Skeptical Science Argumentation Practice - KEY

The Skeptical Science website (http://www.skepticalscience.com) provides numerous valuable tools for anyone wanting to learn more about Climate Science arguments and skepticism. The questions below will guide you through the site and introduce you to some of the incredible resources that are available.

1. On the home page, there is a tab for Newcomers, Start Here: http://www.skepticalscience.com/Newcomers-Start-Here.html. What is the purpose of the site according to this page? He wants newcomers to understand that real climate skeptics don’t cherry pick_ data or look at small pieces of the puzzle. Real skeptics will look at the full body_ of evidence before coming to their conclusion. The Skeptical Science website___ looks at the skeptics arguments and puts the pieces of the puzzle into the proper context.______

2. Under the Software tab, what Apps and add-ons are available, and what do they do? There are apps for Iphones, Android phones and Nokia phones. There is also a__ Firefox add-on. These apps and add-ons allow you to quickly search for______commonly used skeptic arguments and the best scientific explanation for those_ arguments.______

3. What types of social media sites is Skeptical Science associated with? Click on one of the links for a social media site that you use. What is one of the last posts on this site? Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube______

4. Look at some of the resources under the Resources tab. Name three of the resources and explain what you found interesting about them.  The Scientific Guide to Global Warming Skepticism - a 16-page PDF  Dozens of climate science graphic created by Skeptical Science and available for educational use.  A climate science glossary with ~758 terms  A page of climate misinformers – people commonly interviewed in the media and what they have said about climate change  A Scientific Guide to the 'Skeptics Handbook' – a 12-page PDF  A list of links to stories that are sorted by argument. You can also choose to see only peer-reviewed links.  A page of climate myths given by politicians

5. Under the arguments tab, one way that arguments are presented is by “taxonomy.” What do they mean by that and what are the four main “taxonomic” categories they use? The arguments have been broken into categories and subcategories. The four___ main categories are: 1. It’s not happening, 2. It’s not us, 3. It’s not bad, and 4. It’s too hard.______

6. Another way that arguments are categorized is by popularity. Click at argument #4 in popularity. What is the skeptics’ claim? What is the skeptics’ evidence? What is the scientists’ claim (counterclaim)? What evidence do they use to support this claim? You can choose the evidence from either the Basic or Intermediate Tab. The claim is that there is no scientific consensus on global warming. The skeptics evidence is the Petition Project: The Petition Project features over 31,000______scientists signing the petition stating "There is no convincing scientific evidence_ that human release of carbon dioxide will, in the forseeable future, cause______catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere ...". The scientists’ claim______(counterclaim) is that 97% of climate experts agree humans are causing global__ warming. One example of evidence for the scientists’ claim is a 2010 study shows that between 97% to 98% of climate experts support the consensus that climate_ change is human-caused.______