How to write a scientific article

1. Writing Scientific
Articles
5th Grade Language Arts

2. What is a Scientific Article?
A scientific article is a piece of writing that reports the
findings of a scientific experiment. Scientists use
these types of articles inform other scientists, as well
as regular people, about their discoveries.
A good scientific article does several things: It
explains why the experiment was done, how it was
performed, what conclusion was reached, and how
the results support that conclusion.

3. What kind of writing is this?
Expository: We’re
writing to explain
something. Specifically,
we’re writing to explain
why the conclusion of a
scientific experiment is
true.

4. What are the parts of Expository
Writing?
Focus Statement – In a scientific article the
Focus Statement explains:
• What the experiment is trying to figure out.
• What the hypothesis is.
• How the experiment will test the
hypothesis (In other words, a summary of the
procedure).
• A brief summary of the results and the
conclusion.

5. Let’s say, for example, I’m writing a scientific article about an
experiment about whether or not Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow
helps tomato plants grow.
Focus Statement:
In this experiment I wanted to determine whether or not Mr. Thompson’s
Miracle Growtm would help tomato plants grow faster and produce more tomatoes
within a one month period. My hypothesis was that this fertilizer would not have
any impact on tomato plant growth based on the fact that it is made entirely of old
pencil shavings. To test this hypothesis I set up three trials in which I added Mr.
Thompson’s Miracle Grow to one group, and did not add it to the other. I kept
water, soil, and exposure to sunlight the same for all groups and recorded my
observations about plant height, number of leaves, and how many tomatoes were
produced over a one month period. During this time, the tomato plants in the
control group (that did not receive any Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow) measured
taller, had more leaves, and produced more tomatoes than the plants that did
receive the Miracle Grow. From this data, I concluded that my hypothesis was
correct and that Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow has a negative impact on Tomato
plant growth.

6. In this experiment I wanted to determine whether or not Mr.
Thompson’s Miracle Growtm would help tomato plants grow faster and produce
more tomatoes within a one month period. My hypothesis was that this
fertilizer would not have any impact on tomato plant growth based on the fact
that it is made entirely of old pencil shavings. To test this hypothesis I set up
three trials in which I added Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow to one group, and
did not add it to the other. I kept water, soil, and exposure to sunlight the same
for all groups and recorded my observations about plant height, number of
leaves, and how many tomatoes were produced over a one month period.
During this time, the tomato plants in the control group (that did not receive
any Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow) measured taller, had more leaves, and
produced more tomatoes than the plants that did receive the Miracle Grow.
From this data, I concluded that my hypothesis was correct and that Mr.
Thompson’s Miracle Grow has a negative impact on Tomato plant growth.
= What the experiment is trying to find out.
= Hypothesis
= How the experiment will test the hypothesis.
= Results
= Conclusion

7. What are the parts of Expository
Writing?
Main Ideas – Reasons why the Conclusion is
true. In your articles, your main ideas are the
reasons why you reached your conclusion.
Anecdotes – anecdotes are specific examples
that prove the main idea is true. In a science
article anecdotes will include parts of the data,
observations made during an experiment, or
background knowledge.

8. Now you’re ready to write your main ideas and anecdotes. Our goal is to write a
scientific article with at least two main idea paragraphs.
Main Idea Paragraph #1: Background Knowledge.
Your first main idea paragraph should be a summary of what
you already know about the subject of your experiment.
Example:
After looking up the basic ingredients of Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow, I
noticed that it was composed of nothing more than old pencil shavings. Further
research into the materials used to make pencils showed that they contain little to
none of the nutrients most plants require to grow. The ingredients of Mr. Thompson’s
Miracle Grow include high levels of Thorzine (20%), Cordozine (45%), and
Malthusianacide (35%). However, according to the Agricultural Services International
Inc., most garden plants require Nitrogen, Posphorus, Potassium, and Calcium.
Furthermore, Thorzine is a known pollutant which actually inhibits plant growth. Due
to the presence of potentially harmful chemicals in Mr. Thompson’s Miracle Grow and
the lack of nutrients that plants actually do require, it’s difficult to see how it can
actually help plants to grow.

9. Main Idea Paragraph #2: Observations/Results.
Your second main idea paragraph should contain a summary of
your observations during the experiment and/or the results
from the experiment.
Example:
During the experiment, I made careful observations on plant height, leaves,
and the number of fruit produced over a period of time. The only variable, or thing
that changed, during the experiment was the addition of Mr. Thompson’s Miracle
Grow to one group. During this time I noticed that my two control groups grew quite
nicely, producing on average three tomatoes each. The tomato plants that were given
the Miracle Grow, on the other hand, barely grew at all and averaged .6 tomatoes per
plant. I also noticed that, over time, the control group plants color turned from a light
green to a dark green color, and that their stems tended to be thick and sturdy while
the plants with the fertilizer started out as light green but then turned yellowish. Also,
their stems were so thin and frail that even when they produced tomatoes their stems
were not able to support the weight and collapsed.

10. What are the parts of Expository
Writing?
Conclusion – A conclusion restates the focus
statement, and summarizes the main ideas. In
a scientific article, your conclusion summarizes
what you’ve discovered in your experiment,
and how you know that what you’ve
discovered is true.

11. Example:
Based on my research on the nutritional value of Mr. Thompson’s
Miracle Grow, as well as the result of this experiment, I conclude that my
hypothesis was correct and that this product does not help plants grow. On the
contrary, the results of my experiment clearly show that this product will harm
plants and possibly even kill them. It contains none of the nutrients plants need,
and caused the plants in my experiment to whither and die. If Mr. Thompson’s
Miracle Grow is used on a large scale to fertilize crops it will likely result in the
widespread death of those plants and could lead to a food crisis. My experiment
conclusively shows that this product should not be used, and that Mr. Thompson
should not be allowed to advertise old pencil shavings as miracle fertilizer.
Further research could be done to look at the effects of Mr. Thompson’s Miracle
Grow on other domesticated plants such as corn, squash, and rice. However, my
observations indicate that such experiments will have the same result. This
product is dangerously poisonous to plants and should not be used for anything
but weed killer.

12. Let’s give it a try!
Do the following experiment on whether water
can weather sandstone rocks into sediment.
Then let’s write a scientific article about it!

15. Focus Statement
Let’s start by writing your Focus Statement paragraph.
Remember to indent (of course) and include:
• What the experiment is trying to figure out.
• What the hypothesis is.
• How the experiment will test the
hypothesis (In other words, a summary of the
procedure).
• A brief summary of the results and the
conclusion.

16. Main Idea Paragraph #1
(Background Knowledge)
Next, let’s write your first main idea paragraph. This paragraph should include background knowledge
and/or research that supports your conclusion. Think of an example of when you observed water
weathering rock, and use those observations to craft your paragraph. Can’t think of one? Then you can use
my example:
Prior to performing this experiment I had the chance to observe water
weathering rock three years ago when my family visited a beach that had recently
been hit by a hurricane. The storm had already passed, but the waves were still
ferociously pounding the shore where they had already washed up all kinds of debris.
Nearby there was an outcropping of rocks that jutted out into the sea. As I watched
the huge waves crashed into them over and over again. Looking closer I saw that
where the waves smashed into the rocks it was very smooth, with rounded edges.
Nearer to the shore, however, where the waves didn’t reach, the same rock was rough
with sharp edges and corners. Even though it seemed crazy to think that a wave of
water could wear down rock, I could imagine millions of waves over thousands of years
slowly working away at the rock’s edges, wearing them smooth with time. I also
observed that the sand surrounding these rocks seemed to be made of the same
minerals as the rocks themselves, which led me to believe that the action of the waves
slamming into the rocks was slowly wearing them down into grains of sand.

17. Main Idea Paragraph #2
(Data/Observations)
You summarized your results in your Focus Statement, but this is
where you really get into specific detail about what the results of
your experiment were and how they support or contradict your
conclusion.

18. Conclusion
The final paragraph of the scientific article which
explains the conclusion of the experiment based
upon what you have learned/observed. It should also
include an explanation of how this experiment
modeled erosion in real life, and how we can apply
what you’ve learned to the real world.