Why is writing important? It improves our thinking by helping us focus and organize our thoughts, which allows us to communicate more effectively and demonstrate a deeper understanding of content. Often, it's easy to see the benefit of writing in language arts and social studies, but writing also supports understanding in science and math classrooms. In science, writing is used to document and communicate ideas, activities, and findings. In math, reading and writing activities can help students analyze, interpret, and communicate mathematical ideas. Keep in mind, however, that for writing to spark learning in math and science, students need high-quality writing tasks.
Content Areas Call for Emphasis on Writing
Key shifts in academic standards incorporate writing and thinking. In the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, one of the recommended process standards, communication, specifically focuses on the need for both oral and written communication. The College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards also emphasize higher order thinking and ways that writing can enhance the guiding principles of a high-quality social studies education.
Excerpt of C3 Guiding Principles (NCSS, 2013)
Social studies prepares the nation's young people for college, careers, and civic life.
Inquiry is at the heart of social studies.
Social studies is composed of deep and enduring understandings, concepts, and skills from the disciplines.
Social studies education should have direct and explicit connections to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
Similarly, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) reflect the importance of thinking and writing.
NGSS Standards Related to Thinking and Writing (NRC, 2013)
The NGSS focus on deeper understanding of content as well as application of content.
The NGSS are designed to prepare students for college, career, and citizenship.
The NGSS and Common Core State Standards (English Language Arts and Mathematics) are aligned.
Motivating Students to Write
When it comes to writing, there are three key strategies teachers can use to motivate students. First, create writing assignments that are authentic, connecting students with the real world and their peers. Second, be sure the activities are engaging so that students can become active learners. Finally, use tasks that shift the ownership for learning to students so that they will be invested in the assignment. Each of these strategies will help students see value in writing and will increase student motivation. Let's look at three motivating and engaging strategies that encourage understanding through writing in math and social studies classes.
Reflective Journals
You can use journals or blogs for students to write specific information about their subject area. For example, in math, students might focus on explanations.
Example: Sample Math Journal Prompts
- Explain a formula.
- Write about a time when you were really confused in math class. What did you do? Whom did you get help from? How did you explain what was confusing you?
- Write about a time when you helped explain something to a classmate. What was your classmate having difficulty with? How did you help your classmate?
- Write everything you know about (choose a math topic).
- Write as many examples of a ratio that you can think of in five minutes.
In science classes, students could keep a field book as they work through the scientific process.
Example: Sample Questions for a Science Field Book
- What did you observe?
- What did it sound like, look like, or feel like?
- What do you think might occur next, or what is your hypothesis?
- What variables (or things) might affect the results?
- What will you do next?
Two Voices Poems
Poetry allows students to creatively demonstrate their understanding of key concepts, events, or people. "Two voices poems" are a way for students to unpack the differences and similarities between two people or topics. To begin writing a two voices poem, students first write a list of facts they know about two different topics or people. Next, students create two voices by turning those facts into sample comments related to each topic, or that each person might say. Finally, students integrate those comments into a poem that features a back-and-forth conversation between the two voices. Before you decide this is only a language arts activity, look at these examples.
Social Studies Example of a Two Voices Poem
Using Writing to Spark Learning in Math, Science, and Social Studies-table
Martin Luther King Jr. | Rosa Parks |
|---|---|
| "I wanted to change the rules. I went to jail. My ""I Have a Dream"" speech wasn't the first one I gave at the Lincoln Memorial. A decade before I died, someone tried to assassinate me. Today, people find inspiration from me." | "I didn't like the rules either. So did I. Even though people think I was the first, I actually followed Claudette Colvin. I met the bus driver before, and if I had realized he was the driver, I wouldn't have gotten on the bus. Me, too!" |
Math Example of a Two Voices Poem
Using Writing to Spark Learning in Math, Science, and Social Studies-table2
Square | Rhombus |
|---|---|
| "My sides are equal. I only have right angles. My opposite sides are parallel. You can call me a square, a rectangle, or a rhombus." | "So are mine. Two of mine are acute, and two are obtuse. Mine, too! My only name is rhombus." |
Writing Activities with Real and Social Connections
Connecting learning to real life is also important, and writing is a strong vehicle for doing so. In social studies and science, students might act as citizen journalists, rewriting significant historical events as "Breaking News" and recounting the moments that led to new inventions or discoveries, scientific breakthroughs, or historical events. Social media can be an engaging medium for depicting these interpretations of history. Students could create a "story" for Instagram that includes a series of events in history from one person's perspective or create a streak for SnapChat (a series of pictures each day with a caption) from the point of view of an historical or political figure, news anchor, or scientist. Then, each student could pair up with a classmate who replies to the streak from a different perspective. These strategies could be applied with live technology or through offline templates created to replicate social media interfaces.
In math and science, explaining how a problem was solved or how the results of a science experiment compare to the hypothesis are natural ways for students to write. If you'd like a creative option, ask students to imagine they are interviewing an expert for a website or TV show. To get the information they want to present, they must create a list of questions they would ask the "mathematician" who solved the problem or the "scientist" who completed the experiment and then write the appropriate responses based on what occurred.
Writing is an important method for increasing the thinking skills of our students. By using motivating, engaging activities that shift the ownership to students, teachers in all subject areas can use writing to enhance thinking and learning.
