Communication in Science Inquiry Project (CISIP)

Maricopa County Community College District, Tempe AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Communication in Science Inquiry Project (CISIP) is a five-year project that creates and disseminates professional development materials for science and English faculty at middle level schools (grades 5-8), high schools and community colleges. The collaborators include faculty from Maricopa Community College, Arizona State University and an external evaluation team who will combine to work with public school districts to develop, pilot, field test, research and evaluate the materials. The science content that is the basis for the material at each level includes physics, chemistry, geology/earth and space sciences and life sciences. The goal of CISIP is to create professional development materials in the context of science inquiry that equip faculty to integrate scientific writing, writing-to-learn processes and science language acquisition techniques into their instruction. Through the use of these materials science and English faculty will increase teacher and student understanding of scientific concepts and capacity to write scientifically with greater fluency and complexity, especially by students who are English Language Learners. In addition to the research findings, the deliverables include an integrated curriculum model, twenty-four exemplary lessons, writing-to-learn processes and scientific writing illustrations, sessions about language acquisition with defined applications for each level, facilitator materials and participant resources.