JoinScience Scope: Checklist for Feature Articles
Science Scope: Checklist for Feature Articles
Never written a feature article for Science Scope before? Follow this checklist as you prepare your manuscript. You’ll soon be on your way to getting published!
Before You Start Writing
Read a few Science Scope articles to get a sense of the voice, the format, and the types of feature articles that have been published previously. You are also encouraged to view a sample article at http://static.nsta.org/pdfs/SampleManuscript-ScienceScope.pdf. Feature articles generally focus on practical ideas that have been conducted in the classroom and contain enough supporting detail to allow other middle school science educators to replicate the lesson. Although each issue of Science Scope is centered on a specific theme, your manuscript does NOT have to be aligned to a theme. General submissions are always needed and welcome.
After Writing
Give your manuscript to a colleague or friend and have them use the following checklist to make sure that you’ve addressed all the necessary requirements, then upload your work to Manuscript Central at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/nsta
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Information for Callout Box _____Content Area _____Grade Level _____Big Idea/Unit _____Essential Pre-existing knowledge _____Time Required _____Costs (for a class of 30) _____Basic Safety Requirements
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Introduction _____Gives a brief overview of what the reader will learn _____Describes how your lesson is linked to research and/or the NGSS _____Contains appropriate current research citations, personal experiences, or other evidence to support the strategies your article recommends and the claims it makes _____Explains the educational value of the activity _____Provides a transition to the main body
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Main Body: Includes _____Clear directions _____Description of phenomenon being explored (if a student activity) _____Evidence of use in classroom (student quotes, problems encountered, unexpected results, etc.) _____Tips for managing classroom and student materials _____Student directions, questions, and other tasks that require higher-order thinking skills and application of content _____Appropriate safety procedures _____A list of materials (brand names should be avoided), quantity, and cost required for a class of 30
Main Body: General characteristics _____Thorough; the activities, procedures, examples, and other components are complete _____Easy to read and logically sequenced _____Inclusive with regard to gender, multicultural awareness, and costs _____Scientifically accurate _____Safe
Differentiation and Assessment _____Includes differentiation strategies for students with special needs provided _____Includes effective formative and summative assessments _____Assessments are accessible and unbiased; grade-level appropriate language is used _____Includes rubrics, answer keys, and scoring guidelines _____Sufficient guidance for interpreting student performance is offered
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Conclusion _____Summarizes a reflection of your learning and/or what you would do differently next time
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References _____Alphabetized by author _____Limited to current research _____Limited to no more than 12 of the most germane references _____Page numbers are provided for any direct quote
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Supplemental Files _____Samples of student work provided (ex. graphs, concept maps, models, exit slips, journal entries, etc.) _____Images are at least 300 dpi _____Photos of students are candid and model proper safety _____Signed parent permission slip or NSTA Model Release Form has been collected for all students shown in photos _____Photos of hard-to-describe items such as equipment, lab set-ups, models, etc. are included _____Multimedia files (.ppt, .mov, slide shows, audio files forwarded to sciencescope@nsta.org via www.wetransfer.com
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NGSS Table _____If a classroom activity, an NGSS chart is included _____If appropriate, Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and/or Mathematics are listed in the Connection Box of the NGSS. If so, is the alignment grade-level appropriate?
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Manuscript Basics _____Word document, with supplemental materials saved as separate files _____Written in 2000 words or less (not counting references, captions, and supplemental text) _____12-pont font; one-inch margins _____Spell-checked _____Reviewed by someone other than a science teacher _____Blinded (by removing all identifying information such as names and institutions)
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