ANN ARBOR ?More than ever before, today’s high school students must be prepared for a complex world where science plays a role in every sphere. Those who can understand and write science-based stories for the general public will continue to be in demand by newspapers, magazines and media organizations.

A new book, “Exploring Science Writing: An Environmental Focus,” gives students and teachers a place to start.

This 74-page reader, published jointly by Michigan Sea Grant and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, introduces students to crucial issues facing the Great Lakes and oceans. The spiral-bound reader was developed in collaboration with more than 100 teachers. It features easy-to-teach writing principles, teaching notes and teacher-developed activities to enhance high school language arts, science and interdisciplinary curriculums.

Award-winning science stories cover the invasion of exotic species, loss of wetlands, fisheries, water quality and a host of other topics. Students will discover what causes the ugly “brown tide” in the Gulf of Mexico, or learn how a tiny weevil might help clear up lakes in the Midwest. In each chapter, writers provide tips on how to write interesting stories and avoid common pitfalls.

“Exploring Science Writing” was funded in part by an environmental education grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Single copies of “Exploring Science Writing” cost $10 and Michigan Sea Grant, a joint program of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, is one of 30 Sea Grant programs nationwide that conduct research, education and outreach to promote greater knowledge and stewardship of the Great Lakes and ocean resources. Michigan Sea Grant is funded in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (U.S. Department of Commerce.)

Michigan State University