bell1.htm

How Is Ones Point Of View Related

To Ones Concept Of Scientific Truth?

Marc Avery Bellow

Overview

Students work singly, and later in groups, to solve the mystery of a terrible "destructive force". This exercise is modeled after the Indian parable of the seven blind wise men who each felt one aspect of an elephant and who each concluded logical but incorrect versions of the truth.

This is a first week introductory activity to help students develop the following concepts:

• We (as wise people) frequently see only some limited aspect of natural phenomena.

• Discussion and idea sharing often helps lead to better understanding of phenomena.

• Discussion may not lead to the "whole truth" but it frequently generates new hypotheses that can then be tested by experiments.

• Scientific understanding is self correcting based on the results of hypothesis testing.

• Good science is constantly checking itself by testing from new perspectives.

Biological Concept

Biologists never accept an idea "blindly". Prior experience and information are used to formulate hypothetical predictions that can then be tested by experiments. Experiments are often simple but rigorous. It should be emphasized that the purpose of experimentation is not to prove a previously held point of view. The role of experimentation is to test hypotheses and the general intellectual stances that spawn them. If what is predicted does happen, then one must conclude that the explanation being tested is probably correct.

The strength of the scientific method is not its ability to make statements of Truth. Good science keeps testing to see if explanations are valid from "all" vantage points and in "all" circumstances. This is obviously a lengthy (never-ending) task. What is believed to be, is constantly under scrutiny. Dogma is constantly being reviewed and sometimes modified or even overthrown.

Examples of changing views in the biological sciences include:

• One gene one enzyme.

• The flow of information from DNA to RNA to proteins.

• The ongoing revisions of taxonomic schemes.

• The DNA origin of life.

Class Time

About 45 minutes for the exercise and 15 to 20 minutes for resolution of the lesson as follows:

• 7 minutes for individual work and written reports

• 13 minutes for teams of seven to reach consensus and write a conclusion

• 15 minutes for class discussion and debate

• 10 minutes for the lesson’s resolution

• 15 minutes to discuss the relationships between the parable, the cartoon and the class exercise

Background Information

This is a parable about seven most wise men. Unfortunately although each was wise beyond normal human knowledge, each was also blind. They were summoned by a local village to deal with a powerful but unknown force that sometimes struck at night damaging the village and killing villagers. Each wise man was able to magically sense the force, but because of "blindness" each was able to sense only some limited aspect of it.

• One, sensed the tusks and compared them to horrible swords and spears.

• One, sensed the muscular trunk and believed it to be part of a huge serpent or snake.

• One, sensed the ears and thought that these were fans or wings of great power.

• One, sensed a leg and thought of the crushing weight of a huge tree moved by the wind.

• One, sensed the thick skin of the side and believed this to be part of a moving brick wall.

• One, sensed a strong coil of thick rough rope.

• One, sensed a horribly foul smell like the stench of decay from a swamp. A quagmire.

If the portrayal of flatulence is a problem, then six wise men will do. It was in the original.

Materials

• a summary transparency master for a terminal group discussion

• a student activities sheet

• a student homework sheet

• materials for the seven clues

numbered folders

a physical object

an index card with a typed description

Methods

Students each receive a student activity sheet. Each student is supplied one of the seven different types of clues. The students are now grouped in teams of seven so that all clues are known to all groups. After writing down some of their ideas they are assembled as a class and the problem solving continues. During the last five minutes of the exercise the parable is told. Afterward a transparency of the "elephant" is projected. Students should be able to conclude that the wise men did not question their perceptions by developing testable hypotheses. The wise men did not change their point of view by examining the phenomenon from a new vantage point. The wise men did not confer to share additional facts.

Your students will come to appreciate some aspects of this as they try to find out what the terrible force was. This exercise should encourage healthy discussion and exchange of ideas.

The HW sheet is assigned after the class discussion.

Extensions

• How were the wise men not acting like good scientists?

• What would scientists have done to investigate if their hypotheses were correct or incorrect?

• How are we all like the blind wise men?

• See "Altering Ideas In The Light Of New Evidence -- What Is The Color Of Chlorophyll?"

About The Author

Marc Avery Bellow is a teacher of biology and AP psychology at Benjamin Cardozo H. S., 57-00 223 Street, Bayside, NY 11364. The school’s fax number is 718 631-7880. He can also be contacted by e-mail at jam13@ix.netcom.com

Undisplayed Graphic

See Hard Copy for diagram

***please note from Hard Copy shrink the diagram to fit this page!!!!

NAME: ________________________________ DATE: ______________ PERIOD: _____

How Is Ones Point Of View Related

To Ones Concept Of Scientific Truth?

In a distant far off land a group of incredibly rich townspeople huddle in fear and horror. Once again their remote village is under horrible attack. An unknown and unseen powerful force is destroying some homes, killing some livestock and pets, and threatening the population. In the last three weeks over 137 people have been horribly killed. Almost no clues exist to shed light upon the terrible destructive force. These people are depending on you, a world famous detective and scientist, to save them. Go to the main desk and obtain clue # _____. Select the appropriate folder. Remember your clue can be related to any of your senses. Additional information can be obtained by reading a short passage. After obtaining your clues, answer the following. You have three minutes.

1. My clue was :________________________________________________________________

2. I think that the terrible force is probably similar to:___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

The villagers have collected seven different clues and have hired seven famed detective scientists to solve the problem. Each of you has had a very difficult time reaching a solution. The other six are anxious to meet with you to share their information. Go to the meeting place that you were assigned to and share your information and your views.

3. I learned the following new clues:________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

4. After discussing the problem we have decided that:___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

5. The information was posted on the world wide web and detective scientists the world over have been working on the problem. They have decided to have a symposium of all interested members to meet to discuss the problem as a group. After sharing information with my fellow scientists we feel the we must proceed as follows:

a. We should do the following tests to determine _____________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

b. We should try to get new information by __________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

c. At the present moment, after taking into account all of the information at our disposal the terrible force seems to be: ____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

d. I say this based mainly upon the following facts: _________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

6. Draw a group of sketches below to represent your best guess or guesses as to what the terrible force actually is.

Undisplayed Graphic

Your teacher will now give you some additional instructions.

Your homework assignment is to answer the questions on the homework sheet and staple it to this page.

NAME: ________________________________ DATE: ______________ PERIOD: _____

How Is Ones Point Of View Related

To Ones Concept Of Scientific Truth?

Remember the men were wise but each could sense only one part of the whole.

Some problems are so complex that we don’t even have an idea as to how many parts there are:

Undisplayed Graphic

See Hard Copy for Diagram

7. In which ways were the wise men not acting like good scientists?

______________________________________________________________________________

8. What could all of the wise men have done to arrive at a more accurate concept of the force?

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________9. What could they have done to test if their concept was correct?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________10. How is hypothesis testing a good way of moving closer to the "truth?’

______________________________________________________________________________

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

webmaster@woodrow.org
CN 5281, Princeton NJ 08543-5281

Tel:(609)452-7007

Fax:(609)452-0066