LEARNING STRAND 2 SCIENTIFIC AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

MODULE 1: WHY DO I NEED TO BELIEVE IN SCIENCE?

PRE-ASSESSMENT
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Which of the following is NOT true about superstitions?

A. supported by extensive scientific literature
B. also known as pamahiin in Filipino
C. beliefs, half-beliefs, or simply practices
D. have no concrete evidence of its usefulness
2. Which of the following is a superstition?
A. If you step over people while they are lying down, you might wake them up.
B. If three people are photographed together, the person in the middle will die first.
C. If you go to sleep when you are hungry, you will wake up still hungry.
D. If your hair is wet when you lie down to sleep, you will also get your pillows and
Sheet wet.
3. Which of the following refers to preparing for an oral presentation?
A. knowing how to make the audience believe and agree with the main topics
B. knowing how to smoothly move from one topic to another
C. knowing the audience and objectives
D. knowing the topics and their relationships
4. Which of the following refers to choosing supporting information for an oral presentation?
A. knowing the audience and objectives
B. knowing how to smoothly move from one topic to another
C. knowing the topics and their relationships
D. knowing how to make the audience believe and agree with the main topics
5. Which of the following refers to establishing linking statements for an oral presentation?
A. knowing how to smoothly move from one topic to another
B. knowing how to quickly catch the audience’s attention in the fastest way possible
C. knowing the topics and their relationships
D. knowing how to make the presentation memorable to the audience
6. Which of the following refers to developing a conclusion for an oral presentation?
A. knowing the topics and their relationships
B. knowing how to make the presentation memorable to the audience
C. knowing how to smoothly move from one topic to another
D. knowing how to quickly catch the audience’s attention
7. Which of the following refers to choosing your main points for an oral presentation?
A. knowing the audience and objectives
B. knowing how to make the presentation memorable to the audience
C. knowing the topics and their relationships
D. knowing the quality of the presentation
8. Which of the following questions is NOT considered when reviewing presentations?
A. Does the order of topics make sense to the audience?
B. Does the presentation achieve the objectives?
C. Is the presentation too long or too short?
D. What are the similarities of the main points?
 9. Which of the following elements are the most important in a presentation?
A. design and substance
B. drama and emotions
C. color and shape
D. science and math
10. Which of the following is true about visual aids?
A. They aid the blind to understand the presentation.
B. They help presenters show their idea to the audience.
C. They only represent definition of complex words.
D. They provoke violent emotions among the audience.
11. Which of the following is a DON’T in presentations?
A. use big font sizes
B. keep the background simple
C. use distracting animations
D. use less words
12. Which of the following is true about using a whiteboard/blackboard as a visual aid?
A. It is used to show a random order of ideas.
B. Make sure that the audience does not finish writing what is written on the board
to keep them focused.
C. Make sure to overlap information to prove the complexity of a topic.
D. It is used to emphasize or give importance to keywords
13. Which of the following is NOT an example of a visual aid?
A. voice recording
B. flip chart
C. video
D. artefacts/props
14. Which of the following refers to wrong perceptions about beliefs or ideas?
A. tradition
B. misconception
C. culture
D. idolatry
15. Which of the following refers to rectifying misconceptions about a belief or idea?
A. fault finding
B. pointing fingers
C. error correction
D. risk reduction

COMPETENCIES
identify superstitious beliefs and practices at home and in the community LS2SC-SM-PSB-
LE/AE/JHS-2);
explain the reason behind observing beliefs and traditions (LS2SC-SM-PSB-LE/AE/JHS-2);
describe the effect of beliefs and traditions to daily life (LS5US-NI-PSC-AE-A.2).
explain how to plan and organize thoughts for an oral presentation (LS1CS/EN-S-PSB- AE-12);
determine the properties of a good visual aid (LS1CS/EN-S-PSB- AE-12, LS6DC-DA/PS PSC-
AE/JHS-66);
deliver an effective oral presentation (LS1CS/EN-S-PSB-AE-15, LS6DC-DA/PS PSC- AE/JHS-66)
 explain the scientific bases of common practices, beliefs, and phenomena (LS2SC-SM-PSB-
JHS-3); and
speak with clarity, conciseness, and appropriateness (LS1CS/EN-S-PSB-AE-12,LS1CS/EN-S-
PSB-AE-15).

LESSON 1 HOW DO I GET BAD LUCK?

SHARPENING YOUR SKILLS

I. Directions: Interview your relatives, friends, or people in the community. Ask them
about superstitions that they practice before, during, or after a wedding. For each
superstition, ask them about their belief on such. What will happen to a person if he/she
disobeys this superstition? Complete the table below using the information you
gathered during the interview. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

To a lesser extent, people develop their own superstitions. For example, students who
receive a high score from a test after using a particular color of pen or wearing a certain pair of socks
will now form a belief that if they use the same pen or pair of socks for the succeeding tests, they
will get the same results. This, too, can be passed on to other people. Popular examples of these
lucky charms are the four-leaf clover, golden horseshoe, lucky cat, and good luck fish.

Even in today’s world of advanced technology and

evidence-based conversations, a few people would still admit to
holding on to certain superstitions. Although irrational, they
continue believing in such because they see no harm in following
them. Regardless of whether it is religious or personal, society’s
belief on superstitions stems from passing of culture from one
generation to the next. This process of preserving culture by
handing over customs, beliefs, and practices is called tradition.
 Questionable as these superstitions may be, people still continue believing in them. Despite
the lack of evidence, many people see superstitions to be based more on cultural habit than
conscious belief. No one is born knowing what is lucky or unlucky, but if you are raised to believe
that there are such beliefs, it will make you uncomfortable to do unlucky things even if you logically
understand their possibilities. But, believing that good luck works can help you be better by giving
you the idea of control over the events in your life. Confidence does make a difference.

II. Directions: Go back to wedding superstitions. Ask the same people (or people who share
the same beliefs) why they choose to practice these superstitions in the
family/community. Do they also use lucky charms? If so, what are they and why do they
use such? If not, why? How does it affect them in their daily life? Analyze their answers
and write a summary on a separate sheet of paper.

TREADING THE ROAD TO MASTERY

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, write S if the statement refers to a superstition and T if it is
a tradition.

______ 1. John does not sweep the floor at night to avoid sweeping away fortune.
______ 2. Gino dropped a spoon while eating. A spoon signifies a female.
He calls his mom to ask if she is going to visit him that day.
______ 3. Enrico teaches his son to wake up early so he could prepare for school, just like how his
father taught him.
______ 4. Nanette wants to eat twin bananas when she gets pregnant so she could have twin babies
with William.
______ 5. Monique brings her grandmother’s signature adobo during family reunions to keep her
memories alive.
______ 6. Louie is reminded to ask for blessing from Grace’s parents before proposing to her.
______ 7. Jesse inherits a watch from his father to remember to make time for family.
______ 8. Ermil was born with a mole on his foot. He will be traveling for most of his life.
______ 9. Lyn doesn’t want black cats since it can bring death to the people living in her apartment.
______ 10. Angela is careful not to break her mirror since it might give her bad luck for 7 years.
LESSON 2 HOW DO I MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT I SAY?

SHARPENING YOUR SKILLS

I. Directions: Prepare a plan for an oral presentation following the seven stages mentioned
in the lesson. Choose one of the topics below:
• Who is my real-life superhero?
• What is my favorite movie?
• What is my dream vacation?

Write your answer for each step on a separate sheet of paper

• Preparation
• Choosing Your Main Points
• Choosing Your Supporting Information
• Establishing Linking Statements
• Developing an Opening
• Developing a Conclusion
• Reviewing Your Presentation

Design is one of the elements to consider when planning for your presentation. A design that
is pleasing to the eyes is able to catch the attention of the audience. But, beauty is not the only
basis. Substance is equally important. This means that your design should also be able to help the
audience understand what you are trying to teach them.
Visual aids are powerful tools in making memorable presentations. Instead of simply relying
on words, visual aids help you “show” your idea to the audience. By using such, you are going
beyond just describing, discussing, and explaining.

There are different ways to share information in a presentation. Examples include using
photographs, tables, diagrams, drawing, keywords, or video sequences. By analyzing your audience,
you will be able to think of creative ways in catching their attention.
• POWERPOINT (OR EQUIVALENT)
Microsoft PowerPoint is the most popular form of visual aid. There are general rules in
creating PowerPoint presentations:

• WHITEBOARD/ BLACKBOARD
Whiteboards or blackboards are useful especially when you want to show a sequence of ideas,
emphasize keywords, and clarify difficult/complex terms in the presentation.
Make sure, however, that:
1. Your audience are already finished copying what you have written before cleaning the
board; and
2. You have already erased other writings on the board before writing new information.

• FLIP CHART
A flip chart is a large pad of paper on a stand. It has similar uses to a
PowerPoint presentation. This visual aid is effective especially when
electricity is not readily available.
• VIDEO
A video catches the attention of the audience because it
shows movements, pictures, and sounds in your
presentation.
Make sure that:
1. The video clip is helpful to the information you are
presenting;
2. The audience understand what to focus on; and
3. The video clip is not too long.
• ARTEFACTS OR PROPS
Artefacts or Props help the audience appreciate your presentation
because they can go beyond just “imagining” an idea by holding an
object that is related to your topic.
Make sure that:
1. The object can be passed around to groups in the audience;
2. You provide enough time to let everyone see and hold the object; and
3. The object is hidden until it is presented to keep the focus of the
audience.

II. Directions: Based on the topic you chose earlier, prepare a PowerPoint presentation
following the guidelines provided to you. Show it for your teacher to evaluate.

TREADING THE ROAD TO MASTERY

Directions: Using your plan and visual aid, perform an oral presentation on your chosen topic for
your teacher to evaluate.
Remember the following tips for an effective oral presentation:
 Be excited in what you say. It makes your audience feel excited, too.
 Speak confidently. Convince your audience that you know what you are saying. Always
remember to show honesty and humility when you do not know the correct answer when
they ask you questions.
 Make eye contact with your audience to make them feel like you are talking to them.
 Do not read from the screen because it is for the audience, not you.
 Explain your ideas clearly to help your audience understand what you want to say.
 Pause to show three things:
1. importance of a particular information;
2. movement from one topic to the next; and
3. time for audience to catch up.
 Avoid filler words like “Uh,” “Uhm,” or “Like.” It tells your audience that you are unprepared
and unsure of what you are telling them.

LESSON 3 HOW REAL ARE SUPERSTITIONS?

SHARPENING YOUR SKILLS
I. Directions: Prepare a plan for an oral presentation following the seven stages mentioned
in Lesson 2. Choose one of the topics below:
 Why are there many mushrooms after a lightning strike?
 Why is it bad for pregnant women to put nail polish?
  Why are women not allowed to read after they give birth?
On a separate sheet of paper, write your answer below for each step
 Preparation
 Choosing Your Main Points
 Choosing Your Supporting Information
 Establishing Linking Statements
 Developing an Opening
 Developing a Conclusion
 Reviewing Your Presentation
Use the rubric to assess your own presentation.

II. Directions: Based on the topic you chose earlier, prepare visual aids following the guide
provided to you. Show them to your teacher for evaluation. Refer to the criteria for
evaluation below when assessing your own visual aid.
TREADING THE ROAD TO MASTERY
Directions: Present your topic (oral presentation) to your teacher for evaluation. Remember the tips
given to you in Lesson 2.
REACH THE TOP
The statements below were adapted from a pregnancy article from the Makati Medical Center.
Write SUPER if the statement refers to a superstition, and SCIENCE if it refers to a scientific
explanation.
__________ 1. Chocolate or any dark-colored food will give the baby a darker complexion, while milk
will give a lighter complexion.
__________ 2. Cortisol is a hormone released by people under stress. A pregnant’s placenta
surrounding the baby can also release this hormone which can enter the amniotic fluid in small
amounts and change the metabolism of the baby.
__________ 3. A baby’s neck can be wrapped around by an umbilical cord if the mother wears
accessories around her own neck.
__________ 4. Pregnant women should not attend funerals because it might cause the baby to die.
__________ 5. Attending funeral might cause angry spirits to take the baby away.
__________ 6. The umbilical cord can wrap around the baby’s neck during the second and third
trimester because of the baby’s own movements.
__________ 7. Eating eggs with twin yolks increases the possibility of having twin babies.
__________ 8. Identical twins are produced when a single embryo splits into two after fertilization.
__________ 9. The only way to check the baby’s gender is through an ultrasound.
__________ 10. Genetics, family history, fertility, and treatments such as IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization)
play a great role in determining the possibility of having twin babies.
__________ 11. Bananas and eggs are good sources of nutrients for pregnant mothers.
__________ 12. Pregnant women should not sew or step over ropes to avoid labor difficulties or
having cesarean sections.
__________ 13. Dark spots on the nape, neck, groin, face, and armpits are telltale signs that the
baby will be a boy
__________ 14. Fraternal twins are produced by the fertlization of two egg cells by different sperm
cells.
__________ 15. The best way to find out what a baby will look like is through 4D ultrasounds.