Evidence

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/evidence

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the epistemological function?Provides justification for beliefs, making them rational to hold
2. What is the scientific role?Acts as a neutral arbiter between competing theories and confirms/disconfirms hypotheses
3. Why is evidence important in science?In science, evidence lets scientists test ideas against real observations. Without it, science would stop growing and become just guesses.
4. How does evidence help in court?In court, evidence is the proof that judges and juries use to decide if someone did something. Strong evidence can change the outcome of a case.

Epistemology: The philosophical study of knowledge, belief, and justification.
Underdetermination: The idea that evidence is insufficient to determine which of multiple competing theories is true.
Theory-Ladenness: The concept that observations are influenced by the theoretical background of the observer.