Making Thinking Visible
"That was the best worksheet ever!" Said no kid, EVER!
In this blog post I will share a few resources with you that are intended to get kids involved in an investigation, and then make their thinking visible through the use of graphic organizers and writing. Research has shown, in a variety of facets, that scientists might not do the best job of communicating their findings. This is part of the reason a majority of the non-scientists have trouble comprehending even the gist of what a scientific journal might be saying. This is not to say we should dumb things down, not in the slightest. However, we should be giving students the opportunity to practice communicating through writing, whether the content is science related or not. The written word continues to be one of the most used and most effective ways of communicating information. It can also have a profound impact on the human brain, even for adults. Don't we owe our students some chances to practice and get better?
With the help of colleagues and a professional learning network (PLN), below is a list of resources that are aimed at helping students conduct an investigation and then work to communicate their findings through writing. These are tailored toward middle school students, but the requirements for any given assignment could be adjusted up or down.
Each 'lesson' has an activity, usually guided inquiry; a series of reasoning steps, either individually, in small groups, or an entire class; a writing prompt. A rubric to score the writing is also included. The rubric has been adapted from the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) to better reflect the specific vision of the NGSS.
Writing in Physical Science (Middle) - Contains four separate activities and prompts; Chemical Reactions, Energy Transfer, Phase Changes, and Refraction of Light
Writing in Earth Science (Middle) - Contains three separate activities and prompts; Climate, Earth's Surface Processes, and Human Impacts
Writing in Life Science (Middle) - Contains four separate activities and prompts; Reproduction, Natural Selection, Ecosystems, and Reaction Times
References:
Making Thinking Visible (Thinking Routines for Students)
Learning to Read and Write Alters Brain Wiring. . . (The Washington Post)
Science Communication to the General Public. . . (Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education)
BE CURIOUS!
In this blog post I will share a few resources with you that are intended to get kids involved in an investigation, and then make their thinking visible through the use of graphic organizers and writing. Research has shown, in a variety of facets, that scientists might not do the best job of communicating their findings. This is part of the reason a majority of the non-scientists have trouble comprehending even the gist of what a scientific journal might be saying. This is not to say we should dumb things down, not in the slightest. However, we should be giving students the opportunity to practice communicating through writing, whether the content is science related or not. The written word continues to be one of the most used and most effective ways of communicating information. It can also have a profound impact on the human brain, even for adults. Don't we owe our students some chances to practice and get better?
With the help of colleagues and a professional learning network (PLN), below is a list of resources that are aimed at helping students conduct an investigation and then work to communicate their findings through writing. These are tailored toward middle school students, but the requirements for any given assignment could be adjusted up or down.
Each 'lesson' has an activity, usually guided inquiry; a series of reasoning steps, either individually, in small groups, or an entire class; a writing prompt. A rubric to score the writing is also included. The rubric has been adapted from the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) to better reflect the specific vision of the NGSS.
Writing in Physical Science (Middle) - Contains four separate activities and prompts; Chemical Reactions, Energy Transfer, Phase Changes, and Refraction of Light
Writing in Earth Science (Middle) - Contains three separate activities and prompts; Climate, Earth's Surface Processes, and Human Impacts
Writing in Life Science (Middle) - Contains four separate activities and prompts; Reproduction, Natural Selection, Ecosystems, and Reaction Times
References:
Making Thinking Visible (Thinking Routines for Students)
Learning to Read and Write Alters Brain Wiring. . . (The Washington Post)
Science Communication to the General Public. . . (Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education)
BE CURIOUS!
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