Teaching Guide: Scientific Writing in the Physical and Astronomical Sciences
Students will learn about the significance of scientific writing, the significance of two writers from the early eighteen hundreds, and will practice writing themselves.
Portraits of Mary Somerville and Jane Marcet Public Domain
Students will be exposed to scientific writing from the early 1800s by two women writers (Mary Somerville and Jane Marcet) who were openly lauded in the scientific community for making science accessible to everyone, especially to women and the lower classes. Students will read excerpts from both Somerville and Marcet’s writing. The excerpts should be chosen by the teacher to be on a subject the students have recently learned. The students will also write their own explanations of the subject matter.
Grade level(s): 9-12
Guide subjects: Astronomy, History, Physics
Minority Group(s): Women
In-class time: 55-105 minutes
Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Technology Requirements: Student web access required, Audio not required, Audio/Video not required
Common Core Standards: Reading: Informational Text, History/Social Studies, Science & Technical Subjects, Subject Writing
Next Generation Science Standards: Earth and Space Sciences, Earth and Human Activity, Earth’s Place in the Universe, Earth’s Systems, Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science, Engineering Design, Links Among Engineering, Technology, Science and Society, Physical sciences, Energy, Matter and Its Interactions, Motion and Stability: Forces and Interaction, Waves and Their Application in Technologies for Information Transfer
