The heat is on! Can the history of science inform how we teach climate change?
Larry Collins, Doctoral Candidate, Washington State University
Wed., Sep 23, 2020 | 3:10 p.m. | Register for connection information at: https://wsu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yj_W_gLPTLW-BW5iFDkK9Q
Public understanding of global climate change (GCC) is important now more than ever as we continue to face the consequences of our warming planet. GCC is labeled as a socio-scientific issue because it has been deemed a controversial, socially relevant problem that is informed by science and ethics. Despite, scientific consensus supporting the anthropogenic influences on climate change, many people still do not believe or accept GCC as a problem. One factor that explains some of this lack of acceptance is the failure to understand the scientific process. In this talk, we will explore empirical research that traces the origins of controversy surrounding climate change to the 1837 proposal of a glacial theory by Louis Agassiz and how scholars have been able to use the history of science to support the development of socio-scientific reasoning skills in students.
Larry Collins is a PhD Candidate in the School of Biological Sciences at WSU. His research focuses on the use of performance-based assessments to understand how students develop their views of science. He also studies interventions that have potential to shift students’ beliefs about science.
