This paper deals with a number of conceptual and theoretical issues that underlie the proposal to employ narrative explanations in science education: What is narrative? What is explanation? and What is narrative explanation? In answering these questions, we develop a framework of narrative elements and characteristics of narrative explanations. Two possible examples of narrative explanation are presented and examined in light of the framework. This examination brings to light various conceptual and empirical questions related to the examples and to the larger issue of the use of examples like them in science instruction. The value of the framework lies partly in its power to point to such questions. The questions can guide a program of theoretical and empirical research into the psychological reality of the narrative form of explanation, the existence of narrative explanations in science, the use of narrative explanations in science teaching, and the nature and extent of the narrative effect upon which proposals for the use of narrative often are justified.

Skill in reading diverse genres of scientific texts, including media reports, is an important aspect of scientific literacy that some experts argue should be included in the science curriculum. To understand current and potential uses of media reports in classrooms, we conducted research in three areas. First, we examined major science education policy documents and found few statements making direct reference to use of media reports. Second, we analyzed provincial assessment materials and found exam items using media reports. Third, we interviewed secondary teachers to determine their practice and views on using media reports and other science genres in instruction. Teachers used media reports and strongly endorsed policy‐type statements advocating the use of diverse science genres including these reports. Clearly, policy lags behind practice in some classrooms. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 90:496–521, 2006

This paper describes a comprehensive set of studies designed to assess the potential for commercial reading programs to teach reading in science. Specific questions focus on the proportion of selections in the programs that contain science and the amount of science that is in those selections, on the genres in which the science is portrayed, on the areas and topics of science covered, on the accuracy of the scientific content, on the text features used to communicate the science, and on the instructional strategies and assessment techniques recommended. The findings show that commercial reading programs have changed substantially from the days when they were dominated by literary texts and contained hardly any science. Now, there is a variety of genres and scientific content in about one fifth of the selections. The content is also generally accurate. So, there is considerable potential offered by these programs for teaching children to read science. Unfortunately, the findings also show that the recommended instructional strategies and assessment techniques do little to capitalize upon this potential. In particular, the findings demonstrate that, although most of the science is cast in the expository genre, most of the recommended instruction and assessment is more appropriate to the literary genres. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 92:765–798, 2008

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