For me, the most interesting part of TV’s Antiques Roadshow is not how much the objects are worth but the stories behind the objects. The owners ask questions and tell the appraisers what they know about the objects—where they came from, how long they’ve owned them, and often a bit of family history and personal memories. The appraisers then describe what they know, including how they researched the background. And sometimes, the conversations raise more questions than they answer. Asking questions, observing, fact-finding, drawing conclusions, asking more questions—sounds like science to me!
Who doesn’t enjoy a story, whether a book, movie, conversation, or TV program? Science as a Mystery Story introduces this issue’s theme of science stories—discovering the why and how of events and sharing the stories.
Children are naturally curious about their surroundings, but it seems that schools don’t always capitalize on that. The author of A Sixth Sense suggests ways to engage students in learning about their surroundings, including modeling and sharing your own science-related hobbies and avocations (e.g., gardening, nature-related art or photography, fishing/hunting, birdwatching, rock collecting, electronics, cooking). Do you have non-textbooks or other items on your desk that reflect your interests? What about a quick Monday morning story such as “I saw some interesting rock formations this weekend…” or “I visited a really interesting exhibit related to our topic at the museum yesterday with my family…”

“What should I write about?” is a question we hear from students. This issue has many suggestions for topics and situations that engage students in writing about science. I had an Investigation Station in my classroom, but I like how the authors use the center and related activities for student writing. The authors provide suggestions (including the students’ idea of bringing in items themselves) and examples of student work.
Although the title Prairie Stories refers to a particular environment, the activities described in the article (creating trading cards, writing “A Day in the Life of…”, and creating a web of life) and the rubric provided could be adapted to any location. [SciLinks: Biomes, Ecosystems]
Webcams typically stream video with no narration, providing a wonderful opportunity for student discussion and writing. The author of WebCam Stories includes a list of webcam sites (and many zoos and environmental organizations have them, too). The example in the article is about an owl nest webcam.  Whoo Eats What? has a related lesson on owl pellets. [SciLinks: Birds]
It’s hard to find a voice in writing, but in Book Bag Buddies, students write from the point of view of their favorite stuffed animal, which becomes a character in the story. The authors include a description of their writing project, including an outline of the lessons, a rubric, and examples of student work. For older students, would a class mascot serve the same purpose?
A science notebook can be a collection of handouts and assignments, or it can be a story of a student’s learning experiences and reflections. The authors of  ‘Twas the Start of Science Notebooking describe the latter approach in which the notebook becomes more of a student portfolio than a teacher-structured archive. And a student is never too young to keep a notebook. Nurturing the Child Scientist illustrates how kindergarten students kept a notebook of their observations throughout the school year. I imagine that the teacher, students, and parents would see a lot of growth as the year progressed.
Listening and speaking are also important in story-telling. Reading Stories, Making Predictions illustrates how to use a read-aloud with young  children to make predictions based on what was read and their previous knowledge. (Are students ever too old for a read-aloud by the teacher?) The authors of Talk Strategies provide an excellent visual that describes several strategies for promoting oral communication (i.e., talking) during science activities. They relate each strategy to a component of the 5E learning cycle.
Science investigations can be stories in and of themselves. Why do you lose AM radio reception when you go under an overpass? has ideas for illustrating this [SciLinks: Electromagnetic Waves]. And Knowledge Is Power provides resources and suggestions for helping students learn about the relationship between nutrition and type II diabetes. [SciLinks: Nutrition, Diabetes]
And check out more Connections for this issue (November 2011). Even if the article does not quite fit with your lesson agenda, there are ideas for handouts, background information sheets, data sheets, rubrics, and other resources.