Writing science: a challenge that starts in primary school

Abstract

This study considers that the science teacher should mediate in the acquisition of reading and writing abilities in the area of Natural Science. This means making students interact progressively with the specific genres of the disciplines, starting in primary school. This article proposes the approaching of the genre procedural recount with the aim of favoring the learning of scientific contents by writing about the procedure followed during experimental activities carried out in the Natural Science class. The study, made with a group of fifth grade students attending a primary school in the province of San Juan, (Argentina) consisted of two classes during which the teacher worked with contents related to the sound and its characteristics. In the analysis of the texts written by the students we considered the structure of the recount written in each instance and the scientific content stated in the students productions. The results suggest that when the structure of the genre is given to students, the written production is favored. This is shown in aspects related to the ordering of the ideas, its presentation in a more complete manner and the attempts to explain the phenomena under study, improving the use of the language of science and the learning of the discipline.