You just completed two readings by Steven Pinker.

How to Get Inside a Student's Head - New York Times, Jan. 31, 2003.
By STEVEN PINKER

Sibling rivalry: Why the nature/nurture debate won't go away - The Boston Globe, 10/13/2002 By STEVEN PINKER

Now it is time to reflect on how his ideas align with your own thoughts about human nature and the nature of children.

In the last module, you spent time reviewing who you are and what you believe about yourself. Embedded in that sense of self are the paradigms of our society norms, your family, and your experiences.

You also learned to believe something about human nature and about the rights and roles of children. This may or may not be something you intentionally considered or questioned. We are immersed in this essence. You may be very clear about what you believe about politics, about religion, and you may have questioned your relationship to a higher being. It is likely you hold a set of norms or beliefs about the roles of men and women and know how a man should walk, talk, dress. Just as certainly, you have ideas about a child's role, but you may not have questioned those beliefs.

Directions: There are two options for addressing beliefs about human nature and the nature of the child. Apply these ideas to who you think children are, providing your response in one of the following ways:

Choose your option

Option One Option Two