UPD8

Homeopathy: is it Science?

Learning objectives

Students will learn that scientific theories:
• are based on evidence from experiments or observations
• were thought up creatively by scientists to explain patterns in data
• correctly predict future observations or experimental results
• may be corrected or rejected if scientists find new evidence that doesn't fit in with the theory

Try the activity

• Homeopathy teachers notes
  Downloaded: 1438 times
• Homeopathy activity
  Downloaded: 2236 times

You will need Acrobat Reader installed to open the activity sheets.

Curriculum link

GCSE specifications
Edexcel Additional C2
7.6 Describe how ideas, such as the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine, are difficult for scientists to accept when they conflict with established theories.

AQA – Core
How science works
10.7 Using data to draw conclusions

21st Century Science – core
Ideas about science
3 Developing explanations

Running the activity

Display page 1. Ask whether they think homeopathy – and other alternative therapies – are gobbledygook. Do they know people who have benefited from them?

Display page 2, which gives the tasks. There are separate tasks for foundation and higher level students.

Page 3 lists some characteristics of scientific theories. Foundation students can use this list to help them with task 1 (choosing 3 cards from pages 4 and 5 to show that homeopathy is not a scientific theory). Higher students choose one card to place in either the yes or no box for each characteristic. There is no one 'right answer' here, but the following is a possible solution:
• Row 1 – card 1 (no)
• Row 2 – card 2 (yes)
• Row 3 – card 6 (no)
• Row 4 – card 3 (no)
• Row 5 – card 5 (yes, but only one piece of data)
• Row 6 – card 7 (no)
• Row 7 – card 4 (no)
• Row 8 – card 8 (no)
• Row 9 – card 3 (no – idea not based on data (see card 11))

Foundation and higher students then select – from all the cards – the 3 best arguments for and against using homeopathy. Students then decide whether they, as individuals, would use homeopathy. You could then get students to write sentences to support their decision (as suggested for foundation students on page 2) or to debate the statement Homeopathic treatment should be freely available to all who want it (as suggested for higher students on page 2).

Finally, ask students to stand on a continuum line, with 'agree' at one side of the classroom and 'disagree' at the other side for the following statement: I would use homeopathic treatments. Ask a few students to justify their decisions, and allow other students to change positions if they wish after hearing particularly convincing arguments. Repeat with one more statement: Homeopathy is based on scientific theory.

[Notes:
1. You might need to explain the word placebo (a medicine or procedure prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient rather than for any physiological effect (Oxford Dictionary of English 2006))
2. The cards on pages 4 and 5 are the same shape as the boxes on page 3, so can be stuck to page 3 if reduced in size appropriately.
3. Possible extension – look at dilution/dosage effects on mineral salts on plant growth. Placebo effects on plants are non-existent, so it should be possible to put 'potentization' to the test!]

Web links

News links

Sense about science

Clear and succint criticism of homeopathy

Society of homeopaths

Description of homeopathy

Homeopathy site

An example of homeopathy's use in the treatment of Autism

The Guardian

Report of the article in Nature - 'science' degrees in homeopathy are teaching gobbledygook

Quack Watch

Criticism of homeopathy

Reviews & Comments

Write your online review to share your feedback and classroom tips with other teachers. How well does it work, how engaging is it, how did you use it, and how could it be improved?