Writing Assignment Description

Conducting experimental work and writing lab reports are the foundation of every science class because they cultivate a student’s ability to think like a scientist, which is fundamental in understanding the processes and concepts that underlie all science disciplines. This writing represents experimental work following the Experimental Design Rubric (EDR) used as the standard for student lab reports. The big goal is for clear communication of purpose, hypothesis, design, analysis, and conclusion with emphasis on detailed writing and critical thinking skills.

Information literacy work encourages students to be critical readers and thoughtful researchers. Beginning in 9th grade, teachers encourage students to research and validate claims, theories, hypotheses, and conclusions stated in a range of different texts. Students are trained to summarize the author’s claim and identify the best supporting statements that an author uses to support or defend his/her claim. At the end of 9th grade, students are introduced to a CARS check for reliability with the goal of expanding close reading and critical thinking skills. As evidenced in these models, students are given an article on a scientific topic to read, summarize, and analyze. Students, then, conduct research to find an additional article to back up the ideas presented in the original article and align the two articles to demonstrate validity.