2. Models

Science, Models, and Observation

This class continues the focus on the role of models in scientific investigation and theological understanding, inviting students to compare the process of inquiry in each area.

First, you can present the activity At the Well to revisit the idea of models and how they inform the way we read the Bible.

As a follow-up, consider doing the activity Candle, which extends the idea of how models play a role in scientific observation.

If you have time, you can consider other activities that extend this line of inquiry in the Models, Humility, and Truth Activity Map.

When your class has finished with the activities, turn to a discussion of what these activities might teach us about truth and humility. Raise the question of whether the models invite skepticism:

• Could the text mean anything at all?
• Was there really an object with particular properties that was being observed?
• Do the activities lead us to acknowledge our own limits, while leaving space for further inquiry?

This conversation can lead to discussing the alternative of humility. That is, the alternative of the way humility honors the importance of truth while being aware of the ways in which we fall short in seeking to attain it.