Elementary-School-Aged Children Exploring Science Concepts Through Digital and Embodied Composing

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 4:20 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Unraveling the Language-Learning Continuum With Young Readers and Writers (Table 25)

Abstract

A team of literacy, science, and theater educators have been
working to engage children in an urban public school system in the United States in embodied
performances, where students embody and dramatize science phenomena. This analysis focuses
on one fourth-grade classroom during the 2020-2021 school year when instruction had moved
online due to Covid-19. Children in the class were asked to compose videos of themselves acting
out and/or exploring science phenomena and concepts. In this study, we consider the different
forms and functions of these multimodal compositions. Findings showcase two different forms of
multimodal compositions in Mr. M’s science class, primarily embodied and primarily digital
compositions, and how they support science learning.

Authors

• Amanda R. Diaz, California State University - Fullerton

• Maria Varelas, University of Illinois Chicago

• Rebecca Woodard, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Nathan C. Phillips, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Rachelle Tsachor, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Rebecca Kotler, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Ronan Rock, University of Illinois at Chicago