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Discuss what characterizes science and its methods.
Standard #: SC.8.N.2.2
Standard Information
General Information
Subject Area: Science
Grade: 8
Body of Knowledge: Nature of Science
Idea: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts
Big Idea: The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge -

A: Scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence, and is appropriate for understanding the natural world, but it provides only a limited understanding of the supernatural, aesthetic, or other ways of knowing, such as art, philosophy, or religion.

B: Scientific knowledge is durable and robust, but open to change.

C: Because science is based on empirical evidence it strives for objectivity, but as it is a human endeavor the processes, methods, and knowledge of science include subjectivity, as well as creativity and discovery.
Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08
Content Complexity Rating: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts - More Information
Date of Last Rating: 05/08
Status: State Board Approved
Related Courses
Related Access Points
  • SC.8.N.2.In.1 # Identify that scientific knowledge must be supported by evidence.
  • SC.8.N.2.Su.1 # Recognize examples of evidence that supports scientific knowledge.
  • SC.8.N.2.Pa.1 # Recognize an example of observable evidence related to science.
Related Resources
Lesson Plan
  • Creativity in Science # Scientists and engineers, who know a lot about technology, worked together to create satellites so many different things could be studied. In this lesson, students will learn about the launch of the Swift satellite and the data that the satellite collects and sends to Earth. The focus of the lesson is on the people involved in the project and their careers and cooperative activities. Students also explore the different job roles in the development of satellites and web pages used to communicate scientific discoveries from those satellites, with a particular focus on gamma ray bursts.
Original Student Tutorial
  • Think Like a Scientist # Learn about the tools of science as we look at the mystery of bird migrations in this interactive tutorial. 
Presentation/Slideshow
  • What is Science? # Resource provides a succinct overview of the nature of science; what science is and is not. Information includes the aims of scientific pursuits, principles, process and thinking.
Professional Development
  • Generating and Testing Hypotheses # This brief article summarizes the research-based rationale for using inquiry-based activities in their classrooms. It also provides specific suggestions to help teachers plan lessons that encourage students to generate predictions based on hypotheses, design investigations to test the validity of their ideas, and utilize questioning techniques to promote critical thinking.
Project
  • A Survey About Science # Through a student administered survey, friends and family members share their perception of science and the scientific process. This information is then shared with classmates to create a picture of the community's knowledge about, and comfort level with, science. By the end of this lesson, students will have a better understanding of what science is and isn't after exploring and discussing the implications of scientific literacy.
Text Resource
  • What Separates Science From Non-Science? # This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. Written by two scientists, the article explains how "hard sciences" and "soft sciences" are different. The authors list the five concepts that characterize scientifically rigorous studies and determine that, while not inferior, social sciences like economics are not truly "scientific."
Unit/Lesson Sequence
  • CIS Unit - Science and Pseudoscience # This is a Comprehension Instructional Unit on the characteristics of science and pseudoscience. There are 2 files: the CIS unit with questions and culminating activity and the article itself. This correlates with the 8th grade Holt Fusion textbook in Unit 1, Lesson 1.
Video/Audio/Animation
  • Gamma-ray Burst Theories # This video clip explores some of the possible theories that might help explain what causes gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Scientists have only been studying GRBs since 1967, even though they originated billions of years ago. Once they were found, it took scientists another four years to determine what these flashes of nuclear energy were.
Original Student Tutorials Science - Grades K-8
  • Think Like a Scientist # Learn about the tools of science as we look at the mystery of bird migrations in this interactive tutorial. 
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