Scientific Literacy in the Junior School

By Ms. Kathryn Ovenell-Carter, Head of Science, Junior School 

An important emphasis in the Junior School science program this year is the development of students’ fundamental scientific literacy: the ability to read, comprehend, and communicate scientific information and ideas. This includes skills like decoding scientific texts, interpreting graphs and diagrams, and effectively communicating scientific procedures and findings. Developing these skills is an essential step in empowering students to think critically, evaluate sources, and (eventually) navigate the complex, data-driven decisions they will face as young adults. 

With this focus, we recognize that science learning is not unlike language learning; indeed, science is like a language itself, with its own structures, conventions, and specialized vocabulary. Each science unit is full of new vocabulary which must be mastered in order to make sense of scientific research. Scientists communicate in a style that prioritizes clarity and transparency because this allows for peer review, and building public trust in the scientific process.

So, what does this look like in the elementary science classroom? In grade 7, students learned the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (C-E-R) argumentation structure. By connecting this structure to the paragraph formats they learn in English class, students were able to write well-reasoned conclusions for experiments (like mystery powder analysis and film can rocket launches) and arguments about evolutionary traits. Likewise in grade 2 and 3, students drew on the because/but/so sentence structures they learned in English to expand on their ideas when writing about their “dancing raisins” and mould and decomposers experiments. Students also practice writing clear scientific procedures when they design their experiments in all grades.
 

In grade 5, students learned how to read diagrams about human body systems and why it is important to be neat when creating their own diagrams. Grade 6 students created posters to share their learning about our solar system, while grade 4 students applied their new vocabulary around biomes and adaptations to design creative creatures that were well-suited for a chosen biome. 

Even our youngest students, who may not be writing confidently yet, are developing fundamental scientific literacy as they listen to their teachers use scientific language like “I notice…”, “I wonder…” and mirror that language in their own observations. They learn to share their ideas through pictures, conversations, loose-parts models and writing simple descriptive words.

The development of scientific literacy is a continuous journey, and we are incredibly proud of the progress your children are making in reading, writing, and thinking like scientists. This foundational work—interpreting a graph, clearly documenting a procedure, or using precise vocabulary—prepares them for deeper and more advanced scientific inquiry in their high school years and equips them to become informed global citizens.

You can support this learning at home by reading nonfiction together at home (and modelling with students what to do when they encounter new vocabulary), discussing scientific news (with older students, look at any accompanying graphs together and talk about what we can learn from them), and celebrating the clarity and detail in the scientific writing they bring home.