Creative Writing and Science

A Science teacher engages Creative Writing tools

in a Science curriculum

SPACE

Why do I have students write in Science?
From the State Science, Technology, and Engineering Frameworks: “scientists communicate and share ideas.”  Even more, though, writing generates questions and answers. Writing records ideas and creates a place for pictures and notes.

My students write for all these reasons, and more. If we look at types of writing, here are some ways I get my kids writing:

Index Cards:
This can also be called 2 + 2 Writing (compliments & suggestions) or Post-it Writing. On their cards, students can answer two points about the question being asked. For example, what is something you liked about the lesson and something you learned. Stretching this to science, you can have kids write about what causes night and day, or what causes the seasons. They can also draw in ideas that support their thinking.

Google Writing:
Where index card writing is low stakes, this kind of writing is medium stakes. For example, we study the life of Henrietta Lacks:  a more-than-controversial real-life story about doctors at Johns Hopkins taking cells from her cervix and finding out that those cancer cells would keep growing. Since that time, they have used these cells to grow more cells. Via a Google Form, the kids respond to all sorts of creative questions from cell growth to the moral right to take cells.

Clone Story:
My students spend some time writing about meeting their clone at this age. It gives them a chance to express themselves in writing and see how they describe themselves.

Claims/Evidence/Reasoning writing:
We have done much more with this writing lately. For example, students write about someone from the community who works at the local pool – and they notice that the pH is off. Students then suggest ways to help level the pH of the pool and make the water safe for swimming.

And Beyond…:
Kids have also had to find reasons – scientific reasons – for why the solar system is sun-centered rather than Earth-centered.

Overall:
I have my kids write often as a way to make their thinking clear – to me and to classmates.

— Jack Czajkowski
   MS Science Teacher at Greater Commonwealth Virtual School – GCVS 

.

The Friday Notebook Project

Providing  Onsite Programs – Teacher & Staff Training

.