Many of Mr. Henry's students have heard from family or friends that global climate change is a "hoax" perpetuated by certain politicians and policy makers. Mr. Henry is trying to convince them that, in fact, the earth's overall temperature is slowly rising and that, furthermore, the change is at least partly the result of human activity. The approach most likely to be successful in promoting conceptual change about climate change is to:
A) Present both sides of the debate but discredit the "hoax" arguments
B) Present only the climate-change-is-real side of the debate
C) Explain that advocates of the "hoax" perspective have no credibility in the scientific community
D) Remind students that future generations will ultimate pay the price for this generation's refusal to accept that climate change is real

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Presenting both sides of the debate but discrediting the "hoax" arguments allows students to see the contrast between the two perspectives and understand why the scientific consensus supports the reality of climate change. This approach encourages critical thinking and helps students to evaluate the evidence for themselves.