Success in Science: The Power of Writing on Attitudes and Knowledge Acquisition in Middle School Science

Abstract

This research study looks at the global deficits in science-related industries with regard to scientific literacy and writing to articulate knowledge. This project explores a science curriculum that uses diverse resources like children's literature, poetry, nature journals, and writing prompts to explore learning and attitudes in the middle school science classroom. Researchers anticipated students’ development in content and conceptual knowledge, improvement in critical thinking skills, and increased interest in scientific reading and writing. Active research was conducted at a small suburban/rural parochial school in Western New York where subjects included 65 students in three seventh-grade life-science classes. Literacy activities were incorporated into the standard curriculum of lecture, student packets, student activities and experiments. The research found that literacy-based science curriculum can foster greater conceptual knowledge and improve critical thinking.