Stories in the elementary science classroom

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of stories on the learning and retention of science by students in the third grade. The subjects of this study were 35 third grade students. Each student was given a pre-test at the beginning of this lesson. The experimental class was given a lesson with a story to explain the scientific concept taught. The control class was given the same lesson without the story. Each student was administered a post-test after the lesson and a second post-test two weeks later. The findings suggest that using a story to explain scientific concepts enhances the retention of concepts. Recommendations are to continue using stories at the elementary level to encourage learning and retention of scientific concepts.