Reading a Scientific Article
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"You walked me through every step in this class and English is now one of my favorite subjects. I never had confidence in me and my writing and you helped me with that too."
- Sadia a former student |
Reading comprehension is necessary for all subjects. This lesson demonstrates the importance of connecting learning to multiple disciplines (English/reading comprehension, social studies, math/statistics, and science).
This lesson demonstrates the many steps to reach comprehension. Students first read facts on body image statistics and an (easier to read) article on body image issues among teens to build prior knowledge. Students then read a document on "How to Read a Scientific Article." They then researched difficult vocabulary words that they would come across in this scientific article. They then read the scientific article, annotating for specific elements of a scientific article as they read. This lesson is a part of the cross-curricular unit with the essential question, "What causes some individuals to prevail while others fail when facing challenges?". In English, we read multiple articles, the memoir Stick Figure, and Lord of the Flies, among other texts, to help students develop responses to this question. (This article related to the project as well as introduced a health condition that Stick Figure covers). The work we did in ELA supported the project they developed in their Anatomy and Physiology class (a PSA on a health condition of their choosing). Their social studies and math classes did other work to support the final project as well. My unit plan can be found here. (This lesson was completed during a block schedule class, an hour and a half.) You will find the lesson plan and relevant worksheets for this lesson below. (Prior to this lesson, students: - Read Body Image statistics - Reflected on Body Image Statistics - Read "How to Read a Scientific Article" article by Mary Purugganan, Ph.D. and Jan Hewitt, Ph.D.) Reading a Scientific Article Lesson Plan
Article Vocabulary Worksheet
Identifying Article Elements Directions
"Prospective Predictors of Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescent Girls and Boys: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study"
This lesson prepared students to read and annotate the following scientific article. Scientific articles aren't easy reading, so we worked to build up tools in their toolbox so it would be easier for them, especially since most of them wanted to go in the medical/science field. "Prospective Predictors of Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescent Girls and Boys: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study" |