improving science writing skills
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Student Centered Approaches for science education
Developing Science Writing Skills
RTTC Kandal, July 2011
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Contents
1. Purpose of science writing
2. Tips for better writing in science
3. Note taking
4. Creative writing
5. Formative Assessment through writing
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Introduction
Often
Science writing = copying notes from whiteboard
Involves very little thinking and learning
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Introduction
But …
it can be turned into an active learning activity
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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.
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Think-Talk-Write
Purposeful talk in science lessons is necessary for good writing
between students
between teacher and students
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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
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Taking notes
Note taking can help students
• To improve listening skills• To improve understanding of lesson• To structure better what they have learned
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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
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Date Topic
Key-words
Notes during lecture
Questions
Summary
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Cornell system of note taking
• Write down main points & relevant details during lecture– Leave empty spaces– Use abbreviations– Highlight and underline
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Date Topic
Key-words
Notes during lecture
Questions
Summary
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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
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Cornell system of note taking
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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
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Review each other’s work: peer learning
Students improve their note taking skills by learning from each other
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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
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Tips
You may let students use 2 notebooks
One for draft writing exercises, one for final study notes
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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.
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Cornell Note taking: rubric
• Try-out this rubric
• Personalize based on your experiences
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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
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Practice Time
• Short lecture on a science topic
• Take notes with a Cornell structure
• Review and discuss notes with your neighbour, using the rubric.
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Photo by Lindsay Phillips
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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
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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
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Creative writing
Bringing non-science writing formats into the science lesson
… can you give some examples?
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Tips
With creative writing students take ownership about what they write
Reformulating their knowledge is important process in learning
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Creative writing: structure
• Audience
• Format
• Topic/ Purpose
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Creative writing: structure
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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
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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.
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Courtesy Tsiangkun
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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
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Creative writing: an example
Finish the poem…27
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Practice time
Design 3 different creative writing challenges for
the topics that you pick out of the envelope.
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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
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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
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10 – 2 technique
Every 10 minutes of instruction …
Give students 2 minutes of reflection:• Quiet thinking• Summarizing• Formulating questions• Discussing
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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
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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
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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.