Scientific Literacy in 2025: A Case for Constructivism in Teaching Physics

News organizations and social media present alternative facts. Society is polarized as algorithms facilitate confirmation bias and cancel culture ruminates on both sides. The development of generative artificial intelligence outpaces policies and norms of use. The United States is undergoing rapid change from the federal administration, and nationalist movements abound worldwide. This is the society we are living in and preparing our students for. While few of our students will ever again need to calculate the final velocity of a cart after a collision, they will need to make decisions impacting their personal lives, the community, and society at large regarding science. In this talk we examine our current social and political climate; identify scientific abilities our students need; and suggest how to teach these abilities. We make a case for constructivist physics education, where students mirror the practices of physicists to build and test ideas through experimentation and collaboration. We show how we attempt to teach these abilities using the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) approach in our introductory physics courses at Rutgers - Newark. Our students have a say in their lives and society, and we seek to empower and equip them for the world they will lead.