IDS 100 Module Three Project Draft

Key characteristics of the four lenses.

Social sciences typically relate to the study of social relationships, which can overlap

with the humanities lens at times. However, social sciences are specifically focused on fields that

seek to understand human behavior and interaction, which includes psychology, sociology, and

anthropology among others. On the other hand, the lens of humanities focuses on diverse

experiences and cultures. Rather than studying the underlying mechanisms of social

relationships, the humanities focus on the products of these interactions. These often take the

form of human creative expression such as literature, philosophy, photography and fine art

among others.

The lens of history provides a comprehensive catalogue of the past events and

experiences. It goes beyond being a list of memorable dates and facts, and rather it is an analysis

of causes, events and subsequent consequences. The history lens involves looking at events using

primary sources to understand them similarly to the people who experienced the events during

that time (Adam & Stone, 2011). This use of first-hand information from particular time periods

provides learners now with a comprehensive idea of how things used to be, how they changed

and what can be learned from those changes.

The lens of the natural sciences is uniquely focused on the study of the physical world.

This includes studies such as chemistry, biology, physics and other STEM disciplines like

mathematics. This lens uses scientific processes to question the natural world with the aim of

understanding why things are the way they are and how matter can be manipulated to create

more useful ideas, objects and processes.

Types of Evidence

Each of the different lenses use different types of evidence when studying the world

around us. The lens of humanities uses evidence which is part of the various mediums of creative

human expression. These include fine art, dance, literature and photography among others.

Natural sciences use specific scientific processes to describe, predict and observe separate

aspects of the natural world. These include natural objects like land, air, water and other

elements, in addition to the impact of human labor.

The lens of history uses primary sources to learn more about the past. These include

letters from people who lived through a certain experience, official documents from another time

period, photographs and first-hand recollections of people who lived during that time. Social

sciences use pieces of evidence such as anecdotal evidence, testimonial evidence, statistical

evidence and analogical evidence to provide support for findings.

Similarities and differences among these lenses

Based on the features of these four lenses, there are a few major similarities and

differences. The main similarity between the lens of natural sciences and social sciences is that

they use similar types of evidence to reach their conclusions. These lenses use scientific

processes to analyze information, people and events in a way that allows them reach conclusions

that can be applied outside their study. On the other hand, history and humanities are similar in

the way they are focused on people rather than events.

The main differences between these lenses are the nature of information they focus on. Social

and natural sciences focus on objective information and separate the human aspect from their
processes. The humanities and history lenses solely focus on the human experience rather than

the objective world around them.

Topic proposal

I chose climate change as an ideal topic to work on. I know that the prolonged burning of

fossil fuels is slowly damaging the ozone layer and compromising the quality of water sources

across the world. I want to learn more about other aspects and causes of climate change apart

from the use of fossil fuels.

 References

Adam, R., & Stone, C. (2011). Through a historical lens. Advances in interpreting research:

Inquiry in action, 99, 225.