It’s time to celebrate science and technology with your students!

We’re so lucky to have programs like National Science Week (15 – 23 August). It’s a great platform to encourage innovation – and to hone your students’ informative writing skills!

The theme for the 2020 National Science Week is Deep Blue: innovations for the future of our oceans. You’ll be swimming in the classroom possibilities.

Writing about science still needs to include creativity and engagement. Without these elements, informative writing becomes a long list of dry facts. This isn’t fun for any reader, for students or for teachers.

But with these helpful tips, exploring the conservation of our seas will be smooth sailing.

Student activities

You can use these in the classroom or remotely.

Narrative improves informative.

A well-written informative piece includes each of the Seven Steps and engages the reader from start to finish. To celebrate National Science Week, we’re featuring a free Seven Steps Writing Prompt with an environmental theme:

Teacher Hub members

Get access to many more activities to go with this Writing Prompt, including a video link, thinking questions and a brainstorming template.

Find it here.

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View even more Seven Steps Picture Writing Prompts: Narrative | Persuasive | Informative

Here’s how you can use this writing prompt:

  • Focus on the specific skill of Step 4: Dynamic Dialogue. (Members, refresh the theory here).
  • Ask your students to research in groups why storms form and how they change the ocean’s temperature, turbidity – and sometimes erode the shoreline.
  • Students can also think about who they’d write the Dynamic Dialogue between: residents, environmentalists, meteorologists etc.
  • Using their research, ask students to follow the prompt of writing Dynamic Dialogue about the topic!
  • For longer writing projects, for example with research from multiple sources, use this dialogue prompt as a practise run for students to show them how a quotation from an eyewitness or an expert changes the pace and voice of a text (but can still convey factual information). Challenge them to try again, this time including facts in their dialogue/quotation.
[Related blog]: Informative writing – have fun with facts!

Story Graphs

You can explore environmental topics through a range of resources, including story books! It’s a great way to open the conversation and encourage empathetic informative writing.

Member of Teacher Hub? View the Informative Writing Course here.

Not a Teacher Hub member? Unlock your free trial today!

To help students plan their writing, Teacher Hub members can follow Story Graphs such as There’s a Sea in my Bedroom, which you can find here.

As members, you can find loads more Story Graphs on Books About the Environment and Sustainability.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to continue connecting with the world, to encourage your students’ sense of belonging and forward thinking.

Happy science celebrations!