Activities for developing Epistemic knowledge and Critical Thinking through Scientific Inquiry in the school laboratory

This article presents the design of a teaching sequence on the structure of matter and chemical reactivity in the laboratory following the approach of teaching science through scientific practices, in particular through scientific inquiry. Special emphasis is placed on the use of epistemic knowledge involved in this scientific practice to ensure that students learn Chemistry in a meaningful way that is consistent with how scientific knowledge is developed, and on the development of critical thinking. The sequence is designed to be implemented in the subject Physics and Chemistry for 8( th) graders (13-14 years old) and for students working in small groups. The implementation of this sequence in two classes suggests that using epistemic knowledge is complex for students and it is appreciated only when it is explicitly promoted through questions inserted in the handouts of the activities or prompted by the teacher through her interventions.