Introduction to Scientific Writing & Critical Thinking

Thinking critically and writing scientifically are very valuable skills in the field of Health Sciences. As you advance in your course work, you will be asked to make inferences and connections in the material in ways you may not have done before. So we're going to learn the skills and practice now.

Applying logic and reason to make connections takes time and practice. Identifying key points and analyzing information to form your own conclusions is a skill that has to be built. Let's start by watching these three videos.

What is Critical Thinking?

What is Critical Thinking, Part II

Scientific Writing

Once you've finished the videos, it will be time to practice! I've provided 5 middle-school-level science questions for you to answer critically. You may have to look up some basic information to answer these questions, and that's okay. I'm more interested in your thoroughness, descriptions, and scientifically-written answers than your scientific knowledge.

One thing I find very useful in thinking critically is to answer five basic questions - What? Why? Where? When? How? When thinking critically, it's important to assume your audience doesn't know anything about your subject, so you want to give basic background before jumping right into the answer. 

A good, critically-written answer will require at least one full paragraph (at least 6 complete sentences). Good luck!