Resources
Idea, Student Activity & Teacher Resource

STEM Debates – How to argue better about the environment (or anything else)

Years

6-12

Subjects/Topics:

Scientific LiteracySTEMSTEM in Action

Please login to favourite this article.

Encourage students to develop their debating skills by teaching them how to argue better with this approach from a social psychologist, two ecologists and a cartoonist.

This quirky comic-style article can be used to introduce students to positive debate in STEM and would work well across all sciences for Years 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, as well as Senior Sciences.

From climate change to armed conflict, our world is struggling with urgent global issues. But disagreements about how to solve them can spiral out of control.

The only way to resolve intractable conflicts is to overcome desire to talk to allies more often than opponents. Here, a social psychologist, two ecologists and a cartoonist explain the toolbox of communication we need to resolve difficult issues.

How to argue better

The Conversation

Jutta Beher, Spatial analyst in conservation and ecology, The University of Melbourne; Darren C Fisher, Lecturer- Animation, Swinburne University of Technology; Leonie Seabrook, Landscape Ecologist, The University of Queensland, and Winnifred Louis, Professor, Social Psychology, The University of Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Login or Sign up for FREE to download a copy of the full teacher resource

Years:

6-12
Learning Connections

Student Skill Summary

  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Discussion and Collaboration
  • Ethical Understanding
  • STEM Communication

Australian Curriculum Connections - Version 9.0

Sub StrandContent Descriptor
STEM Endeavours & InnovationsBy developing understanding of scientific human endeavours students learn about the nature of science, including the role of science inquiry in developing science knowledge, and the factors that affect the use and advancement of science. They come to understand and appreciate that through science, humans seek to improve their understanding of and explanations for the natural and physical world, that our science knowledge can be refined and revised as new evidence becomes available, and that science influences society by posing and responding to ethical, environmental and social questions. Science as a Human Endeavour showcases ‘STEM in Action’; highlighting the development of science as a unique way of knowing and doing, the role of science in contemporary decision-making and problem-solving, and acknowledging the need to consider ethical and social implications. .
By developing an understanding of human endeavours and innovations students learn about the nature of STEM, including the role of inquiry in developing STEM knowledge, and the factors that affect the use and advancement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They come to understand and appreciate that through STEM, humans seek to improve their understanding of and explanations for the world around them, that our specialist knowledge can be refined and revised as new evidence becomes available, and that STEM knowledge and understanding influences society by posing and responding to ethical, environmental and social questions. STEM endeavour and innovations showcase ‘STEM in Action’; highlighting the development of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as unique ways of knowing and doing, with roles across contemporary decision-making and problem-solving, and acknowledging the need to consider ethical and social implications.

Australian Curriculum Connections - Version 8.4

Sub StrandContent Descriptor
STEM Endeavours & InnovationsThrough science, humans seek to improve their understanding and explanations of the natural world. Science involves the construction of explanations based on evidence, and scientific knowledge can be changed as new evidence becomes available. Science influences society by posing and responding to social and ethical questions, and scientific research is itself influenced by the needs and priorities of society. Science as a Human Endeavour showcases ‘STEM in Action’; highlighting the development of science as a unique way of knowing and doing, the role of science in contemporary decision-making and problem-solving, and acknowledging the need to consider ethical and social implications. .
Through STEM, humans seek to improve their understanding and explanations of the world around them. STEM involves the construction of explanations based on evidence, and specialist knowledge can be changed as new evidence becomes available. STEM knowledge and understanding influences society by posing and responding to social and ethical questions, and STEM research is influenced by the needs and priorities of society. STEM endeavours and innovations showcase ‘STEM in Action’; highlighting the development of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as unique and interlinked ways of knowing and doing, with roles across contemporary decision-making and problem-solving.