Scientific Writing. Scientific writing aims to communicate scientific concepts, data, or analysis in a concise, straightforward manner. Like any other writer whose purpose is to inform the reader, the science writer sets forth a main idea and builds on it by providing facts or strong examples that support that idea. Sometimes the main purpose of a piece of scientific writing is to advance a hypothesis—an unproven theory or assumption. Because scientific concepts are often difficult for the average reader to grasp, the effective science writer is careful to avoid using scientific jargon—technical terminology not understood by the average reader—to explain difficult concepts. As you read, determine the main idea of the selection. Is the main idea of the selection scientific fact or an unproven hypothesis?
Analogy. An analogy is a comparison of things that are alike in some ways but different in others. As you read, keep track of the numerous analogies the author makes throughout the selection. Use a chart like the one at right to note the analogies. List those things that are being compared in the left column and the things they are compared to in the right column. The first one has been filled in to get you started.
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• Math Connection. Measurement is the process of finding the extent or dimensions of something, especially by using a standard unit of measure. Standard units of measure include feet or meters to measure distance; minutes or hours to measure time; pounds or kilograms to measure weight; or degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius to measure temperature.
• History Connection. Ancient peoples developed the first system for measuring length by comparing the length of one thing to the length of another. Many units of measurement were based on parts of the human body. The cubit used by ancient Egyptians, for example, represented the length of a person’s forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. The Romans borrowed many Greek units of measurement, such as the uncia, which was the width of a thumb. The Roman system of measurement was adopted throughout Europe and prevailed until France adopted the metric system in 1795. Today, most countries in the world use the metric system.
Write about a topic that fascinates you or that you know a lot about. What efforts have you made to discover more about this topic? Why do you find it interesting? What would you most like others to know about it?
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