With the emphasis on literacy since the onset of No Child Left Behind, there seems to be two schools of thought. One emphasizes instruction in reading and math to the point that instruction in science, social studies, and the arts, especially in the primary grades, is greatly reduced. The other looks at ways to integrate these subjects, so that students see that reading and writing are part of learning in all subjects. There are many resources that can help teachers to incorporate science and literacy skills, and this issue of Science and Children has many of them.
Two articles address writing in science. The authors of The P.O.E.T.R.Y of Science use the acronym (predict, observe, explain, think, reflect, yearn to learn more) to describe the processes used in student “journals.” What they describe as a journal is the same as newer definitions of science notebooks. Whether you call it a notebook or journal, if you require more than just a collection of assignments or a log of events, the rubric in this article can be helpful. In Scientific Journals: A Creative Assessment Tool the authors describe how guide students through the process of integrating science and writing skills. If you’re a secondary teacher, these articles are great resources, especially if you have students who are new to the idea of writing in science. Other resources related to science notebooks can be found in a SciLinks blog entry from June 2008.
As you’re reading the articles, don’t forget to check SciLinks for more resources, using the keyword “reading”. One that I like in particular is Connecting Elementary Science and Literacy. For each step of the inquiry process, this page has suggested resources for incorporating communications skills. With the increasing demands on classroom time, the author of Reading and Writing in the Science Classroom describes how to work “smarter” by integrating reading and writing with content areas such as science. There is a table showing how these three areas are connected. Reading in the Sciences is a collection of resources, including a summary of the research on the topic, a matrix showing the correlation between reading and science skills, and links to a collection of K-8 lessons that illustrate how science and reading are connected. Reading Across the Curriculum has resources that help students make sense of their reading: anticipation guides, vocabulary instruction, KWL charts, text analysis, questioning, predicting, and summarizing.
The November 2007 issue of Science and Children was also themed around literacy with great ideas and suggestions.
Note: If you’re looking for SciLinks resources on spiders related to the article Becoming a Spider Scientist, use the keyword “arachnid”