Reading in the Science Content Area

As high-stakes testing becomes more and more prominent throughout the nation, the pressure falls on teachers to integrate reading and math strategies into other subjects. Science class provides the perfect opportunity to encourage developing skills in reading and understanding expository text – a standard with which students often struggle. Giving students strategies for comprehending expository text will help them across all content areas, and will also provide valuable skills useful in high school and beyond. Some of my favorite strategies for helping students internalize scientific ideas through reading in the content area are as follows:

Reading Logs: During a reading assignment, students are required to interact with the text by surveying main headings, diagrams, and captions before starting to actually read. Each student then writes a paragraph describing what he or she already knows about the material and shares with a partner. Together, partners make a list of questions that might be answered by reading the text.  After reading the assignment, any answers they discover within the text should be recorded in Reading Logs. Logs are discussed in small groups and as a class the following day.

Text Features:  Before giving a reading assignment, you can choose a specific text feature within the reading that students should understand once they are finished. This might be a chart, diagram, photo or some other important element. Students must make a list of observations and write a brief paragraph about what the feature (i.e., Periodic Table) means to them at the time. After the reading assignment, students should write a second paragraph adding to their knowledge. Collecting these allows the teacher to gain a quick perspective on which students understood the material and those who might need further explanation.

End-of-Chapter Questions: Textbooks are usually organized into chapters, often with questions at the end of each section to check for understanding. A new twist on completing these questions can be done by the entire class after each student has completed the assigned reading. Divide your students into as many teams as there are questions (usually five or six). Each team draws a number and is tasked with developing their best answer to that question in a time allotment of five minutes.  Answers are shared, discussed, and debated with the rest of the class until everyone is content with the correct answer. 

Dialogue with the Author:   After completing the assigned reading, students write a paragraph addressed to the author. Within the paragraph, they may raise questions about content, argue, discuss “A-ha” moments, compare/contrast, etc . . . This is a great way to get a window into what each student is thinking, and it allows everyone to take ownership of learning. For more ideas related to reading in the science content area, check out the following lesson plans.

Reading and Science Lesson Plans:

Graphic Organizers for Good Science Reading and Writing

In this activity students use graphic organizers to better understand text. They use these organizers to interpret and analyze nonfiction text.

Teach Text Features & Read Nonfiction

Students look at the ways to analyze nonfiction text. They engage in think-alouds to help them better understand the text. They identify the various aspects of text as they read.

Text Structures in Science Writing

Students analyze science text and identify the patterns of nonfiction text. By engaging in different activities, students practice techniques for better understanding nonfiction text.