1. Student Centered Approaches for science educationDeveloping Science Writing Skills RTTC Kandal, July 2011

2. Contents Purpose of science writing Tips for better writing in science Note taking Creative writing Formative Assessment through writing 2

3. Introduction Often Science writing = copying notes from whiteboard Involves very little thinking and learning 3

4. Introduction But … it can be turned into an active learning activity 4

5. 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

6. Think-Talk-Write Purposeful talk in science lessons is necessary for good writing between students between teacher and students 6

7. 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

8. Taking notes Note taking can help students To improve listening skills To improve understanding of lesson To structure better what they have learned 8

9. 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

10. Cornell system of note taking Write down main points & relevant details during lecture Leave empty spaces Use abbreviations Highlight and underline 10

11. Cornell system of note taking Things you don’t understand Review questions Gaps in notes 11

12. Cornell system of note taking 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 12

13. Review each other’s work: peer learning Students improve their note taking skills by learning from each other 13

14. 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

15. Tips You may let students use 2 notebooks One for draft writing exercises, one for final study notes 15

16. 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

17. Cornell Note taking: rubric Try-out this rubric Personalize based on your experiences 17

18. 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

19. Creative Science writing Writing on science in a creative way Learning experience Fun experience Use science vocabulary in own words Confidence & motivation 19 Photo courtesy Cobalt123

20. 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 20 Photo by irenegr

21. Creative writing Bringing non-science writing formats into the science lesson … can you give some examples? 21

22. Tips With creative writing students take ownership about what they write Reformulating their knowledge is important process in learning 22

23. Creative writing: structure Audience Format Topic/ Purpose 23

24. Creative writing: structure 24

25. 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

26. 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

27. Creative writing: an example Finish the poem… 27

28. Practice time Design 3 different creative writing challenges for the topics that you pick out of the envelope. 28

29. 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

31. Pace of instruction

32. Misconceptions

34. Deepen understanding

35. Clarify and formulate ideas30

36. 10 – 2 technique Every 10 minutes of instruction … Give students 2 minutes of reflection: Quiet thinking Summarizing Formulating questions Discussing 31

37. 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

38. 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? 33

39. Conclusions 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. 34