Writing is an integral part of the process of science. In the undergraduate physics curriculum, the most common place that students engage with scientific writing is in lab classes, typically through lab notebooks, reports, and proposals. There has not been much research on why and how we include writing in physics lab classes, and instructors may…

This article shares results from a qualitative research project that examines the similarities and differences in how composition textbooks and science-writing textbooks address visual communication topics. This research has two goals. First, it seeks to better understand how visual communication is practiced and valued in the composition and…

The theme for the 62nd annual conference of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers was Educating for a Just Society. Connie Briggs, previous Program Chair, reminded us that, "Education has always been the foundation of a democratic nation. It is important that our students understand the principles upon which our nation was…

A writing-across-the-curriculum and ethics component is presented for a second-semester, physical chemistry course. The activity involves introducing ethical issues pertinent to scientists. Students are asked to read additional material, participate in discussions, and write essays and a paper on an ethical issue. The writing and discussion…

This study examines factors that shape four student's perceptions of writing tasks in their science classroom. This qualitative retrospective interview study focuses on four students concurrently enrolled in honors English and honors biology. This research employs a phenomenological perspective on writing, examining whether the writing strategies…

Giving students direct experience with the writing contexts and demands they will soon face as professionals focuses their attention on learning as much as possible from a required writing course. Our approach has concentrated on developing an experiential (client-based) curriculum to provide students the benefits of writing for real audiences as…

Preparing students to be scientifically literate citizens and ready for future course work demands that teachers take time and effort to teach writing strategies embedded in middle school science. Illustrates successful ways of integrating writing into science classrooms. (Contains 11 references.) (ASK)

Presents annotated references to 41 classic examples of science writing and suggests ways many of them can be used in the classroom. (JK)

When teaching writing in content areas, such as hydrobiology, instructors should remember that what works in a writing class does not necessarily work across the curriculum. Yet although differences exist, content area teachers still need writing departments to teach their students to write. One possible response is the generic course, such as…

Describes two writing assignments for students in a large physical geology class. For the first assignment, students write two descriptions of the same rock. One is written for students and the instructor the other for people with no background in geology. For the second assignment they write one of four topics. (Author/PR)

This paper reviews attempts to introduce writing skills to undergraduate geoscience students, reports on the status of technical writing in geoscience curriculum, and describes a fully integrated approach to writing across the geosciences curriculum, based on a required sophomore-level technical writing course. The technical writing course leads…

Based on their experiences the authors contend that increased emphasis on communication skills in the geologic curriculum results in the graduation of better geologists. The authors describe writing assignments, including first-year one-page papers, upper-level assignments, memos, oral presentations, projects, field notebooks, and senior thesis.…

Addresses many questions teachers might have about incorporating writing in science curricula. (JK)

Offers suggestions for structuring the writing of paragraphs about data tables and conclusions. States that data tables usually contain: the central or most typical value and the variation or spread within the data. Provides steps for writing a paragraph and an evaluation of effectiveness. (RT)

Describes assignments in abstract writing as well-suited way to integrate writing into curriculum of large introductory geology courses. When students write abstracts on either assigned outside readings or special sections in their textbooks, they develop a concise writing style and polish their writing skills and also increase their understanding…