The writing done in a biology class has a great deal in common with the writing done in the humanities and the social sciences. Because the scientific method of investigation requires the student to examine and understand the physical world by asking questions and then answering them through empirical investigation, clear and concise writing is necessary to record the information through accurate descriptions. By using problem solving techniques, students can acquire the ability to generate new ideas through fluency, flexibility, elaboration, and a transformation of knowledge and past experiences into new forms and patterns. Peer collaboration offers the opportunity for students to criticize and correct their writing and to learn from one another. English teachers can help by grading science papers for quality, leaving the content to be graded by the biology teacher. Lab notebooks provide yet another source for writing, while writing answers to essay questions as a form of testing provides an additional evaluation of students' higher level synthesis of knowledge. (An appendix provides practical suggestions for the inclusion of writing in the biology clasroom.) (HOD)