Science Writing Resources for Learning

Science news is seen and heard more widely than ever, in the papers, on blogs, on TV, and on social media. But how do you know whether you're reading something accurate? This important question is posed in a fantastic new guest blog post by freelance science journalist, Nicola Jones, who stresses the need for us to teach -- and for our students to learn -- the importance of checking facts before accepting what you read and listen to as being reliable and accurate. Check out ...this great post here: http://scwrl.ubc.ca/2016/06/14/are-you-an-expert-in-that/

Following on from the theme of last week's post, our latest blog entry features audio from the coordinator of the Writing Across the Curriculum program and the First-Year English program at UBC as they discuss why integrating writing assignments into science classes needn't be a headache. Our experts also provide their top tips for integrating such assignments, and touch on the types of assignments that typically work really well in science settings. To read the blog post, an...d to listen to the discussion, see: http://scwrl.ubc.ca//audio-why-adding-writing-to-assignme/ And to subscribe to our podcast channel, which currently houses five science writing-related discussions, see: https://soundcloud.com/scwrl Keep your eyes and ears open in the coming weeks, as we have more podcasts are on the horizon this summer!

There are many different types of writing assignments that you may design and integrate into your science class, but how do you know which one would best suit the needs of your students, and align with your teaching objectives? We have just added a new resource that outlines the strengths and challenges associated with long, short, non-specialist audience and short-answer writing assignments that require students to respond to individual questions. We hope this guide will he...lp you decide what sort of questions you would like to pose to your students! Check it out here: http://scwrl.ubc.ca//strate/choosing-a-writing-assignment/ And, once you have had a good read, head on over to our lesson plans, activities and assignments section and see if there is something that there you could integrate straight away: http://scwrl.ubc.ca//lesson-plans-activities-and-workshops/

Teaching science writing in large classes can sometimes be tricky due to the grading pressure on instructors and teaching assistants -- especially when assignments require students to write long essays or lab reports. But UBC instructor Robin Young has come up with a fantastic solution. In addition, her students see the relevance of the skills she is asking them to focus on, and their engagement with the science literature is also enhanced... Read more here:... http://scwrl.ubc.ca//a-big-classroom-is-no-barrier-to-tea/

Check out our latest blog post, which stresses the importance of encouraging your students to seek help with their writing. Everyone can improve at least a few aspects of their writing and top-class help is at hand, so instructors must focus on removing the negative stigma attached to asking for help, and instead encourage their students to seek it. We mention three top tips in the post that should make asking for help come more naturally, and hope that integrating these tip...s into your teaching might help more students to address issues with their writing. Read the post here: http://scwrl.ubc.ca//make-asking-for-help-the-first-step-/

We have just posted a new resource designed to help science educators teach their students how to develop an effective writing process. This resource also integrates six mini assignments that together form a much larger, scaffolded task, which will help students write an argumentative essay to answer a science prompt, one step at a time. Check it out, and download the resource and rubric here: http://scwrl.ubc.ca//lesson-plans-activ/writing-process-3/

Have you ever wondered how to distill complex science so that it is interesting and accessible to a young audience, without oversimplifying things? We have just published a tremendous guest blog post written by Helaine Becker, a best-selling author of over 70 books for children, 15 of which focus on weird and wonderful science topics, and approached from creative, engaging and unique perspectives. Read what Helen's journey as a children's writer has taught her here: http://scwrl.ubc.ca//lighting-the-bulb-inspiring-the-next/

Last week we published a fantastic guest blog post written by Nature press officer, Anthea Lacchia, who outlined 10 top tips for getting into science communication as a career. In case you missed it, have a read here: http://scwrl.ubc.ca//10-top-tips-for-getting-into-science/

Which of the following answers should be inserted into the gap below? Our rainfall monitors confirmed that _________ had fallen in the last 12 months. a) 125cm... b) 125 cm c) 125cms d) 125 cms e) one hundred and twenty five cm f) one hundred and twenty five cms g) one hundred and twenty five centimetres --- Incorporating numbers and units appropriately into your science writing is an important skill for any aspiring scientist to learn. There are hundreds of different unit symbols to learn, as well as a few general style rules that govern the way they should be integrated. And then there are a few more rules that dictate how you should include numbers in your writing... It might sound like there's a huge amount to get your head around, but a little light reading should set you on the path to success. Check out our great resources here, and have a go at the quick quiz afterwards to see if you have mastered the basics: http://scwrl.ubc.ca/student-reso/grammar/numbers-and-units/

We have recently published a fantastic new guest blog post from UBC Professor David Oliver, who has been instrumental in launching JEMI+ - an international, peer-reviewed journal for undergraduate scientists. We are looking forward to checking in with David in the coming months to see how things are going, and to hear what contributing students are saying. We think it is a truly fantastic idea to give undergraduates first-hand experience of the process of doing science befor...e publishing their findings via a rigorous peer-review process. Check out David's full post here: http://scwrl.ubc.ca/guest-blog/

Why should you use the active voice in most circumstances? When might it be preferable to use the passive voice? Check out our stellar resources to learn the answers to these questions and to find out how to improve your writing skills in these areas. To whet your appetite, consider the two sentences below. They sound kinda clunky, right? Soapbox Science was an event organized by female scientists in the UK. It was hoped that showcasing amazing research performed by women wou...ld remove the stigma of science only being conducted by men in white coats. See if you can improve them after reading our guides and watching our Grammar Squirrel video on this topic: http://scwrl.ubc.ca/student-res//active-and-passive-voice/

Internationally recognized media ethicist, journalist, educator, consultant, keynote speaker and award-winning author, Stephen J. A. Ward is our latest guest blogger. Read his amazing post about the need to be disciplined when writing. Stephen explains how writing outlines are pivotal to translating your best thoughts into your best words to share with readers: http://scwrl.ubc.ca/guest-blog/

We have assessed the risk of a serious volcanic eruption affecting people living in the nearest town and believe there is a 1 in 151,091 chance that such an eruption will occur in the next week, a 1 in 106 chance in the next 10 years and is a 1 in 12 chance that it will happen in the next 50 years. Read the following four descriptions of the risk facing town residents, and try ranking these in order from best to worst in terms of how they describe scientific uncertainty. A:... Realistically, there is no chance that the volcano will erupt in the next week. B: It is a bit more likely that the volcano will erupt by 2065 than by 2025. C: It is very unlikely that the volcano will erupt in the next 50 years. D: There is an absolutely tiny chance that the volcano will erupt in the next week. Has this got you thinking more about communicating uncertainty? It's something we all need to do, but there is a real art to it! Check out our comprehensive guide and complete more quiz questions to test your learning here: http://scwrl.ubc.ca//communicat/communicating-uncertainty/