Abstract
This study investigated third graders’ use and variation of linguistic resources when writing a science explanation. Using systemic functional linguistics as a framework, we purposefully selected and analyzed writing samples of students with high and low scores to explore how the students’ use of language features (i.e., lexico grammatical resources) reflected those expected in the discipline, or register, of science, as well as alternative language patterns used to realize the cyclical explanation genre in science. The language features used in high-scored samples were more aligned with those of the discipline compared with the low-scored samples. Although the low-scored samples revealed that students possessed some valid scientific understandings, these understandings were not as evident due to the students’ limited use of language features commonly found in the science register. This work fills important gaps in the literature concerning the contribution of lexico grammatical resources in conveying elementary students’ science knowledge through written explanations.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 149-176 |
| Number of pages | 28 |
| Journal | Elementary School Journal |
| Volume | 118 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1 2017 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education
Cite this
Hey! today i will tell you about the water cycle!” : Variations of language and organizational features in third-grade science explanation writing. / Avalos, Mary; Zisselsberger, Margarita Gómez; Gort, Mileidis; Secada, Walter.
In: Elementary School Journal, Vol. 118, No. 1, 01.09.2017, p. 149-176.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Hey! today i will tell you about the water cycle!”
T2 - Variations of language and organizational features in third-grade science explanation writing
AU - Avalos, Mary
AU - Zisselsberger, Margarita Gómez
AU - Gort, Mileidis
AU - Secada, Walter
PY - 2017/9/1
Y1 - 2017/9/1
N2 - This study investigated third graders’ use and variation of linguistic resources when writing a science explanation. Using systemic functional linguistics as a framework, we purposefully selected and analyzed writing samples of students with high and low scores to explore how the students’ use of language features (i.e., lexico grammatical resources) reflected those expected in the discipline, or register, of science, as well as alternative language patterns used to realize the cyclical explanation genre in science. The language features used in high-scored samples were more aligned with those of the discipline compared with the low-scored samples. Although the low-scored samples revealed that students possessed some valid scientific understandings, these understandings were not as evident due to the students’ limited use of language features commonly found in the science register. This work fills important gaps in the literature concerning the contribution of lexico grammatical resources in conveying elementary students’ science knowledge through written explanations.
AB - This study investigated third graders’ use and variation of linguistic resources when writing a science explanation. Using systemic functional linguistics as a framework, we purposefully selected and analyzed writing samples of students with high and low scores to explore how the students’ use of language features (i.e., lexico grammatical resources) reflected those expected in the discipline, or register, of science, as well as alternative language patterns used to realize the cyclical explanation genre in science. The language features used in high-scored samples were more aligned with those of the discipline compared with the low-scored samples. Although the low-scored samples revealed that students possessed some valid scientific understandings, these understandings were not as evident due to the students’ limited use of language features commonly found in the science register. This work fills important gaps in the literature concerning the contribution of lexico grammatical resources in conveying elementary students’ science knowledge through written explanations.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85029604113&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/692987
DO - 10.1086/692987
M3 - Article
VL - 118
SP - 149
EP - 176
JO - Elementary School Journal
JF - Elementary School Journal
SN - 0013-5984
IS - 1
ER -