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Kuhn's Cycle of Scientific Revolutions

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About This MicroSim

This interactive MicroSim helps students trace the stages of Kuhn's model of scientific revolutions by identifying how paradigms form, enter crisis, and are replaced.. It supports the learning objectives in Chapter: Natural Sciences and the Scientific Method.

How to Use

Use the interactive controls below the drawing area to explore the visualization. Hover over elements for additional information and click to see detailed descriptions.

Iframe Embed Code

You can add this MicroSim to any web page by adding this to your HTML:

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<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/theory-of-knowledge/sims/kuhn-cycle/main.html"
        height="450px"
        width="100%"
        scrolling="no"></iframe>

Lesson Plan

Grade Level

9-12 (High School / IB TOK)

Duration

15-20 minutes

Prerequisites

  • Basic understanding of how scientific knowledge changes over time
  • Familiarity with at least one historical example of a major scientific change (e.g., geocentric to heliocentric model)
  • Awareness that the Natural Sciences are an Area of Knowledge in the TOK framework

Learning Objectives

  • Trace the stages of Kuhn's model of scientific revolutions (normal science, anomaly, crisis, revolution, paradigm shift, new normal science)
  • Compare how Kuhn's cycle applies to different historical scientific revolutions

Activities

  1. Exploration (5 min): Step through each stage of the Kuhn cycle in the sim, starting from "Normal Science." Read the description of each stage and observe how the cycle connects back to a new period of normal science after a paradigm shift. Follow the Copernican Revolution example: identify what the prevailing paradigm was, what anomalies emerged, and what the new paradigm became.
  2. Guided Practice (10 min): After completing the Copernican Revolution walkthrough, switch to the Darwinian Revolution example. Step through each stage again and compare: How was the "crisis" stage different for Darwin compared to Copernicus? What role did evidence play in each case? Create a side-by-side comparison noting which stages were most prolonged or contested in each revolution. Discuss: does Kuhn's model apply equally well to both cases?
  3. Assessment (5 min): Think of a more recent scientific development (e.g., plate tectonics, the microbiome revolution, quantum mechanics). Map it onto Kuhn's cycle by identifying what normal science looked like before, what anomalies triggered a crisis, and what the new paradigm became. Write a brief paragraph explaining whether Kuhn's model fits this example well or whether modifications are needed.

Assessment

  • Correctly identifies and sequences all stages of Kuhn's cycle
  • Provides specific historical details when comparing the Copernican and Darwinian revolutions
  • Critically evaluates whether Kuhn's model is a universal description of scientific change or has limitations

Quiz

Test your understanding with this review question.

1. In Kuhn's model, what is "normal science"?

  1. Science that has been proven to be objectively true and will never change
  2. Routine research conducted within an accepted paradigm, solving puzzles defined by that paradigm
  3. The period immediately after a scientific revolution when everything is uncertain
  4. Research that intentionally seeks to disprove the current paradigm
Show Answer

The correct answer is B. Kuhn defined "normal science" as the everyday research activity that takes place within an accepted paradigm. Scientists solve puzzles and extend the paradigm's explanatory power without questioning its fundamental assumptions. It is not permanent truth (A), post-revolution uncertainty (C), or deliberate paradigm-challenging work (D).

Concept Tested: Kuhn's concept of normal science within the cycle of scientific revolutions

References

  1. Kuhn, T. S. (1962). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. University of Chicago Press.
  2. Bird, A. (2013). Thomas Kuhn. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
  3. Hacking, I. (2012). Introductory Essay in T. S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (50th Anniversary ed.). University of Chicago Press.