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"Tearing Down the Wall: Literature and Science"

I have been tasked with reading and discussing the journal article Tearing Down the Wall: Literature and Science by Warren B. Westcott and J. Everett Spell. The authors discuss the benefits and difficulties of teaching across content areas, specifically when dealing with using literature to teach science. Obviously, the focus would be on literary technique, story, etc. in an ELA classroom, while the focus in a science classroom would be to engage students with a story associated with science while teaching them about science itself. The issue that arises, however, is that not all scientific nonfiction is good literature and not all scientific fiction is good science. The only way to ensure that you are getting the best of both worlds is to talk about the literature with teachers of the other subject. The issue with that, however, is that I think it could be taxing and time-consuming to have to read a book and critique it for another teacher's curriculum, though I think most teachers would be willing to do so. The benefits greatly outweigh the costs, though. Having students read science fiction or storytelling non-fiction in a science classroom can be incredibly beneficial to have the students understand more than just the terms. It gives them an opportunity to create personal connections with science and understand the origins and personal stories of the scientists whose work they are discussing. For instance, I activated prior knowledge and recalled that I would remember nothing about my 8th-grade science class if it weren't for the fact we had been assigned "The Hot Zone." This book is a true story about the origins of Ebola, which provided knowledge that I carried with me through the Ebola outbreak when I was in high school, that I still carry with me today. Additionally, it gives students in ELA classrooms the opportunity to expand their thinking to other subjects while also learning traditional concepts in ELA classrooms. This is a great strategy for incorporating non-traditional forms of learning in classroom settings to keep students engaged and excited about the material. (word count: 345)
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  1. Joe CottonOctober 3, 2019 at 6:44 PM

    Hey Georganna,
    I thought you brought up some very good points throughout your discussion post. I liked how you talked about trying to find good literature that contained accurate scientific concepts, while also looking for science books that contain gripping works of literature. It is definitely a difficult task trying to find that “best of both worlds” situation like you discussed. I also thought it was interesting when you examined your own life as an eighth grader and thought of a situation where you were positively affected by the incorporation of literature in your science class.
    (WC: 96)

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