How many of the standards are focused on critical thinking skills? How many not?
I don't know if all subjects are organized this way, but the GPS for science are presented as co-requisites. There are two parts in meeting the GPS, you have Characteristics of Science and Content. The two must be taught together, and are therefore called co-requisites. The Characteristics of Science section is exactly what critical thinking is. To question, gather, interpret, analyze, communicate, etc. Basically, how to think like a SCIENTIST! One example standard from the "Habits of Mind" section is "S7CS3. Students will have the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and following scientific explanations." Any part of the Content of science can be used to strengthen critical thinking skills, at least that's the goal...
Pick one and discuss how it could be taught using critical thinking skills and technology.
Ok, for this I'll be using the following standards:
Characteristics of Science - S7CS9. Students will investigate the features of the process of scientific inquiry.
Content - S7L5. Students will examine the evolution of living organisms through inherited characteristics that promote survival of organisms and the survival of successive generations of their offspring.
We will include technology by having the students visit the following site:
http://www.techapps.net/interactives/pepperMoths.swf
For this activity, students learn about the life cycle of the Peppered Moth, the story of how pollution effected the population of Peppered Moths, scientists' research on the matter, and finally play a game where they get to be the bird and simulate natural selection. The game at the end allows students to make predictions, gather data, and draw conclusions (process of scientific inquiry).
