We often hear about integrating the arts into the sciences, STEM to STEAM we say. And that is a promising practice! But what can we take from the sciences that could be used in a literature class?

The Science Fair! I'm sure all of us remember the excitement of this event as a student. A good science fair is an example of a rigorous, engaging activity driven by student choice and inquiry; it taps into students' creativity and asks them to think outside the box. It revolves around skills and knowledge required to be successful at your experiment. It gets students talking about the science behind their projects. And when students are asked to articulate their knowledge to an authentic audience, they engage in deeper learning. Keeping all of that in mind, I decided to use the science fair model in an independent reading unit.