I use this activity in a required, junior-level hydrology course for majors, but it could be adapted for use at any level.

Students should have basic college writing skills.

I present this approach during lecture early in the course, after students have begun their first assignment (lab or homework) but before the assignment is due.

The primary goals of this activity are writing scientifically and understanding that writing is a process.

Critical thinking and critical writing integrated with the scientific method.

Students are introduced to a simple approach to scientific writing. To make the writing process immediately relevant to them, I present the approach after they have started the first assignment of the semester (whether lab or homework) but before it is due. Thus, students are more attentive to the presentation and are more invested in trying to apply the approach to a current assignment. As a class, we begin by answering the question "what did you do?" followed by answering the questions "who, what, where, when, how, and why?" as appropriate to develop the first paragraph/section. Next, we answer the question "what did you find?" followed by the questions "who, what, where, when, how, and why?" as appropriate to develop the second paragraph/section. Finally, we review what we have written and add the finishing touches (e.g., title, references, figures, etc.). Thus, students learn how to pose and answer basic questions that form the basis of a scientific report.

Students are required to use the writing approach for all assignments throughout the semester. The reports are graded based on completeness (i.e., all the appropriate questions have been answered) and correctness.