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Developing scientific critical reasoning among high school children:

Critical reasoning or thinking is something where you put your allied areas of knowledge together to arrive at a solution. It also involves reflective thinking. Below is an example to engage children in critical thinking. This example is for children aged between 14 to 18 years.

Ex: Bio metric thumb impression machine testing.

A company wants to test its bio metric thumb impression machine.

This is to check the authenticity of the machine for detecting frauds by comparing the finger prints of a person during the time he is alive and after death. The study tries to establish whether there are changes occur in the fingerprint after the death of a person. A comparative study has to be made on the samples (both live and dead samples), in order to find any possible changes in the characteristics of the live and dead fingerprint samples.

A set of dead samples have to be analyzed using various techniques to find the similar properties/characteristics in those samples. Those properties will be compared with the live samples. If any changes in the properties/characteristics of the live and dead samples are identified, then it can be studied thoroughly and can be used to identify whether a given fingerprint was taken when the person was alive or dead. This work will be used for fraud detection.
Click below to see the source of study from which example is derived:
Source:

And now children will be asked to find various ways to conduct the study. Encourage children to think critically. It is good if they can work in group.

Below is an example of one possible response.

1. Step a).  Select an ICU unit of an hospital and take the finger prints and blood samples of all the patients admitted in ICU on given date.

Step b). Continuously collect the samples of all the patients admitted.

Step c). In critical cases when some patients die in the ICU. Collect their samples as soon as they die. And again select the sample after two hours. Continue the research till you get 5 samples of 5 dead patients.

Step d). This will make sure that you have samples of 5 people from their two stages of life (alive and dead).

Maaz Mohammed A.Q. The writer is Learning strategist at Ccels La Education, Bangalore.

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