Literacy to Learn ScienceNSTA Regional Conference

November 7, 2013

Session Goals

• Explore how using the CCSS Content Literacy standards for reading and writing can deepen students’ science content understanding.

• Examine the LDC module as a resource for organizing instruction that utilizes reading and writing to learn science content.

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Evidence

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Evidence

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Evidence

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Evidence

Challenges

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Evidence

11

Ball Drop

• Learning Targets– I can use data to

make inferences and draw conclusions about energy conservation.

– I can support a claim with evidence.

12

What happens when the ball is dropped?

• Complete the “Ball Drop” probe on your own. Be sure to write your explanation.

• Discuss your explanation with your group of 3.

13

Let’s Find Out!

• Obtain a ball from a facilitator.• Using the SWH template as your guide,

explore the question concerning the ball.• Develop a plan to test your question.• Be sure to record your observations and any

data collected on your SWH.• Materials available:

– Ball, meter stick, stop watch, sound meter

Scaffolding Student Writing

Focus Question:Teacher, student, class generated

Graphic Organizers may be needed to assist students with organizing data.

Useful words and phrases- Word Banks

Useful words and phrases- Word Banks

Graphic Organizers - Observations- Word Walls and/or Banks

• “…our end goal is to help students construct an understanding of the big ideas of science in a way that is transferable from application in one situation to application in another situation.”– Negotiating Science, pg. 93

Will add findings from classmates

investigationsReading Strategies

Text FeaturesText Structure

Finding appropriate readings

Explanations

Data Analysis and Conclusion

• Now, let’s pool data from all groups. • Compare your group’s data to that of each

group.• Make revisions to your conclusion based on

the whole group’s findings.

21

Let’s Do a Little Research

• To help you gather more information to answer your question, use the organizer as you read the excerpt from Newton at The Center by Joy Hakim.

22

What about the probe?

• Discuss your findings with your group.

• Re-visit the probe used at the beginning.

• Are you satisfied with your choice & explanation?

• Modify if needed.

23

What’s Your Claim?

• Use the frame to guide your writing

When a ball is dropped, ___________________. The data provide evidence that _____________________ . Therefore, I think ____________________________.

Your claim

Include qualitative & quantitative data

Reasoning for claim

24

Let’s Debrief

D

Shifts in ELA/Literacy

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Shift 1 Balancing Informational & Literary Text

Students read a true balance of informational and literary texts.

Shift 2 Knowledge in the Disciplines Students build knowledge about the world (domains/ content areas) through TEXT rather than the teacher or activities

Shift 3 Staircase of Complexity Students read the central, grade appropriate text around which instruction is centered. Teachers are patient, create more time and space and support in the curriculum for close reading.

Shift 4 Text-based Answers Students engage in rich and rigorous evidence based conversations about text.

Shift 5 Writing from Sources Writing emphasizes use of evidence from sources to inform or make an argument.

Shift 6 Academic Vocabulary Students constantly build the transferable vocabulary they need to access grade level complex texts. This can be done effectively by spiraling like content in increasingly complex texts.

Shanahan and Shanahan, 2008

MS/HS

The belief that students should be learning

through disciplinary literacy and that you can

help them.

A strong sense of what reading and writing

means in your discipline.

Clear learning targets for the content students will

be learning.

A range of strategies to assist your disciplinary

discourse outsiders.

Keys to Effective Use of

Disciplinary Literacy

Discrete Academic Discourse

Disciplinary Literacy

Two Approaches to Reading in the Content Areas

Teach

Teach

Teach

Teach

Teach

Disciplinary Text

“teaching around the text”

Teach Disciplinary Text Teach

“teaching through the text”

• “The idea is not that content-area teachers should become reading and writing teachers, but rather that they should emphasize the reading and writing practices that are specific to their subjects, so students are encouraged to read and write like historians, scientists, mathematicians, and other subject-area experts.”– Biancarosa and Snow, 2004, as cited in Buehl, 2009, pg. 18

Literacy Design Collaborative

Argumentative Template Tasks

Informational Template Tasks

Informational Template Tasks

Teaching Task Rubric (Informative or Explanatory)

How can we manage energy transfers and transformations in order to reduce overall energy loss or usage? After reading informational texts, conducting investigations, utilizing simulations, and designing solutions to a problem, write an article in which you analyze the energy transfers and transformations for (student design problem), providing examples to clarify your analysis.

LDC Instructional Ladder

“Language capacity is the root of all student performance.”

• Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Active Literacy Across the Curriculum

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Session Goals

• Explore how using the CCSS Content Literacy standards for reading and writing can deepen students’ science content understanding.

• Examine the LDC module as a resource for organizing instruction that utilizes reading and writing to learn science content.

Contact Information

• Diane Johnson• Diane.johnson@uky.edu

• Susan Mayo• Susan.mayo1961@att.net