Overview

This activity, Alien Autopsy - A Case Study for Skeptical Inquiry, has been developed to point out the need for students to evaluate and consider the viewpoint of references they might find on the Internet as well as address the growing presence of pseudoscience in our society.

Introduction

The fact that many schools are jumping on the "information superhighway" as a way to supplement dwindling resources in libraries should excite us. The Internet, used by students to dig out references for anything from book reports to research papers, should be used cautiously as we teach our students to evaluate the information found there. This is especially important in the sciences since the Internet is becoming a primary source for "publishing" pseudo-scientific theories. We need to educate our students, to paraphrase the famous sixties slogan, to "question the authority" of the references they find on the Internet.

This activity uses a controversial video of a purported alien autopsy. This provides a basis for discussion that requires students to support stands they take relative to the video's authenticity. Students will need to use the Internet to search out information that might prove or disprove the video's claims. In the process of researching materials on the Internet, the diversity of viewpoints and the ability of anyone to present their information on the Internet will be made clear. It should also be clear how opinions are presented as fact, in many cases, and how important it is to require that references--from the Internet or any resource--be considered relative to the bias from which they are presented.

The final purpose of this activity is to reinforce the need for critical thinking, in fact, increase the level of critical thinking to that of skeptical inquiry, to deter the onslaught of pseudoscience that seems to be growing in our society. The idea of skeptical inquiry is explained and expanded on in four references that I highly recommend:

• The Demon-Haunted World, by Carl Sagan.
• Why People Believe Weird Things, by Michael Shermer
• The Skeptic
• Skeptical Inquirer Magazine

This activity focuses on the idea that extra-terrestrials are visiting our planet. It uses a video reported to be an autopsy of a recovered alien body that some people believe is real while others argue that it is a fraud. This activity uses a discussion based approach that requires participants to cite support for their ideas. This support can be drawn from reputable sources, be a test that can be conducted to prove or disprove, or be based on documented or testable experiences. Much of the support students will be asked to find are references drawn from information on the Internet.

At the end of this activity students should be able to see:

• How pseudoscience differs from real science,
• How the World Wide Web is a source of incredible amounts of information,
• How the information on the Web is not screened in any way,
• Why students and teachers need to consider the source of information on the Web, especially as it relates to pseudoscience, and, lastly,
• What tools are available for use by a skeptical inquirer.

Alien Autopsy: (fact or fiction?) Video (Vidmark Entertainment - available as rental)
Guidelines for Dyad Active Listening
Guidelines for Discussion Based Teaching
Guidelines for Skeptical Thinking (or better, a copy of Carl Sagan's book)
World Wide Web Browser and Internet Access

This procedure utilizes discussion based teaching as well as a discussion tool called a "dyad". Make sure you are familiar and comfortable with each to help facilitate this activity. Short overviews of both discussion based teaching and the use of dyads in the science classroom are outlined in Guidelines for Discussion Based Teaching and Guidelines for Dyad Active Listening contained in this document.

Part One - The Dyad Question: "Is there life on other planets?"

1. Write the dyad question to consider on the board. Have students form dyads and set the time for active listening and talking for two minutes. Usually students can go on much longer when asked this question so it is wise to limit the time to two minutes per member of the dyad.
2. Begin the dyad and upon completion have students decide who will be the spokesperson for each group.
3. Write the words "Yes" and "No" on opposite sides of the board. Repeat the question and have each group summarize what they believe. Write interesting answers and observations on the board under the two categories.
4. After each group has had time to summarize, ask the class if any of the points made are testable, and how they could be tested. Place a check next to those that students think can be tested.
5. Have someone record and write up a summary of answers to the dyad question. Make this available for use later.

1. Set up the basis for discussion before viewing video. You might use the following:

"This video has received a lot of attention due to its content. It states that it contains what might be actual footage taken by an Air Force employee of an alien autopsy. The alien is reported to be one taken from a crash of a UFO near Roswell, New Mexico. The Roswell incident is argued by some to be a confirmed sighting and recovery of a spaceship with occupants, while others say it is nothing more than a mis-interpretation, even a hoax that can be easily explained."

"We are going to view a short clip of this video, discuss it, and try to answer the following question: Do you believe that this film is real and how might you prove or disprove its authenticity?"

2. If you can show the video in its entirety, but at least show a ten minute segment of the video. Choose your favorite ten minutes. Personally I like the parts where there is "real" dissection going on because kids can relate it to dissections they have done in class.
3. After the video has been shown write the question to be answered on the board and remind students to refer back to the original question and make sure any discussion they offer is directed toward answering this question. It's a good idea to also state the following as it will help focus the discussion more:

"Remember to relate any comment you make to the comment of the person who made a point before you. Also, try not to make a statement or offer a conclusion without a reference to another source of information that will help support your position."

This helps to keep the students engaged as active listeners rather than just trying to come up with the next comment. It also helps to keep the discussion focused and reinforces the importance of the classroom as a community where an individual's thoughts are valued. The need to relate any statements or conclusions to supporting references encourages further research and helps to keep the discussion focused on observations that might prove or disprove rather than on unsubstantiated opinion.

4. Again, as in part one, have someone note comments on the board as well as prepare a summary for use by the class in the final part of this activity.

1. Give students the summaries from the previous discussions.
2. Have them access the World Wide Web and, using their favorite search engine, track down as much information on the alien autopsy video and Roswell Incident as possible. (Note: A good place to start if you are not sure of which search engine to use is the URL: www.search.com. Also, key words to begin your search are "alien autopsy" and "Roswell".)
3. Students should search through the web pages that they find and pull out information that further helps them come to a conclusion about the video's authenticity. In the final write-up for this activity students will write a position paper that must cite the resources they find on the Internet. Make sure the students write down the source (URL) as well as the "credentials" of the person that built the web site if they plan on using it in their paper.
4. Once students have researched the Web for information bring them back together and discuss what they have found. Pass out copies of Guidelines for Skeptical Thinking and remind them to be very careful about accepting or rejecting a reference. The purpose of this discussion is for students to test their ability to define what is a credible resource and what is not.
5. Have students write a "position paper" that presents their view on the authenticity of the alien autopsy film.
6. Finally, have the students present and discuss their papers in class.

The follow-up to the papers and discussion can take many paths. I like to think that in a discussion based classroom any one topic resurfaces many times over the course of the year. Based on some observations of students and teachers viewing the Alien Autopsy video I can see some interesting interdisciplinary studies that go way beyond the science classroom or the original intent of focusing on pseudoscience and the Internet.

Here are a few ideas:

• In an English class, students can study science fiction and the alien life forms in various short stories and novels and discuss the characters "believability".
• In a Biology class, students can study different drawings and representations of aliens and consider their form and the possible function of different morphological features. It would even be fun to speculate on the ecology of the planet they supposedly have come from.
• In a Physics class, there is lots of information on space travel on the internet, have students research and apply it to the description of how UFO's act when visiting our planet. From the book Physics of Star Trek to some of the proposed propulsion systems for space flight that can be found on the Internet, real physics classes can get a charge out of speculation in this regard.
• In a Social Science class, consider the implications on our society of a real documented encounter with an alien life form--from a radio message to aliens landing and taking up residence on our planet.