Writing Project's Science-Literacy Curriculum Honored

By: Gavin Tachibana
Publication: The Voice, Vol. 11, No. 2
Date: 2006

Summary: Members of the Bay Area Writing Project (BAWP) have been awarded the NASA Honor Group Achievement Award for their part in composing Reading, Writing, & Rings, a series of lessons for K–4 students based on the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn that weaves together language arts lessons and NASA science content.

The Bay Area Writing Project (BAWP) has rung up a prestigious award from NASA for helping to design a curriculum that merges language arts lessons with the science and technology behind an ongoing discovery mission to Saturn.

At a ceremony on June 7 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, a group of teachers from BAWP were presented with the NASA Honor Group Achievement Award for their part in composing Reading, Writing & Rings, a series of lessons aimed at K–4 students.

It is as effective as a literacy unit as it is a science unit.

"It was extremely validating to have the curriculum and our team receive public recognition from noneducators," said teacher-consultant Linda Block, one of two chief writers for the grades 3–4 section. "It's even more gratifying to know that the work helped change the way that NASA sees teaching and learning."

The program was lauded for its effectiveness in weaving together basic literacy and NASA-driven science content. The curriculum featured clearly written lesson plans and a convenient way of teaching science while meeting language arts requirements.

"It is as effective as a literacy unit as it is a science unit," said Alice Wessen, manager of solar system outreach at JPL. "The educator is not required to compromise or sacrifice one for the other. Students who experience Reading, Writing & Rings are better readers and writers and are more science savvy than their peers."

Reading, Writing & Rings was a joint project of a BAWP team of educators working with scientists from the University of California, Berkeley; the California Institute of Technology; and JPL. The UC Berkeley team included BAWP teacher-consultants Block, Alexa Stuart, and Sally Feldman, BAWP Director Carol Tateishi, and Ruth Paglierani, Director of Project FIRST, UC Berkeley Space Sciences Lab.

"This project felt unique because NASA encouraged teachers to serve as translators to bridge the worlds of space exploration and the classroom," said Stuart, co-writer for the grades 3–4 section. "While visiting NASA, we could picture the faces of students, and think about how to make these stories and concepts come alive and make sense to these children."

Reading, Writing & Rings features two sets of lesson plans, for grades 1–2 and grades 3–4. Students are taken on a journey around Saturn and its rings using reading and writing prompts. The program incorporates the real-life Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and its planet-sized moon Titan.

In one lesson, students are required to think like engineers and communicate their solutions as they are presented with problems that the NASA team faced when designing the spacecraft. In another, students devise and test a parachuting probe that must fall from a high point, land safely, and be able to float in liquid.

"The students feel a part of space exploration after such an experience," said Stuart. "They are part of the team, and when students feel like their contributions matter, the quality of their thinking increases significantly."

The benefits of the program do not end with science and math education. The program has also been successful with English language learners because the language of space science and technology is new to all children.

"The playing field is leveled, so to speak, meaning that ELL students may find the new vocabulary easier to acquire than native English speakers since they do this as a part of everyday life," said Art Hammon, JPL education specialist.

Back at the ceremony, the Reading, Writing & Rings team received one of the longest rounds of applause of any group. According to Wessen, this is the first time an outside partner has been honored by NASA with this award for an education product.

"This is truly a win-win collaboration of language arts and science," she said.

The lesson plans are available for download at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/edu-k4.cfm.