Quantitative Reasoning in the Context of Science Phenomena

Over the last decade, reform in science education has placed an emphasis on the science practices as a way to engage students in the process of science and improve scientific literacy. A critical component of developing scientific literacy is learning to apply quantitative reasoning to authentic scientific phenomena and problems. Students need practice moving fluidly (or fluently) between math and science to develop a habit of mind that encourages the application of quantitative reasoning to real-world scenarios. Here we present a student-facing model that challenges students to think across these two fields. The model brings together math and science with a goal to increase scientific literacy by engaging students in quantitative reasoning within the context of scientific questions and phenomena. In the classroom, the model serves to help students visualize the logical and necessary moves they make as they use quantitative reasoning to connect science practices with mathematical thinking.