine the evidence

Teachers often expect students to accept scientific tenets based on flimsy evidence. A single demonstration or experiment might be used to prove a particular idea is correct or true. Students are offered a very limited range of empirical evidence for the theoretical ideas they are expected to learn. Yet the ability to evaluate evidence is a key aspect of scientific literacy. This article suggests strategies to develop your students’ ability to examine evidence, and comes with a classroom activity to download.