School science is dominated by textbook-oriented approaches to teaching and learning. Some surveys reveal that students have to read, depending on academic level, between ten and thirty-six pages per week from their textbook. One therefore has to ask, To what degree do textbooks introduce students to the literary practices of their domain? Few studies have addressed the quality of science curriculum materials, particularly textbooks, from a critical perspective. In this light, we are concerned in this book with better understanding the reading and interpretation practices related to visual materials-here referred to as inscriptions-that accompany texts. Our overarching questions included: What practices are required for reading inscriptions?' and Do textbooks allow students to develop levels of graphicacy required to critically read scientific texts?'

Teaching and Learning Science consists of sixty-six chapters written by more than ninety leading educators and scientists. The contributions are informed by cutting-edge theory and research and address numerous issues that are central to K 12 education. This resource will be particularly valuable for parents and teachers as schools around the country prepare students to meet the challenges presented when science is added to the No Child Left Behind Act in 2007. These insightful contributions touch on many of the most controversial topics facing science educators and students today, including evolution, testing, homeschooling, ecology, and the achievement gaps faced by girls, children of color, and ESL learners. Accessible and full of insight, the set is written for teachers, parents, and students, and offers a wealth of resources germane to K-12 settings. The book is arranged according to themes that are central to science education: language and scientific literacy, home and school relationships, equity, new roles for teachers and students, connecting science to other areas of the curriculum, resources for teachers and learners, and science in the news. The authors address controversial topics such as evolution, and present alternative ways to think about teaching, learning, the outcomes of science education, and issues associated with high stakes testing. In addition, relationships between science and literacy are explored in terms of art and science, making sense of visuals in textbooks, reading, writing, children's literature, and uses of comics to represent science. Chapters also address how to teach contemporary science, including the origin of the chemical elements, the big bang, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes, and tsunamis.

This book explores reading and interpretation practices related to visual materials - here referred to as inscriptions - that accompany texts. Guiding questions include: What practices are required for reading inscriptions and Do textbooks allow students to develop graphicacy skill required to critically read scientific texts The book reveals what it takes to interpret, read, and understand visual materials, and what it takes to engage inscriptions in a critical way.