Chapter 6
Science, Technology, and Society in
the Science Classroom
Science, Technology, and Society
Case to Consider:
A Student-Centered Project
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A group of high school biology
students are developing a project
that explores the possibility of
“birth control information centers”
on campus in response to the issue
of teen pregnancy.
Some parents are concerned and a
conference has been scheduled.
How should the teachers prepare
for this meeting?
What rationale and procedures
should guide this learning
experience?
Science, Technology, and Society
How to Read This Chapter
Science-Technology-Society (STS) in the curriculum is a departure
from traditional science education, due to its interdisciplinary nature,
and its immersion in social issues.
In this chapter, reflect on your views of science as they related to your
discipline (biology, chemistry, geology, physics) and ask yourself how
these disciplines interact with technology and society.
Many strategies of teaching are presented in this chapter. Also you
will find curriculum projects that are based on STS and Environmental
Education (EE). You might also want to visit the websites of the
projects identified in the chapter, and find others via your own research
on-line or in schools.
Science, Technology, and Society
Invitations to Inquiry
• What are the characteristics of STS & EE programs?
• How is the STS perspective different from the traditional
approach to science curriculum?
• What strategies do science teachers use to present develop
STS learning experiences?
• What are some of the STS themes, and how do teachers
present them in the classroom?
• What are some STS curriculum examples used in today’s
secondary science classrooms?
• How are STS modules evaluated? Are there criteria that
science teachers agree on?
Science, Technology, and Society
Chapter 6 Map
Science, Technology, and Society
Nature of STS
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Central premise of STS: to help
students develop the knowledge; skills;
and affective qualities in order to take
responsible action on science and
technologically oriented issues.
Make a concept map showing the issues
that students could learn about from the
list of understandings shown here from
the National Science Education
Standards. Select one of the
understandings.
Now take a look at the Table shown
here, and compare your map to the “big
ideas” for two “understandings”.
Science, Technology, and Society
Development of STS
• What is the timeline, and
what are the goals for the
following reports on
infusing STS in school
science:
• National Science Teachers
Association
• National Science
Education Standards
• American Association for
the Advancement of
Science
Science, Technology, and Society
Characteristics of STS and EE
Programs
• How do the following
elements help educators
develop a rationale for
including STS in school
science?
– Problem and Issue Oriented
– Interdisciplinary Thinking
– Connecting Science to
Society
– Global Thinking and the
GAIA Hypothesis
– Relevance
Science, Technology, and Society
Inquiry 6.1:
Getting involved in STS
• In this inquiry, you’ll get
involved in one of the
projects suggested, or
create your own STS
action project.
• Choose one, carry it out,
and report your results via
a poster report.
• How can you turn your
project into a science
lesson plan?
Science, Technology, and Society
STS Teaching Cycle
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STS teaching is not simply learning
about, its learning for. In STS
activities, the idea is to not only
have students learn about the
relevant science and issues, but to
take action for the issue.
What are some events that could be
used as a starting point for an STS
teaching cycle? Jot down a few.
Select one of these, and use the
“responsibility cycle” to describe
how the event could be turned into
a series of STS teaching
experiences.
Event leads
to...SelfUnderstanding
(I)
Integration
(V)
Responsible
Social Action
(IV)
Responsibility
Cycle
STS Issues
Study and
Reflection (II)
DecisionMaking (III)
Figure 6.5: STS Responsibility Cycle
Science, Technology, and Society
STS Methods
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Which of the following STS
methods would you use to help
students deal with this issue: The
local community wants to fill in a
small pond that is adjacent to their
school because it causing an “eyesore” to the environment.
STS Value Dilemma Sheet
STS Action Dramas
Action Voting
Online Dilemma Discussion
Think Piece
Action Project
Science, Technology, and Society
Strategies for STS Teaching
• Clarifying Values
– Chemicals are harmful to
humans
– Nuclear power plants
should be banned
– Fast foods should be
avoided
– Smoking should be banned
in public settings
• STS Value Dilemmas
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Dilemma Sheet
Dilemma Questions
Action Dramas
Voting
Science, Technology, and Society
STS Dilemma Sheet
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By use of a provocative statement
(or illustration), an issue is raised
that has implications for students to
consider.
Photocopy or project the dilemma
shown here to the class. Read the
dilemma aloud as the class follows
along. Pair students off, and have
them respond in writing to the two
questions shown here (there are
more questions.
Conduct a class discussion using
the two questions as a guide.
Nuclear Power Plant Dilemma Sheet
The Dilemma
On April 26, 1986, in what was the world’s largest nuclear
disaster ever, a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
in the Soviet Union exploded, releasing vast quantities of
radioactive material into the atmosphere. Clouds of fallout
covered large areas of Europe, contaminating food supplies
and increasing the rate of cancer in human beings. The
ongoing clean up has cost $14 billion so far, and over 250
people have died. Consult this site for further information:
http://www.nucleartourist.com/events/chernobl.htm.
Following the Chernobyl disaster, one NRC member
estimated the chance of an accident in the U.S. as big or
bigger occurring by 2005 to be as high as 45 percent. In
1989, citizens of Sacramento, California voted to shut down
the publicly owned Rancho Seco nuclear power plant because
it was unsafe and uneconomical.
Dilemma Questions
1. Some people think that nuclear power plants are unsafe not
because of an accident might happen, but because the nuclear
industry has not figured out a safe method for discarding the
radioactive waste products produced by nuclear plants.
Discuss your feelings on this matter.
2. Would you buy a house or take a job that was within a mile
of a nuclear power plant?
Science, Technology, and Society
Case Study
Case Studies
* Is a Mars Sample Return Mission Too
Risky?
* Should Dinosaurs be "Cloned" from
Ancient DNA?
* Selecting the Perfect Baby: Prenatal
Genetic Diagnosis
* Morgan: A Case of Diabetes
* The Tokaimura Accident: Nuclear Energy
* Reactor Safety
Source: National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, State
University of New York at Buffalo
• Case studies enable students to
learn about issues important to
them, and also to develop high
level thinking skills in a debate
environment.
• You can combine this strategy
with the Structured Controversy
presented in Chapter 9.
• Visit the National Center for
Case Study Teaching in Science
and sketch out how you would
implement one of the case in a
middle or high school science
course.
Science, Technology, and Society
Action Projects
• Use the information in the text,
and the cycle shown here to
design an action project for one
of the following topics:
– Waste disposal
– Pollution problems and control
– Recycling efforts and
conservation
– Zoning of land
– Energy issues
– Environmental protection
– Local endangered wildlife
concerns
Science, Technology, and Society
STS Module Design
• Using the details of the STS
Module design in the Art of
Teaching Science and the cycle
shown here, develop the outline
for a module on one of these
topics:
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Skin Cancer
Ground-level ozone
Acid rain
Biological terrorism
Tornado preparedness
Drinking water
Design source: Harold Hungerford, University of Southern
Illinois
Science, Technology, and Society
Inquiry 6.2:
STS Issues in Science Textbooks
• This inquiry will give you a
good idea about the kinds of
STS issues presented in modern
science textbooks.
• You will use the results of a
research study to analyze the
nature and extent of STS issues
in science texts.
• What STS issues are
emphasized in the texts you
studied? How does that
compare with others who did
the inquiry?
Source: Holt, Rinehard & Winston, Dallas,
Texas; Life Science text, grades 6-8
Science, Technology, and Society
STS Themes &
How to Teach Them
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There are many potential themes for
STS topics. In this section of the Art of
Teaching Science, the following are
presented:
In the text
– Air Quality and Atmosphere
On the Companion site
– Population Growth
– Energy
– Effects of Technological
Development
– Hazardous Substances
– Water Resources
– Utilization of Natural Resources
– Environment
Rank order in descending order of importance or make a concept map
showing the relationships among the STS themes shown to the left.
Rank Order:
STS
Themes
linking words
linking words
linking words
linking words
linking words
linking words
Science, Technology, and Society
linking words
linking words
Note About the Themes
• Each theme is presented
via:
– Background information
– A specific topic is identified
– STS actions are described
for the theme
– Resources
• The material presented
here can be used to
develop individual STS
lessons, or develop a
complete 3 - 5 week unit
of study.
Science, Technology, and Society
Theme:
Air Quality & Atmosphere
• There are many opportunities to
involve students in this STS
Theme. The text material
presents information on acid
rain, and includes some STS
actions.
• You can also visit online
projects such as GLOBE and
see not only how they
investigate the atmosphere, but
other topics as well.
• Following this slide are five
slides that take you through an
international projects on clean
air-studying ground-level ozone
Science, Technology, and Society
International Clean Air Project:
AKA Project Ozone
Location of Collaborating Schools
Science, Technology, and Society
Researching Ozone Locally
Using simple tools at the school level to monitor the air
Reading Ozone Level
What’s the wind speed?
Science, Technology, and Society
Ecobadge
The Ecobadge is a card that changes color in the presence of ground-level ozone. The card shown
on the left is used to read the ozone level in parts per billion. Order from Vistanomics
Science, Technology, and Society
Posting Data
A class data table used by the students to post data over a three day period.
Science, Technology, and Society
Class Discussions
A teacher leading a discussion on the nature of the Ozone molecule.
Science, Technology, and Society
Presenting Conclusions
Teams of students present their findings to the rest of the class. Their results included
recommendations for making the air cleaner.
Science, Technology, and Society
Inquiry 6.3: STS Module Design
• In this inquiry you will
make use of the the
information on
creating STS modules,
as well as the section
on STS issues and
how to teach them.
Science, Technology, and Society
STS Curriculum Examples
• We review a few STS curricula
and provide an Inquiry Activity
for you to do the same.
• The following curriculum
projects are presented:
– Science Education for Public
Understanding Program
(SEPUP)
– ChemCom
– Project Learning Tree (PLT)
– BSCS Modules
– Project Wild
– Sustainability Education
Project
Science, Technology, and Society
Inquiry 6.4: Evaluating an STS
Module or Project
• This inquiry is designed for the
purpose of evaluating an STS
module or project.
• You might use it to evaluate an
STS project, or if you created
an STS module, use it to review
your work.
• Use the STS criteria outlined in
the chapter and listed in the
Inquiry to make your
assessment.
• What are the results of your
evaluation?
Science, Technology, and Society
Science Education Literature: Education
for Environmental Sustainability by
David L. Haury
• Read Haury’s article
and use it to develop a
rationale for teaching
environmental
sustainability in a K12 school district.
Science, Technology, and Society