Lecture Notes: Curiosity and the CER Framework

Personal Growth and Skill Development

• Speaker acknowledges lack of skills in cooking, organizing, and crafts.
• Emphasizes maintaining a growth mindset.
• Skills can be developed over time with practice.
• Speaker highlights curiosity as a developed skill.

Curiosity and Questions

• Curiosity often declines with age.
• Childhood experience with turtles in Texas pond sparked curiosity.
  • Observed red-eared sliders.
  • Questioned their behavior during winter.
• Curiosity can lead to scientific investigations.

Scientific Investigation and Explanation

• Science process is non-linear; no single scientific method.
• Importance of planning in scientific investigations.
• Developing scientific explanations with the CER framework.

CER Framework

• Claim
• Evidence
• Reasoning
• Popular in science classrooms, cross-curricular applications.
• Used for developing conclusions post-investigation.

Case Study: Red-Eared Sliders in Winter

• Question: Where do red-eared sliders go when pond freezes?
• Claim: Turtles remain in the water and brumate during winter.
• Evidence:
  • Observations of turtle activity.
  • Research from peer-reviewed sources.
• Reasoning:
  • Turtles' inactivity is defined as brumation.
  • Brumation allows survival in low oxygen environments.
  • Supports the claim with physiological changes during brumation.

Importance of Reliable Sources

• Emphasizes peer-reviewed sources for scientific research.
• Distinguishes between factual science and personal theories.

Application of CER Beyond Science

• CER framework applicable in daily life.
• Can evaluate claims by checking evidence and reasoning.

Conclusion

• Encourages using CER to stay critical and curious.
• Final reminder: Stay curious, as emphasized by the Amoeba Sisters.