ALEX Classroom Resource

  

Finding the Science Behind Science Fiction Through Paired Readings

  Classroom Resource Information  

Title:

 Finding the Science Behind Science Fiction Through Paired Readings

URL:

 http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/finding-science-behind-science-927.html

Content Source:

 ReadWriteThink
Type: Lesson/Unit Plan

Overview:

Science fiction has the potential to spark lively discussions while inviting students to extrapolate from their own working knowledge of scientific principles. This genre offers a human lens to what can otherwise be a complex science concept. In this lesson, students will be able to explore the genre of science fiction while learning more about the science integrated into the plot of the story using nonfiction texts and resources. They first define the science fiction genre and then read and discuss science fiction texts. Next, they conduct research to find scientific facts that support or dispute the science included in the plot of the science fiction book they read. Students then revisit their definition of the genre and revise it based on their reading. Finally, students complete a project that examines the science fiction genre in relation to real-world science concepts and topics.

Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 6
R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R1.
  • Active listening
  • Discussion
  • Conversation
  • Rules
  • Participation
Knowledge:
R1. Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • How to engage in discussions and conversations in a variety of settings.
  • Agreed-upon rules for participation.
Skills:
R1. Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings.
  • Converse in pairs, small groups, and large groups.
  • Practice the agreed-upon rules for participation.
Understanding:
R1. Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow agreed-upon rules which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 6
R3. Use digital and electronic tools appropriately, safely, and ethically when researching and writing, both individually and collaboratively.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R3.
  • Digital tools
  • Electronic tools
  • Appropriately
  • Safely
  • Ethically
  • Research
  • Individually
  • Collaboratively
Knowledge:
R3. Students know:
  • Digital and electronic tools must be used appropriately, safely, and ethically.
  • Digital and electronic tools can be used for research or for writing tasks.
  • Digital and electronic tools can be independently or with others.
Skills:
R3. Students are able to:
  • Engage in safe and ethical behavior when using digital and electronic tools individually and collaboratively.
Understanding:
R3. Students understand that:
  • Safe behaviors, interactions that keep you out of harm's way, are necessary when using digital and electronic tools.
  • Ethical behavior, interactions that align to one's moral code, are necessary when using digital and electronic tools.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 6
1. Identify and explain an author's rhetorical choices, including point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings, to develop central and supporting ideas.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
1.
  • Rhetorical choices
  • Point of view
  • Purpose
  • Anecdotes
  • Figurative word meaning
  • Connotative word meaning
  • Technical word meaning
  • Central idea
  • Supporting idea
Knowledge:
1. Students know:
  • Authors make specific rhetorical choices in their writing to convey meaning.
  • Rhetorical devices include point of view, purpose, personal anecdotes, and word choice.
  • Authors develop the main idea of the text by including supporting details to further elaborate on the text's central meaning.
Skills:
1. Students are able to:
  • Identify an author's rhetorical choices related to point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings.
  • Explain why an author made particular rhetorical choices related to point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings.
  • Explain how an author's rhetorical choices developed the central and supporting ideas of the text.
Understanding:
1. Students understand that:
  • When writing a text, authors make specific decisions about the structure, format, and vocabulary to accurately convey their central idea.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 6
24. Write about research findings independently over short and/or extended periods of time.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
24.
  • Research findings
Knowledge:
24. Students know:
  • Research strategies.
  • Independent writing skills.
Skills:
24. Students are able to:
  • Write about their research findings.
Understanding:
24. Students understand that:
  • They can demonstrate their thorough understanding of a topic by writing about their research findings.
  • Some research projects will be shorter, while others will be longer.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 6
26. Utilize research findings to communicate relevant details, opinions, and ideas about a topic or text in oral presentations.

a. Answer questions in discussions about their research findings.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
26.
  • Relevant details
  • Opinions
  • Oral presentation
26a.
  • Research findings
Knowledge:
26. Students know:
  • Research strategies.
  • Methods to create an oral presentation on a topic or text that includes relevant details, opinions, and ideas.
  • Oral presentation skills.
26a.
  • Strategies to answer questions in a discussion.
Skills:
26. Students are able to:
  • Find research information on a topic or text.
  • Communicate relevant details, opinions, and ideas about a topic or a text in an oral presentation.
26a.
  • Answer questions about their research findings.
Understanding:
26. Students understand that:
  • When orally presenting research findings, they should include relevant details, opinions, and ideas.
26a.
  • After presenting research, they should be prepared to answer questions from the audience.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 6
27. Discover word meanings by analyzing word parts, examining connotation and denotation, or using print or digital reference tools.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
27.
  • Word parts
  • Connotation
  • Denotation
  • Print reference tools
  • Digital reference tools
Knowledge:
27. Students know:
  • The meaning of words can be identified by examining the word's morphological structure or its connotation or denotation.
  • Strategies for using print and digital reference tools.
Skills:
27. Students are able to:
  • Use word parts, connotation, and/or denotation to determine word meanings.
  • Use reference tools to determine word meanings.
Understanding:
27. Students understand that:
  • If they encounter an unfamiliar or unknown word in text, they should use a strategy to discover the word meaning or consult a reference tool to find the word meaning.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 7
R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R1.
  • Active listening
  • Discussion
  • Conversation
  • Rules
  • Participation
Knowledge:
R1. Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • How to engage in discussions and conversations in a variety of settings.
  • Agreed-upon rules for participation.
Skills:
R1. Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings.
  • Converse in pairs, small groups, and large groups.
  • Practice the agreed-upon rules for participation.
Understanding:
R1. Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow agreed-upon rules which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 7
R3. Use digital and electronic tools appropriately, safely, and ethically when researching and writing, both individually and collaboratively.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R3.
  • Digital tools
  • Electronic tools
  • Appropriately
  • Safely
  • Ethically
  • Research
  • Individually
  • Collaboratively
Knowledge:
R3. Students know:
  • Digital and electronic tools must be used appropriately, safely, and ethically.
  • Digital and electronic tools can be used for research or for writing tasks.
  • Digital and electronic tools can be independently or with others.
Skills:
R3. Students are able to:
  • Engage in safe and ethical behavior when using digital and electronic tools individually and collaboratively.
Understanding:
R3. Students understand that:
  • Safe behaviors, interactions that keep you out of harm's way, are necessary when using digital and electronic tools.
  • Ethical behavior, interactions that align to one's moral code, are necessary when using digital and electronic tools.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 7
R4. Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R4.
  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres
Knowledge:
R4. Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.
Skills:
R4. Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.
Understanding:
R4. Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 7
9. Participate in collaborative discussions about prose and poetry by evaluating the use of literary devices and elements.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
9.
  • Collaborative discussions
  • Prose
  • Poetry
  • Literary devices
  • Literary elements
Knowledge:
9. Students know:
  • The purpose of collaborative discussions related to prose and poetry.
  • Collaborative discussions occur when participants actively listen, build on others' ideas, and ask clarifying questions.
  • Generally accepted rules for discussions.
  • Literary text often includes literary devices such as personification, imagery, alliteration, onomatopoeia, symbolism, metaphor, and simile.
  • Literary elements within a story include the theme, plot, and point of view.
  • Poetry is a genre of text that uses distinctive style and rhythm to aid in the expression of feelings, while prose is written in ordinary language.
Skills:
9. Students are able to:
  • Participate in discussions about prose and poetry.
  • Identify and discuss literary devices and elements in poetry and prose.
  • Evaluate how prose and poetry use literary devices and elements for an intended purpose.
Understanding:
9. Students understand that:
  • Comprehension of poetry and prose can be demonstrated by engaging in a collaborative discussion about a text.
  • A reader must evaluate the use of literary elements and devices in prose and poetry to understand the literal and figurative meaning of the text.
  • Active participation in discussions requires students to listen and respond to others' thoughts and ideas.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 7
24. Determine the relevance, reliability, and validity of information from nonfiction and fictional printed and/or digital texts.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
24.
  • Relevance
  • Reliability
  • Validity
  • Nonfiction text
  • Fiction text
  • Digital text
  • Printed text
Knowledge:
24. Students know:
  • Relevant information is connected closely to the topic and purpose of the text.
  • Reliable information is information that appears consistently in a variety of texts.
  • Valid information is considered to be accurate information.
  • Research information can be sourced from nonfiction and fictional printed and/or digital text.
Skills:
24. Students are able to:
  • Read a variety of texts to determine their relevance to a particular occasion.
  • Read a variety of texts to determine the reliability of the presented information.
  • Read a variety of texts and determine the validity of the information.
Understanding:
24. Students understand that:
  • It is important to determine the relevance, reliability, and validity of a text before utilizing its ideas in discussion, writing, or research.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 7
26. Produce research writings over extended periods with time for research, reflection, and revision and within shorter time frames, with minimal guidance.

Examples: a day or two, a single sitting
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
26.
  • Research writing
  • Research
  • Reflection
  • Revision
Knowledge:
26. Students know:
  • Research strategies.
  • Independent writing skills for all steps of the writing process.
Skills:
26. Students are able to:
  • Produce writing that contains information obtained through research.
  • Reflect on and revise their research given the occasion and time constraints.
Understanding:
26. Students understand that:
  • Research can happen in short and extended time frames.
  • It is important to reflect upon information obtained through research before incorporating it into one's own writing.
  • It is important to revise work that contains research to ensure proper use for the given occasion.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 7
28. Incorporate research into oral presentations, summarizing and supporting opinions and ideas with relevant details.

a. Collect information through the research process to answer follow-up questions and participate in discussions about their research findings.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
28.
  • Research
  • Oral presentations
  • Summarizing
  • Supporting
  • Opinions
  • Relevant details
28a.
  • Research process
  • Follow-up questions
  • Research findings
Knowledge:
28. Students know:
  • Strategies to incorporate research into oral presentations.
  • Methods to summarize and support opinions and ideas with relevant details.
28a.
  • Research strategies.
  • Collaborative discussions occur when participants actively listen, build on others' ideas, and ask clarifying questions.
  • Generally accepted rules for discussions.
Skills:
28. Students are able to:
  • Incorporate research findings into oral presentations.
  • Summarize research findings and support opinions and ideas with relevant details from research.
28a.
  • Engage in research with the purpose of answering questions about the information.
  • Participate in discussions about research findings.
Understanding:
28. Students understand that:
  • Effective oral presentations include summaries of research findings, with opinions and ideas supported with relevant details.
28a.
  • Information obtained through research can be used to answer audience questions about the findings.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 8
R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R1.
  • Active listening
  • Discussion
  • Conversation
  • Rules
  • Participation
Knowledge:
R1. Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • How to engage in discussions and conversations in a variety of settings.
  • Agreed-upon rules for participation.
Skills:
R1. Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings.
  • Converse in pairs, small groups, and large groups.
  • Practice the agreed-upon rules for participation.
Understanding:
R1. Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow agreed-upon rules which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 8
R3. Use digital and electronic tools appropriately, safely, and ethically when researching and writing, both individually and collaboratively.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R3.
  • Digital tools
  • Electronic tools
  • Appropriately
  • Safely
  • Ethically
  • Research
  • Individually
  • Collaboratively
Knowledge:
R3. Students know:
  • Digital and electronic tools must be used appropriately, safely, and ethically.
  • Digital and electronic tools can be used for research or for writing tasks.
  • Digital and electronic tools can be independently or with others.
Skills:
R3. Students are able to:
  • Engage in safe and ethical behavior when using digital and electronic tools individually and collaboratively.
Understanding:
R3. Students understand that:
  • Safe behaviors, interactions that keep you out of harm's way, are necessary when using digital and electronic tools.
  • Ethical behavior, interactions that align to one's moral code, are necessary when using digital and electronic tools.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 8
R4. Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R4.
  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres
Knowledge:
R4. Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.
Skills:
R4. Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.
Understanding:
R4. Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 8
10. Engage in coherent and collaborative discussions about prose and poetry by evaluating the use of literary devices and elements.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
10.
  • Coherent discussion
  • Collaborative discussion
  • Prose
  • Poetry
  • Literary devices
  • Literary elements
Knowledge:
10. Students know:
  • The purpose of collaborative discussions related to prose and poetry.
  • Collaborative discussions occur when participants actively listen, build on others' ideas, and ask clarifying questions.
  • Generally accepted rules for discussions.
  • Literary text often includes literary devices such as personification, imagery, alliteration, onomatopoeia, symbolism, metaphor, and simile.
  • Literary elements within a story include the theme, plot, and point of view.
  • Poetry is a genre of text that uses distinctive style and rhythm to aid in the expression of feelings, while prose is written in ordinary language.
Skills:
10. Students are able to:
  • Participate in coherent and collaborative discussions about prose and poetry.
  • Identify and discuss literary devices and elements in poetry and prose.
  • Evaluate how prose and poetry use literary devices and elements for an intended purpose.
Understanding:
10. Students understand that:
  • Comprehension of poetry and prose can be demonstrated by engaging in a collaborative discussion about a text.
  • They can discuss the use of literary elements and devices in prose and poetry to better understand the literal and figurative meaning of the text.
  • Active participation in discussions requires students to listen and respond to others' thoughts and ideas.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 8
23. Determine the relevance, reliability, and validity of information from nonfiction and fictional printed and/or digital texts.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
23.
  • Relevance
  • Reliability
  • Validity
  • Nonfiction text
  • Fiction text
  • Digital text
  • Printed text
Knowledge:
23. Students know:
  • Relevant information is connected closely to the topic and purpose of the text.
  • Reliable information is information that appears consistently in a variety of texts.
  • Valid information is considered to be accurate information.
  • Research information can be sourced from nonfiction and fictional printed and/or digital text.
Skills:
23. Students are able to:
  • Read a variety of texts to determine their relevance to a particular occasion.
  • Read a variety of texts to determine the reliability of the presented information.
  • Read a variety of texts and determine the validity of the information.
Understanding:
23. Students understand that:
  • It is important to determine the relevance, reliability, and validity of a text before utilizing its ideas in discussion, writing, or research.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 8
25. Produce research writings independently over extended periods of time which encompass research, reflection, and revision and over shorter time frames.

Examples: a day or two, a single sitting
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
25.
  • Research writing
  • Research
  • Reflection
  • Revision
Knowledge:
25. Students know:
  • Research strategies.
  • Independent writing skills for all steps of the writing process.
Skills:
25. Students are able to:
  • Produce writing that contains information obtained through research.
  • Reflect on and revise their research given the occasion and time constraints.
Understanding:
25. Students understand that:
  • Research can happen in short and extended time frames.
  • It is important to reflect upon information obtained through research before incorporating it into one's own writing.
  • It is important to revise work that contains research to ensure proper use for the given occasion.
Tags: Compare and Contrast Guide, genre, nonfiction, research, science fiction
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Author: Cassie Raulston
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