Cosmic Times: http://cosmictimes.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Have you considered using scientific topics and concepts to teach reading and writing skills? This NASA Goddard Space Flight Center website might aid in that practice. “Cosmic Times is a series of curriculum support materials that trace the history of our understanding of the universe during the past 100 years, from Einstein's formulation of gravity to the discovery of dark energy. It consists of 6 posters, each resembling the front page of a newspaper from a particular time in this history, with articles describing the discoveries. The language of the articles mimics that of a newspaper from its respective era.”
The site contains a glossary, a timeline, and a section on teacher resources http://cosmictimes.gsfc.nasa.gov/teachers/guide/index.html . The Cosmic Times has three “editions” or reading levels, and the teacher resources support each version.
In addition, there are several reading strategies featured in the resources and lessons. They include Reciprocal Reading, Talking to the Text (TttT), and SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review). Are these strategies still in vogue? Some reading strategies appear in OER Commons:
http://www.oercommons.org/courses/reading-strategies
We would be interested in hearing from instructors who have used science topics to teach reading and writing, especially those who have tried, or might want to try, the Cosmic Times. Please let us know what you think!
Susan Cowles
Science SME
Comments
When I taught middle school science, by February of the school year I realized that it might be better to simplify what and how I was teaching and try and help cultivate reading and writing skills among my students. I taught at a very high poverty Title I middle school, where 98% of students utilized free and reduced lunch (A school only needs 35% to be Title I). My students lived under duress of survival, and I am sure that stress interfered with their ability to learn in the classroom. The school was (and continues to be) an "underperforming" school in terms of test scores. So there was a lot of pressure to 'teach to the test,' which added another layer of pressure to an already excruciatingly stressful job. The state science standards for 6th and 7th graders were outrageous ... in my opinion way too ambitious, and material that even a college undergraduate might not encounter. Weird to consider, since South Carolina is notoriously at the bottom of the heap in public education.
Anyway, after a few months of teaching (and putting my all into complex lesson plans, which was expected) I thought it would be better to focus on reading and writing as much as possible... Student test scores (though I think what they measure can be debatable) were very low, including in reading and writing. I think science vocabulary can be a great way to help students learn language... Breaking words down into components can allow language discovery and learning word parts that extend to vocabulary beyond science. I began to use the textbook as a primary teaching tool, which really would not have been my first choice. I would assign, also, writing prompts from the textbook, and it was fun and interesting to see what creative writing my students would do.
Definitely I think there is overlap among disciplines that are treated as discrete from each other, and language arts and science can be integrated. But with adults in particular I think it can be very important that the learner feels there is a practical dimension to what they are learning (so that is not perceived as a waste of time), so choosing science content that has everyday relevance, or relevance to something going on, seems like a good idea.
I have read a little about I-BEST, and programs in Georgia, NC, and a few other states that combine ABE and technical training. I am curious how this might relate to science instruction. It seems like science might be more hands-on and practical in that context. Would this interfere with utilizing science to help teaching reading and writing, or enhance it, I wonder.
Susan,
Integrating science content into teaching reading and writing sounds like a good way to practice those reading skills (e.g., decoding, comprehension strategies, vocabulary development).
I agree with Pat's point about the need for the content to have relevence or practical application in their lives. A similar argument is made about teaching mathematics in the context of the kinds of problems we confront in our day to day activities. Such connections can help with the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of school engagement. The Job Corps programs, like the iBest program that Pat mentioned, have extensive practice of teaching content for application in trade or vocational areas (e.g., health care, culinary arts, building trades, business and finance, and forestry). The textbooks used in those settings work to also make the practical connection for the content.
In teaching reading comprehension strategies as you suggest, I imagine that initial activation of the learners' knowledge would be an important step. Such preview or advance organizer activities would likely help the learners with understanding vocabulary and conceptual knowledge so that they aren't so strained in applying the reading comprehension strategy.
Daryl
Thanks, Pat and Daryl, for your comments about the integration of science content with reading and writing instruction. Pat, thanks for the detailed example of your practice. Daryl, thanks for giving the chronology of ways to address this issue. I certainly agree that the topics need to be relevant and practical in order for this integration to be successful. You mention vocational areas that are good examples of this.
May we hear more about this topic from additional instructors? What has been your experience? Could instructors in vocational programs weigh in? I would imagine that instructors in programs not specifically vocational could benefit greatly from your comments.
Susan