Understanding Science

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A primer on the nature and process of science.

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What is science? | How science works
Why science matters | Science toolkit

Our section of teaching resources on the nature and process of science.

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K-2 | 3-5 | 6-8 | 9-12 | 13-16
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A browsable archive of articles, tutorials, interactive features and more.

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How Science Works flowchart

Science in Action

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Cells within cells: An extraordinary claim with extraordinary evidence
Learn how an unlikely idea — that the merging of cells played a prominent role in evolution — overcame strong initial resistance within the scientific community and came to be an accepted part of evolutionary theory.

The structure of DNA: Cooperation and competition
Knowing the structure of DNA has helped push biology into new realms. Find out how the human side of science played out in this remarkable discovery.

Try out the new How Science Works Web App!

Chart your own course through the process of science with our interactive journaling tool.

"Science is not everything, but science is very beautiful."
— Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer

Understanding Science was developed by the University of California Museum of Paleontology in collaboration with its Advisory Boards.

Funded by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. EAR-0624436. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).

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American
Institute of
Biological
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California
Science
Teachers
Association

National
Association
of Biology
Teachers

Encyclopedia
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Deep
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