THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF THE METHODS OF SCIENCE

Introductory science courses afford the opportunity to expose students to the methods of science. Introduction to Physical Geology affords the opportunity to integrate the methods of science and earth’s environment. By incorporating topics that have authentic applications, students are engaging in science learning that is investigative, inquiry based and relevant to real-world issues. Assessing Environmental Issues, the culminating lab of the semester, fuses a local environmental issue, protecting public health and the environment, with the course goals: practice collecting and analyzing data, and, formulating hypotheses and making predictions. As a pre-laboratory assignment, students conduct, via the world wide web, a case study on Salem Harbor Station. Salem Harbor Station is one of New England’s oldest and largest coal- and oil- fired power plants. In the laboratory, students analyze real–world data on air quality, water quality, and natural resources; formulate hypotheses on the impact of the power plant on us and the environment; and make predictions about health and environmental effects, and, environmental and economic impacts. Engaging students in the methods of science with real-world data applied to an authentic and local environmental issue generates a deeper understanding and appreciation for science, encourages students to critically analyze environmental issues, at both the regional and national level, and prepares students for success in the 21st century.