How can your community get involved in the science classroom?

In a recent episode of Science Connections: The Podcast, veteran middle school science teacher Ryan Renee Rudkin sat down with host Eric Cross to discuss ways educators can get community members involved in the science classroom.

You can access the full episode here, but we’ve pulled out Ryan’s top three teacher takeaways for you to use in your classroom today! 

1. Ask your community to get involved.

Ryan’s creative instructional approach extends beyond the walls of her classroom. She finds value in enlisting the support of community members as featured classroom guest speakers. These valued guest speakers share their real-world experiences to help students relate to science content.

Some examples of Ryan’s community partnerships:

  • A local meteorologist’s hometown celebrity status helped students transfer the knowledge learned during a sixth-grade weather unit.
  • A cardiac nurse practitioner led an actual heart dissection with Ryan’s students. 
  • A nutritionist joined as a guest speaker during the metabolism unit.  

When Eric asked how Ryan was able to identify so many willing community members and parents to come speak to her students, she said, “People want to come and talk to kids. It doesn’t hurt to ask.” Ryan utilizes social media, PTA groups, and family surveys. “You just have to get creative. Look in your community and see what you have.” 

2. Increase caregiver engagement.

Ryan understands there are various barriers that may affect her students’ attendance and classroom engagement. Because of this understanding, she extends grace to her students and prioritizes making them feel valued. This is exemplified by Ryan calling students’ caregivers every Friday. Students are able to listen to the positive conversations and look forward to them every Friday. These positive touchpoints establish a strong caregiver-teacher relationship and open the door for dialogue between students and families as they celebrate student success.

3. Get students excited about showcasing their knowledge of science content.

One of Ryan’s top goals in her classroom is to create an enjoyable learning environment and to do so, she encourages educators to be resourceful. “Don’t reinvent the wheel,” she says. “There are so many things out there that you can borrow and make it your own.”

To keep students excited about science content, Ryan implements activities like Science Olympiad, an in-person or remote science competition that provides standards-based challenges; and March Mammal Madness, an annual tournament of simulated combat competition among animals that utilize scientific information to educate students about inter-species interactions.

With over a decade of experience in the classroom, Ryan exemplifies how creativity, resourcefulness, and passion for learning can positively affect student engagement in the classroom. 

For a more in-depth look, listen to the full episode to hear Eric and Ryan discussing the importance of connecting with students and caregivers in the science classroom:

Science Connections: The Podcast featuring veteran middle school teacher Ryan Renee

Supporting science students with a creative twist

In this episode of Science Connections: The Podcast, Kentucky Science Teacher of the Year Shad Lacefield sat down with host Eric Cross to discuss ways to create memorable learning experiences for students.

You can access the full episode here, but we’ve pulled out Shad’s top three teacher takeaways for you to use in your classroom today!

1. Go above and beyond for your class.

During remote learning, Shad was having a tough time connecting with students and keeping them engaged virtually, so he started something called “Vader Visits.” Shad would dress up as Darth Vader and show up at students’ houses as an incentive to get them to turn in their work on time and stay interested in what he was teaching in science class at the time. It was a commitment for Shad, as he had to fit that into his teaching (and life) schedule, but he was able to keep his students interested in science class, and learned more about each student he went to visit. The practice was so successful, he extended it beyond remote learning.

I still try to dress up at least once every week, if not once every other week just to make whatever we’re doing fun.

– Shad Lacefield

2. Get to know your students in creative ways.

As part of his Vader Visits, Shad was able to get students to open up and share more of their interests with him, which helped him build better connections with each student. As a way to connect with students less interested in Star Wars, Shad asked them about their other interests and found new costumes. For some students, he would show up dressed up as Harry Potter. For others, he would dress up as Mario from Mario Brothers.

I went [on] over 50 visits and it was cool to see kids in their home and talk to them and meet their parents. It was a great opportunity for me to engage with parents as well, [to ask,] ‘how is online learning going? What can I do to support you? Do you have any questions?’

– Shad Lacefield

3. Be open to new ways to reach students.

Shad has creatively expanded his teaching to include outlets that he knows kids are interested in outside of school. He makes TikTok videos. He weaves Minecraft references into his lessons. He uses YouTube. He even creates new characters to keep things fresh. By speaking a “language” that was familiar to students, Shad was able to create more meaningful connections with his students as both learners and people. And it helped him stay positive as an educator.

I just go back to, ‘why did I do this to begin with?’ And it gets me excited to be like, ‘I did it for the kids, and it’s about the kids.’ I get joy when they’re laughing and smiling.

– Shad Lacefield

For a more in-depth look, listen to the full episode to hear Eric and Shad discussing ways to create memorable learning experiences for students.

Science Connections: The Podcast featuring Kentucky Science Teacher of the Year Shad Lacefield.

4 ways to weather educational change

The landscape of education is constantly shifting. That’s always been true, because the world is constantly changing. But at no time in recent memory has the landscape of education been forced to change in as many ways as it has over the past few years.

How can teachers navigate the seismic changes in the education system in their day-to-day lives?

In this recent episode of Science Connections: The Podcast, host Eric Cross talks about managing educational change with veteran educator and former Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) Middle School Science Teacher of the Year Marilyn Dieppa.

Below, we’ve outlined four tips for weathering shifts. The bottom line? It’s important for teachers to be able to change with the times, while remaining a steady, solid presence for students.

1. Embrace change—it’s good for kids, too.

“I always change my labs. I don’t like to do the same thing over and over again,” says Dieppa. And when she tries something new, she tells her students she’s experimenting. (After all, it’s science!)

“They’re afraid of trying something new and failing,” Dieppa says—so she tries to model taking on the unknown, learning, and adjusting as needed. This is part of cultivating a growth mindset for kids. “It’s for them not to be fearful. That gives kids a foundation they need.”

2. Have an open-door policy.

The pandemic has exacerbated challenges in kids’ lives that can make it tough for them to learn. Some even say we’re in a youth mental health crisis. Now more than ever, it’s important that “you become more than just a science teacher,” says Cross. “You’re a mentor. You’re an encourager. Sometimes you’re a counselor.”

It’s impossible to be everything to every student, but it’s important to let them know you see them.

“I always say, I’m not there to really be your friend, but I’m there to help you,’” says Dieppa. “And you gotta tell ’em, you know, ‘if you need to talk, come talk to me’. Because so much of what we’re doing is like life coaching in addition, and that connects to their success in the classroom.”

3. Measure wins in lots of ways.

What keeps Dieppa going? “Whether [students] have struggled all year and they’ve had that one piece of success, or they come back and tell you they didn’t realize what they got out of middle school science until they got to high school, those are my moments of success.”

4. Remember—you’re still learning, too.

Yes, you’re the teacher, but “you don’t have to be the expert in everything,” says Cross. “Teachers tend to be more risk-taking and innovative when they’re willing to say, ‘I don’t have to know everything in order to do something.’”

Whenever it feels like you can’t do something or don’t know something, remember: You can’t do it yet. You don’t know it yet. Growth mindset phrases for students apply to your growth, too.

Listen to the whole podcast episode here and subscribe to Science Connections: The Podcast here. 

About Amplify’s Science Connections: The Podcast

Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So how do we help kids figure that out? How are we preparing students to be the next generation of 21st-century scientists?

Join host Eric Cross as he sits down with educators, scientists, and knowledge experts to discuss how we can best support students in science classrooms. Listen to hear how you can inspire kids across the country to love learning science, and bring that magic into your classroom for your students.

Inquiry-based learning: 3 tips for science teachers

Which practice is at the top of the eight NGSS Science and Engineering Practices? Good question! It’s asking questions and defining problems.

And why is asking questions so important? (Also a good question.) 

Because science isn’t just facts. Science is a process of finding answers—a process that starts with questions. That’s why students learn like scientists best in a science classroom defined by phenomena-based learning, also known as inquiry-based learning.  

How can science educators bring this approach into the classroom? 

That’s one question host Eric Cross and science educator and professional development facilitator Jessica Kesler address in the latest episode of Amplify’s Science Connections: The Podcast.

The power of questions

Kesler’s mission at TGR Foundation, a Tiger Woods charity, is to empower educators to create engaging classrooms that foster future leaders.

“We train teachers on STEM competencies and the pedagogical tools and strategies to implement the STEM we’re doing in our learning labs,” she says. “Then they can implement it in the classroom and have this multiplicative effect that can help us reach millions of kids and prepare them for careers.”

Those pedagogical approaches include student-centered learning practices. Using those practices, teachers spend less time delivering facts and more time asking questions, while developing students’ ability to do the same.

That’s how we shift science from, as the NGSS frames it, “learning about” to “figuring out.”

Per the NGSS: “The point of using phenomena to drive instruction is to help students engage in practices to develop the knowledge necessary to explain or predict the phenomena. Therefore, the focus is not just on the phenomenon itself. It is the phenomenon plus the student-generated questions about the phenomenon that guides the learning and teaching. The practice of asking questions or identifying problems becomes a critical part of trying to figure something out.”

Inquiry-based learning examples and approaches

Kesler recognizes that a shift to inquiry-based learning can’t be made overnight, or all at once. “We never suggest overhauling your classroom…add a little bit here and there and see how it impacts your students.”

Here are some strategies Kesler suggests for empowering educators to deliver inquiry-based science learning.

  1. Cultivate an inquiry mindset. We live in a world where answers to pretty much everything are right on our phones, right in our pockets. That ease and accessibility can dampen student curiosity. But when teachers start shifting focus from asking students for answers to asking them to develop smart questions, students can grow that mental inquiry muscle.
  2. Make inquiry visible. No need to be sneaky—you can be explicit with students about what you’re doing, and what you’re inviting them to do. Think: “What are tools and strategies you can use so that students can illuminate their thinking for themselves and for you and their peers?” Kesler says. “So the students get to see their own thinking as they progress, and you get to tell the story of how their minds have evolved.” Paying attention to student questions also enables you to observe where students are making mistakes, where misconceptions come up, and where you should target your next lesson, Kesler adds. “So it makes you more responsive in the moment.”
  3. Build an inquiry environment. Asks Kesler: “What are the things that you can embed into your physical space and develop in a student’s intellectual space that will help you create a holistic inquiry environment?” There’s no one right answer, but a shift in environment can support a shift in intellectual approach. (Consider the opposite: “If you take someone out of an old habit or space and tell them, ‘We are gonna change your minds and teach inquiry,’ but put them back in the same environment, they’re going to be conflicted,” Kesler says. You could create displays that present questions rather than facts, or arrange the room to support conversation rather than lecture—whatever makes sense for your space.

Definitely test, explore, experiment—even take risks—and ask your own questions. After all, the inquiry mindset is for you, too!

Learn more

Explore how Amplify Science supports inquiry-based learning.

Listen to all of Season 1, Episode 10, Empowering the science educator: Jessica Kesler, and find more episodes and strategies from Amplify’s Science Connections: The Podcast.

New professional development series for science educators

New year’s resolutions generally don’t work—unless, experts say, they’re specific, measurable, and backed by science (like … getting more sleep so you feel more rested). So if you’ve resolved (or at least planned) to do more science professional development this year, we got you.

Our new, free, on-demand professional development webinars are ready to be added to your calendar. Designed for the era of NGSS, they offer research-based ways for you to engage your students deeply in science this year. (But we hope you’ll find a way to get more sleep, too!)

Phenomena-based science learning for next-level engagement

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are designed to deliver this key shift: Students go from learning about to figuring out. Instead of delivering information, teachers invite students to explore the power of phenomena-based learning in science. By focusing first on real-life scenarios and thoughtful questions over abstract correct answers, this approach cultivates students’ voices and curiosity. It gets them to the right answers—but in a way that helps them think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers.

The NGSS also deliver three-dimensional science instruction. This means that each standard includes the following three dimensions:

  1. Science and Engineering Practices: the actual behaviors that scientists and engineers engage in as they investigate and create.
  2. Cross-cutting Concepts: concepts that appear across and link various domains of science. They include: Patterns, similarity, and diversity; cause and effect; scale, proportion, and quantity; systems and system models; energy and matter; structure and function; and stability and change.
  3. Disciplinary Core Ideas: The fundamental scientific ideas that make up the core content of the NGSS.

A look at our webinars

Featuring curriculum experts from UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, our webinars will  show you what these approaches look like in real classrooms.

COURSE 1

Establishing a Culture of Figuring Out in Your Next Generation Science Classroom

Explore ways to cultivate curiosity and value student voices while utilizing the structures and content from phenomena-based, literacy-rich science curricula designed for the Next Generation Science Standards.

COURSE 2

Lead with Phenomena and the Three Dimensions Will Follow

Reframe your K–8 science instruction by focusing on phenomena. Learn about the shift in science teaching and classroom practices toward one where students are figuring out, not learning about.

COURSE 3

Leveraging Science to Accelerate Learning

Learn about an approach to teaching and learning science that not only meets state science standards, but can also be used to support accelerated student learning across all subject areas.

Learn more and sign up. You will also earn a certificate for each course you complete.

Also:

Tune into Science Connections:The Podcast.
Learn more about the NGSS.
Explore more Amplify webinars.
Have a phenomenal 2023 in science!

Bringing joy to learning in the science classroom

As we prepare for an exciting new season of Science Connections: The Podcast, we’re looking back at past seasons and sharing some of the amazing conversations we’ve had so far.

We’re so grateful to our 15 guests whose insight, expertise, and generosity have made our podcast (if we may!) one of the best science podcasts out there.

If you’re new here, welcome! In Amplify’s Science Connections: The Podcast, host Eric Cross talks to educators, scientists, and subject matter experts about ways to best support and inspire the next generation of 21st-century scientists.

Get ready for season 3, with all-new topics and speakers, premiering in March!

Our first featured throwback episode, Bringing community and joy to the learning process in K–8 science instruction, features physicist Dr. Desiré Whitmore!

First, meet Dr. Whitmore

Dr. Whitmore has nicknamed herself “Laserchick.” It’s a reference to the focus of her postdoc work at UC Berkeley, where she designed and built attosecond lasers. (These laser pulses, which emit x-ray light, are the fastest ever measured).

She later became a professor of laser and photonics technology at Irvine Valley College, as well as a science curriculum specialist for Amplify. She’s now senior physics educator in the Teacher Institute at the ExplOratorium in San Francisco.

There, she works to support middle and high school science teachers in teaching through inquiry. On a given day, she says, her role may include “making fudge or blowing darts with marshmallows across the room.”

But it all began with bubbles—the ones she’d blow as a child with her beloved great-grandmother. She was also the kind of kid who would do experiments in the microwave or take apart the vacuum cleaner. “I was always asking questions,” she says.

“Everything we do is science”—and more.

Here are some key takeaways from Dr. Whitmore’s conversation with Eric Cross.

  • Let students do their thing. Whitmore and Cross talked about students who didn’t hew to the letter of the assignment—and actually went beyond. That’s more than okay.

I think it’s amazing when we can realize as teachers that no, our job is not to just enforce rules on our students. Our job is to help students achieve more learning.

—Dr. Desiré Whitmore
  • Representation truly matters. Dr. Whitmore, who is Black, recalls a chemistry teacher she had in high school who was also Black. “He looked like me and spoke the way I spoke,” she says. He also recognized that she knew a lot about chemistry, and half-jokingly encouraged her to teach the class sometimes. In Whitmore’s experience, representation like that can supersede content knowledge.
  • Science is everything and everywhere. “Science is something that everyone in the world should and does do,” says Whitmore. She sees part of her job as “helping people understand that everything we do is science.”
  • Show scientists as real people. Whitmore recalls a time when an eighth-grader she’d known growing up was thrilled to recognize her in an Amplify Science video. The student knew her as a “regular human” who likes “Star Trek” and “Star Wars,” but now also sees her as a scientist. “That really brought home for me the importance of my work,” she says.
  • Put teachers in students’ shoes. As part of professional development, Cross and Whitmore agree that it’s important for teachers to remember how it feels to have a question—to not know. “That helps me be in the position of my students emotionally,” says Cross.

Perhaps that’s the most powerful way for teachers to connect with their future scientists: “To experience science as a learner,” says Whitmore.

Additional resources

Inquiry-based learning: 3 tips for science teachers
New professional development series for science educators
Celebrate student scientists with classroom posters, activities, and a special giveaway!

Integrating literacy in the science classroom

What do science classrooms and ELA classrooms have in common?

Literacy.

As science students build their scientific literacy, they also build their literacy literacy—as in,their capacity to read, write, and think across all disciplines. In a sense, all teachers are teachers of literacy, as students read to learn in essentially every subject.

An ELA teacher can help students learn to read and interpret certain types of non-fiction and science-related texts, while a science teacher is uniquely positioned to integrate a science curriculum with a focus on literacy goals. ELA teachers are the experts on what the average person considers literacy; however, science teachers are the true experts on science literacy.

In this post, we’ll take a look at what it means for science teachers to support literacy growth in their students.

Scientific literacy vs. literacy in science

First, let’s define our terms.

Scientific literacy refers to a student’s understanding of scientific concepts, inside and outside the classroom.

Literacy in science refers to the literacy skills that students use to acquire and share scientific knowledge. These skills include reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Developing students’ literacy in science helps them develop scientific literacy. Science literacy allows students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and strategic questioners.

 Insights on integrating science and literacy

Integrating literacy into science is more than making sure students read articles and write lab reports—but the two are still a natural fit.

The standards that guide instruction in grades 6–8 make this integration concrete. Certain Common Core ELA standards intersect with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

To cite just a few examples, the Common Core requires students to be able to:

  • Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts. RST.6-8.1
  • Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. RST.6-8.2
  • Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks. RST.6-8.3
  • Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table). RST.6-8.7
  • Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text. RST.6-8.8

What’s required of students is what’s often called disciplinary literacy. That means literacy through the lens of inquiry in a given field. Science has its own set of vocabulary and reading/writing styles students need to learn to understand, decode, and write in.

And when they do, the academic benefits go both ways.

 Integrating literacy into science encourages both science and ELA growth

The scientific method requires students to ask questions, listen to explanations, and present conclusions. And when science teachers use targeted literacy teaching strategies, they can help students understand challenging scientific vocabulary. For example, they can learn the difference between the two meanings of the word “culture.” Those are the same approaches students will use when analyzing with and communicating about texts in ELA.

Also, reading in science can be more than just reading a science textbook or science-related article—teachers can help students learn to read through a scientific lens by encouraging even the youngest students to articulate their questions about a text and understand where they might find answers.

And then there’s writing: “Science and writing standards are really in service of each other,” writes educator Gina Flynn in Literacy Today. “When we present authentic writing opportunities in science, we are not only developing students’ understanding of science concepts but also providing an authentic context for developing writing skills.”

Integrating science into ELA also encourages both science and ELA growth. When students grapple with science-related texts in ELA, they can develop ways of thinking and communicating that support the scientific approach, refine sense-making skills that are key to both disciplines, and get inspired to keep up with the latest scientific discoveries—yet another great reason to read.

More to explore

Science and literacy: You don’t have to choose

Amplify K–5 integrated literacy and science instruction

6–8 literacy elements in Amplify Science

The power of phenomena in the science classroom

In conversation, something “phenomenal” is something exceptional, extraordinary.
But in science, an event does not have to be “phenomenal” for it to be a phenomenon.
In fact, a phenomenon in science can be as ordinary and predictable as gravity.
To qualify as a scientific phenomenon, an event simply has to be observable.
That is, a scientific phenomenon is an observable event that occurs in the universe. It’s something we can use our science knowledge to explain or predict. Examples of science phenomena include the erosion of dunes or soil, or the formation of bubbles or ice.
And you know what else is observable? The positive impact of phenomena-based learning on the science classroom. That’s why phenomena-based learning is baked into the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Let’s take a look at why the power of science phenomena to deliver engagement and learning is, dare we say, extraordinary!

The power of phenomena-based learning in science

Many of us learned science a different way, by starting with a general or abstract principle then applying it in the real world.

But when you start with phenomena in science, you start with the observable real-world event. You ask questions: Why is brown water coming out of the pipes built for drinking water? Where did all the monarch butterflies go? You help students see why science is relevant, right from the outset of the inquiry.

Even everyday phenomena—like sunburns, or vision loss—can generate real learning opportunities. Explaining phenomena and designing solutions helps students learn in context, leading to deeper and more transferable knowledge.

The challenge of predicting or explaining the phenomenon becomes the motivation for learning. And it has the added benefit of being how real scientists proceed with their work!

The power of phenomena science lies in its capacity to bring real life into the classroom. A phenomena-based science curriculum engages students by starting with the real and relatable rather than the abstract. It also trains students to be inquisitive, expansive, critical thinkers.

When you shift to a phenomena-based approach, you help students shift from learning about to figuring out.

How the NGSS support phenomena-based learning

The NGSS help students make sense of phenomena in the natural world and in human-designed machines and products.

Learning to explain phenomena and solve problems is the main way that students engage in the three dimensions of the NGSS—they use Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) to develop and apply Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs).

Phenomena-centered classrooms also help teachers monitor student progress. As students work toward explaining phenomena, three-dimensional formative assessment is easily embedded throughout instruction.

How to bring phenomena into the science classroom

The power of phenomena-based learning lies in real-world relevance. Also, phenomena don’t generate learning all by themselves—student questions about phenomena guide teaching and learning.

That’s why it’s helpful to make sure students can connect to the phenomenon at hand. The following are a few steps you can take to integrate this approach into your classroom:

  • Ask students what they’re curious about. Why do leaves change color? What is lightning? Why do ice cubes stick to my finger?
  • Connect iterations of a given phenomenon to students’ lives. When discussing how sunlight warms the earth, a teacher might use examples of the sun heating sand, or asphalt depending on where students live.
  • Use one broad anchor phenomenon for the focus of a unit, and investigate related phenomena that relate to students’ interests and experiences. For example, exploring what we see in the sky will lead to different investigations depending on whether students live in an urban area or far from city lights.

Note that an engaging phenomenon does not have to be flashy or unexpected. Even if students think they already know why it rains, they may discover that they actually can’t explain it. Pushing students to inquire more will help them go beyond repeating things they’ve read, and go from learning facts to asking questions that reveal more about the world around them.

How Amplify Science can help

Amplify Science employs phenomena-based learning throughout the curriculum, which is itself phenomena-based and designed around the NGSS.

In one example, 6th graders take on the role of medical students in a hospital, working to diagnose a patient and analyze the metabolism of world-class athletes. In another, 8th graders work to explain Australia’s high skin cancer rates by investigating how light works and interacts with the world it shines on.

And what’s more, Amplify Science for grades 6–8 received an all-green rating from EdReports!

Learn more.

Integrating writing skills into science instruction

Teaching students to write like scientists

People tend to think of themselves as either a “science person” or an “arts person.” But for science students today, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Writing and communicating are essential parts of being a scientist, which is why they’re also essential parts of a science curriculum.

A science teacher is uniquely qualified to expose students to science writing skills, which can in turn improve their writing skills overall. It’s a win-win! And even though writing styles may vary across the two disciplines, we bet ELA teachers will notice the improvement in students’ writing abilities.

Integrating science and writing skills

The science classroom and the ELA classroom are partners in developing student literacy. The following five principles can help teachers make the most of that partnership.

  1. Science writing is more than fill-in-the-blank. Science writing involves critical thinking, analysis, and the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively—in research, proposals, and more. To develop those skills, teachers can ask students to create presentations and lab reports, and to read journals and each other’s work.
  2. Technical writing goes beyond the technical. It’s important for students to learn to vary their writing styles for different audiences and purposes. Practicing technical writing (even instructions for making a sandwich) can help students learn to write—in all disciplines—with clarity and precision.
  3. Writing takes phenomena-based learning to the next level. Writing about a phenomenon encourages students to communicate hypotheses, arguments, and opinions. They need to provide detailed evidence for their assertions and explain why they matter—just as they would in an essay for ELA.
  4. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are designed to support science instruction that’s rich in writing. Here are just a few places where the NGSS connect to common core writing standards: grades K–2 storyline PDF, grades 3–5 storyline PDF, middle school storyline PDF, and high school storyline PDF.
  5. Integrating writing into science encourages science and ELA growth. The more students practice writing out their thoughts, arguments, and opinions, the more adept they will be at forming arguments both in and out of the science classroom. When science and ELA teachers use similar strategies, they’ll reinforce the learning across classrooms and create even stronger writers.

Learn more

Instructional strategies for integrating literacy into your science classroom

Do you ever feel like science is the underdog in your school or district? You’re not alone.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, we know that science can overdeliver. That’s especially true when educators successfully integrate it with other subjects.

You can dive into the power of integrating science and literacy with the latest season of Science Connections. Here’s a sneak peek at what we explore in the first few episodes of Season 3 of our podcast.

Rooting for the underdog

In what sense is science seen as an underdog? Just ask Eric Banilower and Courtney Plumley of Horizon Research, a consulting firm that supports educational improvement and policy development. Host Eric Cross interviews them in Season 3, Episode 1.

As you know, an underdog is generally a weaker or less favored person or entity. Banilower and Plumley find that science instruction often fits that mold.

One thing they found: elementary school teachers’ schedules allow for less instruction of science than math and ELA. They also note that when there’s a break in routine—a special assembly or early dismissal—science is often “the first thing to go,” says Plumley.

They also note that instructors (like many others) are often expected to design their own curriculum.

The conversation offers some solutions for shifting these practices, as well as supporting science instructors in general.

“You don’t ask doctors to develop new treatments and tests. Their job is to get to know their patient, assess what’s going on, and then use research-based methods to develop a plan of action. That analogy [suggests] a scalable approach for raising…the quality of science education,” Banilower says.

What is that approach? According to Banilower, “Giving teachers research-based, high-quality instructional materials that they can use to meet the needs of their students would allow them to focus on getting to know their students, seeing their strengths, [finding areas where they have] room for growth, and…help[ing] those students progress.”

The power of integrating science and literacy into the science classroom

Science does not need to stay in a silo. As we illuminate in Episodes 2 and 3, bringing literacy work into the science classroom can supercharge students’ work in both. (We also explore the topic in this blog post.)

“We know we need to dramatically improve literacy rates in this country, and as we’ll show in the coming episodes, science can be a key ally in that goal,” says our host, Eric Cross.

It goes the other way, too. Language development and literacy instruction can support science. “Win-win, folks,” says Cross.

In Episode 2, senior science educator Dr. Susan Gomez Zwiep described how bilingual and multilingual students in her school accelerated their English speaking and learning when they were excited to discuss science phenomena.

Indeed, she notes, the NGSS provides rich linguistic opportunities for students. We used to talk about language in science as all technical, but that’s changed. “Language is now developed through the science learning experiences,” says Gomez Zwiep.

Two key approaches you can use:

  • Think of science lessons as a narrative. Gomez Zwiep suggests you ask yourself, “What’s the story arc of my science lesson? How are the science ideas building over time?”
  • Welcome language that’s comfortable and conversational for your students.  “This expansion of language, including non-standard dialects and even home language, is really important for letting students bring their whole selves into the classroom,” she says.

More ways to enhance literacy in science 

Don’t worry—you don’t need to take a second job. “It’s not that you have to become a reading specialist to integrate literacy into science,” says Douglas Fisher, Ph.D., professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University. “It’s how our brains work.”

It’s also how science works. “Science teachers and scientists do a lot of reading, writing, speaking, and listening and viewing. They use the five literacy processes all the time,” says Fisher, our guest on Episode 3.

Some strategies Fisher offers:

  • Invite multiple aspects of literacy. Think: What role do speaking, listening, reading, writing, and viewing, play in your class? Provide opportunities for students to do those things each time you meet with them.
  • Read challenging texts. “Science is an ideal place to get students reading things that are hard for them. Doses of struggle are good for our brains,” Fisher says. “Complex texts that don’t give up their meanings easily allow students to reread the text, mark it, talk to peers about it, and answer questions with their groups.”
  • Get them writing, even in short bursts. “Writing is thinking,” he says. “While you are writing, your brain cannot do anything else.” So if your students understand a given concept, have them write about it.

And that’s just the beginning. Tune in—and stay tuned—for more strategies for encouraging literacy integration in a science classroom.

More ways to learn

Accelerating learning in science with the Science of Reading

The Science of Reading: it’s not just for Language Arts.

As host Eric Cross and expert guest Susan Lambert discuss in this Science Connections webinar, the Science of Reading also provides a powerful foundation for science learning.

Here’s what they had to say about bringing evidence-based literacy strategies into the science classroom.

The role of literacy in science literacy

Strictly speaking, the Science of Reading refers to the vast body of research we now have—and put into practice—on the systematic, explicit, and cumulative instruction required for students to learn to read.

There is a misconception that when we’re talking about the Science of Reading, we’re just talking about reading.

—Susan Lambert, Amplify’s Chief Academic Officer for Elementary Humanities

In fact, we’re talking about comprehensive literacy, which encompasses all the essential—and interdependent—components of literacy, including background knowledge, vocabulary, and both comprehension and expression.

In other words, it’s the listening, speaking, reading, and writing that scientists do in the real world—and that students do to engage with and connect to science learning. As we discussed in this post, developing students’ literacy in science helps them develop scientific literacy. And science literacy allows students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and strategic questioners—in science and beyond.

Integrating science and literacy in the classroom

What do these literacy strategies look like in practice? Eric puts them to use regularly—and here’s how you can, too.

  1. Use phenomena to activate and gauge prior knowledge. The more you know, the better you comprehend text and the faster you learn—so exploring familiar observable events (frying eggs, seeing your breath on a cold day) can engage students and accelerate their comprehension from the jump.
  2. Provide multilingual resources. “Being intentional about providing access to resources in the languages our students speak is critical,” said Eric. “The data shows that the more proficient students become in their native language, the more proficient they become in a new one.”
  3. Get students writing (and speaking, and editing). Eric has his students document their experiments and observations in (digital) notebooks and online portfolios. They also share with and present to each other, he said, “so they’re seeing other students’ writing styles and syntax and what details they include, and they can go back and update their own.” And, since it’s a year-long process, “by the time they’re done, they have this beautiful website that showcases their work.” (Amplify Science’s Student Investigation Notebooks also fit the bill!)
  4. Work across subjects. The Common Core recommends that, by 4th grade, 50% of texts read should be non-fiction. That’s why Eric coordinates with ELA teachers to read one text about metabolism, for example, each examining it through different lenses. “When you’re able to work together with another content teacher, it’s like magic,” he said. (And in elementary school, you’re the other content teacher!)
  5. Run science seminars. Students use evidence to explain their thinking. “For students who need extra support, you can have pre-written sentence frames so that they’re able to participate,” Eric said. “Even when they’re listening to other students speaking, that’s helping them develop language skills. You watch them be able to listen, speak, engage in debate, and disagree without being disagreeable, which we know as adults is a valuable skill.”

For more of Eric’s strategies, watch the webinar: Science Connections: Accelerating Learning in Science with the Science of Reading.

Even more to explore

Webinars:

Curriculum: Amplify Science

Amplify blog:

Making the most of a science education conference

A typical science education conference such as NSTA may offer hundreds of booths, sessions, and new people to meet—and, most of the time, a typical science educator can’t do it all! So how can you maximize these opportunities to learn even more about teaching science … without maxing out? Middle-school educator and Science Connections podcast host Eric Cross is here to offer his tips. Here’s what he shared with us: 

Proven tips for capitalizing on science education conferences

  • Fuel up: Good food and good coffee are essential for me. Before you arrive, do some pre-trip research into local coffee shops and restaurants near the conference center. Avoid the long lines and overpriced food at the conference venue; instead, support local businesses to keep your energy levels up. Also important: comfy shoes, a reusable water bottle, and extra snacks.
  • Make a plan: Once registered, head to the conference website to build your agenda. Phone apps are handy, but I often find the desktop version works better for planning.
  • Narrow it down: NSTA, as just one example, offers more than 1,132 sessions! So it’s crucial to zero in on your options. Use a session schedule filter to focus on the sessions most relevant to your interests and needs.
  • Go where you’re fed: If you’re torn between sessions, go to one to collect resources, then move onto the other. Usually presenters list their session resources on the schedule or in the beginning of their session. Don’t hesitate to leave a session if it’s not meeting your needs, either—you’re there on behalf of your students. Presenters get it.
  • Divide and conquer: If you’re attending with a team, collaborate on a shared document for session notes and resource links. This way, everyone in your department and administration can benefit from the resources gathered at the conference.
  • Visit the expo hall: I recommend visiting right when it opens. You’ll find the booths fully stocked and the energy levels high.
  • Embrace downtime: Remember, conference venues are huge, and you’ll be on your feet quite a bit. Make sure to schedule 30–45 minutes of downtime. Use this break for a bit of mindless relaxation or to catch up on emails and reflect on earlier sessions. This brief pause can be a game changer for your overall conference experience.
  • Revisit next-day plans: Schedules can shift at the last minute. After dinner, I like to give the lineup a fresh look for any speaker or time changes. Being prepared allows me to have a game plan, but flexibility is also key.
  • Network: I especially find value in connecting with educators who teach content or student populations similar to my own and learning about their best practices in science instruction. Sometimes, these new connections can be just as enriching as the sessions themselves.

Note: Amplify will be at NSTA (March 20–23) at Booth #713. Stop by to experience real Amplify Science lessons; gain access to exciting, free resources and activities; and pick up fun swag. You’ll also hear from product experts and real educators about how they use Amplify Science to benefit all students.

Can’t wait? Check out our Amplify Science success stories to see how our K–8 curriculum is helping students everywhere read, think, and talk like scientists.

More to explore

Connecting science and literacy: The power of language

We’ve talked about how scientists need literacy skills in order to be scientists. They can’t do their jobs without reading, writing, listening, and communicating.

Our recent webinar Science Connections: Science and Literacy explored this intersection from a broader level: the power of language in the science classroom.

How can science teachers remove language barriers to make sure all students are able to access prior knowledge—and acquire more? And how can teachers leverage language to create optimal learning conditions for their science students? Why should they?

Let’s find out what webinar co-hosts Eric Cross and Susan Gomez Zwiep, Ph.D., had to say!

Language and science sense-making

Contrary to stereotype, scientists aren’t just loners in labs. Susan Gomez Zwiep, former middle school science teacher and senior science educator at BSCS Science Learning, credits a colleague with this pearl: “If I’m just doing science myself, and not talking to anybody, that’s not science. That’s just me in my head.”

So science teachers need to give students every possible opportunity to get out of their heads. And if language is a barrier—whether students are learning English, or challenged by science vocab—teachers can help remove it.

This principle is especially important in the context of phenomena-based learning, says Gomez Zwiep. “Rather than telling students ideas, and then proving those ideas correct by showing them a phenomenon, we show them the phenomena and engage them in science sense-making to develop that understanding,” she says. “Language is central to science sense-making and communicating that sense-making.”

Students also bring their prior knowledge to scientific sense-making. And, as Gomez Zwiep points out, prior knowledge is often embedded in the language a student uses at home, or just their own non-scientific vernacular. “I have to use that when I first engage with the phenomenon,” she says. “Otherwise, I’m limiting the resources that kids bring to the learning environment.”

Language in a “safe” science classroom

“If I had to learn science in my second language, I would be struggling with not only everyday vocabulary, but also content-specific vocabulary,” says Eric Cross, host of Amplify’s Science Connections podcast. “You would never actually know what I knew or what I was bringing to the table.”

The goal is to create an environment where students feel comfortable exploring, using whatever language is accessible to them, and then guiding them to conclusions—and precise scientific language. “A classroom requires trust. It requires relationship building,” says Gomez Zwiep. “If a student is worried about saying something a particular way, that’s where all their cognitive energy is going instead of actually talking about the science.”

The key? Put scientific ideas first, and the language will come. “We used to wait until kids had English in order to learn science. And now we’re starting to see that language emerges from learning experiences,” says Gomez Zwiep. “So it’s a product of learning, not a prerequisite.”

Literacy in your science classroom

You can integrate science and literacy right away, starting with free science and literacy lesson samples from Amplify Science.

Explore more:

Amplify Science

Science blogs

Science Connections podcast episodes