Real-World Writing in a Secondary-School Earth-Science Class

Abstract

While completing a study unit on surface water, a group of 22 high-school freshmen started asking questions about local water degradation and its connection to the regulatory process. They studied new regulations currently being drafted by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and rewrote them in what they considered everyday English. Once the regulations were clearer, the ninth graders contacted politicians and key legislators by mail, wrote a citizen's guide to wetlands protection, prepared personal testimony, and presented that testimony at a state regulatory hearing. Concerned about their credibility with the Board of Environmental Protection, the students found that they needed to have a clear understanding of the scientific information, and needed to write their opinions in a concise and persuasive manner. They learned the necessity of writing multiple drafts, paid more attention to grammatical details, and were unwilling to turn documents over to the Board if the writing was not polished...