Student Centered Approaches for science education

Developing Science Writing Skills

RTTC Kandal, July 2011

Contents

1. Purpose of science writing

2. Tips for better writing in science

3. Note taking

4. Creative writing

5. Formative Assessment through writing

2

Introduction

Often

Science writing = copying notes from whiteboard

Involves very little thinking and learning

3

Introduction

But …

it can be turned into an active learning activity

4

Why writing in science?

Even in science students spend a lot of lesson time writing.

• Card sorts activity: discuss why you let students write during science lessons.

5

Think-Talk-Write

Purposeful talk in science lessons is necessary for good writing

between students

between teacher and students

6

Taking notes

• What are good notes?• Taking notes ≠ dictation• Good note taking involves:

• Structuring• Filtering: important vs. unimportant things• Processing: organize thinking about the content

7

Taking notes

Note taking can help students

• To improve listening skills• To improve understanding of lesson• To structure better what they have learned

8

Cornell system of note taking

• Note taking structure• For use during and

after the lecture• Stimulates

• Critical thinking• Review afterwards• Connecting with prior

knowledge• Listening skills

9

Date Topic

Key-words

Notes during lecture

Questions

Summary

Cornell system of note taking

• Write down main points & relevant details during lecture– Leave empty spaces– Use abbreviations– Highlight and underline

10

Date Topic

Key-words

Notes during lecture

Questions

Summary

Cornell system of note taking

• Things you don’t understand

• Review questions• Gaps in notes

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Date Topic

Key-words

Notes during lecture

Questions

Summary

Cornell system of note taking

12

Date Topic

Key-words

Notes during lecture

Questions

Summary

– Review asap after lecture

– Complement notes– Compare with

textbook– Use own words– 3 to 4 sentences

Study using key-words and questions, then check in notes

Review each other’s work: peer learning

Students improve their note taking skills by learning from each other

13

Tips

Be rigorous but sensitive in correcting students’ use of scientific words

Allowing inaccurate use will limit students’ progress

Let them use scientific words often

14

Tips

You may let students use 2 notebooks

One for draft writing exercises, one for final study notes

15

Cornell note taking - Variations

• Can also be applied to reading assignments• You can provide predetermined categories;

– Similarities and differences– Arguments pro and contra– Main topics of the lecture

• Write down questions on the topic before the lecture.

16

Cornell Note taking: rubric

• Try-out this rubric

• Personalize based on your experiences

17

correct set-up and heading

notes are selective and accurate

use of logical abbreviations

notes have been edited, highlighted and underlined

questions check for understanding

questions reflect high level of inquiry

summary reflects main points in own words

correct set-up and heading

notes are selective and accurate

use of logical abbreviations

questions check for understanding

questions reflect high level of inquiry

summary is present

correct set-up and heading

notes not always accurate

some abbreviations used

questions check for understanding

summary misses some points or is exact copy

correct set-up

some notes present

some questions present

incomplete summary

correct set-up

some notes present

no questions or summary

5

4

3

2

1

Practice Time

• Short lecture on a science topic

• Take notes with a Cornell structure

• Review and discuss notes with your neighbour, using the rubric.

18

Photo by Lindsay Phillips

Creative Science writing

Writing on science in a creative way

– Learning experience

– Fun experience

– Use science vocabulary in own words

– Confidence & motivation

19Photo courtesy Cobalt123

Why Creative Science writing?

• Objectives

– Opportunity to show scientific knowledge and

understanding

– Formulate knowledge in own words

– Apply correct scientific terms

– Argument ideas

– Requires engagement and

decision making by students

– Detect conceptual errors

20Photo by irene gr

Creative writing

Bringing non-science writing formats into the science lesson

… can you give some examples?

21

Tips

With creative writing students take ownership about what they write

Reformulating their knowledge is important process in learning

22

Creative writing: structure

• Audience

• Format

• Topic/ Purpose

23

Creative writing: structure

24

parents

grandparents

readers of newspaper

best friend

company boss

letter

poem

narrative story

persuasive letter

newspaper article

travel story

what you have learned today

why you (don't) agree with

jouney of a food particle

Audience

Format

Topic

Creative writing: an example

Write a letter to your grandmother in which you explain that water boils faster in the mountains, but that it will take longer to cook rice.

25

Courtesy Tsiangkun

Creative writing: an example

Explain to your brother why there are more lunar eclipses than solar eclipses, but that even lunar eclipses don’t occur every month.

Courtesy Simon Barnes

Creative writing: an example

Finish the poem…27

Practice time

Design 3 different creative writing challenges for

the topics that you pick out of the envelope.

28

Inspiration for creative writing challenges

• Imagine you are a chloroplast. Describe in your diary a typical day in the sun.

• Write an article describing different ways leaves are modified to their environment.

• Write a song describing the importance of Carbon in the human body

• Describe your journey to the center of the Earth

29

Formative Assessment

Continuous assessment during class

Teacher: collect information Learning process Pace of instruction Misconceptions Difficulties

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Students: think and learn Evaluate learning

process Deepen

understanding Clarify and formulate

ideas

10 – 2 technique

Every 10 minutes of instruction …

Give students 2 minutes of reflection:• Quiet thinking• Summarizing• Formulating questions• Discussing

31

2-minute papers

Near the end of the lesson…

present students with general questionabout their learning

students write a short answer in 2 minutes

collect the notes to evaluate your lesson

32

2-minute papers

Some examples of questions

– What was the most important thing you learned today?

– What did you learn today that you didn’t know before class?

– What important question remains unanswered?

– What would help you to learn better tomorrow?

– What did you like about today’s lesson?

– What did you not like about today’s lesson?

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Conclusions

34

Discussion

Write down two points from this chapter that you will use in the classroom.

Write down one element that you won’t use.

Share with your neighbor.

Reconsider your original choices regarding purpose of writing

Analyze and change if necessary your initial priority list. Discuss conflicting issues.