| Gee (1989) equated literacy with the ability to | | | | teachers includes understanding how reasoning in |
| participate in social situations or discourses. | | | | everyday situations compares to reasoning in |
| Although much of Gee's later work in discourses | | | | science and mathematics. If a teacher explicitly |
| emphasized issues in addition to participation (e.g., | | | | understands how the dominant discourses of |
| identity), we find his earlier formulation of literacy | | | | school science and mathematics work—as |
| to be useful for this study. Gee noted two | | | | discursive practices—then this knowledge can |
| different types of literacies or discourses: "primary | | | | be used to help students who do not control |
| discourses," which develop in familial surroundings, | | | | these discourses to bridge the gap. Indeed, |
| and "secondary discourses," which are used in all | | | | researchers have shown that traditional science |
| other contexts (p. 22). From Gee's perspective, | | | | instruction often excludes students' personal |
| the purpose of schooling is to help students | | | | experiences as resources for evaluating scientific |
| participate in and gain control over secondary | | | | claims (Warren, Ballenger, Ogonowski, Rosebery, |
| discourses that are valued by society. Discourses | | | | & Hudicourt-Barnes, 2001). Teachers who |
| so valued are considered "dominant discourses" | | | | have discursive met knowledge of how claims |
| (Gee, 1989, p. 20). | | | | work, both in students' everyday reasoning and in |
| | | | | school science, can help students understand how |
| Gee argued that the alignment between | | | | school science is both similar to and different from |
| mainstream culture and dominant discourses helps | | | | everyday life. |
| explain why mainstream students generally have | | | | |
| less difficulty participating in such discourses than | | | | Gee's notions of met knowledge and powerful |
| do other students. Because the dominant | | | | literacy provide a useful frame for considering our |
| discourse is similar to their experiences, there is | | | | content area literacy work with science and |
| less difference to Links London overcome. We | | | | mathematics preservice teachers. As teacher |
| argue that a parallel exists here and that because | | | | educators, we aim to prepare teachers who |
| content area teachers are highly proficient in their | | | | understand and can bridge the differences in the |
| dominant discourse, they, like mainstream | | | | dominant discourses of school mathematics and |
| students, are challenged to notice it. This has the | | | | science and the secondary discourses of their |
| effect of rendering the discursive practices of | | | | students. Because university content courses |
| subjects such as science and mathematics, like | | | | generally fail to develop met knowledge of Links |
| the proverbial water to the fish, invisible to the | | | | Of London Charms science and mathematics as |
| teacher. | | | | discursive practices, teacher education has an |
| | | | | important role to play. In this article, we illustrate |
| Gee (1989) called the knowledge of discursive | | | | how one assignment was useful in generating met |
| practices "powerful literacy". Powerful literacy | | | | knowledge of important features of school |
| goes beyond participation in-or control of—a | | | | science and mathematics discourse that are |
| discourse to include the met knowledge required | | | | particularly important for understanding the central |
| to critique that discursive practice. For example, | | | | role of literacy in teaching and learning content. |
| one kind of discursive met knowledge useful for | | | | |