Thomas Turner & Amy Broemmel
Science the "Write" Way, National Science Teachers Association, 2011
Grade Level: all K-12 science classes
Description: The teacher introduces a scientific process or concept by reading or having the students read a science-related trade book, demonstrating a science activity or using a model to explain a science concept. Once students have become familiar with the story, activity, or concept, the teacher engages students a discussion focusing on the scientific content or process. When the teacher is satisfied that students understand the science process or concept, he/she arranges the class in a circle or in small groups. Clipboards with paper are given to students positioned at equal intervals around the circle, or if using small groups, each student has a clipboard. Each student holding a clipboard is asked to think about the science described in the book and then writes one sentence that describes the first event in the book or from the demonstration. They then pass the clipboards to the right. Students are instructed that when they receive a clipboard, they need to read what has been written up to that point on the paper and then write an additional sentence describing the next event in the scientific process described in the story or activity. Each paper will, in the end, contain a complete retelling of the story in the sequence it occurred. It is also recommended to have students write in different colors to identify one student's work from another student's work when assessing the finished story.
Ryan Sweeny, Lisa Martin-Hansen, Geeta Verma, and John Dunkhase
Embracing learners’ ideas about diffusion and osmosis: A coupled approach, Science Scope, 2009
Grade Level: 5-12
Description: The purpose of this strategy is for teachers to assign either individual students or small groups a detailed poster upon completion of a classroom activity. The creation of the poster can take as long as the teacher feels is needed. The detailed poster should inform the audience about the activity. The poster should include extensive use of vocabulary learned in the lesson. The student will show comprehension of vocabulary by using correct use on the poster. It is recommended to hand the students a rubric before they start on the detailed poster to ensure expectations for competition of the poster are clear. We believe a detailed poster can be an effective means of informally assessing students' understanding of lesson content.
Beth Fuchs
The writing is on the wall: Using Padlet for whole-class engagement, The University of Kentucky, 2014
Grade Level: 6-12
Description: This is done as a collaboration between students and teacher. Students and teacher communicate by a website that allows them to send and receive messages while not in the classroom. Teachers post assignments, announcements, etc. and students will write a reply of submit an assignment. This allows teachers to read, correct, and communicate with students so they can become better students. Writing is throughout the bulletin board. Students will see how to write posts from the teacher's model as well as be able to communicate between other students- giving student multiple opportunities to write and practice writing.
Kelly Gallagher
Write Like This, Stenhouse Publishers, Portland, Maine, 2011
Grade Level: 6-12 classrooms
Description: This is done as a post lesson writing strategy. After a lesson, the teacher will instruct the students go back to their desks and reflect on what they learned. The students will then ponder what happened in the day’s class and begin to write about it in their reflective writing. This can be anything from an exit slip to a tweet or a formal essay. This style of writing is one that allows students to use two writing strategies while doing one task. Expressive writing is personal writing. Usually done in the first person, the writer shares on their experiences. Next, the students transfer to the reflective writing. This writing is done by recounting experiences. This is especially great for a science class because reflective writing is a way for students to "discover new thoughts" and uses the "past as a means for looking at the future" (25).
Katherine Grady and Bobby Jeanpierre,
Population 75 trillion: Cells, organelles, and their functions, Science Scope, 2011
Grade Level: K-12
Description: Creating foldables can be a great way to incorporate writing into your classroom. Having students create foldables can help them think at a higher cognitive level. To make a foldable, students will fold a piece of paper from top to bottom, creating a horizontal crease in the middle of the paper. Next fold the paper edge to edge to create a vertical line in the middle of the paper. When the students open the paper, there should be four quadrants. In these quadrants students can write, copy, or draw in two of the quadrants and explain the drawing in the other two quadrants. For example, if the students were working on cells they could draw a picture of a plant cell on one quadrant and key for the organelles in the next quadrant. This strategy should not take longer than 15 minutes to do, and is very beneficial for the students.
Joanna Shubin
Letters! We get letters, Science Scope, 2014
Grade Level: K-12
Description: This is another post-lesson activity. The teacher will explain how to write a letter, teaching the students how to write an address, how to address the individual person, and how to complete an envelope with an address and return label. After the teacher is done explaining how to set up a letter the students will brainstorm about the topic of the letter and different questions they want to ask. Then students will go and write their letter individually and send it off (turn it in) so the teacher can read and see the understanding of her students. It is recommended that all students use the school address as a return address so that homeless/immigrant students are also included and are comfortable participating in the activity. Also, students that might have a hard time writing can be given a "fill in the blank" letter or have the assignment shortened to fit their needs.
Press4kids, News-o-Matic School Edition, $19.99
iTunes store gives insight to specifics about the app: News-o-Matic
Review of App: News-o-Matic
Grade Level: K-8
Description: News-o-Matic is an interactive app that allows for students to read current event articles, news associated with their standards, and news from the teacher. Along with all of this reading, students will write responses to questions that can be posed with different articles. Students can also write to the editors of each article, this leads to formal writing exercises as well as communication with other people. News-o-Matic is especially great in a science classroom because the news articles can be read at different grade levels and can this will allow for students to write better. The teacher will have to guide the writing a lot using this app; however, the amount of writing being done can be tremendous and will lead to students becoming better writers.
Irene Salter, Rebecca Smith, and Katherine Nielsen
Injecting inquiry into photosynthesis investigations, Science Scope, 2008
Grade level: 5-12
Description: The question walk strategy can be implemented to get students with the same questions or interests together quickly. A question walk is when a teacher has their students write down questions from the material and leave them on their desks. Once all the students are done they walk around the room and stand next to the question they are most interested in. Once the groups are together they move forward in the lesson together to find the answer to their question of interest. This process should take 15 minutes. The teachers role is to make sure that the questions are relevant to the teaching topic.
Jill Johnson and Lisa Martin-Hansen
Improving science reading comprehension, Science Scope, 2005
Grade level: 6-12
Description: Response Logs can be used as a strategy for both writing and reading literacy. A response log can be structured or open-minded. It is a chart with space for students to record their thoughts on a certain reading, a hypothesis, or a whole lesson. This strategy can be implemented in any form the teacher prefers, and it still benefits the students understanding through writing. The teacher can use response logs to obtain information of students' misconceptions or content mastery.
Michelle Williams, Marcia Linn, and Gail Hollowell
Making mitosis visible, Science Scope, 2008
Grade level: 6-8
Description: Technology-Enhanced Learning in Science (TELS) is a program used on a computer or laptop. TELS has free online modules that engage students in scientific inquiry through collaborative activities. As students work through these modules, that include games, visualizations, and investigations, they can interact with other students and write notes in an online journal. The teacher will be able to see what the student writes in their online journal so he or she can track a student’s strength, gains and misconceptions. The students will use their notes and update them as they move through the module. The teacher will be able to tell if the student needs help clearing up a misconception and the student will gain greater comprehension. The students can move through the lesson at their own pace. I would break up the modules and do a few each day of the topic.
Susan German
Writing science sentences, Science Scope, 2016
Grade Level: 7-12
Description: This strategy is used commonly throughout science and math classes. Referred to as word problems in math classes, this strategy recommends calling the science equivalent, science sentences. With this strategy, students will complete an experiment or activity in class, and instead of writing a math problem to show their reasoning, students will write science sentences. Teachers will promote writing, model science sentence structures, and allow students to write science sentences on their own. Students will become better writers because they will have the ability to take different information and create sentences, paragraphs, and essays based on evidence from the experiment or activity.