Writing Scientific

Articles

5th Grade Language Arts

What is a Scientific Article?

A scientific article is a piece of writing that reports the findings of a scientific experiment. Scientists use these types of articles inform other scientists, as well as regular people, about their discoveries.

A good scientific article does several things: It explains why the experiment was done, how it was performed, what conclusion was reached, and howthe results support that conclusion.

What kind of writing is this?

Expository: We’re writing to explain something. Specifically, we’re writing to explain why the conclusion of a scientific experiment is true.

What are the parts of Expository

Writing?

Focus Statement – In a scientific article the Focus Statement explains:

• What the experiment is trying to figure out.• What the hypothesis is.• How the experiment will test the hypothesis (In other words, a summary of the procedure).• A brief summary of the results and the conclusion.

Let’s say, for example, I’m writing a scientific article about an experiment about whether or not Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow helps tomato plants grow.

Focus Statement:

In this experiment I wanted to determine whether or not Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Growtm would help tomato plants grow faster and produce more tomatoes within a one month period. My hypothesis was that this fertilizer would not have any impact on tomato plant growth based on the fact that it is made entirely of old pencil shavings. To test this hypothesis I set up three trials in which I added Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow to one group, and did not add it to the other. I kept water, soil, and exposure to sunlight the same for all groups and recorded my observations about plant height, number of leaves, and how many tomatoes were produced over a one month period. During this time, the tomato plants in the control group (that did not receive any Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow) measured taller, had more leaves, and produced more tomatoes than the plants that did receive the Miracle Grow. From this data, I concluded that my hypothesis was correct and that Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow has a negative impact on Tomato plant growth.

In this experiment I wanted to determine whether or not Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Growtm would help tomato plants grow faster and produce more tomatoes within a one month period. My hypothesis was that this fertilizer would not have any impact on tomato plant growth based on the fact that it is made entirely of old pencil shavings. To test this hypothesis I set up three trials in which I added Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow to one group, and did not add it to the other. I kept water, soil, and exposure to sunlight the same for all groups and recorded my observations about plant height, number of leaves, and how many tomatoes were produced over a one month period. During this time, the tomato plants in the control group (that did not receive any Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow) measured taller, had more leaves, and produced more tomatoes than the plants that did receive the Miracle Grow. From this data, I concluded that my hypothesis was correct and that Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow has a negative impact on Tomato plant growth.

= What the experiment is trying to find out.

= Hypothesis

= How the experiment will test the hypothesis.

= Results

= Conclusion

What are the parts of Expository

Writing?

Main Ideas – Reasons why the Conclusion is true. In your articles, your main ideas are the reasons why you reached your conclusion.

Anecdotes – anecdotes are specific examples that prove the main idea is true. In a science article anecdotes will include parts of the data, observations made during an experiment, or background knowledge.

Now you’re ready to write your main ideas and anecdotes. Our goal is to write a scientific article with at least two main idea paragraphs.

Main Idea Paragraph #1: Background Knowledge.

Your first main idea paragraph should be a summary of what you already know about the subject of your experiment.

Example:

After looking up the basic ingredients of Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow, I noticed that it was composed of nothing more than old pencil shavings. Further research into the materials used to make pencils showed that they contain little to none of the nutrients most plants require to grow. The ingredients of Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow include high levels of Thorzine (20%), Cordozine (45%), and Malthusianacide (35%). However, according to the Agricultural Services International Inc., most garden plants require Nitrogen, Posphorus, Potassium, and Calcium. Furthermore, Thorzine is a known pollutant which actually inhibits plant growth. Due to the presence of potentially harmful chemicals in Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow and the lack of nutrients that plants actually do require, it’s difficult to see how it can actually help plants to grow.

Main Idea Paragraph #2: Observations/Results.

Your second main idea paragraph should contain a summary of your observations during the experiment and/or the results from the experiment.

Example:

During the experiment, I made careful observations on plant height, leaves, and the number of fruit produced over a period of time. The only variable, or thing that changed, during the experiment was the addition of Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow to one group. During this time I noticed that my two control groups grew quite nicely, producing on average three tomatoes each. The tomato plants that were given the Miracle Grow, on the other hand, barely grew at all and averaged .6 tomatoes per plant. I also noticed that, over time, the control group plants color turned from a light green to a dark green color, and that their stems tended to be thick and sturdy while the plants with the fertilizer started out as light green but then turned yellowish. Also, their stems were so thin and frail that even when they produced tomatoes their stems were not able to support the weight and collapsed.

What are the parts of Expository

Writing?

Conclusion – A conclusion restates the focus statement, and summarizes the main ideas. In a scientific article, your conclusion summarizes what you’ve discovered in your experiment, and how you know that what you’ve discovered is true.

Based on my research on the nutritional value of Mr. Thompson’s

Miracle Grow, as well as the result of this experiment, I conclude that my hypothesis was correct and that this product does not help plants grow. On the contrary, the results of my experiment clearly show that this product will harm plants and possibly even kill them. It contains none of the nutrients plants need, and caused the plants in my experiment to whither and die. If Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow is used on a large scale to fertilize crops it will likely result in the widespread death of those plants and could lead to a food crisis. My experiment conclusively shows that this product should not be used, and that Mr. Thompson should not be allowed to advertise old pencil shavings as miracle fertilizer. Further research could be done to look at the effects of Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow on other domesticated plants such as corn, squash, and rice. However, my observations indicate that such experiments will have the same result. This product is dangerously poisonous to plants and should not be used for anything but weed killer.

Example:

Let’s give it a try!

Do the following experiment on whether water can weather sandstone rocks into sediment. Then let’s write a scientific article about it!

Focus Statement

• What the experiment is trying to figure out.• What the hypothesis is.• How the experiment will test the hypothesis (In other words, a summary of the procedure).• A brief summary of the results and the conclusion.

Let’s start by writing your Focus Statement paragraph. Remember to indent (of course) and include:

Main Idea Paragraph #1

(Background Knowledge)

Next, let’s write your first main idea paragraph. This paragraph should include background knowledge and/or research that supports your conclusion. Think of an example of when you observed water weathering rock, and use those observations to craft your paragraph. Can’t think of one? Then you can use my example:

Prior to performing this experiment I had the chance to observe water weathering rock three years ago when my family visited a beach that had recently been hit by a hurricane. The storm had already passed, but the waves were still ferociously pounding the shore where they had already washed up all kinds of debris. Nearby there was an outcropping of rocks that jutted out into the sea. As I watched the huge waves crashed into them over and over again. Looking closer I saw that where the waves smashed into the rocks it was very smooth, with rounded edges. Nearer to the shore, however, where the waves didn’t reach, the same rock was rough with sharp edges and corners. Even though it seemed crazy to think that a wave of water could wear down rock, I could imagine millions of waves over thousands of years slowly working away at the rock’s edges, wearing them smooth with time. I also observed that the sand surrounding these rocks seemed to be made of the same minerals as the rocks themselves, which led me to believe that the action of the waves slamming into the rocks was slowly wearing them down into grains of sand.

Main Idea Paragraph #2

(Data/Observations)

You summarized your results in your Focus Statement, but this is where you really get into specific detail about what the results of your experiment were and how they support or contradict your conclusion.

Conclusion

The final paragraph of the scientific article which explains the conclusion of the experiment based upon what you have learned/observed. It should also include an explanation of how this experiment modeled erosion in real life, and how we can apply what you’ve learned to the real world.