Lesson Plans

D’Scerner: Critical Thinking of a Review Article on the Role of Dopamine in Addiction

Created by : 
University of Texas Health Science Center

Students use scientific inquiry methods during laboratory and field investigations to analyze the importance of dopamine in the biology of addiction. Students develop scientific “habits of mind” as they learn the process of creating a scientific study to understand how science works and compare and contrast their analysis with that of traditional media articles. This is one lesson of the seven-part curriculum Transforming Science for Critical Thinkers.

What’s In the Lesson Plan: 

  • 4 lessons
  • Teacher materials
  • Journal and media artices

Grade Level(s): 

678

Student Skills Targeted: 

  • Science literacy
  • Using empirical evidence and logic to examine scientific research
  • Identifying limitations and advantages of scientific research
  • Comparing and contrasting peer-reviewing findings with that of media articles

Time / Duration: 

  • 4 class periods

Materials: 

  • Printer/copier for articles, worksheets

Alignment with National Standards: 

  • National Science Education Standards
  • Project 2061 Standards
  • Healthy People 2010

Languages: 

  • English