Conflicting Viewpoints

What you'll learn

• Identify each scientist's or student's main claim and supporting evidence
• Determine where the viewpoints agree and disagree
• Answer questions that ask which evidence would strengthen or weaken a viewpoint
• Evaluate which viewpoint is best supported by given data

Key concepts

Conflicting Viewpoints passages present two or more hypotheses about the same phenomenon. Each viewpoint is explained in its own section with reasoning and sometimes evidence. The questions test whether you can track which claim belongs to which scientist, find points of agreement and disagreement, and evaluate new evidence in light of each viewpoint. Read each viewpoint carefully and summarize it in one sentence. The most common question type asks 'Scientist 1 would most likely agree with which statement?'. To answer, find the statement most consistent with that scientist's reasoning.

Pro tips

• After reading each viewpoint, write a one-sentence summary in the margin (or mentally). This prevents mixing them up.
• Pay close attention to the specific mechanism each viewpoint proposes, not just the conclusion.
• For 'which would weaken Scientist 2's argument?' questions, find a fact that directly contradicts Scientist 2's reasoning.