Claim Testing: Evidence
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 2.6ACTIVITY CLAIM TESTING: EVIDENCE1Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Claim Testing: Evidence”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/PurposeBy exploring the importance of the evidence claim tester, you’ll learn how the theory of plate tectonics became accepted by the scientific community.Process1.Think about this claim: Evidence is the best of the four claim testers. Based on what you know about the four claim testers—intuition, logic, evidence, and authority—do you agree or disagree with this claim? Why?2.Now, let’s test your answer—and the claim—by using information from the “Plate Tectonics: Continents in Motion” article to complete the table below and answer the questions that follow. Note: If you haven’t read the article, read it before you complete the table. Alfred WegenerHarry HessMarie TharpWhat kinds of evidence did each person use to support the theory of continental drift?
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 2.6ACTIVITY CLAIM TESTING: EVIDENCE24.After completing the table, answer these questions:•People believed Hess and eventually Tharp, but not Wegener. Were Hess’s and Tharp’s evidence really that much better?•Imagine that Hess, Tharp, and Wegener had equally good evidence. Why did people see Hess as more of an authority on this topic?•Now that you’ve considered a variety of factors that influence what people decide to believe, revisit the claim from the beginning of the activity: Evidence is the best of the four claim testers. Do you agree or disagree with this claim? Why?•Consider the evidence you learned about plate tectonics. How does this scientific theory help to explain how the Earth changed over time?