Literacy and STEM: Incorporating Nonfiction into Science Jake Melnyk Governor’s Teacher Network Greene Early College High Snow Hill, NC

Session Outcomes  Examine the role of nonfiction literature in a STEM setting.  Look at how nonfiction literature can boost student motivation in science.  Reflect on how you could incorporate nonfiction literature into your classes and brainstorm lesson ideas.

Welcome!  5 minutes.  Please visit  Please introduce yourself and tell us what grade and subject(s) you teach.

STEM and Literacy  Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics  Push for Real-World Experience and 21 st Century Problem-Solving Skills  Where does literacy fit into this?

Greene Early College & STEM  1:1 Laptop Program  Incorporate STEM using models, multimedia projects, and simulations.  Not a grant-funded STEM program, but we can still do STEM.

What is Action Research?  Main goals include:  Positively impact student outcomes.  Identify and promote effective instructional practices.  Create opportunities for teachers to become reflective practitioners.  Share research results with other educators. Mills, Geoffrey E. Action Research: A guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2014.

What does AR look like?  A systematic research process to:  Identify an area of focus (critical, challenging issue).  Develop an action research plan.  Implement action research plan in classroom/school.  Collect, analyze, and interpret data.  Share findings to improve practice. Mills, Geoffrey E. Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2014.

My Problems of Practice in Honors Physics:  Student disconnect between abstract content and real-world relevance (AKA – “Why do we need to learn this?!”)  “It’s going to be on the test!” – Does this answer support the depth of knowledge we want our students to learn?

My Research Questions How does the inclusion of a nonfiction text into a STEM science classroom affect student motivation and engagement? How can teachers connect literacy to science beyond just assigning a textbook?

With Your Table Discuss…  5 minutes.  What does learning look like in your science classroom/block?  What motivates and engages your students?  How have you connected science and literacy beyond the textbook so far?

What does professional research say about my problems of practice?  Students need authentic reading and are more likely to read materials that are useful to them. Abell, S Reading and Science.  Literacy and inquiry are closely tied together. Creech and Hale Literacy in Science: A Natural Fit  Students need a variety of tools to digest literacy in the science classroom. Barton and Jordan Teaching Reading in Science.

My Project Goals  Incorporate a nonfiction novel that aligns with NC Physics standards and Common Core Anchor Standards for Literacy  Teach an Electricity Unit while using the novel to incorporate relevant examples and compare the global impact of electricity dependence in a developing world society (Malawi, Africa).  Search for a connection to student motivation and engagement.

Study Population  Rural Early College High School  More than 80% either 1 st -Gen College, Underrepresented in Colleges/Universities, or considered At-Risk.  Honors Physics (2 sections)  35 total students.  46% male/54% female  48% Hispanic, 35% Caucasian, 17% African- American

Our Non-Fiction Text

A Brief Introduction  amba_how_i_harnessed_the_wind amba_how_i_harnessed_the_wind

Planning  Wanted to incorporate:  NC Essential Standards for Physics  Common Core Anchor Standards for Reading in Science 6-12  Mastery Objectives  Authentic Activities and Assessment  Opportunities for Enrichment/Extension  Realistic Timeline

The Template

Process  Read 3-4 chapters a week (both in and out of class)  Reading Days  Socratic Circles  STEM Labs  Gallery Walks  Discussion Questions  Small Group Posters, Projects

Student Work Examples

My Favorite Student Questions…  We don’t live in Africa! Why do we have to learn about other parts of the world?  This is not English! Why are we reading a book in science class?  Are you getting paid for us to read this book?

Data Collection Process  Survey on Student Reading Habits and Reading in Science – Beginning and end of unit.  Student academic performance.  Observations of student motivation and engagement day-to-day.  Informal conversation with students during and after the unit.

Data Analysis  Explored mastery of content.  Looked at changing trends in student surveys.  Reviewed perspectives of students and evident motivation/engagement.

Quantitative Findings  9% more likely to be engaged/motivated in science class.  12% more motivated to read science-related material outside of class.  These numbers may seem low but at the beginning of the project:  50% - Passionate about learning science.  77% - Felt motivated in their science class.  73% - Felt reading is important to learning.  84% - Felt that reading helps them succeed in school and life.

Qualitative Findings  Students who showed interest in reading in multiple classes, actively read on their own in/out of school were more likely to be motivated/engaged by the project.  Students enjoyed STEM-centered labs to augment the content in their reading.  Students preferred choice and creativity when it came to processing the text.

Table Discussion  5 minutes.  How would you assess your students on a project like this?  What tools or data analysis could be most useful to you?

Lesson Planning Practice (15 minutes)  On the template provided please:  Choose a text that you would like to use in your class.  Brainstorm some short ideas for lesson features using the template.  Network with others at your table for ideas and share your results.  Please feel free group up with similar grade levels Common Core Anchor Standards

Final Recommendations  Non-fiction texts can make a great addition to STEM Science.  What worked..  Choose a text students are interested in and can approach creatively.  Augment that text with labs, activities, discussions, etc. relevant to your mastery objectives and required standards.  Keep an open dialogue with students as well as monitor your data to guide your daily instruction.

Acknowledgements  Mary and Donna – DPI PD Leads Regions 2 & 4.  Governor’s Teacher Network researcher community.  Greene Early College faculty & students  You – for being present today!

Other Questions, Comments, or Concerns?  For digital session materials: