Negotiating Science: The Critical Role of Argument in Student Inquiry, Grades 5-10 » (New Edition)

Brian Hand is the coauthor of the Heinemann titles Negotiating Science and Questions, Claims, and Evidence. He is a science educator at the University of Iowa who is involved in research on student learning and how we use language in science classrooms to help the learning process. Brian was a school teacher for eleven years before moving into the university system, where he has published in a wide range of journals.

Lori Norton-Meier is the coauthor of the Heinemann titles Negotiating Science and Questions, Claims, and Evidence. She has been intrigued by children's stories since her time as a kindergarten teacher. She is currently an assistant professor at Iowa State University in Literacy Education. Her areas of interest include early childhood literacy, science literacy, family literacy, and media literacy.

Knowing from the inside out how argument works is a literacy skill now universally recognized as essential. This is the goal of real reading, writing, and speaking - and finally the gift of real science. I am grateful to the authors of this volume for making these gifts available to science and literacy teachers, but most importantly, to all of our students.

- Wendy Saul

Author of Science Workshop

The best way to transform students' scientific thinking is by transforming their science writing. Writing is thinking and with Negotiating Science you'll move from rote procedures to the kind of writing that real scientists do. Your students will learn to negotiate meaning from the results of their work and to argue for their ideas - posing questions, documenting evidence, making claims, and sharing data. Perfect for science notebooks!

Leading you through an argument-based approach to science writing that is grounded in highly effective practices, Negotiating Science:

• demonstrates what good science arguments look like through student samples.
• models and supports top-notch instruction through teaching tools and templates adaptable to any classroom.
• contains guidelines that make assessment seamless and manageable.
• includes “Have a Go” activities help you make the transition from traditional science writing to argument-based writing.

Best of all, the writing Negotiating Science advocates can support your school's nonfiction and content-area writing goals.

Give students the chance to deepen their connection to science by writing for authentic purposes. See the dramatic difference it makes when students negotiate the meaning of concepts and content the way real scientists do. All while you meet schoolwide writing objectives. Read Negotiating Science and unlock the power of writing in your science classroom.

Foreword ix

Acknowledgments xiii

An Introduction: It's All About Learning 1

Section I Examining Teaching in the Service of Learning 7

Chapter 1 Introduction to the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) Approach 9

Chapter 2 What Do We Have to Know? (Theory and Practice) 21

Chapter 3 Teaching Skills Key to the SWH Approach 35

Chapter 4 Writing in the Science Classroom 57

Section II Examining the Science Writing Heuristic Approach 75

Chapter 5 Getting Started with the SWH Approach 77

Chapter 6 Questions, Investigations, and Justifying Claims with Evidence 93

Chapter 7 Reading and Reflection 133

Chapter 8 Wrapping Up an SWH Unit: The Summary-Writing Experience 157

Section III Examining Our Own Practice 171

Chapter 9 Measuring Your Progress 173

Chapter 10 Frequently Asked Questions and Benefits of the SWH Approach 188

Have a Go! Appendix Overview 197

Appendix A The Start of Your Journey 198

Appendix B Your Teacher Voice 199

Appendix C Aligning Learning and Teaching 200

Appendix D Negotiating Your Own Meaning 202

Appendix E Examining Conceptual Frameworks 203

Appendix F Management vs. Teaching 206

Appendix G Custom Professional Development Program Design 208

Appendix H What Do You and Your Students Think About Teaching and Learning? 209

Appendix I Student Questions 212

Appendix J Using Questions to Guide Discussion 213

Appendix K Making Claims, Providing Evidence 215

Appendix L Assessing Student Writing 219

References 221

Index 223