Evaluation of Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading Project: Shoreline Science and Terrarium Investigations

This project was initiated in order to evaluate two literacy and science integrated instruction units, Shoreline Science and Terrarium Investigations, designed by the Lawrence Hall of Science Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading Project (Seeds/Roots). We examined how the integrated units affect student interest, motivation, and learning, as well as evaluating the units’ quality, usability, and utility using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Through analyses of student performance and teacher interviews, we found Shoreline Science and Terrarium Investigations beneficial to both students and teachers. Teachers were highly motivated to use the materials, and Shoreline Science and Terrarium Investigations students learned significantly more than the control group students in all science and literacy measures on which the differences were expected.