Teacher Portal
Investigation 2: Faith & Reason
The nervous system does far more than simply keep us alive.
It opens a window through which we come to know the world.
Throughout this Investigation, students discovered how receptors, sensory neurons, the spinal cord, and the brain work together to transform information from the external and internal worlds into our experience of reality.
Science explains how this remarkable process occurs.
Reflection & Meaning invited students to consider why that scientific knowledge matters for themselves, their relationships, and the choices they make.
Faith, philosophy, and theology now invite us to consider some of the deeper questions raised by those discoveries.
Continuing the Conversation
- Throughout history, people have wondered how human beings come to know reality.
- Scientists investigate the biological processes that make perception possible.
- Reflection & Meaning asks what these discoveries reveal about ourselves and the lives we choose to live.
- Philosophy explores questions about knowledge, truth, and the human person.
- Theology considers how the Christian tradition understands these same questions in light of Scripture and reason.
Together, these perspectives provide a richer understanding of what it means to be human.
Teacher Resources
Use the resources below to prepare for and lead your Faith & Reason discussion.
Teaching Notes
- Encourage students to build upon the scientific discoveries they made throughout Investigation 2.
- Welcome thoughtful questions and allow students time to reflect before introducing philosophical or theological perspectives.
- Help students recognize that science, philosophy, and theology ask different—but complementary—questions about the human person.
- Emphasize that the purpose of this discussion is not to replace scientific understanding, but to extend students’ thinking by considering broader questions of truth, meaning, and purpose.
- Encourage students to continue asking thoughtful questions beyond today’s discussion, recognizing that the search for truth is a lifelong pursuit.