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Science and Technology Writing: Kristian Anhara L. Martesio

The document provides guidance on science writing. It discusses what science writing is, which is writing about scientific topics for a non-scientific audience. It emphasizes that science writing is important as it encourages critical thinking and interest in science. It also provides tips for where students can find science news and issues in their community affected by science. The document gives advice on framing stories, different types of leads, and balancing the factual side of science with the human element. It stresses explaining scientific advances to the public and adapting research into successful science journalism.

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43 views38 pages

Science and Technology Writing: Kristian Anhara L. Martesio

The document provides guidance on science writing. It discusses what science writing is, which is writing about scientific topics for a non-scientific audience. It emphasizes that science writing is important as it encourages critical thinking and interest in science. It also provides tips for where students can find science news and issues in their community affected by science. The document gives advice on framing stories, different types of leads, and balancing the factual side of science with the human element. It stresses explaining scientific advances to the public and adapting research into successful science journalism.

Uploaded by

shai24
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Science and

Technology
Writing
Kristian Anhara L. Martesio
September 25,2015

What is science writing?


Writingabout scientific subject
matter, often in a non-technical
manner for anaudienceof nonscientists
http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/Science-Writing-term.html

Why is science writing


important?
Science
writing
encourages
students to think critically
There is always wonder and
amazement to be had in science,
if you know where and how to
look

Science = Boring?

Where can students get


science news?
1. Science fair
2. School events
3. Daily life /everyday surroundings
.What they see in media
.Products they use
.Their bodies
4. Local science community

What issues in your community


are affected by science?

"In science, the credit


goes to the man who
convinces the world,
not to the man to
whom the idea first
occurs."
--Sir William Osler

80% good journalism

20% aptitude to learn and


to communicate science

Science Writer

When you combine the

factual

side of

SCIENCE

with the

emotional side of
HUMANITIES,
you have a good

Story Framing:
Four Vital Ingredients

News
Context
Impact
Human Dimension

News
A report of recent events
A material reported
in a
newspaper or news periodical
or on a newscast

Context
the storys background and
history
its relationship to things around
the news
it tells readers whats normal,
surprising or how similar things
are dealt with elsewhere.

Impact
tells readers what the news
affects or changes
it tells readers who benefits,
who suffers and what they
can do about it.

Human dimension
illustrates or portrays how the
story effects the lives of real
people
it provides details, textures,
emotions, colors to convey
experience.

Five-graph Rule
The
four
ingredients
should be in the first five
paragraphs.

Science
Writing Leads

The opening sentences are known


as the lead.
1. The simple statement
2. The bullet lead
3. The narrative lead
4. The surprise or paradox lead

The Simple Statement


The first lead is a simple but
dramatic statement of the major
finding, usually in a single
sentence.

An
international
team
of
scientists,
announced
the
discovery Thursday of a new
species of hominin, a small
creature with a tiny brain that
opens the door to a new way of
thinking
about
our
ancient
ancestors.

The Bullet Leads


A more interesting lead, but one
that is more challenging to write, is
called the bullet lead. Actually, it
consists of 3 bullets, which are
always followed by the general
summary statement.

People have trained their dogs to


fetch the daily newspaper without
tearing it. Horses can be trained to
respond to the slightest movement of
their riders. Goldfish can be trained to
come to the front of the fish bowl at
the sound of a bell. 4Now even the
octopus (Octopus vulgarus) can be
trained to perform certain simple
tasks, and that they actually learn
those tasks more quickly from each
other than from a human trainer.

The digital age has given teens


new platforms for cruelty: A social
media
prank
intended
to
embarrass a classmate. Spreading
online rumors about peers. Posting
unflattering pictures of others.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150921090204.
htm

The Narrative Lead


The narrative lead tells a
story of some sort, and then
follows
up
with
the
summary sentence.

In a dark lab in Vienna,


physicists
did
something
incredible: They shined a laser
through a cat-shaped hole in some
cardboard, resulting in a glowing,
red feline image. The twist: The
light in the image didnt go
through the hole in the cardboard.
http://discovermagazine.com/2015/janfeb/10-quantum-photo-finish

The Surprise or Paradox


Lead
This lead tries to arouse the
readers attention by making a
surprising
or
paradoxical
statement, and then follows up
with the summary sentence.

Dont panic.
That is the emphatic message
coming from researchers who
have discovered a new virus in
human blood.

http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2015/09/new-humanvirus-discovered-old-blood-samples

Sperm
meets
egg:
This
rendezvous
is
crucial
to
procreation.
But
the
actual
mechanism behind fertilization has
remained a mystery until now.

http://discovermagazine.com/2015/jan-feb/62-conceptioncode-cracked

It started quietly, deep in the


forest of southern Guinea.
In Meliandou, a village in the
prefecture of Guckdou, a 2-yearold boy contracted the virus,
possibly from a fruit bat. The
childs flu-like symptoms at first
would have caused little alarm.
But
before
long
he
began
vomiting, and his stool was black
with blood.

Identify the type of lead


Simple
Bullet
Surprise / paradox
Narrative

Danny Bowman

Paradox Lead
When Danny Bowman was at
school, he was so desperate to
attract girls, he spent 10 hours a
day taking more than 200 selfies
trying to find the perfect image.
Read
more:http://
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2588364/Selfies-killed-Sch
oolboy-took-200-photos-day-wanted-perfection-describes-addi
ction-drove-attempt-suicide.html#ixzz3mcEwa3Xx

Simple Statement
After months of obsessively
trying to take the perfect selfie,
19-year-old
Danny
Bowman
attempted to kill himself by
overdosing.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Selfie-Addict-AttemptedSuicide-Because-He-Couldn-t-Take-Perfect-Snap-433722.shtml

The Surprise or Paradox Lead


A teenager addicted to selfies
tried to kill himself because he
didnt like any of the photos he
had taken.
Danny Bowman, 19, posed for
200 selfies in just one day and
nearly overdosed on pills because
none of them was perfect.
Read

more:

Narrative Lead
Danny Bowman, from Newcastle
Upon Tyne, started taking selfies
when he was 15, to get girls
interested in him. Later, he had
ambitions to become a model. But
when a model agency turned him
down, he obsessively lost weight
and
began
to
constantly
photograph himself, chasing that
perfect shot.

Simple Statement
19-year-old Danny Bowman is
Englands and perhaps the worlds
first self-confessed selfie addict.

http://www.odditycentral.com/news/teenagerclaims-selfie-addiction-nearly-ruined-his-life.html

Bullet Lead
He dropped out of school, didnt
leave his house in six months, lost two
stone trying to make himself look
better for the camera and became
aggressive with his parents when they
tried to stop him.Finally, in a drastic
attempt to escape his obsession,
Danny Bowman took an overdose but
was saved by his mum Penny.
http://www.barstoolsports.com/dont-use/british-dude-addicted-to-takingselfies-said-he-tried-to-kill-himself-when-he-couldnt-take-the-perfect-picture/

Remember
Explain scientific advances to the
general public.
Adapt a piece of research and
reorganize
that
information
to
produce a successful piece of science
journalism.
Summarize
information,
simplify
complex material, and de-jargonize
your writing.
Most importantly, write for a general

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