What Is Happening Science Classrooms Around The Country

Once while attending a music festival I came upon a vendor selling all types of baked goods. Among the fair was a dessert clearly marked â€Å"best dessert ever.† Imagine yourself tasting this and finding it to be a small slice of heaven. Imagine yourself coming into possession of the recipe for the bde. Excitedly you rush home to make, indulge, and share the BDE with friends. Now imagine the disappointment you have when you find the recipe difficult to understand, tough to follow, and impossible to reproduce. This situation is what is indicative of what is happening in science classrooms around the country. Students are taught to think critically, to measure carefully, to record meticulously, but when it comes to writing, many of†¦show more content†¦There is no denying the benefit of art (creative thinking) in the science classrooms, without it scientific problems may never get solved. But the art of writing has always been a tenant of STEM and PBL. Consider the following Definition of Scientific Inquiry, an integral part of STEM learning, from the National Research Council; The 5 features of science inquiry Learner Engages in Scientifically Oriented Questions Learner Gives Priority to Evidence in Responding to Questions Learner Formulates Explanations from Evidence Learner Connects Explanations to Scientific Knowledge Learner Communicates and Justifies Explanations All of these involve writing of some type, specifically scientific writing which I will explain later, can be quite different from what is usually taught in the K-8 ELA classroom. There are many reasons to teach writing in the science classroom, and chief among them is that it is the law. As school teachers, we have agreed to uphold the standards of our individual districts. Our districts have agreed to uphold that standard of the state, and our state to uphold our national standards- the common core curriculum. The common core includes ___ writing standards. To not include these standards in our curriculum is to violate contractual agreements and sacrifice your own professionalism Writing is the most common form of communication in science. In fact, scientists spend approximately 80 percent of their time reading and writing.