Writing In Science

How to Scaffold Instruction to Support Learning

New TeacherYear 2, Mtg 2

October 25, 2010Becky Warf Smith

Goals for the Day

• Learning Targets– I can explain the rationale

for using science notebooks as an instructional tool

– I can scaffold instruction to support student learning for data analysis and writing explanations

– I can utilize Writing in Science to purposefully plan instruction that improves student learning

Initial (Informal) Assessment

Minding Your P’s and Q’s

Throughout this session, we will be referring to Writing in Science. This book covers the session topics in more depth, and can thus serve as a valuable resource for you in the future.

Preview Writing in Science by asking yourself (and answering) the 4 questions on your handout as you skim through the text.

Science Notebooks

• Is a science notebook different from a science journal or log?

• How have you used science notebooks in the past?

Where is the trouble?

Does it lie

with content

or

with communication?

How would these comments help improve your communication in

writing?Add more detail

Give more support

What is the data trying to say?

What is the evidence?

Your conclusion needs to be stronger

How does this relate?

You need to be more clear

Comment of your choice

Five Big AssumptionsSeattle’s Science Notebook Program

• Students are motivated to learn new concepts and skills when they are engaged in meaningful learning experiences, such as those in inquiry-based science units.

• The ultimate goal is for students to develop an understanding of science concepts, and to do so, they must learn how to think scientifically

…Assumptions (cont)

• Students also need to learn specific scientific skills (e.g., making observations and interpreting data) and forms of expository writing (e.g., data analysis and conclusions) to help them construct their understanding of concepts and develop their ability to think analytically. Science notebooks serve as a tool in this learning.

…Assumptions (cont)

• Students need scaffolding and modeling to help them learn science concepts, scientific thinking and skills, and expository writing.

• Elementary students have limited time and energy for making entries in their science notebooks, so their entries should focus on expository writing that will deepen their conceptual understanding and/or develop their scientific skills and thinking.

Science Notebooks• The science notebook is not a

product that looks good, but it is a product to support learning and to develop expository writing skills.

• The science notebook is not about what students did, but it is about helping them to make meaning of what they did.

• Avoid having students write about how they felt, what was their favorite…,what they did, or a generic, “What did you learn today?”

• Notebooks should be for formative rather than summative purposes and, therefore, should not be graded.

Writing in Science:How to Scaffold Instruction to Support Learning

Science Session• Engagement

– Date and Focus Question

• Active Investigation– Record data, take notes,

make illustrations or diagrams

• Shared Reflection• Application

Writing Session• Shared Review

– Questions about shared reflection of conclusions based on focus question

• Shared Writing– Model structure

• Scaffolding• Independent Writing

– Use scaffolding to complete notebook entries

Pg. 152

Science Notebook “Rules”for Science Section

• Date, in numerals, the first page of the entry.

• Write a focus or investigative question for each lesson.

• Write something about each science session.

• Write legibly (not necessarily their “best handwriting”).

Science Session

Engagement

• Write the date in numerals on the first page of your notebook entry.

• Write the focus question on the top line of your notebook entry page. – How many drops of

each different liquid will a penny hold?

Active Investigation

Shared Reflection• Discuss investigation

– What does your data show?– How does your data compare with other

groups?• Introduce word bank

– “Students must learn scientific vocabulary after they have had a concrete experience.”

– “Ideas develop from experiences, and technical terms develop from the ideas and operations that are rooted in those experiences. When terms come first, students just tend to memorize so much technical jargon that it sloughs off in a short while.”

– Organize the words conceptually, rather than randomly or alphabetically.

– Write “generic” science vocabulary in a different color than you will use for the unit words. The “generic” word cards can be reused with any/every science unit.

Application

• How does the investigation connect to other observations or experiences that you have had? – This is the “SO WHAT” of the exploration

• What are other questions that you have as a result of the investigation?– Where would you encounter different liquids?– What are the properties of a liquid?– Are the properties of all liquids the same?

Writing Session

Shared Review

• Focus is on processing what was learned from the investigation.

• Question students about the shared reflection of conclusions from the science session.

• Remember, this is usually done the next day so this review is important!

• “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to think like a rocket scientist.”

– Gerry Wheeler, NSTA Executive Director

Shared Writing

• Model structure as the students provide the content.

• Focus of writing will be on:– Comparing and contrasting– Cause and effect– ReasoningData analysis– Drawing conclusions from data

ScaffoldingData Analysis Writing• Introductory/topic sentence:

– This graph/table shows…

• Summarize the data:– Qualitative data

• More/less; longer/shorter

– Quantitative data• Actual quantities/measurements

• Concluding statement(s):– Therefore, I think…

• Outliers, inconsistent data– Some data were inconsistent. I think this happened, because…

• Connection to the real world– This information could be important because…

Now Let’s Write

• We do:– Using the data provided by the teacher, let’s

work through a writing session together.• Water—60• Alcohol—58• Glycerin—40

• You do:– Use scaffolding to write in science notebooks

using your own data from the activity

Share With a Partner

• Considering your thoughts at the beginning of this session and your experiences today, have your thoughts about science notebooks changed? If so, how? If not, why?

KCAS for Literacy in Science• With your district team, examine the CCR

Anchor Standards for Writing on page 63 and the writing standards on pages 65 and 66.

• How might the type of writing that you did during the “science session” begin to prepare students to meet these standards?

• Highlight specific standards that were addressed or partially addressed.

KCAS for Literacy in Science

• In general, what are some specific strengths and weaknesses that your students demonstrate in writing?

• Are they similar across grade levels?

• What are some strategies that can be used to strengthen students’ understanding of concepts and their ability to communicate in science?

How do we plan for this?

• Why do we need scaffolds in the first place?

• Who needs the scaffolds? How do you determine this?

• Are scaffolds to be used continuously?• How often do we use science notebooks?

– Are there different considerations for elementary, middle, and high?

• How are notebooks assessed?

Take Home Message

• We want students to think scientifically and to communicate their thinking through writing.

• In order to be successful, students must be explicitly taught how to do this.

• This requires time! Practice and Modeling are essential.

Goals for the Day

• Learning Targets– I can explain the rationale

for using science notebooks as an instructional tool

– I can scaffold instruction to support student learning for data analysis and writing explanations

– I can utilize Writing in Science to purposefully plan instruction that improves student learning

Becky W. Smithwarf45@windstream.net

Science Regional Teacher PartnerPIMSER, University of Kentucky