What happens when writing is incorporated into the science curriculum?
Intervention and Rationale
After identifying something that was a challenge in the classroom, gathering information in my needs assessments, and reviewing the literature on my research questions I began to prepare an intervention for phase one of my action plan for my students. Through the needs assessment research it was determined that my students have a general dislike for science and are finding themselves not engaged in the current science curriculum. They do like writing and are really engaged in language arts from my observations. I found that conducting a writing activity in science had students engaged and thinking creatively. This then lead me to review literature on the writing that scientists use shown in the characteristics of a scientifically literate learner and the 6+1 writing traits rubric for student writing from my literature review. Research shows my students could gain more of these characteristics of a scientifically literate learner and this would then translate to success in the literacy common core state standards. Through extensive research on 6+1 writing traits rubrics and how I can best assess my student writing from the Atmosphere writing activity I started to create a 6+1 creative writing rubric that I will use in my writing in science activities. I then created an action plan that is founded on this use of the literacy common core standards in promoting scientifically literate learner characteristics in fifth grade students.
When looking at student work on the Atmosphere writing activity and the results of my discussion questions about the atmosphere writing activity I found that students enjoyed getting to be creative and think differently about science. The following are examples of student responses to the question, "Did you like writing during science lessons? What did you like best and least during the writing? What would you change?"
Intervention and Rationale
After identifying something that was a challenge in the classroom, gathering information in my needs assessments, and reviewing the literature on my research questions I began to prepare an intervention for phase one of my action plan for my students. Through the needs assessment research it was determined that my students have a general dislike for science and are finding themselves not engaged in the current science curriculum. They do like writing and are really engaged in language arts from my observations. I found that conducting a writing activity in science had students engaged and thinking creatively. This then lead me to review literature on the writing that scientists use shown in the characteristics of a scientifically literate learner and the 6+1 writing traits rubric for student writing from my literature review. Research shows my students could gain more of these characteristics of a scientifically literate learner and this would then translate to success in the literacy common core state standards. Through extensive research on 6+1 writing traits rubrics and how I can best assess my student writing from the Atmosphere writing activity I started to create a 6+1 creative writing rubric that I will use in my writing in science activities. I then created an action plan that is founded on this use of the literacy common core standards in promoting scientifically literate learner characteristics in fifth grade students.
When looking at student work on the Atmosphere writing activity and the results of my discussion questions about the atmosphere writing activity I found that students enjoyed getting to be creative and think differently about science. The following are examples of student responses to the question, "Did you like writing during science lessons? What did you like best and least during the writing? What would you change?"
Many students seemed to really enjoy the Atmosphere writing from my introduction section and liked to be creative in writing. My students felt that my creative writing lesson on the Earth's Atmosphere was fun and exciting, and this is what I wanted my students to feel towards science. Based on the responses I will create a implementation plan that incorporates more writing activities modeled on the Atmosphere writing activity above, and they enjoyed the creative process of writing in science I want to make this a regular process for them in science. I want to use both the 6+1 writing traits rubric for writing and ideas from my students on what a creative writing piece in science should even look like! We are after all going to be creating a rubric and writing process in science from scratch.
I started thinking about how I would implement my action plan by looking first at my students science test results below to gage where they are at in science. They are really struggling in science based on the results of the test and so I want to see if the outcome of writing in science would lead to higher test scores in the future. The test results below are from the test before any writing in science had been completed.
I started thinking about how I would implement my action plan by looking first at my students science test results below to gage where they are at in science. They are really struggling in science based on the results of the test and so I want to see if the outcome of writing in science would lead to higher test scores in the future. The test results below are from the test before any writing in science had been completed.
The implementation of my action plan will include two days a week dedicated to writing in science for two hours a day. This will be every Tuesday and Thursday. The assignment prompts for writing in science are completed within a lesson. For example, for the creative writing science fiction myth is completed after my science lesson on solar eclipses, the creative writing atmosphere writing is completed within my science lesson on the Earth's atmosphere, etc. The writing prompts always directly relate to the science lesson taught. Students then become familiar with the science content and vocabulary to use in their writing activities. There is a direct correlation between the writing prompt and the science content just learned in the lesson so that students can use the writing as a form of assessment in their science knowledge. At the beginning of each writing activity I will go over the corresponding writing rubric with my students for grading purposes. A fun ending to the science lessons are to have my students share their writings to the class and have applause for the students willing to share. For phase one I will conduct my action plan over a two week period with four total writing in science opportunities for my students. I hope to have an outcome of higher student learning in science through gaining more of the characteristics of a scientific learner, higher test scores, higher writing rubric scores, more fun!, and a higher degree of understanding in science.
Before I could start my action plan I sat down with the class and discussed the Atmosphere writing activity that we did earlier in the school year. I initially had been so excited by students' writing, but as I began to dig deeper and analyze them against the 6+1 writing traits rubrics I was researching in my literature review I noticed some challenges students faced and with writing in science being so new I wanted to give students a framework in a rubric to use to guide them. I talked about their responses to my discussion questions indicating they would like to have more creativity in science. I told students we will be incorporating writing into our science lessons and that we need to look at our Atmosphere writing activity for ideas on a creative writing rubric that as students they will help make. Students were very excited to brainstorm ideas for a grading rubric when we write in science and enjoyed being included in the process. The creative writing rubric is based on both student input and the 6+1 writing traits rubric I researched in my literature review. The following is the creative writing rubric:
Before I could start my action plan I sat down with the class and discussed the Atmosphere writing activity that we did earlier in the school year. I initially had been so excited by students' writing, but as I began to dig deeper and analyze them against the 6+1 writing traits rubrics I was researching in my literature review I noticed some challenges students faced and with writing in science being so new I wanted to give students a framework in a rubric to use to guide them. I talked about their responses to my discussion questions indicating they would like to have more creativity in science. I told students we will be incorporating writing into our science lessons and that we need to look at our Atmosphere writing activity for ideas on a creative writing rubric that as students they will help make. Students were very excited to brainstorm ideas for a grading rubric when we write in science and enjoyed being included in the process. The creative writing rubric is based on both student input and the 6+1 writing traits rubric I researched in my literature review. The following is the creative writing rubric:
I will start each writing activity by going over the rubric before we begin and having students ask any clarifying questions. I wanted to revisit the Atmosphere writing activity with students in phase one now that there is a rubric for them to follow and to see how much improvement is made and how much support the rubric provides students. The following is my phase one action plan:
•Earth's Air and Water Lesson: *Revising* Atmosphere writing prompt to align with student made creative writing Rubric, prompt: "Pretend that you are falling from space toward Earth. Write a story describing what you see and feel as you go through each layer of the atmosphere."
•Astronaut Lesson: Students will complete a creative writing piece on the following prompt, "Suppose that you have been invited to enter an essay contest. The winner will be the first student astronaut in space. Write a one-page essay to the judges requesting that they choose you. Explain why you are the best candidate."
•Solar System/Space Lesson: Science Fiction Creative writing prompt, "Some early people were afraid of solar eclipses. They believed that the sun might not return. They made up stories or myths to explain eclipses. Write a story or myth explaining what happens during a solar eclipse." Using scientific evidence and content.
•Earth's Air and Water Lesson: Meterologist creative writing prompt, "Suppose that you are a meteorologist who just spotted a cumulonimbus cloud moving toward a city. Write a weather report for the city's residents."
Data Collection and Assessment Methods
I will use a triangulation of data points for my data collection. The three data collections will be:
Student Feedback
1). I will evaluate students' affective response to the writing in science assignments through pre and post surveys, exit slips, and discussion questions. My discussion question for the class is the following prompt, "Did you like writing during science lessons? What did you like best and least during the writing, and what would you change." The following is the pre and post survey administered:
•Earth's Air and Water Lesson: *Revising* Atmosphere writing prompt to align with student made creative writing Rubric, prompt: "Pretend that you are falling from space toward Earth. Write a story describing what you see and feel as you go through each layer of the atmosphere."
•Astronaut Lesson: Students will complete a creative writing piece on the following prompt, "Suppose that you have been invited to enter an essay contest. The winner will be the first student astronaut in space. Write a one-page essay to the judges requesting that they choose you. Explain why you are the best candidate."
•Solar System/Space Lesson: Science Fiction Creative writing prompt, "Some early people were afraid of solar eclipses. They believed that the sun might not return. They made up stories or myths to explain eclipses. Write a story or myth explaining what happens during a solar eclipse." Using scientific evidence and content.
•Earth's Air and Water Lesson: Meterologist creative writing prompt, "Suppose that you are a meteorologist who just spotted a cumulonimbus cloud moving toward a city. Write a weather report for the city's residents."
Data Collection and Assessment Methods
I will use a triangulation of data points for my data collection. The three data collections will be:
Student Feedback
1). I will evaluate students' affective response to the writing in science assignments through pre and post surveys, exit slips, and discussion questions. My discussion question for the class is the following prompt, "Did you like writing during science lessons? What did you like best and least during the writing, and what would you change." The following is the pre and post survey administered:
2). Student work, I will have a rubric to grade writing based on the literacy common core state standards. I will collect and evaluate student work based on the creative writing rubric my students helped create based on the Atmosphere creative writing activity and the 6+1 rubric from my literature review.
- Student writing rubric: creative writing rubric. This will allow me to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of my students. I will ask students to help me create the rubric based on their first Atmosphere creative writing assignment they did in the introduction and ask questions about how a science paper should look like. The creative writing rubric is based on the 6+1 writing traits in my literature review:
- Evaluate student work to see if transferring skills from science tests and writing in other subjects I collect. I will conduct pre and post five question multiple choice assessments to see if students are demonstrating proficiency and academic development in science through writing. I will then see if science test scores are increasing or decreasing in part to writing about science.
3). I will have a teacher observation notebook to track how I feel students are becoming scientifically literate learners using literacy common core state standards in science lessons.
Timeline for Phase 1:
November 4th - 8th: Phase 1: 1st writing activity (Tuesday Nov. 5th) Atmosphere writing activity, 2nd writing activity (Thursday Nov. 7th) Astronaut writing activity.
November 12th - 15th: Phase 1: 3rd writing activity (Tuesday Nov. 12th) Science Myth writing activity, 4th writing activity (Thursday Nov. 14th) Weather report writing activity.
November 18th - 22nd: Examine results/begin planning for Phase 2
November 4th - 8th: Phase 1: 1st writing activity (Tuesday Nov. 5th) Atmosphere writing activity, 2nd writing activity (Thursday Nov. 7th) Astronaut writing activity.
November 12th - 15th: Phase 1: 3rd writing activity (Tuesday Nov. 12th) Science Myth writing activity, 4th writing activity (Thursday Nov. 14th) Weather report writing activity.
November 18th - 22nd: Examine results/begin planning for Phase 2