Students, as well as adults, are increasingly confronted with questions that require the processing of information and demand the use of scientific thinking in order to make informed decisions. Whether the decision appears to be simple (the salad line or the hot food line at school lunch), or of a more complex nature (to smoke or not to smoke), students should, given the opportunity, be able to make an informed decision based upon a methodology that is rational and scientific.

One of the most important things students need is an understanding of how to develop scientific ways of thinking in order to make decisions. The National Science Education Standards point out that "Americans are confronted increasingly with questions in their lives that require scientific information and scientific ways of thinking for informed decision making" and that everyone should be able to "...engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about matters of scientific and technological concern." These concerns and the decisions associated with them (whether of a personal or civic nature), are often complex. Because students have different experiences and interests, they do not all view a problem in the same way. It is essential for educators to provide opportunities for students through which they can gain the experiences that will help them master the skills of informed decision making.

Vocabulary:

decision
importance bars
decision matrix