Writing Workshop: Where Art Meets Science

Writing Workshop: Where Art Meets Science (WAMS) was a Baby CTY Writing course for 5th and 6th graders that stresses it is NOT a science fiction course. This course was offered at Palo Alto

Course Description

From the CTY Course Catalog (2002):

Marianne Moore, a poet who majored in biology, hypothesized that creative writing grounded in scientific knowledge created “imaginary gardens with real toads in them.” With this premise, students read poems, essays, and short fiction that are inspired by science, exploring the powerful connection between discovery in the field and creativity on the page. They consider how, in this way, science and literature interact. For example, students consider how Einstein’s theory of relativity has influenced the images and themes of 20th-century poets, or how a story about childhood memories is enhanced by an understanding of neuroscience.

Studying writers such as John Donne, Annie Dillard, A.R. Ammons, Oliver Sacks, Stephen Jay Gould, and Diane Ackerman, young writers find models for creating their own poems, stories, and essays about the world around them. As in other writing courses, students participate in workshops in which their instructor and peers offer constructive criticism. Through reading, writing, and revising, students discover how creative writing and scientific inquiry offer different perspectives on the same complex and unfolding universe.