To extend science writing beyond the traditional formats of lab reports or research papers, teachers can use nontraditional forms. Writing letters to various audiences, creating bulletins on different science related topics, creating brochures for advertising a product related to science and using a variety of poetry formats are some options. Varying writing formats to include these nontraditional forms increases student engagement and takes them beyond typical lab reporting and research.
Students in grades four through 12 can write about patterns identified in a given environment, such as the classroom, nature, television, the Internet or virtually any other area. The teacher writes the following statement of the board: "Life uses a few themes to generate many variations." Students discuss patterns based on this statement. Next, the teacher closes the discussions and directs students to choose an environment and describe how it relates to the statement by writing in the selected format.
Provide students with definitions for the following terms: gene, gene pool, selective pressure, mutation, species, genetic isolation, inherited trait and acquired trait. Have students use these terms to discuss in writing how the evolution of one trait influences a specific dog species. Students choose the species or the teacher assigns a different species to each student. This writing assignment involves research, so students must gather information ahead of time. Assigning the research for homework the prior week gives ample research time.
"Science" writing and "scientific" writing can mean different things and require different approaches. To expose students to this concept, provide them with an excerpt on the current content being taught and require a revision to address a different audience. The teacher provides a copy of the text and a list of audiences. Options include a literacy teacher, a new student, a parent, a sibling or a friend. This requires students to work with the content being taught, while also learning about tailoring the "voice" of the composition to a specific audience.