Web Resources on Science Literacy

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Web Resources on Science Literacy Dan Sporea and
Adelina Sporea National Institute for Lasers,
Plasma and Radiation Physics, Bucharest,
Romania Motto Scientific literacy may
likely determine whether or not democratic
society will survive into the 21st century. -L.
M. Lederman, Nobel Laureate Purpose of the
report a review of the concept for its better
understanding, in order to make more efficient
different means of implementation (i.e. Hands-on
Science project, dissemination of the RD
outcome) Presentation outline ? Implications
of scientific illiteracy ? Definition(s) of
science literacy ? Approaches in solving the
problem ? Directions of interest ? Additional
resources ? Science Curriculum Materials
Developers
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• Implications of scientific illiteracy. The
  concept of Science literacy. General remarks
• ? Building Websites for Science Literacy
  by Victoria Welborn and Bryn Kanar
• http//www.library.ucsb.edu/istl/00-w
  inter/article2.html
• ? Who's Getting It Right and Who's Getting
  It Wrong in the Debate about Science Literacy? By
• Matthew Nisbet - http//www.csicop.or
  g/scienceandmedia/literacy/
• ? Test Your Scientific Literacy! by
  Richard Carrier
• http//www.infidels.org/library/moder
  n/richard_carrier/SciLit.html
• ? Mathematics and Science
  Literacy-Bridges to carrier-Designing
  Professional Development for
• Teachers of Science and Mathematics
  by Susan Loucks-Horsley, et al., 1998.
• ? The General Populations Ignorance of
  Science Related societal Issues A Challenge for
  the
• University, AAPT Announcer 30(2)
  105 (2000) -http//www.physics.indiana.edu/hake/
  
• ? Two Revolutions in K-8 Science Education
  by Lopez, R.E. T. Schultz, 2001, Physics Today
• 54(9) 44-49 - http//physicstoday.o
  rg/pt/vol-54/iss-9/p44.html

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• What is science literacy?
• non-scientists generally lack it
• the current levels of civic scientific literacy
  are too low
• scientists themselves often fail to understand
  basic scientific principles
• outside their areas of specialization
• science is as much about a way of thinking as
  it is about results
• basic level of scientific literacy is required
  in order for individuals to function
• in a scientific and technological culture and
  for a nation to compete more
• effectively in the industrialized world
• effective professional development
• enhancing one's ability to make personal
  decisions

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• Definition(s) of science literacy (last 6
  years)
• references from http//www.library.ucsb.e
  du/istl/00-winter/article2.html
• lists of basic facts that the scientifically
  literate should know (Raymo 1998, Trefil 1996)
• "behaviors that serve as guidelines for
  interpreting the functions of science/technology"
  (Paul
• DeHart Hurd 1998)
• "successful information seeking behavior" (Sapp
  1992)
• "scientific awareness" (Devlin 1998)
• "scientific ways of knowing" (Maienschein 1999)
• Science for All Americans (American Association
  for the Advancement of Science Project 2061
  Update 2001-20002 http//asa.aip.org) defines a
  science literate person as one who
• is familiar with the natural world
• understands some of the key concepts and
  principles of science
• Has the capacity for scientific ways of
  thinking
• Is aware of some of the important ways in which
  mathematics, technology and science depend
• Upon one another
• Knows that science, mathematics and technology
  are human enterprises and what that implies

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• At http//www.yesican.yorku.ca/home/sci-literacy.
  html
• A British political scientist suggested that the
  term encompassed the following components
• a) An appreciation of the nature and
  aims of science and technology, including their
  historical
• origins and the epistemological and
  practical values which they embody
• b) A knowledge of the way in which
  science and technology actually work, including
  the funding of
• research, the conventions of
  scientific practice, and the application of new
  discoveries.
• c) A basic grasp of how to interpret
  numerical data, especially relating to
  probability and statistics.
• d) A general grounding in selected areas
  of science, including, for example, a number of
  key
• interdisciplinary areas such as
  matter and energy, information theory, and
  environment and
• health.
• e) An appreciation of the
  interrelationships between science, technology
  and society, including
• the role of scientists and
  technicians as experts in society, and the
  structure of relevant political
• decision-making processes.

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2. An enterprise in the USA which has as its
central purpose the reform of education in
science, mathematics and technology started by
defining what were considered to be the basic
dimensions of scientific literacy a)
Being familiar with the natural world and
recognizing both its diversity and its unity.
b) Understanding key concepts and principles
of science. c) Being aware of some of
the important ways in which science, mathematics
and technology depend upon one
another. d) Knowing that science,
mathematics and technology are human enterprises
and knowing what that implies about
their strengths and limitations. e)
Having a capacity for scientific ways of
thinking. f) Using scientific knowledge
and ways of thinking for individual and social
purposes
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3. A Canadian educator's description of
scientific literacy as a basis for science
education presented the following elements
a) Scientific knowledge which includes
facts, concepts, principles, and skills and their
applications to new situations in
science and technology. b) The ability
to engage in the processes of scientific inquiry.
c) General ideas about the
characteristics and limitations of science.
d) Important relationships between science
and society. e) Attitudes and
interests related to science.
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• From Michigan Science Education Guidebook
• To be scientifically literate all graduates of
  today schools should be
• ? knowledgeable about the important
  concepts and theories of the three major branches
  of
• scientific study earth, life, and
  physical sciences
• ? able to think scientifically and use
  scientific knowledge to make decisions about
  realworld
• problems
• ? able to construct new knowledge for
  themselves through research, reading, and
  discussion
• ? familiar with the natural world, and
  respectful of its unity, diversity, and
  fragility
• ? able to make informed judgments on
  statements and debates claiming to have a
  scientific
• basis
• ? able to reflect in an informed way on
  the role of science in human affairs.
• According to the Michigan Curriculum Frameworks
  (in Literacy in Science Project by Kristie
• Thompson Holly Hoffman -http//www.msu.edu/hoff
  ma51/ScienceLiteracy.html) scientific literacy is
  the ability to
• ? construct scientific knowledge,
• ? reflect on scientific knowledge, and
• ? use scientific knowledge to describe,
  explain, and make predictions about real world
  events,
• phenomena and systems.

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• Two categories of interest
• Civic Scientific Literacy (according to Miller
  1998, referred to in
• http//www.library.ucsb.edu/istl/00-winter
  /article2.html
• 1. "a vocabulary of basic
  scientific constructs...
• 2. an understanding of the process
  or nature of scientific inquiry
• 3. some level of understanding of
  the impact of science and technology on
  individuals and on society.
• Science Information Literacy (according to
  Shapiro and Hughes 1996 Information Literacy as
  a Liberal Art Enlightenment proposals for a new
  curriculum http//www.educause.edu/pub/er/review
  /reviewarticles/31231.html
• The ability to "access information", the ability
  to engage in "critical reflection on the nature
  of information itself, and its social, cultural
  and even philosophical context and impact, based
  on
• 1. Tool Literacy the ability to use
  and understand information tools including
  computers,
• printers, and network
  applications
• 2. Resource Literacy the ability to
  "understand the form, format, location and access
  methods
• of information resources"
• 3. Social-structural literacy an
  understanding of "how information is socially
  situated and
• produced and how it fits into
  the life of groups...such as universities,
  libraries, research
• communities.

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• Approaches in solving the problem
• ?? Family and community involvement, through
  direct interaction with
• ? the natural world (gardening, looking for pets
  and plants, visits to natural park and zoos)
• ? man-created environment (assistance in
  household activities small repairs, cooking -
  visits to
• hands-on science center, museums, radio and
  TV broadcasting)
• ? American Association for the Advancement of
  Science http//asa.aip.org/
• ? www.ScienceEverywhere.org
• ? www.tryscience.org
• ? http//www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-5233---
  ,00.html
• ? http//www.btinternet.com/Brian.Fisher/s6.htm
• ? http//www.smv.org/
• ? Internet Resources for Parents
  www.scimathmn.org
• Michigan Science Education Guidebook
• science toys and kits

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• ?? Schools contribution by training through
• experiments, observation, analysis, data mining
  and processing, discussions and communication of
  
• results, didactic materials
• ? http//www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/Sc
  iProjIntro.html
• ? The Physics Classroom
  http//www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/Class/B
  Board.html
• science guides (National Research Council)
• ? National science education standards.
  Washington, DC National Academy Press
• http//www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/n
  ses/
• science NetLinks
• ? http//www.sciencenetlinks.com/about.htm
• ? The National Science Teachers
  Association http//www.nsta.org/
• science learning centers with simple and cheep
  experiments
• ? http//web2.airmail.net/kboyle/
• full Option science system
• ? http//lhsfoss.org/index.html
• school study group seminars
• ? The New Science Literacy Main
  Mathematics and Science Alliance - www.mmsa.org
• ? American Association for the Advancement
  of Science http//www.project2061.org/

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• ?? Local authorities
• ? Alberta Science Literacy Association
  http//www.asla.ca/
• ? http//www.astro.ufl.edu/doug/gslop/
• ? SLIP, Rhode Island College
  www.ric.edu/slip
• ?? Students activities for supporting science
  literacy
• ? The Odyssey of the Rational Mind, a
  registered organization with Associated Students
  at the
• University of California, San Diego
  http//www.sciscript.net/odyssey.htm
• NGOs activities on specific topics
• ? general public education/ training and
  virtual tours on marine science and biotechnology
  at
• http//www.SGA.seagrant.org
• ? National Center for Science Education
  http//www.natcenscied.org/default.asp
• ? ENC http//www.enc.org/weblinks/math/0,15
  44,12Dshapescirclessolidspolyhedra
• polygonstriangles2Dany2DGeometricFi
  gures,00.shtm
• ? Summit on Science http//www.summitscienc
  e.org/literacy/index.html
• ? Institute for Information Literacy
  http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolit
  /infolitoverview/

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• ? Professional societies activities in promoting
  science literacy
• ? Institute of Ocean - Sciences
  http//atocdb.ucsd.edu/
• ? American Chemical Society
  http//membership.acs.org/M/Midl/ChemEd.htm
• ? http//www.nestanet.org/
• ? American Physical Society Policy
  Statement on K-12 Science and Mathematics
  Education
• http//www.aps.org/apsnews/0201/020101
  .html
• ?? Teaching general liberal-science courses to
  the non-scientists and informal education
• ? Science Literacy, by Gentry Lee,
  http//tlcserv.la.utexas.edu/
• ? courses on recent scientific theories,
  Boston University
• http//people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWe
  b/courses/sl/sl_top.htm
• ? http//www.space.com/opinionscolumns/gentr
  ylee/science_literacy_gentry_000804.html
• ? The National Science Teachers Association
  
• http//www.nsta.org/main/news/stories/
  nsta_story.php?news_story_ID49921
• ?? Teachers education in using science related
  curriculum materials
• ? The Center for Curriculum Materials in
  Science http//www.sciencematerialscenter.org/

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• ?? Appropriate literature for teachers
• ? http//www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-h
  andle-url/index3Dstripbooks2526field-
• keywords3Dscience2520literacy2526re
  sults-
• process3Ddefault2526dispatch3Dsearc
  h/ref3Dpd5Fsl5Fov5Ftops-
• 15Fstripbooks5F62551735F1/002-956313
  7-1775204
• ? Global Science Literacy (2002) by Kluwer
  Academic Publishers Thier Marlene and Daviss
• Bennett
• ? The New Science Literacy Using Language
  Skills to Help Students Learn Science.
• http//www.lib.msu.edu/corby/reviews/p
  osted/thier.htm
• ? Resources for Science Literacy
• http//www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/sub
  ject/?viewusaci0195108736
• http//www.actionbioscience.org/
• ? http//www.scienceweb.org/new.html
• Role played by public libraries
• ? A Science Literacy Program of the Santa
  Cruz Public Libraries
• http//scplweb.santacruzpl.org/science/
  
• ? Promoting Information Literacy for
  Science Education Programs Correlating the
  National
• Science Education Content Standards
  with the Association of College and Research
  Libraries

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• Role of the media
• ? Approaches to Media Literacy in Science
  Education National Media Education Conference
• 2003 - http//www.med.sc.edu1081/tim.
  htm
• ? Science Literacy for Public Radio
  Reporters and Producers Workshop
• http//www.dnafiles.org/scienceworkshop/p
  rogramdescription.html
• ? http//www.csicop.org/scienceandmedia/lit
  eracy/
• Foundations supporting projects on science
  education
• ? Clark Foundation - http//www.clarkfoundat
  ion.org/literacy.html
• ? Science Technology Literacy
  Videoconference Program Series -
• http//www.diane.tnstate.edu/Dell-Di_scit
  ech_schedule.html
• ? http//www.westga.edu/byates/scientif.htm
  
• Cinema as a tool for science literacy
• ? http//arxiv.org/abs/physics/0404078

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• Directions of interest and strategies in
  teaching science
• Basic readings
• ? Next Steps, Project 2061 to Focus on
  Building Public Support and Improving Texts,
  Winter 2002,
• Volume 12, Number 1, American
  Association for the Advancement of Science -
  www.aaas.org
• ? Michigan Science Education Guidebook
• ? Science for all Americans -
  http//www.project2061.org/tools/sfaaol/chap11.htm
  
• ? Science Teaching Standards Standards
  for Professional Development for Teachers of
  Science
• Science Content Standards Science
  Education Program Standards Science Education
  System
• Standards, National Committee on
  Science Education Standards and Assessment,
  National
• Research Council -
  http//www.nap.edu/catalog/4962.html
• http//www.ridoe.com/standards/framework
  s/science/
• National Academy Press -
  http//books.nap.edu/catalog/4962.html
• ? http//cela.albany.edu/research/project2
  .23.htm
• ? AIMS Education Foundation
  www.AIMSedu.org
• ? American Association for the
  Advancement of Science-
• http//www.project2061.org/tools/ben
  chol/bolintro.htm
• ? Shaping the future new expectations
  for undergraduate education in science,
  mathematics,

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• ? Science Literacy, Gentry Lee
• http//www.space.com/opinionscolumns/gentry
  lee/science_literacy_gentry_000804.html
• ? Science and Literacy, by Ellen Stone
  
• http//www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/Science/Read
  Science/NEF20Sci20and20Lit.html
• ? Achieving Scientific Literacy, From Purposes
  to Practices by Rodger W. Bybee
• http//www.heinemann.com/product/07134.asp
• Redesigning Education by Wilson, K.G. B.
  Daviss, 1994. (Henry Holt, 1994)
• http//www-physics.mps.ohio-state.edu/kgw/
  RE.html
• Science Education Petition of 22 December 1999
  by Woolf, L. 1999 -
• http//www.sci-ed-ga.org/standards/
• Improving Science Literacy and Conservation in
  Developing Countries by Carlos L. de la Rosa
• http//www.actionbioscience.org/newfrontier
  s/delarosa.html
• ? http//www.sciteched.org/curriculum/Circles/lit
  eracy.htm
• ? http//www.arches.uga.edu/pwang/literacy.html
• ? http//www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index
  .asp?HREF/articles/yerrick/index.html
• ? http//www.bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2002/03/ki
  ng.php
• ? http//www.kbs.msu.edu/K12_Partnership/Index.ht
  m
• ? http//course.lib.uci.edu/ed/spirit/focus/
• ? http//groups.ucanr.org/STEL/

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• Which way?
• Development of concepts on science
• Building familiarity with complex ideas
• Science related vocabulary expansion
• ? Reveal common themes
• ? systems
• ? models physical, mathematical,
  conceptual
• ? constancy and change - stability and
  equilibrium, conservation, symmetry,
• patterns of change, trends, cycles,
  chaos, evolution, rates, interactions
• ? scale
• Inter-disciplinarily
• ? Thematic science

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• How?
• Engaging Students with Phenomena (direct
  experiment)
• Doing mathematics in science
• Creating of appropriate training aids
• ? Promoting inquiry
• ? Providing opportunities for students to
  express ideas
• ? Taking Account of Student Ideas
• ? Encouraging self-monitoring
• ? Team building
• ? Improving of communication skills in promoting
  science related knowledge

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• Major themes
• Development of employability skills
• ? Partnership in teaching science (parents,
  community, scientists, teachers, university
  professors)
• Preparation of guiding standards to ensure all
  students access to science (i.e. the need for
• literacy in writing, labeling drawings,
  completing concept maps, developing spreadsheets,
  and
• designing computer graphics)
• Development of standards for teachers training
  on science understanding
• Benchmarking on science teaching
• Science literacy in developing countries

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• Additional resources (selection from
  http//www.project2061.org/tools/bluepol/Resource/
  text.htm)
• ? National Association of Secondary
  School Principals, www.nassp.org
• ? Association for Supervision and
  Curriculum Development, www.ascd.org
• ? National Science Teachers Association
  National Convention, www.nsta.org
• ? National School Boards Association,
  www.nsba.org
• ? National Council of Teachers of
  Mathematics, www.nctm.org
• ? National PTA, www.pta.org
• ? Science Education Resource Guide.
  Developed by Gary Appel, MSSI (Michigan Statewide
  
• Systemic Initiative for Reform of
  Mathematics and Science), http//mde.state.mi.us
• ? Pathways to School Improvement, an
  Internet service developed by North Central
  Regional
• Educational Laboratory (NCREL) and
  the Midwest Consortium for Mathematics and
  Science
• Education - http//www.ncrel.org/ncr
  el/sdrs/pathways.htm
• ? The Coalition of Essential Schools is a
  school-university partnership
• http//www.essentialschools.org/
• ? Eisenhower Program is designed to
  improve the skills of teachers and quality of
  mathematics and
• science - http//www.enc.org
• ? National Assessment of Educational
  Progress, http//nces.ed.gov/
• ? Statewide Systemic Initiatives Program
  (SSI) encourages improvements in science,
  mathematics,

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• ? National Association of Geology
  Teachers, http//www.nagt.org/
• ? National Association for Research in
  Science Teaching, http//www2.educ.sfu.ca/narstsit
  e/
• ? National Earth Science Teachers
  Association, http//www.agu.org
• ? National Science Teachers Association,
  http//www.nsta.org
• ? National Academy of Sciences, National
  Research Council Center for Science, Mathematics,
  and
• Engineering Education,
  http//www.nas.edu
• ? American Association for Higher
  Education, http//www.aahe.org
• ? National Education Association,
  http//www.nea.org
• ? National Association of Secondary
  School Principals, http//www.nassp.org
• Science Curriculum Materials Developers
  (selection from
• http//www.project2061.org/tools/blue
  pol/Resource/text.htm
• ? Activities Integrating Math and Science
  (AIMS) Education Foundation, http//www.aimsedu.or
  g
• ? Educational Development Center, Inc.,
  http//www.edc.org
• ? Technical Education Research Centers
  (TERC), http//www.terc.edu
• ? NASA Central Operations of Resources
  for Educators (CORE),
• http//core.nasa.gov/
• ? National Science Resources Center,
  http//www.nsrconline.org/
• ? U.S. Department of Education,
  http//www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/