The Poetry of Dandelions: Merging Content-Area Literacy and Science Content Knowledge in a Fourth-Grade Science Classroom

As teachers begin to implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), they are challenged to focus on informational texts across the disciplines and engage children in critical thinking about complex scientific ideas. In this article, we present an integrated science-language arts lesson that explores plant adaptations using authentic texts and schoolyard ecosystem exploration. We describe strategies for using poetry and other authentic texts in science instruction, constructing scientific arguments and explanations using evidence, and making text to world connections. This lesson is written in alignment with the NGSS and CCSS and is intended to be taught at the fourth-grade level.