Abstract
Language plays a critical role in enculturating learners into science communities. Written language could be used as a tool in science learning and constructing understandings. This study employed the writing tasks to facilitate students’ understandings and coordinate the evidences and theories. The tasks were designed and sequenced in each science unit followed a content analysis by applying concept mapping strategy. This study explored the characteristics of writing representations for 26 4th graders’ and generated the influencing factors in the writing sessions. The first study found that around 92% of the 4th graders tended to incorporate observable phenomena and manipulating their experiences instead of applying definitions and terms from previous lessons. The authors proposed a model of situated science writing for the study in the second stage, and found that students applied their concrete learning experiences from previous lessons as the anchors inducing their reflection and transforming their understandings. The data indicated that the model is successful in increasing students’ learning on connecting observed phenomena and the specialized terms or definitions.
| Keywords: | science writing; anchoring |
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