Year 9 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 9

Is It Pseudoscientific? Evaluating Claims and Theories

Foundation Worksheet

Name

Date

Class

Learning Goals

Recognise the features that separate science from pseudoscience.
Use the claim-check framework to decide if a claim is pseudoscientific.
Use key vocabulary: pseudoscience, falsifiable, peer review, replication, testimonial.

Warm Up

Sort it!

Write each claim from the pool into the correct box. Decide whether each one behaves like real science (testable, real evidence) or like pseudoscience (untestable, only stories).

A drug tested in a published, repeated clinical trial. A magnetic bracelet that "rebalances your energy field". A theory of gravity that could be proven wrong by a falling object. A horoscope that vaguely fits any day. A vaccine checked by independent expert review. A "detox" foot pad that turns brown overnight. A claim backed only by happy customer testimonials. A result other teams repeated and confirmed. A crystal that "aligns your aura". An idea that changes when shown to be wrong.

Behaves like science

Behaves like pseudoscience

Your Turn

Fill the gap

Choose the correct word from the word bank to complete each sentence. Two words will not be used.

pseudoscience falsifiable peer review replication testimonials mechanism cherry-picking popular expensive

A claim that imitates science but is not backed by testable, repeatable evidence is called . A claim is if some possible observation could prove it wrong. Before a study is published, independent experts check it in a process called . When other teams repeat a study and find the same result, this is called . Personal stories from happy customers are called and are weak evidence. A genuine claim should also explain its , a clear account of how it is supposed to work. Showing only the evidence that supports a claim while hiding the rest is called .

Show What You Know

1. Give one example of a scientific claim and one example of a pseudoscientific claim. Explain one difference between them.

Recall 2 marks

2. A magnetic bracelet is sold to "cure pain" using only happy reviews. Name one checklist question it fails, and explain why.

Recall 2 marks

Wrap Up

In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?