TOK - The Natural Sciences (AOK - 4 Lessons)

A set of four lessons on The Natural Sciences, aiming to develop students’ understanding of the nature of knowledge in this AOK.

The PPT is split clearly into 4 parts:

1] Thinking about what is and is not knowledge in the natural sciences (with a focus on the concept of falsifiability).
2] Thinking about what scientific ideals are in regards to knowledge (and how and why those ideals, such as transparency or precision, for example, are not upheld).
3] Examine examine how scientists manage disagreements between their perspectives (with reference to phenomenon such as a paradigm shift or a reproducibility crisis, for example).
4] Explore differing ethical perspectives of the scientific pursuit of knowledge (with reference to deontological and utilitarian standpoints).

The lessons include tasks that students work on independently and not overly didactic in nature - there are opportunities for students to apply the understanding they have gained, problem-solve and debate.

Teaching time: probably around 3 hours 30 minutes.