Put A Scientific Spin on Teen Read Week!

As students journey through school, the compartmentalization of subjects causes them to assume that knowledge is only gained within discrete disciplines. While teaching Environmental Science, I had many teens argue with me that what they were doing in the class was not really science. To decrease the confusion, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of that subject became a part of my normal beginning of the year information. In reality, we know as adults that all subjects are integrated in life-long learning. As teachers, we can be just as guilty of expecting our subject matter to stand alone, untouched by other disciplines. Try taking Teen Read Week as an opportunity to integrate literature into your science curriculum. Not only will you encourage reading, you will show teens first-hand how subjects can complement and enhance each other.

 

Create Science Book Clubs

There are many different ways to start a literature study in your science classroom. You could assign a scientific non-fiction or fiction book for everyone, or give learners a choice of books. If you have a small class, you may want to assign one carefully chosen title to read and discuss as a class. If you have a larger class, consider offering 5 or 6 books. Each book can be chosen by only a few students who then become members of a small group book club. Provide the class with enthusiastic and exciting information about the books before they make their choices. You can set certain reading times along with extra time to read once classwork is finished. Book clubs are given reading goals and periodic times for discussion of the books. Have the groups write a summary of their conversations and turn them into you. Reluctant readers may respond to periodic incentives for keeping up with their reading. Once the groups have finished reading and discussing their books, they can create a group project to share their understanding and appreciation of the book with the class.

If all this is too much for you at first, start off small by adding some carefully chosen excerpts to your regular curriculum. While incorporating literature into you science classroom may involve extra effort, it will reward you with teens that have a deeper appreciation of both science and the written word.

Explore These Books and Lessons 

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

• Here is one of my all-time favorite books. I first read this one in college and I still have the same copy, all dog-eared and worn. I love that the chapters are interrelated, but also independent. It’s the bible of conservation biology, as far as I’m concerned.

The Diversity of Life by Edward O. Wilson

• This book chronicles Earth’s biodiversity and the threats that humans pose. You could pair this up with Why Evolution is True by Jerry Coyne, and get a much deeper understanding of evolution.

Not Exactly Rocket Science by Ed Yong

• A compilation of contemporary scientific discoveries that is well-written and easy to understand. Ed Yong also writes a blog by the same name as the book at Discover Magazine.

Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

• A humorous and informative look at the history of the universe, including that of living things. Try some of Bill Bryson’s other books as well if you like this one.

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks

• A great way to make chemistry come alive to students. The book chronicles the development of scientific curiosity during the childhood of this famous neurologist.

Reading Response Book Groups

• If you need help and inspiration in setting up your science book clubs, this lesson contains a framework for creating book discussion groups in your classroom.

Buoyancy: Integrating Science and Literature

• This lesson plan integrates the study of buoyancy and the scientific method into the story of James and the Giant Peach.

A Research Project and Article For the Natural Inquirer

• Using a magazine as a guide, learners conduct scientific research and create an article to explain their findings.