Integrating Science and Writing - A Science Literacy Center

One way many of my classroom teachers integrate is through the development and implementation of a science/writing center.  All of our teachers use the workshop approach to teach reading and writing.  For this reason, the students rotate through a variety of centers/stations where they are working on developing and applying their reading and writing skills.  The science/writing center provides students with opportunities to explore science concepts, discuss observations with classmates, and apply their writing skills by recording their observations in their science notebooks.

Many of my teachers are interested in implementing a science/writing station but are hesitant because they are not sure where to start.  There are many things to consider when developing a plan for your station because it needs to be purposeful and structured, but still allow the students the ability to explore.  As an instructional coach, I help my teachers develop their plan, gather materials, and even push in to their classroom to help implement and run the station if needed.

So what exactly does this look like?  Recently, I helped one of my 3rd grade teachers integrate a science/writing station into his literacy block.  The goal was to give his students meaningful opportunities to write about science concepts.  Below is the plan and outline we developed for his station.

Setting Up Expectations
First, we needed to develop a set of expectations for the center/station.  With elementary students, it was important for the students to know what the expectations were so we (the teachers) could hold them accountable for their learning.  So, I worked collaboratively with the students on the first day to create a list of what they thought it would look and sound like if they were working as scientists at this station.

The chart below includes the expectations the students developed.  The ones marked with an "*" are key to holding students accountable.

Daily Process

The center occurred during the teacher's reading block which lasted 60 minutes every day.  Students rotated through the stations after about 15-20 minutes.  The way we set up the science/writing station was to have a new focus question every 2-3 days depending on how quickly the students worked.  Typically, day 1 was for student observations where students could record if they wanted to.  Days 2 and 3 were for documenting their observations, thoughts, and reflections in their science notebooks.  

Day 1 - Students observing with tools, making noticings, discussing observations with the group, sharing ideas, asking questions.

Day 2 - Students recording observations from day 1 in their science notebook.  The expectation was their entries should include a sketch with labels, an "I noticed" or "I observed" statement, and any questions they have. 

My role during the station was to ensure the conversations and recordings in their notebooks were related to our focus question for the day.

Science Notebook Entries

Students recorded in their science notebooks for each focus question.  Each entry would have a sketch with labels, the focus question, observations including their "I noticed" or "I observed" statements, and any questions they had.  If you are implementing this in your classroom without an additional teacher, one way to check for understanding is to have a poster or board where students write 1 statement from their notebook on a sticky note and attach it to the board.  This would allow you to easily scan the chart to make sure their entries are related to the focus question and students are being productive during the center.

Guiding Questions
The questions for this station were connected to the 3rd grade Next Generation Science Standards for taht grade level.  Some of the topics they had previously discussed during science and others they would be learning later.  A science/writing station can be a great way to introduce your students to concepts and have them begin to use the language and vocabulary before you even discuss or explore it as a class.  It is also a great way to see what background knowledge and misconceptions your students might have on a given topic.  Below are some of the questions I had the 3rd graders explore.

Force & Motion

• How do things move?
• How does a ramp change how things move?
• What type of force makes things move?

Animal Characteristics & Habitats

• What can animal and insect characteristics tell us about them?
• What can animal and insect characteristics tell us about how they live?
• What can fossils tell us about an organism and its environment?

A science/writing center is a great way to get students exploring science concepts in a structured way while integrating writing.  You can also include a variety of texts to support this station so students are reading and writing about what they observe.  While it can be a bit overwhelming to start, I promise your students will enjoy the experience and you can get some insights into what the students understand when working without teacher guidance.

Writing in Math and Science

This post actually came from an earlier blog of mine.  I am in the process of integrating that professional development blog into this new blog on STEM Education.

Reading and writing are tools students can use to better understand math and science concepts.  Using children's literature texts as a way to introduce math/science concepts and vocabulary is one way to do this. 

Writing in Math through Notebooks
Another great way to integrate more literacy is through the use of math notebooks.  Here are a few great resources you can use when beginning to use math notebooks.

Mathwire.com Suggestions
FAQ about Math Journals

Integrating Science Notebooks
One way to get students writing during science time is through the use of science notebooks.  Now, it is more than just asking students to draw pictures or write sentences about what they are doing.  Successful science notebooks happen when the students are engaged in authentic, purposeful writing experiences.  Students begin to understand they use their journals just as scientists would in the field:  as a place to record ideas, test predictions, and draw detailed sketches.

Here is a handout describing science notebooks  Click Here
Here are some sample rubrics you can use to assess science notebooks Click Here
Here are some examples of science notebook structures Click Here

Related Readings on integrating literacy and science:
Winokur, J., Worth, K., & Heller-Winokur, M. (2009). Connecting science and literacy through talk. Science and Children, 47(3), 46-49.
Zales, C. R., & Unger, C. S. (2008). The science and literacy framework. Science and Children, 46(3), 42-45.
Van Meeteren, B. D., & Escalada, L. T. (2010). Science and literacy centers. Science and Children, 47(7), 74-78.

Related Readings on math journals:
Hellwig, S. J., Monroe, E. E., & Jacobs, J. S., (2000). Making informed choices. Selecting children's trade books for mathematics instruction. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7(3), 138-143.

STEM vs STEM Education

 “Most, even those in education, say ‘STEM’ when they should be saying ‘STEM education,’ overlooking that STEM without education is a reference to the fields in which scientists, engineers, and mathematicians toil. Science, mathematics, and technology teachers are STEM educators working in STEM education” (Sanders, 2009, p. 20).  

I think this quote describes the biggest change in my understanding of STEM Education.  Often times, I am asked "what type of STEM curriculum are you teaching at your STEM school?"  The answer to this question is not quite so simple.  In my mind, STEM is not a content area to be taught through a special curriculum.  We are not adding an additional content area for our teachers to teach.  Our school's focus on STEM Education is more a change in the way we approach teaching and learning for both students and teachers.

So what exactly does this mean?  At the beginning of this school year, our teachers sat down and developed a list of what you might see and hear in our school with a focus on STEM Education.  Below is what we developed.

At Benton STEM Elementary, you will see and hear...

Students...

-        Exploring

-        Taking risks

-        Explaining and justifying their thinking

-        Questioning each other

-        Responding to each other’s questions

-        Investigating

-        Learning from mistakes

-        Collaborating

 Teachers...

-        Questioning

-        Facilitating discussions

-        Taking risks

-        Using data

-        Empowering students

-        Giving think time

-        Prompting

-        Modeling thinking

-        Exploring

-        Using the 5E model of instruction

-        Learning from mistakes

            -        Collaborating      

I would also add purposeful integration of content areas to the list for teachers.  Now, I know many teachers would say this list describes what good teaching should look and sound like in any classroom, not just at a STEM school.  I completely agree with that statement.  I believe the teaching and learning behaviors found at my school include best educational practices and cover instruction in all content areas (not just literacy and math).  I hope to revisit this topic in a later post.

I think when we say we teach STEM at our building, we are actually saying we teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  I would hope every school should be able to make that same statement.  However, what our school is doing differently is changing how we teach these areas through purposeful planning, reflection, integration, and inquiry-based instruction. 

References:

Sanders, M. (2009). STEM, STEM education, STEMmania. The Technology Teacher, 68(4), 20-26.