BLENDING THE NEW SCIENCE AND LITERACY PRACTICES:
MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHING & LEARNING
Investigating the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the ELA/Literacy Framework of the Common Core of State Standards
A Partnership between Meriden Public School and CCSU
2014 CSDE Education Reform District K-8 Science Improvement Grant
Overarching Project Goal
Deepen one’s content knowledge and competency of
new science (K-12 Framework) and ELA/Literacy (CCSS) practices.
(Revised) Project Outcomes Understand new science (K-12 Framework) and the ELA/Literacy (CCSS) practices.
• Align classroom pedagogy to standards—science (K-12 Framework) and ELA/Literacy (CCSS).
• Increase higher-order questioning strategies to promoting student collaboration and depth of thinking. (Talk Moves)
• Create 1+ interdisciplinary science unit that embeds science K-12 Framework and ELA Literacy CCSS teaching strategies.
GETTING STARTED: ARGUMENTATION
Unit 3 Step 7 (7:42)
Watch the clip. Notice that the teacher doesn’t give away the ‘answer’—• What position are the students asked to take?• How do students support their claims?
‘DISCIPLINARY’ LITERACY: REVIEW OF THE CCSS LITERACY IN SCIENCE
CCSS Review• 10 Reading Standards (Science and Technical Subjects)
• 9 Writing Standards (Content Areas)• 6 Speaking and Listening Standards • 4 (of 6) Language Standards (usage/vocabulary)
• Spiral staircase of complexity• Use of evidence in reading and writing• Academic vocabulary
Goals for Literacy Integration in Science1. Students read complex scientific texts.2. Students build academic and disciplinary vocabulary.3. Students use reading and writing strategies to learn scientific
content. 4. Students read and write like scientists as they practice in the real
world.5. Students gather, evaluate, and synthesize text in a variety of forms
as a source of evidence in investigations or research.6. Students summarize key learning and relationships among
concepts.7. Students read and write to critique and communicate scientific
arguments.8. Students engage in evidence-based discourse to build knowledge
within a scientific learning community.
Read complex scientific texts. • For a purpose• To question and answer
• Question-Answer-Relationships (QAR)• Interactive Reading Guide
• To annotate or mark up text (text codes, visual boards, etc.)• To prepare for meaningful discussion
• Text rendering, 4 A’s, Save the Last Word for Me, Text on Text, etc.
Teaching Tips:• Teachers model and think aloud.• Use short text.• Have students work alone and then collaborate (ticket to enter).• Work towards student-developed questions. • Use interesting texts that will matter to kids.
RST.6-8.1
Build academic & disciplinary vocabulary.
• Through Greek/Latin roots, prefixes, suffixes--‘word wall’ • Through routines that target (tier 2, 3) vocabulary words
• Concept diagram, semantic maps, Frayer model, analogy charts, anticipation guides, word study guides, weigh the words organizer
• Through science notebooks (two-column, non linguistics)• By using vocab in their writing
Teaching Tips:• Do not teach out of context.• Do not have to pre-teach. • Create routines for engaging with vocabulary. • Select essential vocabulary (not lengthy lists).• Help students organize vocabulary in conceptual maps (models).
RST.6-8.4, L.6-8.4, 5, 6
Use reading and writing strategies to learn scientific content.
• To activate and clarify background knowledge (anticipation guide, before-during-after guides, KWL, etc.)
• To compare concepts (concept comparison routine)• To monitor comprehension and question the text/author (self
questioning) • To use writing to learn strategies:
• quick writes, various forms of note-taking, science notebooks, summarizing, vocabulary practices, brief explanations
• To create mental images (drawing, labeling, and revising scientific models to track thinking over time)
• To use a package of strategies to learn science (collaborative strategic reading, reciprocal teaching)
Disciplinary Core Ideas
Use reading and writing strategies to learn scientific content.
Teaching Tips:• Explain and discuss the strategy (including benefits and expectations).
• Model the strategy. • Provide support for the students to learn the strategy deeply (cooperative learning, practice, feedback).
• Goal is for students to self-regulate the use of the strategy.
Read and write like scientists as they practice in the real world.• To ask and write to answer questions• To convey theories as explanation of phenomena• To engage in argumentation to advance and defend new
ideas and explanation of phenomena• To explain phenomena with visual models• To accompany scientific investigations (inquiry)—science
notebooks, lab reports, etc.• To gather and organize data for analysis and
interpretation (tabulating, graphing, etc.)• To “RAFT” (take on an authentic science ROLE for a
particular AUDIENCE, FORMAT and TASK)
RST.6-8.3, 7-9, WHST.6-8.1, 2, 4 -10
Read and write like scientists as they practice in the real world.
Teaching Tips:• Use science and engineering practices.• Consider real audiences.• Consider real problems (problem-based learning).
Gather, evaluate, and synthesize (variety of) text to use as evidence in scientific investigations and research.
• Gather main ideas from sources (note taking frames)• Evaluate and synthesize across texts using I-Charts • Respond to essential questions using Inquiry Approaches
or Problem-based Learning scenarios
Teaching Tips:• Start with two texts and build up.• Combine online text and offline text. Can scaffold by providing
online sources.• Need to model how to find accurate and reliable online sources.
RST.6-8.7-9, WHST. 6-8.7,8
Summarize key learning and relationships among concepts.
• Summarize visually using a scientific model.• Summarize learning on a summary table.• Summarize learning in a science notebook.
Teaching Tips:• Don’t wait until the end of the unit to summarize.• Distinguish between paraphrasing and summarizing.
RST.6-8.2
Read and write to critique and communicate scientific arguments. • Plan and organize arguments with claims, evidence, and
reasoning.• Develop arguments that communicate explanation of
phenomena with strong evidence.• Revise arguments based on additional evidence or
feedback from community.• Share arguments with a broader scientific learning
community.• Write collaboratively to compose and discuss arguments
(write arounds, chalk talk).
RST.6-8.1, 6, 8, 9, WHST.6-8.1, SL.6-8.1,3
Read and write to critique and communicate scientific arguments.
Teaching Tips:• Support reading and writing with discussion.• Differentiate between ‘persuasion’ and scientific argumentation.
• Explain nature of science and role of argumentation.
Engage in evidence-based discourse to build knowledge within a scientific learning community.
• Position-driven discussion (for example, Socratic seminar, grand conversations)
• Academic Controversy protocol to develop evidence-based arguments and discourse.
• See other discussion protocols in Goal One.
Teaching Tips:• Use talk moves.• Build culture and climate for productive discourse.• Create routines.
SL.6-8.1-6
Your Challenge• Include a minimum of 3 aspects of disciplinary literacy in your unit. Describe them in the section you write down the CCSS you aligned to your unit.
Summary Table (Unit 5 Step 5) 8m 30s