1. Setting Writing Goals in Science The Living Environment
Gary Carlin
Instructional Specialist
CFN 603

2. Start with the Curriculum
The Living Environment Core Curriculum
The University of the State of New York
NYS Learning Standards for MST
Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry & Design
Standard 4: Science:
The Living Environment

3. NEW Common Core State Standards
New Reading & Writing Standards for Science
Literacy skills and understandings required for college and career readiness.

4. Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.

5. Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

6. Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

7. Works Best with Unified Exams
Use of questions M/C and Extended Response (unmodified and modified) from Living Environment Regents examination for unit assessments.
Unified department Midterms and Finals from Regents test question database.
Unified Baseline Assessment from Regents test question database.

8. Write an Overarching Course Goal for Writing
Students will develop scientific writing skills to describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena in their own words, pose and evaluate arguments based on evidence and apply conclusions from such arguments and appropriately demonstrate conceptual understandings and skills in a written format.

9. Parts B & C: The Extended Response
The Living Environment writing cues:
Identify
State
Describe
Explain

10. Initial Goal Setting Interest Survey Writing Pre-Test or Initial Test
Pre-Write Skills Evaluation

11. Identify Major Writing Skills for Data Collection
Students will develop writing skills to:
1. describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena in their own words.
2. identify and describe reasons, outcomes, relationships, connections, and analogies in scientific processes and phenomena.
3. pose and evaluate arguments, design and interpret scientific experiments, and apply conclusions to persuade, expand, or modify scientific understandings
4. construct a written response that demonstrates conceptual understanding from multiple sources of information: text, diagrams, tables, graphs, charts, pictures, graphic organizers, etc

12. 1. Describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena in their own words
Description
Possible Writing Goals 4
Thoroughly describe and explain natural phenomena in their words and make accurate predictions based on the information/data provided. And can pose additional questions that reflect a level beyond conceptual understanding.
a. Create their own written analogies for natural phenomena
b. Expand higher level vocabulary
c. Write responses using a specific audience or purpose 3
Adequate ability to describe and explain and natural phenomena and make reasonable predictions based on the information provided. And can pose additional questions that reflect conceptual understanding
a. Improving observational skills to include “fine details”
b. Creating questions that provide further insights into the “content”
c. Build on providing indepth explanations 2
Minimal ability to describe and explain natural phenomena with a limited attempt to put ideas in their own words. And one to two extremely general questions.
a. Improving observational skills
b. Establishing relevant information to provide explanations
c. Working on writing in their own words 1
Limited ability to describe and explain natural phenomena. No attempt to put in their own words or ask additional questions
a. Developing basic observational skills
b. Identifying relevant information to “explain”
c. Organization of response to question

13. Possible Writing Goals
2. Identify and describe reasons, outcomes, relationships, connections, and analogies in scientific processes and phenomena
Description
Possible Writing Goals 4
Thoroughly identify and describe reasons, outcomes, relationships, make connections and analogies about scientific processes and phenomena
a. Created inter-unit connections
b. Connect content to course theme
c. Connect to a specific situation 3
Adequate identification and description of examples, reasons and outcomes. And basic connections and analogies are identified and/or created.
a. Establish connections of content
b. Expand existing analogies
c. Provide greater depth in written descriptions 2
Minimal identification and description of examples, reasons and outcomes. And weak connections and analogies are identified and/or created.
a. Develop identification of required content
b. Use of Pre-writing tools to begin writing
c. Clearly identification or restatement of what the question is asking to “state” 1
Limited identification and description of examples, reasons and outcomes. And no connections and analogies are identified and/or created.
a. Pre-writing tools to process question text for written response
b. Connect two ideas/concepts presented
c. Improve or elaborate on descriptions

14. Possible Writing Goals
3. Pose and evaluate arguments, design and interpret scientific experiments, and apply conclusions to persuade, expand, or modify scientific understandings
Description
Possible Writing Goals 4
Well developed and thorough arguments and scientific experiments are presented. And conclusions can be used to persuade, expand, or increase/modify scientific understandings.
a. Referencing of additional support materials
b. Incorporating diagrams into text
c. Balancing reference statements to explanation 3
Adequate arguments and scientific experiments are presented. And conclusions allow for predictions beyond the scope of the information/data and improve basic scientific understandings of concepts addressed.
a. Develop thorough arguments for an environmental scenario
b. Expand the explanation and application of the conclusion
c. Logically present a case for an argument 2
Minimal arguments and poorly designed scientific experiments are presented. And conclusions are used in a limited way for predictions beyond the scope of the information/data.
a. Identification of both sides and appropriate support for of an argument
b. Design and explanation of a controlled experiment
c. Statement and explanation of a conclusion 1
Limited arguments and faulty scientific experiments are presented.
a. Use of Pre-writing tools for to collect information for two sides of an argument
b. List steps in the experimental design
c. Statement of a hypothesis and conclusion

15. Possible Writing Goals
4. Construct a written response that demonstrates conceptual understanding from multiple sources of information
Description
Possible Writing Goals 4
Thoroughly and completely use multiple sources of information to construct a written response that thoroughly demonstrates conceptual understanding of a scientific concept or application.
a. Identify minor inconsistencies in info sources
b. Create “own categories of organization”
c. Support responses with prior information, predictions or additional sources of information 3
Adequately use multiple sources of information to construct a written response that sufficiently demonstrates conceptual understanding of a scientific concept or application.
a. Maximum use of information sources
b. Greater connection to conceptual understanding
c. Greater focus in selection and use of information 2
Minimal use multiple sources of information to construct a written response that poorly demonstrates conceptual understanding of a scientific concept or application.
a. Increase use of information sources
b. Sequencing of information sources to build a case
c. Utilizing information to cover all aspects of question 1
Limited use multiple sources of information to construct a written response that fails to demonstrate conceptual understanding of a scientific concept or application.
a. Identification of appropriate information
b. Sequencing of information
c. Description of scientific concept or application

16. Add Specific Student Writing Goals from:
Identified Interests
Content/Skill Assessments
Surveys
Conferencing Discussions
Informal Assessments

17. Collecting Class Writing Data
LIVING ENVIRONMENT STUDENT WRITING GOALS
SKILL 1
SKILL 2
SKILL 3
SKILL 4
Student
Specific Goals A G
McDuff,
Jack 4 a 3 b c
Smith,
Jimmy 1 2
Young,
Larry
A = Assessment from Rubric
G = Goal

18. Conferencing 4-5 times/year Individual/Group Personal/Reports
Reflection
Revision
Evidence