In a world flooded with information, we continually make choices about what information to believe and human limitations and biases can make it easy to fool ourselves. Many people in the scientific community have worked to understand and counter these limitations, developing cognitive tools and techniques to minimize bias and avoid cognitive traps. But these techniques can be learned and used by anyone. For too long, these thinking tools have been missing from high-school education. That is why we have worked with a team of experts to create Scientific thinking for all: a toolkit.
Scientific Thinking for All: A Toolkit is a six-unit curriculum for 14–18-year-old students. It will prepare your high school students for the challenges and opportunities ahead. It teaches a toolkit of cognitive strategies for real-world issues. By learning to view the world scientifically, students will develop skills in reasoning and collaborating, equipping them to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.
Scientific Thinking Toolkit Concepts
Underpinnings
of Science
Probabilistic
Reasoning
Can-Do
Attitude
Metacognition
Decision Making
Resources
High School Instructional Materials
Sense and Sensibility and Science
The College Course
Sense and Sensibility and Science is an interdisciplinary “Big Ideas” course developed at the University of California Berkeley. The course focuses on the tools developed by science to help people better understand the world around them and make better decisions together in an increasingly uncertain world. It was developed by professors Saul Perlmutter, John Campbell, and Robert MacCoun and represents a collaboration among physics, philosophy, and psychology.
Third Millennium Thinking
The Book
Based on Sense and Sensibility and Science and written by the course’s original professors, Third Millennium Thinking is a primer on how to think critically, make sound decisions, and solve problems—individually and collectively—using scientists’ tricks of the trade.
Get Involved
We are looking for teachers to pilot our materials!
Groups of pioneering teachers field tested the six units in their classrooms over the last 3 years to inform the development of the final units. Now the Lawrence Hall of Science team is inviting interested teachers to pilot our published units.
Take advantage of this great opportunity and sign-up for LHS’s newsletter to receive information about digital workshops, pilot opportunities and new unit releases.
