Science in writing: Learning scientific argument in principle and practice

Abstract

This article explores the processes of writing in science and in particular the 'complex performance' of writing a scientific argument. The article explores in general terms the nature of scientific argumentation in which the author-scientist makes claims, provides evidence to support these claims, and develops chains of scientific reasoning to coordinate claims and evidence. The article then describes a case in which two classes of Grade 8 students in a New York City school wrote scientific arguments in a web-writing and peer review environment that provides each writer with 'as-you-go' formative assessment on the constitutive elements of their arguments.