Reading, Writing, and Inquiry in the Science Classroom, Grades 6-12

Kathleen Chamberlain recently retired from Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where she was an assistant professor of education and taught courses in curriculum and instruction, educational foundations, and literacy for secondary certification. While at Lycoming College, she also served as assistant dean for teaching effectiveness. She is a former teacher and administrator in K-12 schools. Chamberlain is the author of Middle Schools for a Diverse Society and journal articles about middle schools and science education and has conducted numerous workshops about teaching strategies, literacy, and student assessment. Currently, she is conducting research in a consortium of school districts that deals with addiction prevention programs for adolescents. A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, she earned her master’s of science in education degree from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. She has Pennsylvania administrative certifications from Bucknell University and she received her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Pennsylvania State University, where she focused on middle-level education and school communities. Christine Corby Crane recently retired after a 26-year teaching career from the Athens Area School District in Athens, Pennsylvania, where she was the K-12 Science Department chair for nine years. She was instrumental in the district obtaining PA Environment and Ecology Exemplary Status for the 2007 school year after obtaining three grants to develop and implement a curriculum involving the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. In addition to teaching in Athens, she was an associate professor for Mansfield University, teaching science and technology methods courses. She has also taught K-12 science education courses for Penn State University. Crane has been a consultant for several federal, state, and community science education programs. She contributed to the Pennsylvania Department of Energy Elementary Energy and Environment Science Activities, Volume VI, and she is also the coauthor of a journal article, “Middle School Students Perceptions on How They Learn Science: Support for Inquiry-Based Classrooms.” She conducts workshops and presentations on teaching science and teaches undergraduate courses and graduate science education courses as an adjunct professor at local colleges. She received her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Pennsylvania State University, where she focused on science education and language and literacy. A graduate of Elmira College, she earned her master’s of science degree from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

• List of FiguresPrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the Authors1. Constructing a Scientifically Literate SocietyWhat Is Science?What Is Scientific Literacy?How Do We Reach Scientific Literacy?Classroom StrategiesQuestioningInquiry Teaching Models5E Lesson DesignGenerative Learning ModelAssessing InquiryStandardsSummary2. Textbooks in the Science ClassroomQuality and Appropriateness of TextbooksReadability of TextsStudents’ Reading AbilitiesMatching Texts and StudentsOther Considerations for Textbook EvaluationsStrategies for Using Textbook MaterialsPre-Reading ActivitiesVocabulary DevelopmentSetting a Purpose for ReadingDuring ReadingPost-Reading ActivitiesSummary3. Beyond the TextbookLiterature for AdolescentsGenres of Trade BooksChildren’s BooksComic Books and Graphic NovelsPoetryNursery Rhymes and Children’s SongsNewspapers and Popular MagazinesBook TalksLiterature CirclesSummaryBooks for ScienceSelected Trade Books Mentioned in This ChapterWeb Sites Referenced4. Writing in ScienceWhy Writing?Types of WritingInformal Writing TasksFormal Writing TasksFormal Scientific WritingFormal Creative Writing TasksAssessing Students’ WorkCreating the EnvironmentSummary5. Using Technology to Enhance Reading, Writing, and InquiryWhy Use Technology?Getting StartedHypermediaGeocachingUsing the InternetWebquestsStreaming VideoThe Globe ProgramProject Feeder WatchCourse Management SystemsOther EquipmentDigital CamerasHandheld ComputersData Analysis ProgramsDatabasesSpreadsheetsTechnology and WritingInspirationClaymationVisual CommunicatorEvaluating Software ProgramsChallengesSummarySources for Computer Programs Referenced in This ChapterWeb Sites Referenced in This ChapterAdditional Web Sites of InterestReferencesIndex

“The strategies reflect what our preservice and veteran teachers need to teach in today’s classrooms. From newspapers, magazines, and research reports to adolescent trade books, the authors offer numerous strategies for supplementing science classes with various reading materials.”