Writing to Learn Science research:



S. Pearse

Revision (6/04)

Writing-to-Learn Research and Resources:

High School ‘Pod’ Recommended Texts

Emphasis: Math, Science, Social Studies

Compiled by Pam Forbush and Steve Pearse

Washington State Writing Project Network (WSWPN)

Burns, M. (1995). Writing in math class. Math Solutions Publications.

ABSTRACT: Burns describes five categories of writing assignments that allow students to focus on different aspects of their learning: Journals (Logs), Solving Math Problems, Explaining Mathematical Ideas, Creative Math Writing, and General Math Writing. In addition to providing implementation directions and sample student responses, Burns also recommends ways of looking at student work, identifying what students do and do not know, and determining what to do next.

Countryman, J. (1992). Writing to learn mathematics: Strategies that work. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.

ABSTRACT: Advocates writing activities in support of improved reasoning abilities: As a consequence, students experience mathematics as more than a set of rules and procedures to be memorized and tested. A teacher of grades 7-12, the author describes specific writing to learn math activities, including journals, learning logs, letters, word problems, and more formal papers.

Countryman asserts that writing about math leads to a broader, more inclusive understanding of mathematics—math as process, encouraging dialogue, as opposed to viewing math as a series of formulae to be memorized and answers to be provided.

Elbow, P. (1994). Writing for learning—not just for demonstrating learning. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1-4.

ABSTRACT: In this piece, noted WTL and writing process teacher and author Peter Elbow explains the distinctly different goals for writing to demonstrate learning, as opposed to writing for learning. The former is “high-stakes” writing intended for teachers and other reviewers of what students evidently know and are able to do. Writing for learning, on the other hand, is “low-stakes” writing whose purposes are promoting learning and involving students in course material. Elbow describes several kinds—or “occasions”—of writing for learning, including journal writing, think pieces, and reflective texts.

Emig, J. (1977). “Writing as a mode of learning.” CCC, 28 (2 / February): 122-127.

ABSTRACT: A seminal WTL text, Emig’s discussion emphasizes writing’s role as an aid to critical thinking skills. Asserting that learning involves incorporating new knowledge within one’s “cognitive framework,” Emig describes writing as “…the process needed to relate new knowledge prior to experience (synthesis).”

Gere, A.R. (1985.). Roots in the Sawdust: Writing to Learn Across the Disciplines. Urbana, IL:

NCTE.

See especially: Ch. 4. “Writing to Learn Social Studies” (Bruce Beaman, 60-71)

Ch. 6. “Writing to Learn Science” (Patricia Johnston, 92-103)

Ch. 9. “Writing to Learn History” (Tom Watson, 137-147)

“Writing & Learning: What the Students Say” (Ralph Stevens, 211-221)

Sorcinelli, M.D., and Elbow, P., eds. (1997). Writing to Learn: Strategies for Assigning and Responding to Writing Across the Disciplines. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

ABSTRACT: A collection of essays advocating a shift from a “disciplinary writing” (WID) instructional focus to an emphasis on actual student learning and understanding, this text’s contributors frame their discussions around the notion that incorporating writing to learn strategies makes learning more prominent as well as more visible. As an apparent consequence, teacher practice, with an emphasis upon action and reflection, parallels the authors’ discussion of student learning.

Recommended Essay: “Writing Back and Forth: Class Letters” (Toby Fulwiler, 15-25)

King. B. (1982.) “Using writing in the mathematics class: Theory and practice.” In Teaching

Writing in All Disciplines, C.W. Griffin, ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass (39-44).

ABSTRACT: Advocating, defining, and describing research into practice, King applies James Britton’s (Britton, et al. 1975) identification of three functions of writing to the teaching and learning of mathematics. More specifically, this article provides succinct descriptions of Expressive (…thinking on paper…”) and Transactional (“…writing to get things done”) writing, followed by overviews of writing forms that serve each of these writing functions. King’s descriptions grow out of real mathematics classrooms, featuring excerpts of student responses, along with explanations of their respective purposes and significance.

Stephens, E.C., & Brown, J.E., A Handbook of Content Literacy Strategies: 75 Practical

Reading and Writing Ideas. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon.

ABSTRACT: A hands-on text for K-12 teachers, yet embedded in research and sound practices, this text addresses reading and writing as a “partnership” in support content area learning. The authors advocate active, purposeful teaching of reading and writing beyond the elementary school years, making a solid case for using specific reading and writing strategies to access and/or support students’ content-area attitudes, information, and understandings.

Recommended Chapters: “Content Literacy: Identifying the Issues” (1-10)

“Strategies for Initiating” (25-64)

Tierney, R. (1999). How to write to learn science. National Science Teachers Association: Arlington,

VA.

ABSTRACT: A highly-regarded teacher-researcher and NWP consultant, Tierney explains the role—and value for students—that expressive writing can play as a “…vehicle for the exhilaration of discovery.” Viewing the teacher as facilitator of learning rather than as fount of information, Tierney describes classroom activities that incorporate expressive writing. The text provides specific strategies for responding to and handling the “paper load,”

Wills, H (1993). Writing is learning: Strategies for math, science, social studies and language arts,

EDINFO Press, Bloomington, Indiana.

ABSTRACT: Writing activities can be used to cultivate students' enthusiasm for learning. This book shows teachers how to introduce their students to the benefits of writing in a variety of subjects including math, language arts, science, social studies, and art. Each chapter in the book includes an observation that allows readers to enter a classroom and see how the teacher uses specific writing assignments to sustain and deepen students' interaction with subject matter. Each chapter also includes examples of student writing that resulted from each activity; detailed discussion showing how the writing exercises benefited students and teachers; writing prompts; and strategies to evaluate and comment on student writing. Chapters in the book are: (1) Getting Started: Journals and Learning Logs; (2) Putting Ideas in Order: Narratives and Problem Solving; (3) Becoming More Specific: Definitions and Reviews; (4) Organizing Information: Summaries; and (5) Summing Up: Letter Writing. An introduction begins the book and an epilogue is attached. (RS)

Recommended Chapter: “Becoming more specific: Definitions and Review.” (67-95)

Worting, A. M. & Tierney, R. (1981). Two studies of writing in high school science. Classroom research study no. 5. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 238725

ABSTRACT: Presented are two studies examining effects of using expressive writing in the science classroom. The first study, "Writing to Think About High School Chemistry," was conducted by a high school English teacher who enrolled in a high school chemistry course. The course was typical with the exception that students were encouraged to keep a journal in which they were to write whatever they wished, or whenever they were confused or the teacher thought they had gone over difficult material. Analysis of three student journals (including the author's) indicates that writing provoked these students to reflect on their own thoughts, take responsibility for their own learning, and begin to raise and answer their own questions. The second study, "Using Expressive Writing to Teach Biology," examined use of writing assignments (reading logs, writing to a specific audience other than the teacher, group writing, notes, practice essays, summaries, essay tests) in two high school biology classes. It was predicted that writing encourages students to think about subject matter and to discover and clarify points of confusion. Although posttests showed generally similar levels of achievement for experimental (N=69) and control (N=67) groups, the experimental group appeared to do better on the delayed posttests. Statistical analyses were not reported. (JN) Writing to learn journals were called “Neuron” notes.

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