Socially and scientifically literate citizens must build on their personal identity when structuring experiences and action. Narratives are a central medium of self-interpretation. In today’s society knowledge is created in the action of producing something new. Knowledge is seen as something developed by teams in response to particular problems. The present fragmented worldview supplied by school curricula must therefore be revised in the direction of a knowledge about the world as being complex, creative, and interconnected. The two paradigms of learning, the logico-scientific and the narrative, must be considered together. In this study an approach to physics education by using students’ narratives at three levels of learning the physics of energy is undertaken. At the first level stories, such as the students know from everyday life, are used to engage them in interesting and, maybe, exciting narratives, revealing aspects of scientific knowledge. At this stage an attempt to implement holistic ideas including integration over different subject matters takes place. In such a storyline approach students are encouraged to construct their own models of what is being studied. A case study of a group (N=4) of students (grade 7 in comprehensive school) that work on the storyline project is presented and possible advantages and disadvantages of the instruction method is discussed. At the second level students are involved in collaborative problem solving, where they share ideas. Students construct their own hypotheses of what is being studied before testing these with investigations and research. Here they use everyday experiences while they simultaneously are encouraged to think scientifically. They build a second identity as scientists or investigators. These students (N=4) are around one year older, i.e. in the 8th grade. At the third level (grade 9) the students (N=15) have developed an understanding of how science works and are able to discuss scientific problems with scientists.

Students' essays produced in the storyline project have been analysed. Students' discussions and discussions with a scientist were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed.

A sharing of experiences with others help to extend the work and interest to higher levels. Students' different kinds of intelligences and attitudes allow a development of sharper and more selected ideas. Both scientific literacy and students' interest in science may increase. Narratives may build the foundation on which the scientists of the future can develop.