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
Resource database | Teaching tools

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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Ancient bones, modern problems: One scientist's trash is another scientist's data
Learn how scientists reuse and upcycle their data, while following graduate student Maria Viteri as she investigates ancient and modern small mammal communities.

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 Interactive!

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

"Science is not a heartless pursuit of objective information. It is a creative human activity, its geniuses acting more as artists than as information processors."
— Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould

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
Earth
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