Our approach to science is much more complex than memorizing sets of facts and examples. Research has shown that students come to classrooms with many naïve ideas about the natural world that often interfere with them learning science concepts.  As we align the Performance Based Assessment Tool Rubric to our instructional outcomes, we fuse literacy into our science instruction in an effort to explore explanations harbored prior to instruction, so that we can have students to use critical thinking and challenge established hypotheses and theories. Our conceptual framework, gives students the opportunity to process their ideas – before, during and after new learning takes place. This is done orally, meta-cognitively or in writing. This document will describe for teachers a number of writing strategies that students can use to surface their currently-held ideas, and then process them in relation to new science related experiences and information. In addition, it is important for all scientists to be able to write clearly and effectively.
Our teachers work in collaboration with the school wide instructional focus to implement steps from the writing process to help students use writing strategies effectively in science:

• Explain the strategy and its purpose and describe the real-world application of the strategy or skill.
• Model how to do a sample of the expected writing, while modeling, talk aloud about the thinking that goes on while preparing to write and during writing.
• Have students practice the strategy. This might be done in small groups with the teacher or with partners.
• Provide feedback on the work, encourage students to use the feedback in their next efforts.
• Encourage students to become more independent in their practice as they build their skills

Not only do they have to keep clean and complete records of their ideas and work, but they also have to communicate their findings.