Strand 6: Working Scientifically

Working scientifically involves a number of attitudes:

• Valuing ideas and seeking explanations.
• Respecting evidence and logical reasoning.
• Critical-mindedness and persistence.
• Skepticism about evidence and arguments
• Honesty and openness to new ideas.
• Creativity and lateral thinking.
• Ethical behaviour.
• Regard for the consequences of decisions on the well-being of the living and the non-living components of the environment.
• Acceptance of the provisional nature of scientific knowledge.
• Confidence to take risks within the investigative process.

Working scientifically involves students in:
Observing ; Communicating ; Measuring ; Investigating ; Predicting ; Inferring ; Following procedures ; Classifying ; Designing experiments ; Interpreting data ; Formulating hypotheses ; Collaborative working. The development of these skills is an integral element of the work to be undertaken within the other five strands.