Science Activities, 48:85–90, 2011
c Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Copyright ISSN: 0036-8121 print / 1940-1302 online
DOI: 10.1080/00368121.2010.532837
Linking Science and Literacy
Donna M. Plummer
Centre College, Danville, KY
Betty Jo Davis
Toliver Elementary School,
Danville, KY
Victoria Brazier
Centre College, Danville, KY
ABSTRACT We successfully integrated science and language arts in a thirdgrade classroom. The students used “scientist’s eyes” and “poet’s eyes” to write
original poetry. In addition, they created habitat posters about a swamp organism. Scoring guides for the habitat poems and posters are also included.
KEYWORDS
literacy links, multidisciplinary, poetry, research, swamp organisms
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The Importance of Integrating Science
and Language Arts
Students’ experiences help them construct meaning from the facts, concepts,
and ideas shared in children’s literature. Narrative text can enhance students’
construction of scientific concepts. “Science is also an ever-changing narrative as
more facts and information emerge as a result of inquiry. Science as a narrative
enables the children to explain and interpret their experiences and clarify their
own ideas within an authentic and familiar language form” (Scott 1993, 43).
In addition, writing enhances the learning of science concepts. “Whether
supporting content learning, guiding teacher instruction, or furthering the
development of students’ literacy or science process skills—–or all of the
above—–nonfiction writing opportunities are an essential aspect of science
learning from which teachers and students benefit in many ways” (Akerson
and Young 2005, 41).
Poetry and Science
Address correspondence to Donna M.
Plummer, Department of Education,
Centre College, 600 W. Walnut Street,
Danville, KY 40422, USA. E-mail:
[email protected]
Robin Freedman (1999, 112) suggests, “Poems become conceptual pictures
of different scientific concepts.” Within Lucy Calkins’s lessons, she utilizes the
strategy of “looking through a poet’s eyes” to help students understand that
poetry is more figurative language. For example, instead of saying, “The ceiling
is at the top of our classroom,” Calkins would teach students to say, “The ceiling
is the sky of our classroom” (Calkins and Parsons 2003). When teaching this
lesson we referred back to previous poetry lessons from earlier in the school year.
We as a third-grade class differentiated between a “scientist’s eyes” and a “poet’s
eyes” when describing a habitat. By doing this, students were able to describe
and illustrate a habitat using a scientist’s eyes or a literal description of the
habitat and organism. In the following lesson, the book Toad by the Road (Ryder
2007) helped illustrate how we can also look at a habitat through a poet’s eyes.
Students then created original poems describing the selected habitat from the
previous lesson. Using the two strategies, students were able to more effectively
85
internalize the scientific information by using two different ways of thinking about the same science content
information.
MATERIALS
• Deep in the Swamp (Bateman 2003)
• Toad by the Road: A Year in the Life of These Amazing
Amphibians (Ryder 2007)
• Additional grade-level appropriate books on aquatic
habitats and organisms
• Paper (both unlined 9 × 12 manila and lined writing),
1 to 2 pieces per student
• Writing tools
• Drawing and coloring tools (crayons, colored pencils,
markers)
PROCEDURE
Implementation of the Lessons
Lesson 1
1. Expose students to the characteristics of a swamp
habitat. Dona Bateman’s book Deep in the Swamp,
set in the Okefenokee Swamp, reveals animals of
the southern U.S. swamplands that swim, jump, fly,
climb, scuttle, and snooze through striking illustrations and poetic rhyme (see Figure 1). In addition,
explanations of “neverwet” plants, rat snakes, and
other swamp life provide facts about the lives of
those swamp creatures. Although students may not
have prior experience with some of the represented
FIGURE 1 Students enjoy a reading of Deep in the Swamp
(color figure available online).
86
FIGURE 2 Students create habitat posters using text resources
(color figure available online).
organisms, their experiences do permit them to relate
to such organisms as alligators, frogs, and snakes. For
example, the page on the flame bird (or prothonotary warblers) includes the poetic lines,
Deep in the swamp, in a hollow cypress knee,
Lived a mother flame bird and her little chicks Three.
(Bateman 2003, 6)
2. The teacher asks questions such as, “What do all
animals need to survive?” Student responses show
their understanding of the idea that animals need
air, water, and food to survive in an environment in
which their needs can be met.
3. Students make precise choices for their habitats
and discuss the choices made with peers (see
Figure 2).
4. Students apply their knowledge of an organism’s
needs by creating a habitat for a specific organism
from the swamp habitat. An interesting and frequent
student misconception during this lesson was that
crocodiles are common in American swamps. Although the American crocodile is found in southern Florida, in general, alligators are found in U.S.
swamps.
5. Next, students use individually appropriate books
(see Appendix for a list of suggestions) on aquatic
habitats and organisms to research information
about habitats and their organisms.
6. Student habitats include other species that could
survive in this habitat as well.
7. Finally, they draw their habitats in a poster format
on a 9 × 12 sheet of manila paper (see Figure 3).
D. M. Plummer et al.
FIGURE 3 One student created a flame bird habitat including habitat and natural history facts (color figure available online).
Lesson 2
1. This class begins with the teacher’s question, “What
do you need to survive in your habitat?”
2. Children write their responses on a small sticky
note.
3. Following their individual responses, the class
as a whole discusses the idea of a home
or shelter, water, and food as necessities for
organisms.
4. The teacher’s question, “Could a polar bear survive
in our habitat here in Kentucky?” promotes a discussion of how the needs of animals must be met
for them to survive.
5. Due to the small size of the class, students discuss the idea of habitat and specific organisms as
a whole class. In a larger class, small groups could
first discuss habitats and specific organisms prior
to a whole class discussion.
6. The book Toad by the Road: A Year in the Life of These
Amazing Amphibians gives examples of how students can look through a poet’s eyes at science content. These seasonal poems delighted our young
readers.
7. Looking at the language and the layout of the poems in the book provides expectations for the poems created by students. For example, the poem
“Tadpole’s Surprises” shares the wonder of a tadpole gaining legs in the lines,
Linking Science and Literacy
I’m sleek and shiny,
Smooth and black.
Hey, legs are popping
Out in back.
(Ryder 2007, 12)
FIGURE 4 A student’s flame bird poem
87
DISCUSSION AND FINDINGS
FIGURE 5 A student’s turtle poem
8. Additional poems share the breeding chorus, tadpoles, and behaviors and traits as well as habitat
information. The poems “Toad in the Garden,”
“Toad by the Road,” and “Old Toad’s Warning”
are read and discussed with the children.
9. Instruct students to write an original poem through
a poet’s eyes about the same swamp organism selected in the prior lesson.
10. Children describe the habitat in a poem, including
how needs are met (see Figures 4 and 5).
11. Students also create illustrations (see Figures 4 and
5) to demonstrate a visual reinforcement for the
text of their poetry.
Students were highly engaged during this series of
lessons. They listened attentively to Deep in the Swamp as
they learned about unfamiliar as well as familiar swamp
organisms. The poetry examples from Toad by the Road
provided appealing models for their original poems. In
Figure 3 a student’s flame bird habitat poster demonstrates knowledge of the habitat and natural history of
the bird. Students’ posters displayed knowledge of facts
as well as more creative talents. The illustrated poems
included in Figures 4 and 5 also provide evidence of
students’ knowledge and understanding of organisms
and their needs.
ASSESSMENT AND EXTENSIONS
Scoring guides (see Tables 1 and 2) were created using
Rubistar to evaluate students’ posters and poetry. An
accommodation and extension are also provided below.
Assessment
Scoring guides created with RubiStar (http://
rubistar.4teachers.org).
TABLE 1 Habitat Poster Scoring Guide
Category
Graphics–
Relevance
Grammar
Content—–
Accuracy
Attractiveness
Knowledge
gained
88
4
3
All graphics are related
All graphics are related
to the topic and make
to the topic and most
it easier to understand.
make it easier to
understand.
There are no
There is 1 grammatical
grammatical mistakes
mistake on the poster.
on the poster.
At least 4 accurate facts 2–3 accurate facts are
are displayed on the
displayed on the
poster.
poster.
The poster is
The poster is attractive in
exceptionally
terms of design,
attractive in terms of
layout, and neatness.
design, layout, and
neatness.
Student can accurately
Student can accurately
answer all questions
answer most questions
related to facts in the
related to facts in the
poster and processes
poster and processes
used to create the
used to create the
poster.
poster.
2
1
All graphics relate to the Graphics do not relate
topic.
to the topic.
There are 2 grammatical There are more than 2
mistakes on the poster.
grammatical mistakes
on the poster.
1–2 accurate facts are
Less than 1 accurate
displayed on the
fact is displayed on
poster.
the poster.
The poster is acceptably The poster is
attractive though it
distractingly messy or
may be a bit messy.
very poorly designed.
It is not attractive.
Student can accurately
Student appears to
answer about 75% of
have insufficient
questions related to
knowledge about the
facts in the poster and
facts or processes
processes used to
used in the poster.
create the poster.
D. M. Plummer et al.
TABLE 2 Habitat Poem Scoring Guide
Category
4
3
Creativity
2
The poem contains many The poem contains a few
creative details and/or
creative details and/or
descriptions that
descriptions that
contribute to the
contribute to the
reader’s enjoyment.
reader’s enjoyment. The
The author
author demonstrates
demonstrates
imagination.
imagination.
Focus on
The entire poem is
Most of the poem is
assigned topic
related to habitats
related to habitats. The
topic and allows the
poem wanders off at
reader to learn from
one point, but the
the poem about the
reader can still learn
topic.
from the poem about
the topic.
Accuracy of facts All facts presented in the Almost all facts presented
poem are accurate.
in the poem are
accurate.
Illustrations
Original illustrations are Original illustrations are
detailed, attractive,
somewhat detailed,
creative, and relate to
attractive, and relate to
the text on the page.
the text on the page.
Accommodation
As an alternative to the written tasks, students might
communicate habitat information with a partner by
creating a bridge. First, the two students stand and face
each other with palms out and touching to create a
bridge (like in the game London Bridge). Using eye
contact, students describe to a partner how the needs
of living beings are met in the swamp habitat.
Extension
An extension activity involves students in an application of the concepts learned.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Choose an animal living in the pond or swamp.
Imagine that you are a zookeeper.
You need to capture the animal for your zoo.
Illustrate and/or describe what you need to create a
habitat that will allow this species to survive.
5. Explain why you made those choices.
CONCLUSION
This science and literacy experience provides an effective method for motivating students while they learn
more about organisms that live in swamps. ThroughLinking Science and Literacy
1
The poem contains a few There is little evidence
creative details and/or
of creativity in the
descriptions, but they
poem. The author
distract from the story.
does not
The author has
demonstrate
attempted to
imagination.
demonstrate
imagination.
Some of the poem is
No attempt has been
related to habitats,
made to relate the
but a reader does not
poem to habitats.
learn much about the
topic.
Most facts presented in
Several factual errors
the poem are accurate.
are included in the
poem.
Illustrations are not
Original illustrations
present, or they are
relate to the text on
the page.
not original.
out the lesson sequence, the children were highly engaged, frequently sharing with their table mates what
they learned. Students eagerly created and shared their
original poetry and habitat posters. As teachers struggle
with the increasing external demands on the school curriculum, the integration of language arts with science
can enhance both subject areas. This series of lessons
linking science and literacy successfully engaged children in a rich learning experience.
TEACHER RESOURCES
http://rubistar.4teachers.org
List of potential habitat books for student research (see
Appendix)
CONNECTING TO THE STANDARDS
This article relates to the following National Science
Education Standards (National Research Council 1996):
Content Standards K-4
Standard C Life Science: Organisms and environments
Standard F Science in Personal and Social Perspectives:
Types of resources
Changes in environments
89
REFERENCES
Akerson, V. L., and T. A. Young. 2005. Science the “write” way. Science
and Children. 43(3): 38–41.
Bateman, D. M. 2003. Deep in the swamp. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Press.
Calkins, L., and S. Parsons. 2003. Poetry: Powerful thoughts in tiny packages. Portsmouth, NH: FirstHand.
Freedman, R. L. H. 1999. Science and writing connections. White Plains,
NY: Dale Seymour Publications.
National Research Council. 1996. National science education standards.
Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Ryder, J. 2007. Toad by the road: A year in the life of these amazing
amphibians. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Scott J., ed. 1993. Science and language links: Classroom implications.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
APPENDIX: LIST OF POTENTIAL
HABITAT BOOKS FOR STUDENT
RESEARCH
Arnosky, J. 2002. Watching water birds. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.
——–—––. 2007. Babies in the bayou. New York: G. P. Putnam’s
Sons.
Bishop, N. 2008. Nic Bishop frogs. New York: Scholastic.
90
Bredeson, C. 2007. Fun facts about frogs! Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow
Publishers.
Chrustowski, R. 2006. Turtle crossing. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Cone, M. 1996. Squishy, misty, damp and muddy: The in-between world
of wetlands. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books for Children.
Florian, D. 1998. Insectlopedia. San Diego: Voyager Books.
Fredericks, A. D. 2005. Near one cattail: Turtles, logs and leaping frogs.
Illus. by J. DiRubbio. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications.
Freeman, M. 1998. Wetlands. New York: Newbridge Educational Publishing.
Johnson, R. L. 2004. Journey into a wetland. Biomes of North America
Series. Illus. by P. V. Saroff. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publishing
Group.
Kalman, B. 2006a. Qué son los anfibios? Illus. by J. Langille. La ciencia de
los seres vivos series. New York: Crabtree Publishing.
——–—––. 2006b. Qué son los reptiles? La ciencia de los seres vivos series.
New York: Crabtree Publishing.
Loewen, N. 2005. Dancing dragons: Dragonflies in your backyard. Illus. by
R. Peterson. Backyard Bugs Series. Mankato, MN: Picture Window
Books.
Marx, T. 2004. Everglades forever: Restoring America’s great wetland.
Photo C. Karp. New York: Lee and Low Books.
Rau, D. M. 2007. La rana en el estanque. Tarrytown, NY: Benchmark
Books.
Weaver, J. 2007. Wetlands journey. Science Chapters Series. Washington,
DC: National Geographic Society.
Yolen, J. 2001. Welcome to the river of grass. Illus. by L. Regan. New
York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
D. M. Plummer et al.
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