Join us for this exciting new pilot program developed in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley, The Nobel Prize Outreach and Global Access Partners. How do scientific tools and scientific thinking help people address complex challenges?

STANSW has partnered with UC Berkeley, Nobel Prize Outreach and Global Access Partners to provide NSW teachers training on practical activities that encourage critical scientific thinking amongst students.

This pilot program, based on the UC Berkeley’s Scientific Thinking for All – A Toolkit, is designed to equip students with the skills to think critically when using and evaluating information.  

The program is aligned with the new NSW syllabus and will comprise of 4 x 1 hour sessions, with teachers participating in hands-on activities in each session.

By participating in the pilot program, NSW teachers can learn how to arm students with tools for scientific thinking, and how to use these ideas in the context of real issues at the intersection of science and society, ranging from medical treatments to land use. 

Session 1 – Evidence and Iteration : Skipton’s Water 

This session will demonstrate an activity where students are introduced to a fictional scenario about providing clean drinking water for a town.  They make a decision based on available information. They are then provided with additional data and revisit their decision. Teachers will then lead their students to discuss the role of evidence in decision-making. The concepts of relevance, accuracy, and reliability of evidence are introduced.

Delve into:

• Explicit instruction of critical thinking skills in a context
• Scientific Inquiry
• Lateral reading
• Evaluation skills – Accuracy, Reliability, Validity
• Scientific communication
• Facts Vs Value
• Contemporary contexts

All course materials and more information are available here:
Scientific Thinking for All: A Toolkit