Meeting Abstract
Narrative is the oldest framework of human communication. Neurological studies indicate that narrative structure helps an audience process and recall new information. Although many scientists think that narrative can only be used in works of fiction, storytelling is inherent in many scientific disciplines. We aim to help scientists understand the mechanics of narrative, identify the narrative elements present in their own research, and use those elements to develop storylines for broad audiences.
To support the development of science narratives, we use a framework for science storytelling developed in collaboration with artists at Pixar Animation Studios, and the Understanding Science flowchart developed by the UC Museum of Paleontology (UCMP). We adapt portions of the Understanding Science flowchart, a graphic depicting the nature and process of science, into narrative terms to illustrate the parallels between scientific and story development processes. A series of step-by-step worksheets facilitates story development along with the flowcharts, offering a roadmap for using narratives to communicate science.
These new tools can generate narratives from any perspective, such as a scientist conducting a study, a character playing a role in a larger system (e.g., foraminifera or a carbon atom), or an entire system interacting with other systems (e.g., the carbon cycle). We offer exemplar stories about climate change from multiple perspectives, using content and conceptual models from the new UCMP website Understanding Global Change. We also explore how these tools can facilitate hands-on learning with lecture-based learning in science classrooms.
