Literacy for Science
Exploring the Intersection of the Next Generation
Science Standards and Common Core for ELA Standards
A Workshop Summary
Holly Rhodes and Michael A. Feder, Rapporteurs
Steering Committee on Exploring the Overlap between “Literacy in Science” and the
Practice of Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Board on Science Education
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by the Contract No. 10001820 between the National Academy of Sciences and the Carnegie Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-30517-4
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-30517-9
Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.
Copyright 2014 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2014). Literacy for Science: Exploring the Intersection of the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core for ELA Standards, A Workshop Summary, H. Rhodes and M.A. Feder, Rapporteurs. Steering Committee on Exploring the Overlap between “Literacy in Science” and the Practice of Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information. Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
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STEERING COMMITTEE ON EXPLORING THE OVERLAP BETWEEN “LITERACY IN SCIENCE” AND THE PRACTICE OF OBTAINING, EVALUATING, AND COMMUNICATING INFORMATION
P. DAVID PEARSON (Chair), Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley
JUAN-CARLOS AGUILAR, Georgia Department of Education
SARAH MICHAELS, Department of Education, Clark University
ELIZABETH BIRR MOJE, School of Education, University of Michigan
SUSAN PIMENTEL, Student Achievement Partners
HELEN QUINN, Emerita, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University
MICHAEL FEDER, Study Director
HEIDI SCHWEINGRUBER, Deputy Director, Board on Science Education
REBECCA KRONE, Senior Program Assistant
BOARD ON SCIENCE EDUCATION
HELEN QUINN (Chair), Emerita, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University
GEORGE BOGGS, Emeritus, Palomar College and American Association of Community Colleges
MELANIE COOPER, Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University
RODOLFO DIRZO, Department of Biology, Stanford University
JACQUELYNNE ECCLES, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan
JOSEPH FRANCISCO, Department of Chemistry, Purdue University
MARGARET HONEY, New York Hall of Science, Queens, New York
SUSAN W. KIEFFER, Department of Geology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MATTHEW KREHBIEL, Kansas State Department of Education
MICHAEL LACH, Urban Education Institute, University of Chicago
LYNN LIBEN, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University
BRIAN REISER, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University
MARSHALL “MIKE” SMITH, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
ROBERTA TANNER, Retired Physics Teacher, Thompson School District, Loveland, Colorado
SUZANNE WILSON, Department of Teacher Education and Center for the Scholarship of Teaching, Michigan State University
YU XIE, Department of Sociology, University of Michigan
MARTIN STORKSDIECK, Director (through June 2014)
HEIDI A. SCHWEINGRUBER, Deputy Director
MICHAEL A. FEDER, Senior Program Officer
MARGARET HILTON, Senior Program Officer
NATALIE NIELSEN, Senior Program Officer (through February 2014)
REBECCA KRONE, Program Associate (through May 2014)
KELLY ARRINGTON, Senior Program Assistant
JOANNA ROBERTS, Program Assistant
Preface
This summary was prepared by independent rapporteurs. The workshop was designed to explore the intersection between the “Literacy in Science” portions of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and the practices in the Next Generation Science Standards. The views contained in the report are those of individual workshop participants and do not necessarily represent the views of all workshop participants, the planning committee, or the National Research Council (NRC). The planning committee was responsible only for the quality of the agenda and the selection of participants. Neither the workshop nor this summary is intended as a comprehensive review of what is known about the topic. The presentations and discussions were limited by the time available for the workshop.
This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.
We thank the following individuals for their review of this report: George I. Matsumoto, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; P. David Pearson, Language and Literacy and Cognition and Development, Graduate School of
Education, University of California, Berkeley; and Sam Shaw, Division of Learning and Instruction, South Dakota Department of Education.
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the report nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Carlo Parravano, executive director (retired), Merck Institute for Science Education. Appointed by the NRC, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authors and the institution.
CONTENTS
2 Literacy for Science in English Language Arts and Science Standards
3 The Language of Science Text and Talk
4 Weaving Science and Literacy Together across the Grades: Exemplars
5 Preparing Teachers to Effectively Interweave Science and Literacy Instruction
6 Supporting Literacy for Science on Various Scales
B Registered Workshop Participants
C Biographical Summaries of Steering Committee Members and Workshop Speakers
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