Introduction

This is the third publication in our series called Turning Points in Science, which highlights the history and nature of science. The first publication covered the topic of germ theory and the second the Copernican revolution. The third in the series, Atomic Theory, highlights human thinking and theorizing regarding the structure and nature of matter.

Several themes that appeared in the first two publications are seen in Atomic Theory as well. First, Copernican revolution conveyed two important reasons for a study of historical events in science: (1) Because it underscores and makes more real the nature of science — that science progresses when the findings of one person become the stepping stone for another to advance human understanding, and (2) because these turning points impacted society and culture in irreversible ways.

Second, the methods of science vary with the discipline. The methods in physical science are probably the closest to conceptions of science methods students may hold. In physical science, fairly certain conclusions can be drawn from well-controlled laboratory investigations because confounding variables are largely eliminated. Thus, the hypothetical-deductive model of science is often played out as predicted.

Third, like the previous two publications in the series, this publication aims to facilitate student mastery of the Science as Inquiry and History and Nature of Science content standards; this time in the context of elucidation of atomic theory. Thus, some of the Physical Science content standards are touched upon too.

Finally, as in the previous publications, avoiding the temptation of verification exercises remains a priority. Rather, allow students to make their own "discoveries," to interpret their observations, to make logical inferences, and to derive supported conclusions. In the context of atomic theory, students will engage in simulation and demonstration activities as well as some laboratory exercises from which they can make some inferences regarding the structure of matter.

In this publication, our first resources begin with the ancient Greeks, particularly Democritus, who is credited with giving us the word atom, from atomos, meaning indivisible. Interestingly, even then there were at least two competing theories of the nature of matter. There was Democritus' idea of atoms and there was Empedocles' idea of the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water.

Empedocles' theory was endorsed by Aristotle and endured for centuries due to his authority rather than any convincing empirical evidence. Then, as with germ theory, several individuals over time made observations contributing to an evolution of the atomic theory, which has become quite detailed. Resources provided here intend to help teachers help students gain knowledge and understanding of this course of human thinking, i.e., scientific habits of mind and how knowledge of the atom enables further progress in science.

In the first part of this series — Germ Theory — the background information provided research articles on naive conceptions, how to conduct inquiry teaching, and a video segment on the nature of scientific theory. Those resources are equally helpful here, but are not repeated here. The Background Information section in this publication provides resources regarding the many individuals across time whose work impacted the evolution of the atomic theory. Resources that might be considered more cultural and historical then scientific are included, since science does not progress in a vacuum, but within the cultural parameters of a society.

The Lessons and Activities are meant to facilitate student understanding of the context, the emergence, and the impact of the atomic theory, touching on the National Science Education Standards of History and Nature of Science, to Physical Science, and Science as Inquiry.

We again refer you to the National Science Teachers Association's excellent position statement on Scientific Inquiry for guidance regarding how teachers can conduct inquiry teaching and what teachers can expect from students.

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by Mary LeFever

Mary LeFever is a resource specialist for the Middle School Portal, and a doctoral candidate in science education at Ohio State University. She has taught middle school and high school science and is an adjunct instructor of biology and natural sciences at Columbus State Community College. Please email any comments to msp@msteacher.org.

There's More! You'll know when new science publications are posted on NSDL Middle School Portal by requesting free email notices at http://msteacher.org/registration.aspx. Don't forget to browse the Science Pathway every once in a while to find a wealth of resources for your teaching.

Blog with Us. Every week, we connect what's making the news to the National Content Standards...so you can too! Read and share your ideas on our blog Connecting the News to National Science Education Standards at http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/connectingnews/.

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Copyright December 2007 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.