They will have to evaluate and respond to arguments that others make, in person or in the media. They will sometimes have to make arguments of their own and respond to others' criticisms of those arguments. Thus, middle and high school students should understand the process by which scientists critique and justify their ideas and then practice that process themselves. Understanding scientific reasoning processes is also important because scientific knowledge possesses an aura of authority that many people wish to use in the service of self-interested arguments. The arguments supporting these claims often fail to meet the standards of scientific communities.
Science is one of many ways people have of trying to understand the world.
History, art, and philosophy, for example, produce different kinds of insights. Although other ways of knowing may be different from those of scientists, they are not completely unrelated. Furthermore, scientific ideas and theories often have their origins in ideas or beliefs developed for other disciplines. Scientific ideas, in turn, affect other disciplines. Middle and high school students also need to be aware of the multitude of connections within and between scientific disciplines.