Teaching Reading

in Science

A Supplement to
Teaching Reading in the Content Areas
Teacher’s Manual (2nd Edition)

Mary Lee Barton

Deborah L. Jordan

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning

2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500 Aurora, CO 80014-1678
303.337.0990 • 303.337.3005
Teaching Reading in Science
A Supplement to Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not Me, Then Who?
2nd Edition
MARY LEE BARTON
DEBORAH L. JORDAN

Copyright © 2001 McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning), Aurora,
Colorado. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
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This publication is based on work sponsored wholly, or in part, by the U.S. Department of
Education National Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Programs, Office of Educational
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 Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... ii

Rationale ..................................................................................................................................... iii

Section 1: Three Interactive Elements of Reading .................................................................. 1

The Role of the Reader ................................................................................................... 3

The Role of Climate ........................................................................................................ 8

The Role of Text Features ............................................................................................. 14

Text Features: Vocabulary ................................................................................ 14

Text Features: Text Style ................................................................................... 19

Section 2: Strategic Processing ................................................................................................ 29

Section 3: Strategic Teaching ................................................................................................... 39

Section 4: Six Assumptions About Learning ......................................................................... 45

Section 5: Reading Strategies .................................................................................................. 49

Vocabulary Development ............................................................................................ 50

Informational Text ........................................................................................................ 72

Reflection Strategies ................................................................................................... 109

Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 127

About the Authors .................................................................................................................. 131

Workshops Available .............................................................................................................. 132

i
 Acknowledgments

A number of people contributed to the production of this document. In particular, the

authors would like to acknowledge Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning
staff, specifically Alice Krueger, who constructed the secondary level examples in
Section 5; Linda Brannan and Terry Young, who helped with the literature search;
Norma Brown, who oversaw copyright permissions; quality assurance reviewers John
Sutton, Clare Heidema, Elaine DeBassige D’Amato, Barb Gaddy, Vicki LaRock, Jane
Doty, and Dan Seger; editor Vicki Urquhart; and Leah Dixon and Molly Drew, who
performed the desktop publishing portion of this project. The authors would also like to
acknowledge outside reviewers Marcia Daab, Nancy Kellogg, and Emily CoBabe.

ii
Rationale
Ask students to take out their science textbooks, and what response do you typically
get? Groans? Sighs? Comments that are less than enthusiastic?

This reaction is understandable. For many students, reading science is like reading a
foreign language. A high school chemistry text can contain some 3,000 new vocabulary
terms — far more than are taught in most foreign language classes (Holliday, 1991). In
addition, it’s not unusual for science textbooks to have a readability level one or two
years above the grade level in which they are used. Finally, many textbooks aren’t
particularly user friendly. This is often the case when they are written by content-area
experts without the assistance of professional writers or experienced practitioners who
could help ensure that ideas were communicated clearly.

Science teachers, themselves, appear to feel somewhat ambivalent about textbook

usage. Although teachers agree that students need to be able to read science, 28 percent
of elementary teachers surveyed nationwide in 1998 reported using textbooks only as a
reference source; 33 percent reported rarely or never using textbooks (Tolman, Hardy, &
Sudweeks, 1998).

Why do teachers feel so ambivalent about textbooks? One possible reason is students’
inability to read these texts. Another is that the content of science textbooks can become
outdated more quickly than, say, an American literature textbook, rendering these
books less useful as the years go by. A third reason cited by critics of science textbooks is
that textbooks emphasize product rather than process (Donahue, 2000). In an inquiry-
based approach to learning that accompanied the post-Sputnik era of the 1960s, science
education has focused largely on doing science rather than reading science.

Many educators contend that when students do science, they are more engaged in
learning than when they read science text. When students actively participate in science,
they are involved in collaboration, exploration, and problem solving. Hands-on science
activities give students opportunities to

• wrestle with science problems;

• work together to generate and test hypotheses; and

• analyze data, draw conclusions, and write about their findings.

iii
 In fact, reading science text and textbooks requires the same critical thinking, analysis,
and active engagement as performing hands-on science activities. Science and reading
have many process skills in common. As Armbruster (1993) contends, “The same skills
that make good scientists also make good readers: engaging prior knowledge, forming
hypotheses, establishing plans, evaluating understanding, determining the relative
importance of information, describing patterns, comparing and contrasting, making
inferences, drawing conclusions, generalizing, evaluating sources, and so on” (p. 347).

In this supplement, as in the Teaching Reading in the Content Areas (TRCA) Teacher’s
Manual, we present the latest research on reading and learning in science. We also
include suggestions on how to help students confront the unique challenges of
constructing meaning from science textbooks and on how to embed explicit science
reading instruction within the natural context of science instruction in the classroom.
Throughout this supplement, you will find references to sections or pages of the TRCA
Teacher’s Manual that provide a more thorough discussion of a topic or another example
of a reading strategy.

In Section 5 of this supplement, you will find references to the five phases of learning —
engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate — which are common components of
science instructional models. Science teachers are encouraged to use the “5E” approach
or instructional models that share these components to build students’ in-depth
understanding of science concepts and strengthen their thinking skills (see Section 3,
pp. 39–44 for more about the five phases of learning). Reading science texts and other
materials is an important part of this process. For students to gain understanding,
teachers need to use a variety of strategies, including those that involve manipulative,
interactive, and physical materials, to address science content in depth and avoid
focusing on isolated or disconnected facts.

iv
Section 1 Notes
Three Interactive Elements of Reading

Three Interactive Elements of Reading

Reader Climate

Text
Features

Introduction
Writers Santa, Havens, and Harrison (1996) state it well: “Most
students arrive at the science teacher’s classroom knowing how to
read, but few understand how to use reading for learning science
content” (p. 166). One explanation for this disparity is that students
most often learn the reading process using narrative text. They
haven’t been taught that reading science requires different reading
and thinking skills than reading fiction. Certainly, informational text
— and science text, in particular — presents unique challenges to
novice readers. Thus, one of the first steps for teachers is to help
students understand that reading science text requires them to use
different skills than they may have used in the past.

In addition to the general reading skills needed to comprehend

narrative text, readers of science text also must be able to apply the
following knowledge and skills:

• Understand specialized vocabulary terms and phrases that are

unique to science.

• Understand vocabulary terms and phrases that have different

meanings when used in science.

• Interpret scientific symbols and diagrams.

1
 Notes • Recognize and understand organizational patterns common to
science texts.

• Make sense of text using text structure and page layout that
may not be user friendly.

• Infer implied sequences and recognize cause-and-effect

relationships.

• Infer main ideas and draw conclusions that may not be

explicitly stated.

• Use inductive and deductive reasoning skills.

These skills are discussed in more detail in the sections that follow,
which also include suggestions for planning instruction that will help
students become more effective consumers of science reading
material. As in the TRCA Teacher’s Manual, this supplement discusses
teaching reading in science in terms of three interactive elements that
affect comprehension: the reader, the climate, and text features.

2
The Role of the Reader Notes

Three Interactive Elements of Reading

Reader Climate

Text
Features

Things to Think About

1. How do students’ experiences and prior knowledge of
science affect their learning?

2. How can teachers help students recognize and change any

misconceptions they have about science?

3. How can teachers motivate students to learn and practice

reading strategies?

Prior Knowledge
For students to make sense of what they read, they need to be able to
grasp and make sense of new information in light of what they
already know. When readers activate and use their prior knowledge,
they make the necessary connections between what they know and
new information. Teachers should help students recognize the
important role that prior knowledge plays and teach them to use that
knowledge when learning science through reading.

Teachers can show students how to activate prior knowledge by

demonstrating basic pre-reading techniques such as

• brainstorming ideas that a topic brings to mind;

• previewing a passage, noting headings and bold print; and

• constructing a graphic organizer, web, or outline from passage

headings for use in note taking.

3
 Notes Teachers also need to ensure that their students have the prior
knowledge and experience they need to make these connections.
Discovering what students already know about a topic helps teachers
design instruction around the missing knowledge. A number of
strategies can help teachers determine what students know before
they begin studying a new topic:

• Semantic Mapping (p. 61)

• Word Sort (p. 69)

• Anticipation Guide (p. 72)

• Directed Reading/Thinking Activity (p. 76)

• K-W-L (p. 91)

• Problematic Situation (p. 99)

• Learning Log (p. 114)

Prior knowledge must not only be adequate for learning to occur, it

also must be accurate. Unfortunately, sometimes students come to
their science classes with a number of misconceptions about topics
they will be studying. Helping students confront and resolve their
misconceptions requires concentrated effort on the part of teachers
and students. The strategies listed above can help teachers identify
students’ misconceptions.

Another strategy that addresses students’ misconceptions is the

extended anticipation guide (Duffelmeyer & Baum, 1992). This
strategy requires learners to identify their beliefs prior to reading and
to justify these ideas — or revise them — when they read information
in the text that supports or contradicts their understanding. (See pp.
72–75 in this supplement for instructions on using this strategy in
the classroom.) Because letting go of misconceptions is so difficult,
this issue is extensively addressed in Section 3, “Strategic Teaching.”

4
Mental Disposition Notes
Exemplary science educators know that students’ attitudes about
reading and learning science affect their achievement. Of particular
concern, then, are reports that students’ motivation to learn wanes
over time. For example, Holloway (1999) notes that “intrinsic
motivation for literacy and other academic subjects declines in
middle school” (p. 80). What can teachers do to increase students’
motivation to learn from reading science text?

In addition to connecting reading assignments to students’ real-

world experiences, teachers need to show students that becoming
effective consumers of science text has value. Students need to see
firsthand that practicing the right reading strategies will improve
their achievement.

This is especially true of struggling readers. Some of these students

also have a poor attitude toward reading and often don’t see the
connection between the effort they put forth to read and complete
their assignments and the grades they earn in class. Marzano,
Pickering, and Pollock (2001) cite a set of studies demonstrating that
simply showing students that added effort improves their
achievement actually increases students’ achievement. The authors
note that since “students might not be aware of the importance of
believing in effort,” teachers should “explicitly teach and exemplify
the connection between effort and achievement” (p. 51).

Instructional Implications
To demonstrate to students how their effort affects their achievement,
Marzano et al. (2001) suggest that students periodically assess their
level of effort on assignments and track the impact of their effort on
the grades they earn. Teachers can give students a set of effort and
achievement rubrics (see Exhibit 1 on p. 6), which students can
use to assess their effort and achievement. In addition, a chart (see
Exhibit 2 on p. 7) can be provided so students can record and track
their progress.

5
 Notes When students observe the impact that their effort and attitude have
on their progress, they begin to see the value of applying reading
strategies to improve their comprehension and learning. They also
gain a sense of control over their learning — a crucial step in
assuming more responsibility for their own learning.

Exhibit 1. Effort and Achievement Rubrics

Effort and Achievement Rubrics for Science

Scale: 4 = excellent; 3 = good;

2 = needs improvement; 1 = unacceptable

Effort Rubric

4 I worked on my science assignment until it was completed.

I pushed myself to continue working on the task even
when difficulties arose, when a solution was not
immediately evident, or when I had trouble understanding
what an author was saying. I used obstacles that arose as
opportunities to strengthen my understanding and skills
beyond the minimum required to complete the assignment.

3 I worked on my science assignment until it was completed.

I pushed myself to continue working on the task even
when difficulties arose, when a solution was not
immediately apparent, or when I had trouble
understanding what an author was saying.

2 I put some effort into my science assignment, but I stopped

working when difficulties arose, when a solution was not
immediately evident, or when I had trouble understanding
what an author was saying.

1 I put very little effort into my science assignment.

Achievement Rubric

4 I exceeded the objectives of the assignment.

3 I met the objectives of the assignment.

2 I met a few of the objectives of the assignment, but didn’t

meet others.

1 I did not meet the objectives of the assignment.

6
Exhibit 2. Effort and Achievement Chart
Notes
Student Effort Achievement
Assignment
Jon Starek Rubric Rubric

Monday, Sept. 21 Study and describe parts 4 4

of three different
flowering plants. Read text
about plant parts and find
parts on actual plants to
complete worksheet.

Wed., Sept. 23 Homework: Read the article 3 3

"How Plants Grow."

Thurs, Sept. 24 Write a two-page narrative 3 3

on key points made in the
article and how these
reinforce or conflict with
what I thought I knew
about how plants grow.

Fri., Sept. 25 Read text pages on 3 3

experimental design and
design experiment on
germination rate of plants.

7
 Notes The Role of Climate

Three Interactive Elements of Reading

Reader Climate

Text
Features

Things to Think About

1. How does climate affect students’ attitude toward learning
science?

2. What do effective science teachers do to create a classroom

climate that is conducive to learning?

A fifth grade teacher always begins the year by asking her class this
simple question: “What is science?” The varied responses students
give usually cover three basic themes:
“Science is fun. It’s doing experiments and watching butterflies emerge from
their chrysalises.”
“Science is reading boring textbooks. I hate it.”
“Science is watching movies or videos.”

What shapes students’ attitudes about science? Certainly, students’

attitudes are deeply affected by the climate in which they learn.
Teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and values help to create the climate in
which children develop their own feelings about subject matter. In
fact, as early as the fifth grade, students have developed definite
attitudes about science. Sadly, many students graduate from high
school despising science, considering it boring and too difficult. As
the authors of Science for All Americans (Rutherford & Ahlgren, 1990)
note, “They see science only as an academic activity, not as a way of
understanding the world in which they live” (p. 186).

Given the effect that attitude has on learning, it’s essential that
science teachers create a positive classroom climate. The term climate

8
refers not only to the affective dimensions discussed in the TRCA Notes
Teacher’s Manual, but also to physical dimensions. As Program
Standard D of the National Science Education Standards (National
Research Council [NRC], 1996) asserts, “The K–12 science program
must give students access to appropriate and sufficient resources,
including quality teachers, time, materials, and equipment, adequate
and safe space, and the community” (p. 218).

The climate in today’s exemplary science classrooms is grounded in

the high standards and vision described in the National Science
Education Standards (NRC, 1996): “All students, regardless of age, sex,
cultural or ethnic background, disabilities, aspirations, or interest and
motivation in science, should have the opportunity to attain high
levels of scientific literacy” (p. 20). Science instruction is no longer
viewed solely as preparation for college-bound students. Today’s
science students come from all walks of life and have a wide range of
backgrounds and experiences.

What constitutes an effective learning environment? According to the

NRC (2000), an effective learning environment is characterized by
four dimensions:

• Learner centered: Respecting and understanding students’

prior experiences and understandings and using them to build
new understandings.

• Knowledge centered: Helping students focus on the “big”

ideas and “develop well-organized bodies of knowledge and
organize that knowledge so that it supports planning and
strategic thinking” (p. 122).

• Assessment centered: Helping students learn to monitor and

regulate their own learning, to think critically, and to receive
instruction that is informed and supported.

• Community centered: Requiring students to “articulate their

ideas, challenge the ideas of others, and negotiate deeper
meaning along with other learners” (p. 122).

9
 Notes Instructional Implications
What can teachers do to ensure that their classrooms incorporate
these elements?

Learner centered
To ensure that the classroom environment is learner-centered,
teachers should consider the individual needs of their students. As
each lesson is planned, it’s important to consider the extent to which
each student has the background knowledge needed to understand
the concepts that will be taught. This step may point to the need to
create learning experiences that provide students with additional
information about particular concepts prior to giving them reading
assignments.

Engaging students in concrete learning activities can help prepare

them to learn more abstract ideas. These activities can introduce
students to concepts, which will then be reinforced, confirmed, or
enriched through reading. Consider using an anticipation guide,
DR/TA, K-W-L, problematic situation, graphic organizer, PLAN, or
other pre-reading activities to activate, build, and reinforce
background knowledge students need in order to make connections
while reading. (See Section 5, pp. 49–125 of this supplement for these
pre-reading strategies.)

Knowledge centered
In a knowledge-centered learning environment, students are offered
a variety of opportunities to learn about the discipline of science.
Teachers help students recognize the “big ideas” in science and
differentiate between main ideas and supporting material in their
science textbooks. They also ask students to use this knowledge to
make connections among these ideas and apply them in new
situations. As discussed in the next section, “The Role of Text
Features,” science text can be difficult for even experienced readers.
Teachers should reread text material that they plan to assign to see if

10
main ideas are expressed clearly and if the relationships among ideas Notes
are evident.

To get the most out of their science textbooks, students must

understand how the information is organized and how the concepts
presented relate to one another (Misulis, 1997). Teachers can provide
students with graphic organizers that will help them recognize and
understand relationships among the ideas they read in their texts. In
addition, teachers should incorporate questioning and reflection
strategies that focus students’ attention on understanding knowledge
derived from the text and on making connections between what they
have observed and what they have read. A number of strategies,
including reciprocal teaching, learning logs, and question-answer
relationships, are designed to clarify students’ understanding of what
is presented in class and in their textbooks. (See Section 5 of this
supplement for these strategies.)

Assessment centered
Assessment-centered classrooms encourage students to monitor and
regulate their learning in response to feedback from self-assessment
and teachers’ assessments. Learning to monitor and regulate their
own learning is a skill that can benefit students throughout their
education — indeed, throughout their lives.

There are many ways to teach and reinforce students’ self-assessment

skills. For example, teachers can encourage students to assess their
own learning by collecting data, comparing results with others, and
applying what they have learned. As students become adept at
monitoring their learning, they will be better equipped to assess their
understanding of text and to monitor and regulate their
understanding as they read.

Teachers can encourage the art of self-evaluation in a number of

ways. First, they can model for students how they monitor their
understanding when reading and learning new information. In
addition, teachers can ask students to reflect on their learning using

11
 Notes writing-to-learn activities or leading discussions about what learning
strategies are most effective when comprehension problems arise.

Finally, teachers should explain — and model — that assessment

activities offer learners and their teachers valuable feedback. For
example, instead of simply grading and returning students’ lab
reports, teachers might note areas that need further work and require
students to use these comments to make any needed revisions.
Thoughtful educators also use assessment results to revise their
instructional approaches. In this way, they treat assessment not as a
product, but rather as part of an ongoing process that supports
learning and informs instruction.

Community centered
A community-centered classroom offers students a safe environment
in which they can learn from their mistakes and from one another.
One way to begin to create this kind of environment is to give
students extra credit for sharing their confusion and questions about
what they have read, a strategy suggested by Schoenbach, Greenleaf,
Cziko, and Hurwitz (1999). The authors also suggest telling students
that the more explicit they are about where in a text they got lost or
why they think something is difficult for them to understand, the
more credit they will receive. The benefits of this strategy are many.
For one, talking with others can help students more specifically
identify the questions they have or the topics they find confusing.
Second, classroom dialogue and conversation help develop a sense of
community among students and between students and the teacher.
Another strategy suggested by Schoenbach et al. (1999) is to invite
students to bring in reading materials that will “stump” the teacher
so the teacher can model “think-alouds,” which lets students know
that teachers, too, often have to use strategies to understand what
they are reading.

In summary, the characteristics of science learning present a unique

challenge — and opportunity — for science teachers as they design

12
the classroom learning environment. By identifying individual Notes
students’ needs, helping students to focus on “big ideas,” using
assessment as a springboard for learning, and creating a community
in which students learn and deepen their understanding together,
teachers can help ensure that students leave their classes with a
positive view of the benefits of learning science.

13
Section 5 Notes
Reading Strategies
Strategies for the Three Phases of Preactive
Preparation
Interactive
Assistance
Reflective
Reflection
Before During After
Cognitive Processing Reading Reading Reading

Vocabulary Development Page Number

S-1 Concept Definition Mapping 50 x x x
S-2 Frayer Model 53 x x x
S-3 Semantic Feature Analysis 58 x x x
S-4 Semantic Mapping 61 x x x
S-5 Student VOC Strategy 64 x x
S-6 Word Sort 69 x x x

Informational Text
S-7 Anticipation Guide/Revised Extended Anticipation Guide 72 x x x
S-8 Directed Reading/Thinking Activity (DR/TA) 76 x x x
S-9 Graphic Organizer 81 x x x
S-10 Group Summarizing 87 x
S-11 What I Know; Want to Learn; Learned (K-W-L) 91 x x
S-12 Pairs Read 94 x
S-13 Predict; Locate; Add; Note (PLAN) 95 x x x
S-14 Problematic Situation 99 x x
S-15 Proposition/Support Outline 101 x x
S-16 Reciprocal Teaching 105 x x x
S-17 Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review (SQ3R) 106 x x x
S-18 Think-Aloud 107 x

Reflection Strategies (Questioning; Writing; Discussing)

S-19 Creative Debate 109 x
S-20 Discussion Web 111 x
S-21 Learning Log 114 x x x
S-22 Question-Answer Relationship (QAR) 117 x
S-23 Questioning the Author (QtA) 120 x x
S-24 Role/Audience/Format/Topic (RAFT) 122 x
S-25 Scored Discussion 124 x

49
 Notes Vocabulary Development Preactive
Interactive
Reflective
S-3. Semantic Feature Analysis
What is it?
Semantic feature analysis (Baldwin, Ford, & Readence, 1981; Johnson
& Pearson, 1984) helps students discern a term’s meaning by
comparing its features to those of other terms that fall into the same
category. When students have completed a semantic feature matrix,
they have a visual reminder of how certain terms are alike or
different.

How could it be used in science instruction?

This strategy is very effective when examining discriminating
features (e.g., categorizing vertebrates, invertebrates, types of rocks,
powders, and crystals). This strategy can be used to engage student
thinking, as a way to collect data while students explore similarities
and differences, or as a way to quickly evaluate students’ knowledge.

How to use it:

1. Select a general category of study.

2. Create a matrix. Along the left side, list key terms in the chosen
category. Across the top of the matrix, write features that these
words might share.

3. Ask students to then use an “X” to indicate if the feature applies

to the word or write in specifics about the features.

4. Encourage students to explain the rationale behind their choices.

5. As the unit progresses and understanding of each term or

concept deepens, the teacher or students can add terms and
features to the matrix.

For further discussion of this strategy, see the TRCA Teacher’s Manual,
pp. 79–81.

58
 Vocabulary Development Notes

Semantic Feature Analysis Grid

Category: es
ur
at
Fe

Terms

Category: Vertebrates
d
de
ed

un ilk
in

yo m
oo
od

sk
ne
res

ir
ha
rs

for uce
g
-bl
blo

th
bo

the
atu

rm

oo
gs

ale

or
ld-
ck

d
ls

pro
fea
lun

sm
wa
Fe

fur
ba

co

gil

sc

Terms
fish

amphibian

reptile

bird

mammal

59
 Notes Vocabulary Development

Category: Rocks

rs
lo
es

r
olo

co
us
ur

ec

ny
y
at

rd

ro
in

ft
ll

ma
Fe

du

ha

po

on
sh

so
Terms

sandstone X sometimes sometimes sometimes X

shale X X X

obsidian X X X

pumice X X X X

marble X X mainly

quartzite X X X

Category: Waves
)
Hz
s(
hs

by
cie
gt
es

d
len

en

r
cte
ur

fe
qu

ns
ve
at

te
Fe

fre

tra
de
wa

Terms

radiowaves >1mm 1–108 radios radiation

microwave
microwaves 1 m–30 cm 108–1012 detectors radiation
conduction,
heat 2.5 m–25 m 1011–1012 thermometer convection, radiation
light 400nm–750nm 4x1014–7.5x1014 eyes radiation

X-rays 1pm–1nm 1017–1020 X-ray film radiation

sound 1.5cm–16.5m 20–20,000 ears vibration

60
 Informational Text Preactive Notes
Interactive
Reflective
S-13. Predict; Locate; Add; Note
(PLAN)
What is it?
PLAN is a study-reading strategy for informational text that helps
students read strategically (Caverly, Mandeville, & Nicholson, 1995).
PLAN is an acronym for four distinct steps that students are taught
to use before, during, and after reading. The first step is to predict the
content and text structure; students create a probable map or
diagram based on chapter title, subtitles, highlighted words, and
information from graphics. The second step is to locate known and
unknown information on the map by placing checkmarks (✔) next to
familiar concepts and question marks (?) next to unfamiliar concepts;
this causes students to activate and assess their prior knowledge
about the topic. The third step, add, is applied as students read; they
add words or short phrases to their map to explain concepts marked
with question marks or confirm and extend known concepts marked
with checks. Note is the fourth step; after reading, students note their
new understanding by using this new knowledge to fulfill a task
(e.g., reproducing the map from memory, writing in their learning
log, discussing what they have learned, or writing a summary). This
reinforces their learning and ensures that they have fulfilled their
purposes for reading.

How could it be used in science instruction?

Much of what is written in science follows one of the five patterns
discussed earlier in this manual: compare/contrast, concept
definition, description, generalization/principle, or process/cause-
effect. However, when text does not appear to be organized
according to one of these patterns, PLAN provides students with
another way to explore the relationships among the ideas in the text
and to create a visual they can use to take notes while reading. Using
graphic organizers also helps students to see connections as they

95
 Notes Informational Text

construct their understanding of science concepts. PLAN encourages

students to self-evaluate what they know about a topic. It also
provides an opportunity for students to explain and elaborate on what
they know or have learned through their reading.

How to use it:

1. Model the four PLAN steps (Predict; Locate; Add; and Note) for
students.

2. Give students opportunities to practice using the PLAN strategy

with various organizational patterns.

Step 1: Predict

Fossil Fuels Nuclear Energy Solar Energy

Crude oil Nuclear Greenhouse

fission effect

Nuclear Solar
Refinery
fusion collector

Combustion Nuclear Solar cell

reactor

Sources of
Energy Ch.12

Geothermal
Hydro Energy Wind Energy Biomass
Energy

Hydroelectric Magma Windmills Bioconversion

power plant

Tidal Hot spots

energy

96
Informational Text Notes

Step 2: Locate
Fossil Fuels Nuclear Energy Solar Energy

Crude oil Nuclear Greenhouse

fission effect

Nuclear Solar
Refinery
fusion collector

Combustion Nuclear Solar cell

reactor

Sources of
Energy Ch.12

Geothermal
Hydro Energy Wind Energy Biomass
Energy

Hydroelectric Magma Windmills Bioconversion

power plant

Tidal Hot spots

energy

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 Notes Informational Text

Step 3: Add
Fossil Fuels Nuclear Energy Solar Energy
energy stored
in the nucleus
remains of dead energy from
of an atom
plants
plants and
and animals.
animals the sun

Crude oil Nuclear

oil taken from
fission Greenhouse
the Earth
earth nucleus split- effect
energy released
place where crude buildup
oil is changed
Refinery to useful products
Nuclear of heat
fusion
atoms combined- Solar
energy released collector
burning Nuclear device that
Combustion fossil fuels collects
reactor sunlight and
where fission changes it
or fusion to energy
takes place
Solar cell
Hydro Energy
Sources of device that
moving water changes solar
Energy Ch.12 energy to
electrical
Hydroelectric energy
power plant
energy of moving Geothermal
water turns Wind Energy Biomass
turbines attached Energy
to generators natural heat movement plant and
that produce of air animal matter
electricity
Tidal
energy Magma Windmills Bioconversion
rising and falling melted rock
of tides turns in Earth windmill blades
turbines attached changing biomass
are connected into usable energy
to generators to generator
that produce Hot spots (campfire)
that produces
electricity electricity
produced by
magma close to
Earth's surface

Note. Basic format only from “PLAN: A Study Reading Strategy for Informational Text,”
by D. C. Caverly, T. F. Mandeville, and S. A. Nicholson, 1995, Journal of Adolescent and
Adult Literacy, 39(3), pp. 190–199. Copyright 1995 by the International Reading
Association.

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 Reflection Strategies Reflective Notes

S-19. Creative Debate

What is it?
The creative debate strategy promotes discussion, original thinking,
and thinking from different perspectives. Students debate a topic
from a character’s point of view.

How could it be used in science instruction?

This strategy gives students the opportunity to engage intelligently in
public discourse and debate, exploring past and present matters of
scientific concern. It encourages students to look at both sides of an
issue, weigh the facts, and make an informed decision. These are
necessary skills for scientifically literate citizenship.

How to use it:

1. Assign students a reading passage with a relevant debate topic.

2. Establish debate criteria.

3. Two-thirds of the class will debate while the remaining third of

the class observes.

4. Debaters should be in two rows, facing each other. One row of

students should support the issue; the other row should oppose
the issue. Students do not have to agree with the positions they
are representing.

5. Each student selects a character to portray and takes on the

mannerisms and voice of the character during the debate.

6. Students debate from their character’s point of view for ten

minutes while the observers collect data.

7. Provide time for students to discuss the activity. Encourage the

observers to share the data they collect. Reflective questions
might include, “How difficult was it to share information from a
different perspective? What did you learn? What might you do
differently next time?”

For further discussion of this strategy, see the TRCA Teacher’s Manual,
pp. 158–159.

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 Notes Reflection Strategies

Examples of Debate Topics

• Everybody can do science.

• Potential research subjects should be told about both the risks

and benefits of the research projects.

• New technology can change cultural values and social behavior.

• Any belief about the world is as valid as any other.

• Animals should not be used as research subjects.

• The international community should adopt and enforce laws to

prevent further global warming.

• Companies should be allowed to drill for oil in protected

wilderness areas.

• Cloning of humans should be allowed.

• Funding for future space programs should be reduced.

• Unwanted, frozen, human embryos should be used for genetics

research.

• Genetically engineered food crops are safe for human

consumption.

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 About the Authors

Mary Lee Barton, M.S. Ed., has worked in the areas of literacy, learning, and
professional development for more than 25 years. She brings a wealth of practical
classroom experience to her writing and professional development workshops. As a
consultant at McREL, Barton coauthored Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not Me,
Then Who? (2nd ed.) and its supplement, Teaching Reading in Mathematics. Her articles
“Addressing the Literacy Crisis: Teaching Reading in the Content Areas” and
“Motivating Students to Read Their Textbooks” have appeared in the NASSP Bulletin.
She has trained thousands of teachers and administrators across the country in content-
area reading and writing instruction. Currently, Barton is a writer and a business and
education consultant in private practice. She trains and provides technical assistance
nationally to educators and business clients on literacy issues in education and in
the workplace.

As a senior consultant for McREL, Deborah L. Jordan, M.A., has provided technical
assistance and training to teachers, curriculum developers, and school administrators
nationally over the past four years. Jordan focuses on improving science education
through extensive work with standards and their relationship to curriculum,
instruction, and assessment. Prior to joining McREL, her 16 years of experience
included teaching Chapter I Reading at the middle school level, teaching in the regular
elementary classroom, and serving as a district science coordinator.

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 Workshops Available

McREL delivers training and consultation on Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not
Me, Then Who? to teachers, reading specialists, staff developers, and administrators.

The Teachers Workshop (designed for upper elementary, middle, and high school
educators) provides an overview of content area reading instruction; engages
participants in applying vocabulary, reading, and discussion strategies to specific
content covered in their classrooms; and offers practical suggestions on integrating
these strategies into existing curricula.

The Training-of-Trainers Workshop is designed for teachers who have a background in

reading or who have completed the Teachers Workshop. Participants delve more
deeply into critical conceptual ideas underlying the teaching of content area reading
skills; receive guidelines for facilitating adult learning; discuss training issues,
questions, and concerns; share and critique training plans for teaching content area
reading strategies; and discuss schoolwide implementation planning.

The Teaching Reading in Mathematics Workshop is designed specifically for

mathematics teachers. Participants will examine vocabulary, informational text, and
reflection strategies that can help them effectively teach mathematics.

The Teaching Reading in Science Workshop is designed specifically for science

teachers. Participants will examine vocabulary, informational text, and reflection
strategies that can help them effectively teach science.

For more information about scheduling workshops and consulting services, contact
McREL at 303.337.0990.

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