Covid-19 & Credibility

 Download background and full description of the inquiry lesson -- The Covid Conundrum [PDF] [Douglas Allchin, American Biology Teacher, Aug., 2020]

 Download Lesson Notes -- short guide to images and student inquiry questions (the "script"). [Word doc] [or PDF]

 Download ZIP file of presentation and all supplemental files.

  • More on " Reconceptualizing Nature-of-Science Education in an Age of Social Media" [PDF]
  • More on "Science Con-Artists" [PDF]
  • More on "Skepticism and the Architecture of Trust" [PDF]

      Teacher's Preface -- START HERE
    1. Nature of Science (or Scientific Practices) vs. Nature of Science-in-Society
    2. Communicating Science: Authentic Science vs. Imitators of Science
    3. Three domains of mediation in science communication
    4. ideals of science education

      Classroom Presentation
    5. START [title screen]: Covid & Credibility
    6. graph of covid pandemic cases
    7. February 27, 2020 map of covid cases
    8. preconceptions: bare shelves
    9. "Which scientific claims should you have trusted?"
    10. Possible remedies?
    11. fraudulent products: How do you detect fraud?
    12. Why/when do we trust?
    13. How serious was covid? Who do you believe and why?
    14. What is expertise?
    15. WHO, CDC as long-standing credible institutions
    16. Levitt's prediction
    17. failed prediction -- expertise not related to infectious diseases
    18. Possible cure?
    19. original HCQ study questioned
    20. deaths in Brazilian study indicate oversold false hope
    21. Levitt, advocate, Raoult -- experts?
    22. role of consensus of experts
    23. Thinking historically about trust
    24. Consequences
    25. Listening to and respecting experts?

      Why so some people reject expertise?
    26. Claim: Covid caused by 5G telecommunications.
    27. maps of correlation
    28. more maps of correlation
    29. Concerns about high voltage towers, cell phones and cancer
    30. Anti-5G is good science?
    31. maps [reprise]
    32. high voltage tower [reprise]
    33. cell phones [reprise]
    34. promoted by celebrities: Woody Harrelson, Wix Khalifa, M.I.A., David Icke
    35. social networks
    36. false consensus
    37. vandalism of cell towers
    38. false theories

    39. Review: What have you learned?
    40. Real-world test Does mouthwash protect you?