Science the Write WayScience the Write Way

Laurie BouldenVero Beach Elementary School

Project Child Science and Writing3-5

Funding for this program

originally sponsored by:

Toyota Tapestry

Grants, 2005

Vero Beach Elementary SchoolVero Beach Elementary School

• Title 1 urban school

• Population 500 students, Pre-K to 5th Grade

• Free and Reduced Lunch 80%

• Title 1 urban school

• Population 500 students, Pre-K to 5th Grade

• Free and Reduced Lunch 80%

Why Science and Writing?Why Science and Writing?

• Time is of the essence- curriculum must be integrated to fulfill state and district mandates

• Science and Social Studies make wonderful curriculum areas for integrating reading and writing process skills

• Brain Research shows that applying real situations helps improve learning and retention

• Time is of the essence- curriculum must be integrated to fulfill state and district mandates

• Science and Social Studies make wonderful curriculum areas for integrating reading and writing process skills

• Brain Research shows that applying real situations helps improve learning and retention

Writing ProgramWriting Program

• School adopted program- Direct teaching of strategies based on Melissa Forney and other resources, team teach with writing coach, 1 hour four days a week, focus is fourth grade before March and third grade after March

• Teaching and learning is disengaged from academics, how can we bring writing into the academics?

• School adopted program- Direct teaching of strategies based on Melissa Forney and other resources, team teach with writing coach, 1 hour four days a week, focus is fourth grade before March and third grade after March

• Teaching and learning is disengaged from academics, how can we bring writing into the academics?

Applying WritingApplying Writing

• Use science experiments and conceptual learning as a basis for teaching writing process skills for expository and narrative writing in the fourth and fifth grades

• Can be used as an assessment/culminating activity at the end of a unit

• Use science experiments and conceptual learning as a basis for teaching writing process skills for expository and narrative writing in the fourth and fifth grades

• Can be used as an assessment/culminating activity at the end of a unit

The Writing ProcessA look at NarrativeThe Writing ProcessA look at Narrative

Prompt: Write an adventure story with a rock character

Review Narrative ElementsReview Narrative Elements

Beginning

•When, Who, Where

•Work from the Prompt

•Mystery

Middle

•Transitional phrases

•Seeing sentences

•Saying sentences

•Doing sentences

•Mystery sentences

Ending

•Back to reality/home

•Fantasy, lesson learned, challenge

reader

Science ReviewScience Review

• Types of Rocks• Characteristics of Rocks

• How Rocks move and change

• Types of Rocks• Characteristics of Rocks

• How Rocks move and change

Writing BrainstormingWriting Brainstorming

• Clever Character Names

• Clever Phrases

• Clever Places

• Character Traits

• Synonyms/Figurative Language

• Clever Character Names

• Clever Phrases

• Clever Places

• Character Traits

• Synonyms/Figurative Language

Writing ProcessWriting Process

• Mapping story

• Rough draft

• Edit and Revise

• Illustrate and Publish

• Mapping story

• Rough draft

• Edit and Revise

• Illustrate and Publish

Assessing WritingAssessing Writing

• Focus• Organization• Conventions• Supporting details•

http://apps.sdhc.k12.fl.us/sdhc2/elementary/languagearts/fcat_writerubric.htm

• Focus• Organization• Conventions• Supporting details•

http://apps.sdhc.k12.fl.us/sdhc2/elementary/languagearts/fcat_writerubric.htm

The Writing ProcessA Look at ExpositoryThe Writing ProcessA Look at Expository

Review Expository ElementsReview Expository Elements

Hook- grab the reader’s attention

Hook- grab the reader’s attention

Introduction- what’s it all about?

Introduction- what’s it all about?

3 or more main ideas- with supporting details

3 or more main ideas- with supporting details

Conclusion- review, reflect, and pose further questions

Conclusion- review, reflect, and pose further questions

Making it Flow Making it Flow

• Transitional words

• Interjections and author speak

• Transitional words

• Interjections and author speak

What we used to get:What we used to get:In Roman mythology, Saturn is the god of agriculture. The associated Greek

god, Cronus, was the son of Uranus and Gaia and the father of Zeus (Jupiter). Saturn is the root of the English word "Saturday" (see Appendix 5).

Saturn has been known since prehistoric times. Galileo was the first to observe it with a telescope in 1610; he noted its odd appearance but was confused by it. Early observations of Saturn were complicated by the fact that the Earth passes through the plane of Saturn's rings every few years as Saturn moves in its orbit. A low resolution image of Saturn therefore changes drastically. It was not until 1659 that Christiaan Huygens correctly inferred the geometry of the rings. Saturn's rings remained unique in the known solar system until 1977 when very faint rings were discovered around Uranus (and shortly thereafter around Jupiter and Neptune).

In Roman mythology, Saturn is the god of agriculture. The associated Greek god, Cronus, was the son of Uranus and Gaia and the father of Zeus (Jupiter). Saturn is the root of the English word "Saturday" (see Appendix 5).

In Roman mythology, Saturn is the god of agriculture. The associated Greek god, Cronus, was the son of Uranus and Gaia and the father of Zeus (Jupiter). Saturn is the root of the English word "Saturday" (see Appendix 5).

Saturn has been known since prehistoric times. Galileo was the first to observe it with a telescope in 1610; he noted its odd appearance but was confused by it. Early observations of Saturn were complicated by the fact that the Earth passes through the plane of Saturn's rings every few years as Saturn moves in its orbit. A low resolution image of Saturn therefore changes drastically. It was not until 1659 that Christiaan Huygens correctly inferred the geometry of the rings. Saturn's rings remained unique in the known solar system until 1977 when very faint rings were discovered around Uranus (and shortly thereafter around Jupiter and Neptune).

In Roman mythology, Saturn is the god of agriculture. The associated Greek god, Cronus, was the son of Uranus and Gaia and the father of Zeus (Jupiter). Saturn is the root of the English word "Saturday" (see Appendix 5).

Helping Students SucceedHelping Students Succeed

• Guide their research using questions

• Model and practice

• Allow adequate time

• Edit and Revise

• Guide their research using questions

• Model and practice

• Allow adequate time

• Edit and Revise

Space ProjectSpace Project

• Pairs of students were assigned a planet• Research using books, not the Internet• Books have questions that guide students through

collecting information• Cut out questions and answers• Group by main ideas• Tape together and write• Model and practice together first

• Pairs of students were assigned a planet• Research using books, not the Internet• Books have questions that guide students through

collecting information• Cut out questions and answers• Group by main ideas• Tape together and write• Model and practice together first

Types of Writing PromptsTypes of Writing Prompts

• Energy Super heroes

• Webbes- http://www.realebooks.com/• Space Planet Report• Animal Adventures• Science Report• Science Fair Abstract• Group Story telling projects

• Energy Super heroes

• Webbes- http://www.realebooks.com/• Space Planet Report• Animal Adventures• Science Report• Science Fair Abstract• Group Story telling projects

The end is only the BeginningThe end is only the Beginning

Consider this to be a jumping off point. Many children will use this basic formula to get used to writing, but never limit a child to using it. Writing is a necessity, a skill to be learned, and a talent.

Consider this to be a jumping off point. Many children will use this basic formula to get used to writing, but never limit a child to using it. Writing is a necessity, a skill to be learned, and a talent.

Prompts used this yearPrompts used this year

• 5th Grade Energy Superhero• Study of energy including force and motion,

electricity, solar energy, magnetism, and heat• They had to develop a character that would have a

super power related to energy: electricity, light, heat, etc.

• Their story had to have a problem that needed to be solved, either environmental or caused by a villain

• 5th Grade Energy Superhero• Study of energy including force and motion,

electricity, solar energy, magnetism, and heat• They had to develop a character that would have a

super power related to energy: electricity, light, heat, etc.

• Their story had to have a problem that needed to be solved, either environmental or caused by a villain

• 4th Grade Rock Stories• Rock Cycle and Changes to Earth study• They developed a character based on a

type of rock- igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary

• There had to be a problem to be solved• They had to embed details about their rock

in their story

• 4th Grade Rock Stories• Rock Cycle and Changes to Earth study• They developed a character based on a

type of rock- igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary

• There had to be a problem to be solved• They had to embed details about their rock

in their story

• 3rd Grade Simple Machines aren’t just a Fairy Tale

• After studying simple machines and reading different fairy tales, the students had to develop characters and places for their story

• They had to have a problem involving a simple machine, either causing or solving

• 3rd Grade Simple Machines aren’t just a Fairy Tale

• After studying simple machines and reading different fairy tales, the students had to develop characters and places for their story

• They had to have a problem involving a simple machine, either causing or solving

• 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Space Stories• students studied different aspects of space and

used nonfiction trade books to research 2 planets• Prompt: You and a friend travel to a planet and

meet something. How did you get there? Where did the ship come from? What happened when you met the alien?

• Students were given different levels of support for this prompt. Some were able to develop their stories with very little structure, a few others needed more details and direction in order to be successful.

• 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Space Stories• students studied different aspects of space and

used nonfiction trade books to research 2 planets• Prompt: You and a friend travel to a planet and

meet something. How did you get there? Where did the ship come from? What happened when you met the alien?

• Students were given different levels of support for this prompt. Some were able to develop their stories with very little structure, a few others needed more details and direction in order to be successful.

Standard Writing StationsStandard Writing Stations• Writing Station- prompt rough draft• Teacher Station- editing• Computer Station- typing the final draft for

publication When students finish their final draft, they move to

one of the other stations. Every other week there will be a new writing prompt. Some students will get every one complete, others will not. Not all prompts have embedded science concepts being applied.

• Writing Station- prompt rough draft• Teacher Station- editing• Computer Station- typing the final draft for

publication When students finish their final draft, they move to

one of the other stations. Every other week there will be a new writing prompt. Some students will get every one complete, others will not. Not all prompts have embedded science concepts being applied.

For the Future…For the Future…

In order to make writing significant, apply science content in a variety of situations and build connections. Don’t limit yourself, continue to build between multiple facets of academia… What else can be done

…the Write Way

In order to make writing significant, apply science content in a variety of situations and build connections. Don’t limit yourself, continue to build between multiple facets of academia… What else can be done

…the Write Way

Where to Find it All…Where to Find it All…

http://www.indian-river.k12.fl.us/vbe/

Look on the left side of the page for a link to Science Presentations.

http://www.indian-river.k12.fl.us/vbe/

Look on the left side of the page for a link to Science Presentations.