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Writing About Nature: Enhancing English Learner
Students’ Writing Skills Presented by: Deb Kralovetz
Action Research Project: Earth Partnership for SchoolsMay, 2012
History of the Denmark Nature CenterIn June, 2000 and July, 2001-- a group of Denmark teachers
participated in the Earth Partnership for schools program at UW Arboretum
Grants were obtained to restore an area of land behind the Elementary School for development of a Nature Center
September-November, 2001– teachers, staff and community members worked to plan and develop the Nature Center.
ELL Students•English Language Learners’ English Proficiency is measured using levels 1(little to no English proficiency)-6 (fully English proficient) •English proficiency is assessed annually in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing.•Typically, English proficiency in listening is the first to develop, while writing proficiency is the last to develop. •Denmark ELL students’ writing proficiencies range from 1-5. •Teachers often request guidance on how to support ELL students with writing—both idea development and mechanics.
Action Research QuestionHow would using the Denmark Nature Center as awriting environment influence my ELL students’ attitudes about writing and their progress towardEnglish language proficiency in writing?
Data Collection Tools1) District Student Writing Assessment: administered to all
students in March and May to assess students’ writing progress, reported with a total score using 6 traits of writing• Organization, ideas, sentence fluency, word choice, voice and
conventions
2) Individual Writing Survey: 3 point scale administered to each student prior to and at close of research project to determine students’ attitudes about writing and topics they enjoy writing about. Also included are 2 open-ended questions regarding where students like to write and what they view as their strengths in writing.
3) Nature Journal Writing Rubric: 4 point rubric used weekly to assess students’ writing progress throughout the research process using in 4 areas• Ideas, vocabulary, entry length/stamina and conventions
4 3 2 1
Ideas •Ideas are clearly stated•Many details used to support ideas •Writing stays on topic
•Most ideas are clear•Some main ideas are not supported with details•Writing mostly stays on topic
Entry seems somewhat incomplete
Reader is left with questions about details
Writing has drifted from topic or covers several topics
Entry lacks focus Few or no details
are evident Writing covers
many topics
Vocabulary Words used are appropriate, content-specific
Words used are clear, descriptive, and relate to the senses
Most words relate to content
Most words are clear, descriptive and relate to senses
Many words are ordinary and not related to the topic
Words do not paint a picture in the reader’s mind
Words are unimaginative and plain
Words are not interesting, carefully chosen, or related to the topic
Entry Length/Stamina
Entry is full page or more in length
Student wrote the whole time
½ -3/4 page of writing
Student spent almost the whole time writing
About ½ page of writing
Student spent some time writing, but became distracted and did not write the whole time
Less than ½ page of writing
Student spent less than half of the time writing, became distracted
Conventions Capita letters and end marks are used appropriately in at least 90% of entry
Common words are spelled correctly
Most (70%-90%) sentences have capital letters and appropriate end marks
Most common words are spelled correctly
Some (50%-70%) sentences have appropriate capital letters and end marks
Some common words spelled correctly
Les than ½ of the sentences have appropriate capital letters and end marks
Many words, even common words, misspelled
ActivitiesMini lessons on journal writing to teach each skill
area addressed on writing rubric. For example:Looking for details in our observations-created a
micro nature trail, examined objects along the way.Looked for details and noted changes that occurred
from day to day, after a rain, etc. Life cycle of a frogTo develop vocabulary-verb lesson-listed actions that
take place in Nature Center, explored and noted actions, journaled about them.
Poetry lesson-demonstrate poetry writing about object in nature, students sat, observed, and wrote their poetry.
Data Analysis and FindingsStudent Results on District Writing
Assessment
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
March '12May '12
Data Analysis and Findings
I like to…..
Write Think of ideas
Write Stories
Write poetry
Write about nature
Be Outside
Mar 1-50%2-36%3-14%
1-36%2-43%3-21%
1-71%2-14%3-14%
1-7%2-64%3-29%
1-57%2-14%3-29%
1-100%
May
Individual Student Survey Results
1=agree/often 2=so-so/sometimes 3=disagree/rarely
Data Analysis and Findings Individual writing survey open-ended
responses:The place I like best to do my writing:
At my desk In my tree house Where it is not crowded I don’t know On the floor Rocking chair Anywhere Inside
Data Analysis and FindingsStudent responses to open-ended question: The
best thing about my writing is:It’s my ideaMy hand-writingHaving funThat I enjoy itI don’t knowThat I make my own decisions on itI am the authorNeatnessI put a lot of detail in itNo one else writes what I write
Data Analysis and FindingsStudent Results on Nature Journal Writing
Rubric
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
week 1week 2week 3week 4
Data Analysis and FindingsDistrict Writing Assessment March results showed 79% of
students scored >2; 36% of students scored >3Lowest scores were obtained in the following traits: ideas,
sentence fluency, conventions. One half of the students indicated they usually enjoy writing;
most like to write stories and about nature.All students enjoy being outdoors. From week 1 to week 3, 2 students’ journal rubric scores
have decreased; 2 students’ journal scores have remained the same.
Overall, students’ conventions scores in their journals have remained consistent throughout their entries.
I have not taught or stressed conventions in my lessons on journal writing.
ObservationsStudents….were very excited about learning throughout this
project.asked daily if we would return to the Nature Center
the next day.who are normally quiet and shy seemed more open,
talkative and excited when in the Nature Center.energy levels and engagement in the lessons
increased when we learned in the Nature Center.noted our Nature Center needed some attention
such as picking up litter and fixing broken bird houses
ProblemsTime constraints/schedule changesSome days I felt the students needed more
time for writingStudents’ poetry were not the quality I
expected. (May need to spend more time on this, introduce to many different types of poetry)
Students loved exploring-more difficult to get them to sit down to write
Action PlanContinue using Nature Center as an environment for
teaching writing.Share research results with classroom teachers and offer to
team teach writing lessons in the Nature Center.Explore other curricular areas and lessons that can be
taught using Nature Center.Utilize the Nature Center for our school’s Project Based
Learning initiative. Scaffold poetry lessons to lead to better understanding and
student success. Include lessons on conventions, maybe to involve self and
peer editing of journal entries-taking some to publishing. Allow more time for each lesson--exploring and writing.Add oral language component-have students share writing
with other classes.
In Conclusion•According to preliminary results, this project was successful in changing ELL students’ attitudes and self-confidence about their writing.•It was rewarding observing students as they explored the outdoors and discovered the wonders of nature.• The advantages to students involved in this project extendedbeyond their progress with writingskills.
BibliographyCordell, H. K. (2010). Trends in Viewing and
Photographing Wildlife, Birds, Trees and Scenery. Internet Research Information Series, Part I and II.
Harr, N., Lee, R.E. & Jr. (2010). Nature Detectives. Science and Children, 48(6), 34-39.
Schultz, M. M. (2009). Effective Writing Assessment and Instruction for Young English Language Learners. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37(1), 57-62.
Westervelt, M. (2007). Schoolyard Inquiry for English Language Learners. Science Teacher, 74(3), 47-51.