Daily Science Conversations Through ELA Integration (Including Picture Books!)

By 8th grade nearly 50% of students could care less about science–no thank you, not interested, won’t change their minds. Research also shows the most effective way to reverse this trend: spark students’ interest in science in elementary school. Yet, on average, elementary students only experience 20 minutes of science instruction per day, and science time is often rotated with social studies. Ironically, because we have pushed aside science to spend increasingly greater time on reading instruction, our students’ reading comprehension has declined. This class begins by sharing how science and reading comprehension are inextricably linked and then empowers you with the skills to address your “science time crunch” by making scientific thinking part of your daily routine. Using small bits of meaningful time, you will learn how to: integrate ELA and science authentically and effectively; use picture books to emphasize the nature of science; conduct notice and wonder routines and data discussions before read-alouds, and develop center and bell ringer activities that support your science instruction. This class is designed to help you meet Iowa Core science and reading standards by equipping you with the latest science and reading comprehension research along with practical classroom applications, so you can incorporate more scientific thinking into your daily schedule.