The Science and Society modules encourage social studies and civics classes to examine the relationship between biology and democracy. This relationship is all the more interesting because democracy is inherently political in nature, while science is empirical . Democracy places power in the hands of the citizens through the exercise of majority rule while respecting minority rights. Science then presents democracy with ideas that have demonstrated their value through testing and experimentation.
Introduction to Science and Society Modules: This brief PowerPoint module (11 slides) is recommended to be shown to students before any Science and Society module is used in class. The presentation stresses that the modules take no positions on the questions posed by the particular module, but are meant to act as springboards to student discussions of those questions.
Argument Driven Inquiry in Science is a role playing module that requires several class periods. Students recreate a method that has been developed for the lay public to deal directly with scientists without the interlocutor of politics such as happens in the common legislative hearings and the mass media.
The modules are freely available for download.
See our glossary for the terms used in the modules.