This document discusses how project based learning can enhance science literacy in the classroom. It defines project based learning as an extended inquiry process where students work to solve complex problems or challenges. The purpose is to determine if project based learning helps increase students' understanding of science vocabulary, reading comprehension, applying concepts to real world scenarios. The framework involves teaching relevance between topics and careers, and bringing relevance into learning. Students would complete a performance task and literacy task based on a chapter to practice these skills. Resources on the shifts in common core, sample questions, and past studies are provided.

1. Vocabulary
• Cell • Deoxyribonucleic
acid – DNA • Lysosome
• Cytoplasm
• Ribonucleic acid – • Ribosome
• Cell membrane
RNA • Mitochondria
• Cell Wall
• Chromosome • Vacuole
• Nuclear membrane
• Chromatid • Chloroplast
• Nucleus
• Chromatin • Chlorophyll
• Nucleolus
• Centromere
• Endoplasmic
reticulum (rough and • Centrioles
smooth) • Spindle fibers
• Golgi apparatus • Cytokinesis
• Cell plate

2. Enhancing Science Literacy
in the Classroom:
How does project based learning
affect student’s understanding
of science literacy in science?
By: Vanessa Filosa

3. What is project based
learning?
• In Project Based Learning (PBL), students go
through an extended process of inquiry in
response to a complex question, problem, or
challenge.
• Rigorous projects help students learn key
academic content and practice 21st Century Skills:
– Collaboration
– Communication
– Critical thinking

4. Purpose of the Research
Topic
• The purpose of my literature review is to
determine how using project based learning in a
classroom could help increase student’s deep
understanding of science literacy in the
classroom.
• Teaching to students to solve real world
scenarios in a project based environment.
• Will these materials help enhance the student’s
understanding and use of difficult vocabulary
words, reading comprehension, text based
questions, and applications to real world
scenarios?

5. Literacy in Science

6. Framework
• Teaching relevance between the Common Core Curriculum
and real world topic by engaging students in learning about
possible future careers in science.
• Bringing relevance into learning: Through local custom
productions, students can see an even greater relevance to
their learning as it applies to parts of their local community.
• Teaching student how to read text, understand literacy, and
access prior knowledge.

8. ? Essential Question ?
• How does collaboration impact the design process?
• How do new innovations advance our knowledge?
• Technological design is a creative process that
anyone can do which may result in new inventions
and innovations.

9. Big Idea !
• One of the major goals of science reform today is
that of scientific literacy for all students.
• In recent years there has been an increased
awareness of the need to incorporate science
firmly throughout the elementary curriculum to
insure that this goal of scientific literacy is met.

10. Implementation
• I will have 25 students in one classroom complete
both a performance task and a literacy task for one
chapter. I will have another classroom of 25 students
who will not participate with these activities.
– Performance task: Challenge student to create work
products based on specific scenarios.
– Literacy task: Provide students with an informative and
argumentative prompt where students write products based
on the reading and understanding of provided resources and
vocabulary.

11. Performance Task
It is the year 2030!
• Your task is to create and design a rover capable of safely
transporting astronauts as they explore Mars! Your
challenge is to create a design team and facilitate the
engineering design process. The team will also need to
utilize simulation to demonstrate to NASA how the rover
will navigate the Martian landscape, based upon the
directions from mission control.
• Hint: You should create a team for the spacecraft and a
team for mission control.

12. Literacy Task
• Have student’s research how astronaut's train for
missions
• Have students research past space explorations
- Missions to the moon
- Missions to the international space station
- Current events: Jump from space

14. Resources
• http://engageny.org/resource/common-core-shifts
• http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/common-core-sample-questions/
• Hand, Brian, Chris Lawrence, and Larry D. Yore. "A Writing in Science Framework Designed to Enhance
Science Literacy." International Journal of Science Education21.10 (1999): 1021-035. Print.
• Guthrie, John, Peggy Van Meter, Ann Dacey McCann, Allan Wigfield, Lois Bennett, Carol Poundstone, Mary
Ellen Rice, Frances Faibisch, Brian Hunt, and Ann Mitchell. "Growth of Literacy Engagement: Changes in
Motivations and Strategies During Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction." Reading Research
Quarterly 31.3 (1996): 306-32. Print.