Copyright © 2008 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information ...

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Copyright © 2008 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.nsta.org/permissions.
Section 1 The Nature of Science and Science Inquiry
during their discussions. Finally, when
all other groups are running smoothly,
it is a great idea to join a literature circle
as a group member. This participation
has two key benefits. It will allow you to
demonstrate for your students techniques
for productive, respectful, and inclusive
discussion and, most important, it will allow
your students to see an adult’s genuine
enthusiasm for reading about the history
of science.
William Straits is an assistant professor in the Department of
Science Education at California State University, Long Beach,
in Long Beach, California.
References
Daniels, h. 1994. Literature circles: Voice and choice
in book clubs and reading groups. Portland, Me:
Stenhouse Publishers.
National Research council (NRc). 1996. National
Science Education Standards. Washington,
Dc: National Academy Press.
Rosenblatt, L. M. 1978. The reader, the text, the
poem: The transactional theory of literary work.
carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University
Press.
Straits, W. 2005. Pre-service teachers’ representations
of their developing nature of
science understandings. Paper presented
at the Qualitative Interest Group (QUIG)
conference on Interdisciplinary Qualitative
Studies, Athens, GA.
Straits, W. 2007. Using historical non-fiction
and literature circles to develop elementary
teachers’ nature of science understandings.
Journal of Science Teacher Education 18 (6).
NATIoNAL ScIeNce TeAcheRS ASSocIATIoN