University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Teaching Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum
Critical Thinking with Chemistry: Justifying Conclusions with Observations
Steve Wright, Chemistry Department, UW-SP
Joanne Kurfiss defines critical thinking as “an investigation whose purpose is to explore a
situation, phenomenon, question, or problem to arrive at a hypothesis or conclusion about it that
integrates all available information and that can therefore be convincingly justified.”1 Kurfiss
contends that chemists (natural scientists) draw reasonable inferences from observation and
evaluate findings to generate new questions or experiments. Summarizing, critical thinking in
natural sciences includes:
•
•
Justifying conclusion (hypotheses) with observation, and
Expanding the scope of those hypotheses with further observation.
Chemistry Example
Gas Laws and Kinetic Molecular Theory
Ideal vs Non-ideal Behavior
Beyond Chemistry
Crossword puzzles, or
A different spin on the Iraq-Viet Nam comparison
Where are students in their understanding of theory/data relationship?
• Spring 2007 Chemistry 105 Second Exam – 28% incorrect
Which of the experiments shown below would be appropriate comparisons to illustrate Charles’s
Law, the relationship between volume and temperature of a gas?
Experiment
1
2
3
4
5
Pressure
(atm)
1.10
1.10
1.00
1.38
1.00
Volume
(liters)
44.4
40.7
48.9
44.4
40.7
Temperature
(degrees C)
25.0
0.0
25.0
100.0
-25.0
Amount
(moles)
1.00
1.50
1.50
1.00
1.50
A. 1, 3
B. 1, 4
C. 3, 5
D. 1, 5
E. none of the above are appropriate comparisons for Charles’s law.
• Spring 2005 Chemistry 105 Second Exam – 63% incorrect
In class we developed several mathematical equations (like P1V1=P2V2) that allow us to make
quantitative predictions about the behavior of gases. We derived these equations based on
A. the Kinetic Molecular Theory of Gases.
B. quantitative laboratory measurements (observations).
C. Dalton’s Atomic Theory.
D. stoichiometric calculations.
E. none of the above.
• Spring 2005 Chemistry 105 Second Exam – 79% incorrect
The temperature of a sample of gas is directly proportional to its pressure. Which is the best
theoretical explanation of this?
A. gas particles strike the container with the same force, but over a smaller area.
B. gas particles strike the container with greater force thus the force must be spread over a
greater area.
C. gas particles strike the container with greater force over the same area.
D. if the temperature is doubled, the pressure doubles.
E. if the temperature is doubled, the pressure is halved.
• Spring 2005 Chemistry 105 Final Exam – 6% incorrect
The pressure of a sample of gas held in a constant volume container increases as the temperature
increases because
A. the gas particles move faster, hitting the walls of the container with greater force.
B. the gas particles move faster, hitting the walls of the container with less force.
C. the gas particles move slower, hitting the walls of the container with greater force.
D. the gas particles move slower, hitting the walls of the container with less force.
E. none of these explain this observation.
Learning Outcomes – Chemistry 106
1. Use and critique the scientific method as a process to develop theoretical constructs
and/or solve problems.
2. Consider reasonable data/observations to draw justifiable conclusions and make
informed decisions.
3. Use abstract concepts to develop well-reasoned solutions to problems.
4. Communicate convincingly when proposing solutions to problems or explaining
observations.
5. Select and apply appropriate theories of chemistry to explain phenomena.
Some Classroom Strategies
• POGIL (Process Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning)
http://www.pogil.org/
• Case Studies
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/case.html
• Baffled by the Baby Bottle
• PCB’s in the Last Frontier: A Case Study on the Scientific Method
• Data-Driven Approach
http://www.uwsp.edu/chemistry/chemproj/fipse/index.htm
• Student Survival Guide
• Worksheets for Chemistry 105
• Class research project
Uptake of metals in plants
1
Kurfiss, Joanne G. Critical Thinking: Theory, Research, Practice, and Possibilities. ASHE-ERIC Higher
Education Report No. 2. Washington, K.C.: The George Washington University, Graduate School of
Education and Human Development.