Advice to a New Science Teacher: The Importance of Establishing a Theme in Teaching Scientific Explanations

Abstract

In the Humanities, my most memorable teachers were those who did more than teach the subject matter of some discipline. They espoused an underlying theme that established a perspective or framework within which to structure the details of the subject being taught. This paper will describe a particularly useful theme that reveals the structure of certain scientific explanations relevant to a study of chemistry. Because it emphasizes the structure of certain scientific explanations found in chemistry, it usually helps a student to distinguish a sensible explanation from one that is not. Some might suggest that the Scientific Method as proposed by Roger Bacon is particularly suitable for such a theme. I disagree. The Scientific Method—no matter what model is used—is too generic. It lacks the specificity necessary to be useful in the role of a theme. This paper is intended to provide an example of a theme for an introduction to chemistry that I have found particularly useful. However, before continuing, let me put in an immediate disclaimer. The theme that I have found most useful is neither the only possible theme nor necessarily the best. However, it does demonstrate what a “theme in a science course” means to me. Hopefully its usefulness will be apparent to the reader.