Teacher Instructions & Lesson Resources :
Pre-step…setting the stage: Teachers, please listen to and select a current “Science Times” podcast that you would like to play in your classroom on your classroom I-Pod. There are a multitude of options involving current science (within the last year). Choosing appropriate content and episodes is crucial. Says Nick, "I only play one Science Times podcast episode every three weeks, so I choose to play a podcast with very interesting and student-related theme." You could also select a specific podcast to merge your current curriculum with current events in the world of science. You can subscribe to the "Science  Times" (and other current events podcasts) by clicking here.
Or on iTunes.com, search for “Science Times” under the podcast category. There you will find a wide array of podcasts from the last two years from The New York Times “Science Times”.
Before playing the podcast, with your students, discuss the difference between a) fact, b) opinion and c) superfluous information in science with your students. Says Nick, "I use these three separate science articles on one topic to demonstrate and differentiate between fact, opinion, and superfluous information in writing science essays. Use the three articles that I have linked to this lesson. I chose to use a science article for my factual example, which is devoid of anything else. I used an editorial on the same topic to show the expression of the author’s opinions. I have also included a personal essay on the same topic which incorporates fact, opinion and superfluous and unessential information. Each of the provided articles contains underlined text to indicate the factual, opinion-based, and unnecessary or superfluous information in these essays. If you want to choose a more applicable content area as the central theme of these example essays, it might add more relevance. I have also included this guide to scientific writing, which I share with my students before they write."
Step one…sharing the Podcast: Once you have selected your Science Times podcast and briefed your students on what factual science essays look like, it is time to use your i-Pod in class! Each Science Times podcast is approximately 15 minutes in length. These short episodes also allow time to replay segments if needed.
As the students listen to the podcast, they will be using page one of the graphic organizer to document factual information, supporting details, and interesting sub-topics which are purposefully included that relate the topic to the students’ own lives.
Step two…introducing student models of writing: To give them an idea of the writing assignment at hand, in small groups, have your students read and respond to any or all of the student models that come with this lesson. The groups should certainly talk about the idea development and the organization, since these are the focus of the lesson.
Step three…thinking and pre-writing: Have students discuss the podcast with others at their tables. Students may be able to help each other with some facts from the episode and/or give a different perspective on what was interesting about the podcast. Make sure that they confirm with other students whether or not their information is completely factual, which means they are not include any superfluous information (opinions, unnecessary or unrelated stuff, etc.).
Once the students have completed 1) page one of their graphic organizer and 2) their small group discussion: Instruct students to choose only one of the podcast topics to write about. They will use the template (page 2 of the graphic organizer) to formulate a factual paragraph about the Science Times podcast. They must place the facts they learned from the podcast into complete sentences. Also, have them write the facts that they can share with others and their most interesting points from the podcast into complete sentences. They are to create both an introductory thought and a concluding thought to wrap their “factual” paragraph in-between.
Have students write a completed paragraph (in a logical order for your reader) at the bottom of page 2 of their graphic organizer. Students will take the information from the graphic organizer above, and rewrite their factual summary of the Science Times podcast in the space below. Students need to include both the intro and concluding sentences. Once students are finished, have them pick an appropriate title for their own podcast summary paragraph.
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