This document outlines strategies for guiding student writing in geoscience courses. It discusses why writing should be included, examples of writing assignments, common problems in student writing, and methods for offering instruction and feedback. Some key points covered include having students write Wikipedia entries, term papers, and lab reports. Common issues involve referencing, paragraph structure, and writing for non-native English speakers. The document recommends providing writing guidelines, using peer and professor reviews, and incorporating reflection to help students improve their writing skills.
2. SESSION OUTLINE
Why include writing
Example assignments
Problems
Offering instruction and guidance to students
Group work: consider your courses
3. WHY INCLUDE WRITING
IN YOUR COURSE?
Benefits students
Important training
Commonly done for the class
Required for curriculum
?
4. EXAMPLES OF WRITING
ASSIGNMENTS
Wikipedia mineral assignment
Students create an entry for a mineral that is missing
Rocks and water of the Middle East
End-of-semester term paper for freshman students
Your examples?
5. WHAT ARE PROBLEMS YOU
HAVE SEEN IN STUDENT
WRITING?
References
How to cite a reference in correct format in the body of the paper
When to cite a reference
Plagiarism
When to make a new paragraph
Citing and using figures and tables
English as a second language
Your examples?
6. GUIDING STUDENT
WRITING
Goal: For students to use reader expectations and
context to improve writing.
Read: Gopen, G.D. and Swan, J.A., 1990. The science of
scientific writing. American Scientist, Volume 78, p. 550-
558.
7. GUIDING STUDENT
WRITING
Present: Share geological examples for main points of article.
Follow a grammatical subject as soon as possible with its verb.
Place in the stress position the “new information” you want the reader to
emphasize.
Place the person or thing whose “story” a sentence is telling at the beginning of
the sentence, in the topic position.
Place appropriate “old information” (material already stated in the discourse) in
the topic position for linkage backward and contextualization forward.
Articulate the action of every clause or sentence in its verb.
In general, provide context for your reader before asking that the reader consider
anything new.
In general, try to ensure that the relative emphases of the substance coincide with
the relative expectations for emphasis raised by the structure.
Assess: Comment on lab reports, include in grading rubric for
projects
9. REFLECTION
Goal: For students to consider strengths and areas for
improvement in their own writing.
First day of class: What are your strengths as a writer? What
would you like to improve in your writing?
After one or more of the projects: If you had one more hour
(or day) how would you improve your paper?
End of class: How has your writing improved during this
course? What do you want to continue to improve in your
writing?
10. PEER REVIEW
APPROACHES
In class with groups of 3-5 students
Out of class with students trading papers
Graded?
Anonymous?
Calibrated peer review
Student guidelines for review
Students address the comments
Bowdoin students at the writing center
11. PEER REVIEW – EXAMPLE
INSTRUCTIONS
6. Does the organization of
the paper follow from the
thesis?
7. As a reader, were you
confused at any point?
8. Do you have any
suggestions to improve the
writing or structure?
9. How compelling is the
evidence the writer
presents?
1. Does the paper follow the
assignment?
2. Can you state the thesis?
3. What could the writer do to
improve transitions
between
thoughts, sentences, para
graphs?
4. Are there places the
writing could be more
concise?
5. What
grammatical, tense, spellin
g or punctuation errors are
in the paper?
General questions Most time on these Qs
12. PEER REVIEW – EXAMPLE
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Writing
2. References
3. Tables and figures
4. Abstract
5. Format
6. Content
7. Length
8. Comment on the writer’s
“role”
9. Intellectual content
UT Austin Undergraduate Writing Center
14. GRADING AND
RESPONDING TO WRITING
Grading by video
Faster, more effective
Detailed comments and suggestions
Friendly tone that students can hear
Students anticipate comments and listen/watch the video
Screen cast/screenshot software http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html
*Idea shared by Tom Hickson, University of St. Thomas
15. CONSIDER WRITING IN
YOUR COURSE
What is the writing goal?
What will the assignment be?
How will you offer instruction/guidance prior to the assignment?
How will students get feedback?
16. REFERENCES
Bates, R. L., Adkins-Heljeson, M. D., and Buchanan, R.C., editors, 2004. Geowriting: A Guide
to Writing, Editing, and Printing in Earth Science, Fifth Revised Edition. American Geological
Institute, 100pp.
Bean, J.C. 2011. Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and
Active Learning in the Classroom. Jossey-Bass, 384pp.
Brohaugh, William (2002) Write Tight: How to Keep Your Prose Sharp, Focused and Concise.
Intercollegiate Studies Institute, ISBN-10: 1882926889, ISBN-13: 978-1882926886.
Carnegie Mellon, Eberly Center, Responding to Student Writing
www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/writing/respond.html
Gopen, G.D., Swan, J.A., 1990. The science of scientific writing. American Scientist, 78, 550-
558.
Gopen, G.D., 2004. Expectations: Teaching writing from the readers perspective. Pearson, 395
pp.
Irvine, T.N. and Rumble, D., III, 1992. A writing guide for petrological (and other geological)
manuscripts. Journal of Petrology, 46pp.
Swan, J., 2013. In praise of technique. TEDxCMU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pzjxYCwb08
Notas do Editor
RB – 5’
RB – 5’
RB - 5’
RB & EC 5’
RB – 3’
EC
EC
EC - 15’ small groups work on assignment together at table, may need to continue outside of this session
