Today’s post is the latest in a series examining how teachers can help students see how learning about science and math are relevant to their lives.

Today’s post will focus on science.

The Scientific Method

Bertha Vazquez is a retired science teacher and currently the education director at The Center for Inquiry where she runs programs that offer free, valuable resources and professional development for teachers:

Every science course contains a primer on the nature of science. Teachers cover the importance of the scientific method and offer countless opportunities for students to explore how science works. However, many of us do not teach why we need the scientific method.

When we teach students about how science works, an important strategy is to emphasize two key components. These components should be introduced early on and reiterated frequently throughout the school year. First, it’s crucial to recognize that everyone, including ourselves, is susceptible to flawed thinking influenced by our biases, perceptions, experiences, and identities. The scientific method plays a crucial role in countering these biases and seeking the truth.

Second, we must acknowledge that science denial and pseudoscience often permeate the news, social media, and even our classrooms. It’s essential to understand what they are and how to avoid falling victim to them. By incorporating how science mitigates biases through established methods such as using control groups, double-blind protocols, the peer-review process, and replicability, students will grasp why the scientific facts they learn are credible and reliable.

I often say in class, “Scientists do not try to prove themselves right; they try and prove themselves wrong. When you really feel strongly about a topic, you need to be extra aware that you will try to prove yourself right. Without even noticing it, you will look for evidence that proves you right and discount any evidence that proves you wrong. Let’s work on changing this.”

In other words, rather than simply presenting scientific findings and expecting our students to accept them despite the fact they may contradict their existing beliefs, the best strategy is to help them understand why we need the scientific method in the first place.

This strategy will help our students not only in their academic journey but also in their daily lives long after they have left our classrooms. Our students undoubtedly encounter a firehouse of misinformation on their favorite social media outlets. This strategy will equip them with the tools to be more open to accepting “controversial” topics like climate change whether they are introduced in the classroom or on television at home.

They will understand why some sources of climate information are more credible than others, thereby making informed decisions. This understanding of the scientific method will benefit them in the long run, making them more critical thinkers and responsible citizens.

Encouraging humility in our own thinking is one of the most important strategies we can teach our students.

‘Taking Feedback From Students’

Kelley T. Lê has been in the educational field for over 15 years as a high school science educator, instructional coach, and educational leader. She is the author of two books, including Teaching Climate Change for Grades 6-12: Activating Science Teachers to Take on the Climate Crisis Through NGSS (2024):

If we were to cancel math and science classes tomorrow, what would students really be missing out on that they couldn’t get from the internet, ChatGPT, or social media with just a few clicks?

This is a question I often pose to teachers to get them to reflect on the deeper purpose of learning, schooling, or what’s included (or not) in their current teaching curricula. A great deal has to do with recognizing what’s within our power and privilege to change and unveiling the deeper beliefs and values we hold for the purpose of teaching and learning.

Without that time to get deep, even the best strategies will only get you so far with students. So let me share a little cheat sheet based on my experiences working with thousands of teachers across the nation to get us started. Note that these strategies have worked with engaging students because they are foregrounded in values of equity, justice, respect, cultural relevance, belief in students’ capacity and capabilities, and so much more magic sauce.

Take a peek, collect your thoughts, challenge what you’re reading while reflecting on why you had that reaction, and gain more clarity on your everyday teaching decisions and philosophy.

Strategy 1: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen noneducators post about how teachers need to “make it fun!” to captivate students’ attention. Absolutely, but I’ve also seen really “fun” lessons be completely meaningless to build on students’ knowledge, disconnected to learning sequences, and recycled year after year without student input as to what they consider is “fun.”

Make it fun but make it challenging and directly connected to an issue within their community that they can actively find solutions for to build their critical-thinking capacity. When they succeed (and they will!), “fun” can equate to building their resilience and confidence levels by completing something they know can be applied to their everyday lives.

So many strategies can be included here. For instance, have students take the lead on teaching when they’ve successfully talked out loud how to navigate a problem to unveil their thinking. Teach them about critical media literacy skills so they understand that not everything on the web should be trusted.

Strategy 2: “You can’t be what you can’t see.” This is so true in many ways for students who are often told they need to put on a “scientist,” “engineer,” or “mathematician” hat. The thing is, we’re born curious about the world with desires to understand it and driven to find solutions to challenges what we may face. Students are already scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. The way students are positioned could have them thinking otherwise, however; and if we want them to understand relevance in deeper ways, we can bring in industry, community, and higher education leaders to broaden their views.

Beyond connecting with diverse professionals across STEM areas, they should have the opportunity to listen to that person’s journey into the field. They might be surprised (and inspired) to learn that the engineer in front of them barely passed math but had to display leadership and resilience in different ways. Those are the moments students often recall when they realize that they, too, are capable and that everyone has shortcomings. Hearing how others from similar backgrounds or experiences have navigated those challenges are just as crucial for their sense of belonging.

Strategy 3: Remember that sometimes the topic makes for the perfect vehicle to learn critical skills and dispositions needed to eventually be an “adult.” Mistakes are part of the learning journey, and if we want to build students’ capacity, we have to let our teaching actions reflect that belief.

This doesn’t mean that we don’t guide students, but, instead, we build into our lessons strategic opportunities for them to take the lead, work together to solve problems without us (“Each one, teach one, right?,” have opportunities to engage in argumentation to express alternative approaches, and hear them teach their peers using their own examples and ways of explaining.

That last one is huge for hearing about how they understand and personally relate to what they’re learning. Taking feedback from students makes all the difference in the classroom to learn about what is or isn’t relevant. It’s also those micro-moments that help to build deep connections and relationships built on strong beliefs that, as adults, we are also teachable.

Let me leave you with a final question to consider. If you were to ask students what they remember most about your class, what would they say? Why? Likely, what students remember most is exactly those important points of connection, capacity-building, or even challenging times they persevered. That’s exactly what the internet and AI can’t provide, and we should think about those responses more to humanize teaching and learning.

‘Local Geology’

Elaine V. Howes and Jamie Wallace are co-editors of the book Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Science Teaching: Teacher Research and Investigation from Today’s Classrooms and they work on educational programs at the American Museum of Natural History:

In our experiences with teacher researchers in a professional learning group (PLG) exploring culturally tesponsive teaching in their science classrooms, two strategies emerged as opportunities to support students in seeing connection between their own lives and the science they are learning. We share strategies, each used by several teachers in different ways, illustrating how science teachers seek to support their students in seeing how science can matter in their lives.
Autobiography to Connect to Students’ Lives
Drawing on place-based pedagogy, one teacher encouraged students to describe their own experiences with nature in a “science autobiography.” As the teacher learned about students’ experiences with nature (e.g., seeing stars, hiking around the city), he used those examples to connect to local landscapes in his students’ neighborhood and the phenomena of weathering, erosion, and glacial processes.

Another teacher had students create “future bio” posters, modeled on profiles of diverse scientists, to illustrate career goals of interest. The teacher then connected science content with students’ individual career goals where applicable (e.g., how makeup, important to striving aestheticians, contains minerals). These approaches can help teachers get to know their students, incorporate examples from students’ experiences into instruction, and highlight a diversity of scientists and careers.

Connecting Science to Students’ “Place”
Another teacher created a “local geology” assignment in which students take photos they see as related to the science they are learning. Then they prepare a presentation to share with the class, explaining how each photo connects to their lives and relates to the science content. This assignment provides entry points for teaching required science content, helping students see that the science they are learning is about their experiences, communities, and their world.

Thanks to Bertha, Kelley, Elaine, and Jamie for contributing their thoughts!

Today’s post answered this question:

What are the best strategies teachers have used to help students see what they are learning in math and/or science is relevant to their lives?

In Part One, K. Renae Pullen , Neven Holland, and Cindy Garcia shared their recommendations.

In Part Two, Emily Burrell, Deborah Peart Crayton, Ralph Pantozzi, and Sarah Nichols contributed their responses.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on X at @Larryferlazzo or on Bluesky at @larryferlazzo.bsky.social .

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