Full S.T.2R.E.A.M. Ahead
With CLR
Manu Platt - biomedical engineer
Emory University - reducing the
incidence of pediatric stroke in
children with sickle cell disease
The brain is without doubt our most fascinating
organ. Parents, educators, and society as
a whole have a tremendous power to shape
the wrinkly universe inside each child's
head, and with it, the kind of person he or
she will turn out to be. We owe it to our
children to help them grow the best brains
possible.
What is Going in There?
-- Lise Eliot
Teachers
Teaching is
… the most exhausting profession.
What Teachers Are Required to Know Today - 7
• One researcher estimated that teachers
and administrators rank 2nd only to
air-traffic controllers in the total
number of decisions they must make
during their typical workday.
• Teaching and school administration are
physically, emotionally, and
intellectually demanding work.
The illiterates of the future are not
those who cannot read or write,
but those who cannot
learn, un-learn, and re-learn.
--Alvin Toffler
When it Comes to Learning
Only the Gray Matter Matters

Our students come in a variety of colors, but all
brains are basically gray. It is only the
gray matter that truly matters in
learning and neuroscience.

Boosting achievement and maximizing student
potential hinges on educators developing a
respectable knowledge reservoir for teaching
with only the brain in mind.
Change the Narrative
Our best efforts in teaching requires a shift
from…
“What am I supposed to teach?”
to
“How do my students learn?”
If It’s Your Job To Develop the Mind,
Shouldn’t You Know How the Brain Works?
It has been said that the next great journey for humankind will not take place
in outer space, but in the inner space of the human brain. Educators should
cultivate a working knowledge of the processes operating within the cerebral
"inner space" of the biological mind.
Brain-considerate Learning: PERC3S
There are five BC elements that the human brain seeks while
processing incoming stimuli for personal “meaning,” which
makes the information “memorable” and worth remembering.
(1) Patterns (derivatives of experience)
(2) Emotions
(3) Relevance
(4) Context, Content, and Cognitively-appropriate
(5) Sense-making → Problem-solving
Patterns, emotions, relevance, context, content and sense-making are
critical factors in driving (1) attention, (2) motivation, (3) learning,
(4) memory formation, and (5) recall. Collectively, these 5 factors are
the primary criteria for transfer into long-term memory storage.
Making Connections
Most of what one knows is domain-specific
(patterns, concepts, or connected
categories) and task-specific and
organized into structures known as
schemas.”
-- (Pellegrino, et al.)
Fill in the Blanks
The questions that p______ face as they raise
ch______ from in______to adult life are not easy
to an______. Both fa______ and m______ can
become concerned when health problems such
as co______ arise any time after the e______
stage to later life. Experts recommend that
young ch______ should have plenty of s______
and nutritious food for healthy growth. B______
and g______ should not share the same b______
or even sleep in the same r______. They may be
afraid of the d______.
Fill in the Blanks
The questions that poultrymen face as they raise
chickens from incubation to adult life are not
easy to answer. Both farmer and merchants can
become concerned when health problems such
as coccidiosis arise any time after the egg stage
to later life. Experts recommend that young
chicks should have plenty of sunshine and
nutritious food for healthy growth. Banties and
geese should not share the same barnyard or
even sleep in the same roost. They may be
afraid of the dark.
"Open Architecture"
Author Joseph Epstein said, "We are what we read."
Neuroscientists would modify that statement to
say that “We are what we experience.”
The human brain is the only organ that depends on
experience to determine its development (how,
where, when and if it develops and when it
stops.)
Development is Never Guaranteed
Development is environmentally-dependent.
No land = No frog
Sensitive period - tadpoles slow down the process of
metamorphosis = if there are no signs of nearby land.
When it comes to the brain, as Wadsworth wrote, the
child is the father to the man.
How the Brain Learns:
An Astonishing Error
1. A Visual brain
2. A Pattern-seeking Brain
3. An emotional brain (as well
as a biological brain)
Emotions, Attention and the Brain
• Emotions → attention → learning →
memory
• It is neurologically impossible to learn and
remember information to which the
brain has not paid attention.
• Our attention is (personally) “selective”
because our emotions determine what
we attend to.
In a University of California, Berkeley
study, high school yearbook photos of
graduating seniors were carefully
analyzed in a 30 year long longitudinal
study ranking those graduates’ smiles
by size. They look for correlation
between success in life, personal and
emotional well-being, and the size of
their smile in their yearbook photos.
Researchers were able to predict how
long their lives would be, how long
their marriage would be, there are
scores on standardized tests of “wellbeing,” and how inspiring they would
be to others, based on the size of their
yearbook smile.
Students may forget what you
said, but they will never forget
how you made them feel.
-- Carl W. Buechner
Be a visionary and a
Dream-maker
Susan Boyle
Our Mission is Bigger
than “Content”
One of the most
important things a
teacher can do is to
send a student home
in the afternoon liking
himself just a little bit
better than when he
came in the morning.
– – Ernest Melby
Emotions and Learning
1. Students find that what they care about
becomes the easiest to learn.
2. Students don’t care what you know, until they
know that you care. (You can pay people to
teach, but you can’t pay them to care.)
3. “Students learn as much for a teacher
as they do from a teacher.”
Linda Darling-Hammond
Stanford University
Emotional Intelligence in Education
Learning requires effort, and one of the best predictor's of
students’ effort and engagement in school is the
relationships that they have with their teachers
(Osterman, 2000.)
Students function more effectively when they feel
respected and valued and function poorly when
they feel disrespected or marginalized (National
Research Council, 2004)
The 4th “R”
• High-quality interactions with students
→ high-quality relationships with
students
(“My students don’t listen.” We can’t
attentively listen to people who we
consciously do not like.)
Emotions Can Become a
Catalyst or an Obstacle to Learning
Afraid to “fail”
“Failure is not an Option”
Failure is nearly always a prerequisite
for future learning and success in
science. Most initial learning
occurs via trial-and-error.
Performance avoidance
(and “idea aversion”)
How can we become effective creative schools, if we
penalize students for making errors?
Headline:
“Pres. Obama Snubbed”
Cognitive Rehearsals
(→ consolidation)
When playing with objects, learners are simultaneously
manipulating/playing with ideas (internal dialogues
attach words and meaning to actions – the “mind’s
eye”) building the brain’s fundamental circuitry
Exploring and experimenting involve examining
relationships, interactions and systems,
where learners formulate their own
personal “theories” (mental constructs)
Thinking is a cognitive rehearsal for discourse
Discourse is a cognitive rehearsal for writing
(phonological loop or “inner voice”)
Cognitive Rehearsals
“You can't make the words or ideas
come out of your pencil,
until you can get them
to come out of your mouth.”
-- CO Master Teacher Eileen Patrick
Cognitive Rehearsals
Playing with objects and ideas, exploring and
experimenting, thinking, talking, and writing
become cognitive rehearsals (background
knowledge) for reading.
Writing and reading clarify one’s thoughts,
generate coherent thinking, and cultivate
precision in expressing one’s inner thoughts
(→ LT/P memory consolidation)
Discourse and writing become cognitive
rehearsals for assessment
Source: Kenneth Wesson (2011). Education for the Real World: six great ideas for parents and teachers.
Brain World, Issue 2, Volume 2.
The Emotional Brain: S.A.I.L.
The environmental preconditions that should be experienced by
students prior to initiating formal instruction include...
S afety
A cceptance
I nclusion, interactions and involvement
(interpersonal/social aspect of memory formation)
After satisfying these prerequisite neurophysiological and
hierarchical conditions, students are biologically ready for
L earning (students feel their immediate environment is secure
enough for them to take risks, explore and discover).
Source: Kenneth Wesson (2011). Education for the Real World; Six great ideas for parents and educators. Brain World, Issue 2, Volume
II Winter 2011.
“How does the human brain
learn language best?”
The brain moves best from meaning-to-print,
rather than from print-to-meaning
1st hand
2nd hand
3rd hand
APPLE
CONCRETE
Visual
representation (VST)
SYMBOLIC/
ABSTRACT
most difficult means of learning
for the developing brain
The Neural Foundation for Concept Development
“Brain-building” experiences
If I Can…
Then I am Able To…
1. Experience it first-hand
(“Hands-on, minds-on, heart’s-in”
“Wow! experiences)
Discuss it orally
2. Discuss it orally
Understand what others mean, when they
talk about it
3. Understand when I discuss it
and when and others discuss it
Communicate it in written form
4. Communicate it in written form
Read my own writing
5. Do it, see it, discuss it, hear
about it and write about it
Explain it to others coherently/intelligently
6. Explain it to others
Ready to read other’s writing
7. Understand the writings of
others on the subject
Begin reading (the writing of others) within
general content area
Excerpted from Memory and the Brain: How Teaching Leads to Learning. Wesson, K. The Independent School, Volume 63, Spring 2002
3 Keys to Understanding Your Brain
1. PERC3S: A pattern-seeking biological and
emotional brain that is driven by chemistry
2. Language = #1 distinction of the human brain.
The power of words - to think
3. The power of visualization – “picture it”
(visualizing ideas & aspects of language)
What is
STEM/STEAM/S.T.2R.E.A.M.?
Interdisciplinarity
Good thinking is a matter of making
connections, and knowing what kinds
of connections to make.
---David Perkins
S.T2.R.E.A.M.
Science
Reading/Language Arts
(Standards)
Reading, writing, discourse,
argumentation, vocabulary development,
comprehension, journals, note-booking,
lab reports, summaries, oral
presentations, recording interpreting and
critiquing data and information
Technology
Visual Literacy
Engineering
Mathematics
Art
Drawing/diagramming, visual spatial
thinking, imagery, inferential
thinking, 2/3-dimensional modeling,
symbolic models, interpreting visual
evidence, visual representations illustrations, charts, etc.
Convergent/Integrative STEM T’ & L’
Learning: When “More” Becomes “Less”
Question: “What did you learn in
school today?”
Response: “Nothing.”
Why???
Learning: When “More” Becomes “Less”
•
Enrichment studies: Examine the effects of enrichment or
deprivation on brain development, neurogenesis, neuronal
growth and synaptogenesis.
•
While neurons generally grew in size, measures of
(a) increased dendritic density
(b) increases in the number of glial cells
(c) myelination of the axons
(d) changes in brain weight and overall brain volume
•
No toys or playmates  all growth measures (impoverished)
•
Playmates + a change of toys every other day  (Enriched
environments)
•
Changing toys every hour: → similar  neural connections in
brain growth and development (your school day??)
Brain-sight:
Seeing With the Mind’s Eye
Why aren’t we spending
more instructional time on
drawing,
abstract thinking
and visualization?
Learning is Cumulative: Complexity
The greater the flow of water across
Earth’s surface, the greater the
rate of erosion and deposition.
(This issue of Science and Children received the 2011 Distinguished Achievement Award
recognizing it as the Best “One-Theme Issue” for an American Educational Journal in 2011)
Language in the Brain
Meeting the Academic Goals of ELL’s
• How do students make the transition from
his/her Native Language (NL) to the Target
Language (TL)?
• Three linguistic systems involved: NL, TL and
IL.
• Interlanguage - psycholinguistic process (or
system) used by second and foreign
language learners who are in the process of
learning a new TL.
• Academic vocabulary knowledge is one of the
single most important factors contributing to
comprehension.
• Students need to add approximately 2000-3500
word meanings to their reading vocabulary a
year.
Source: National Reading Panel. 2002
The English Language
• English is built on a foundation of 44/45 speech sounds
represented by 26 letters → used to spell more than 1
million words in today’s English lexicon.
• English imports words from other languages further
expanding the volume of English words.
• The English language is robust and also precise → best
language for expression of specificity, disciplinary
language and technical writing (Lingua franca – WWW).
• The average adult “owns” between 40,000 - 60,000 words in
his/her working vocabulary (expressive/receptive
vocabularies – speaking, writing, listening and
reading). A highly educated individual – over 200K
words in his/her expressive/receptive vocabularies.
The Achievement Gap
• Vocabulary = proxy for knowledge. Achievement
gaps are knowledge gaps primarily sponsored
by ever-expanding vocabulary gaps.
• A highly developed vocabulary facilitates precision,
not just in speaking, but in thinking.
• Lack of vocabulary can be a crucial factor
underlying the school failure of disadvantaged
students (Becker, 1977; Biemiller, 1999).
Vocabulary Development
4,000 – 8,000 words when entering elementary school
40,000 avg. when they exit high school
36,000 word difference
For 13 school grades (K-12) = 2,769 words/year
178 days for 2,769 = 16 words/school day
4K- 8,000 words when entering elementary school
87,000 exposed to/should have mastered upon exiting HS
79,000 word difference
For 13 school grades (K-12) = 6,076 words/year
178 days for 6,076 = 34 words/school day
How Children Learn Vocabulary
Word/Meaning
• Words are used to think. The more words we
know, the finer our understanding of the world.
-- Stahl, 1999
Words are also used to process incoming information, to
understand and evaluate other’s ideas, and to
understand still other words (“this is similar to ___)
• The Power of Words
Vocabulary Research
• Children with weaker vocabularies
are less likely to learn new words
from incidental exposure than
children with larger vocabularies.
(Nicholson & Whyte, 1992; Penno et al., 2002; Robbins & Ehri, 1994)
Vocabulary Development
• Poverty can seriously restrict the vocabulary that
children bring to school and it makes attaining an
adequate vocabulary quite challenging task
(Coyne, Simmons, & Kame'enui, 2004; Hart & Risley, 1995).
• Less advantaged students are likely to have substantially
smaller vocabularies than their more advantaged
classmates (Templin, 1957; White, Graves, & Slater, 1990).
• Lack of vocabulary can be a crucial factor underlying the
school failure of disadvantaged students (Becker, 1977;
Biemiller, 1999).
• By age 4, the average accumulated experience with
words for children from
 professional families = approx. 45M words
 working-class families = 26M words
 welfare families = only 13M words.
(Hart & Risley, 2003)
• Kindergarteners in lowest 25% for vocabulary
development are 3 grades behind by Grade Six.
• Arizona Prisons estimate their projected jail beds based
on 3rd Grade reading failures.
Question:
How do you teach vocabulary best?
Answer: In context
Full answer: In the context of doing
(not in the context of reading).
Inquiry: Making Observations
• What do you predict will occur when we
place two magnets near one another?
• Try it.
The Science of Learning
Instead of saying:
Use MINDFUL LANGUAGE by saying:
“Let’s look at these two pictures.”
“Let’s COMPARE these two pictures.”
“What do you think will happen when…?” “What do you PREDICT will happen when…?”
“How can you put those into groups?”
“How can you CLASSIFY…?”
“Let’s work this problem.”
“Let’s ANALYZE this problem.”
“What do you think would have happened “What do you SPECULATE would have happened if…?”
if…?
“What did you think of this story?”
“What CONCLUSIONS can you draw about this story?”
“How can you explain……?”
“What HYPOTHESES do you have that might explain...?”
“How do you know that’s true?”
“What EVIDENCE do you have to support…….?”
“How else could you use this…..?
“How could you APPLY this ……..?”
Active learning experiences:
“Give them something to talk about."
Practice using the discipline-related
terminology and the target vocabulary
words, while engaged in personally
defining the concept. Students share
and describe what they are thinking,
doing, seeing, while they are in the
process of learning.
Take an Apple
•
•
•
•
•
•
Touch it
Feel it
Hold it
Smell it
Cut it
Taste it
Word Wall: Describe the Apple
Red
Smooth
Sweet
Moist
Wet (inside)
Rounded
Brown stem
Pointy
Yellowish
Some spots
Cold
Juicy
Rough on outside
White inside
crunchy
turning brown
inside
shiny
waxy
hard
Plump
Speckled
Creamy pulp
Solid
Tart
Dark
Reflective
Chartreuse
Divot at stem
Divot at base
Internal green spots
Tangy smell
Leafy smell
Quiet/silent
Stationary
Sour
Bruised
Almond-shaped seeds
Tasty
Small
Blush
Height – 6 cm
Diameter – 7 cm
Base --3 cm
Leathery skin Ringed
Freckled
Fresh
Dry – externally
Satisfying smell
Rolls
Green
Delicious
Fibrous
Crunchy
Nutritious
Tart
Describe the Apple in this Picture
Word Wall: Describing the Apple
Red
Smooth X
Sweet X
Moist X
Wet (inside) X
Rounded
Brown stem
Pointy
Yellowish inside X
Some spots X
Cold X
Juicy X
Rough on outside X
White inside X
Crunchy X
Turning brown X
inside
Shiny
Waxy X
Hard X
Plump
Speckled X
Creamy pulp X
Solid X
Tart X
Dark
Reflective
Chartreuse
Divot at stem X
Divot at base X
Internal green spots X
Tangy smell X
Leafy smell X
Quiet/silent X
Stationary X
Sour X
Bruised X
Almond-shaped seeds X
Tasty X
Small X
Blush X
Height – 6 cm X
Diameter – 7 cm X
Base --3 cm X
Leathery skin X
Ringed X
Freckled X
Fresh X
Dry – externally X
Pleasant smell inside X
Rolls X
Green
Delicious X
Fibrous X
Crunchy X
Nutritious X
Tart X
What does reading this word tell a young learner,
if he’s never experienced an apple?
Apple
The Word: Eliminate the Following
Red X
Smooth X
Sweet X
Moist X
Wet (inside) X
Rounded X
Brown stem X
Pointy X
Yellowish X
Some spots X
Cold X
Juicy X
Rough on outside X
White inside X
Crunchy X
Turning brown X
Shiny X
Waxy X
Hard X
Plump X
Speckled X
Creamy pulp X
Solid X
Tart X
Dark X
Reflective X
Chartreuse X
Divot at stem X
Divot at base X
Internal green spots X
Tangy smell X
Leafy smell X
Quiet/silent X
Stationary X
Sour X
Bruised X
Almond-shaped seeds X
Tasty X
Small X
Blush X
Height – 6 cm X
Diameter – 7 cm X
Base --3 cm X
Leathery skin X
Ringed X
Freckled X
Fresh X
Dry – externally X
Pleasant smell inside X
Rolls X
Green X
Delicious X
Fibrous X
Crunchy X
Nutritious X
Tart X
Is “Vocabulary in Context” the Solution?
• Of 100 unfamiliar words that a student might encounter
in reading, between 5 -15 of them will be learned
(Nagy, Herman and Anderson)
• Unfamiliar words need multiple exposures, multiple
modes of learning, and multiple contexts. Students
who need vocabulary development most do not
engage in wide reading.
"The Builder And The Engineer"
Designing an
“LA-ELL – 15”
Handheld 1 PB
Digital Computer
Decimal
Value
Metric
1000
10002
10003
kB
MB
GB
kilobyte
megabyte
gigabyte
10004
10005
10006
TB
PB
EB
terabyte
petabyte
exabyte
10007
10008
ZB
YB
zettabyte
yottabyte
LAUSD Technologies:
New Handheld 1PB Digital Computer
• 10+
components
• 15+
connections
• Name the
components
• Describe their
placement
• 5 mins to
design
• 10 mins to
communicate
Communicating: An engineer explains
his/her design of a circuit board
1. Sit across from and facing 3-4 of your colleagues,
with a folder standing upright to shield your work.
2. You will receive similar materials. One team will be
the computer engineers. The other will be the
builders at the manufacturing site.
3. The computer engineers will design and build a
circuit board for the 2013 model of the “LA-ELL –
15” Handheld 1PB Digital Computer 1.0
behind their folder. Do not allow your counterparts (the builders/engineers) to see your design
on your graph paper.
Blue = buluu
Red = ekundu
Yellow = njano
Thick = nene
Thin = nyembamb
Small = ndogo
Large = kubwa
Square = mraba
Circle = mzunguko
Triangle = pembe tatu
Rectangle = Mstatili
Hexagon = pembe sita
Communicating: An engineer explains
his/her design of a circuit board
4. Next, have the builders’ attempt to build an exact
replica of the engineers’ circuit board by only
following the engineers’ verbal directions. The
builders cannot ask questions and cannot look
behind the engineers’ folder. The engineers
cannot look behind the builders’ folder or offer
suggestions.
5. When finished, compare the circuit boards. How well
did the engineers communicate to the builders?
(How well did the builder follow the verbal
directions?)
Communicating: An engineer explains
his/her design of a circuit board
6. Why is communication so important in science,
medicine and engineering?
7. What margin of error (%) will render your circuit board
inaccurate and/or non-functional? What could
be some of the easily anticipated consequences?
8. In science, aerospace, pharmacy or medicine, what %
of error is acceptable to you? 50%? 20%? 10%?
Or zero?
9. Linguistic precision and mathematical accuracy are
not optional.
Goodwill Engineering
Garage sales, Thrift shops, Goodwill, basements, etc.
1. Remove two parts and reassemble.
2. Remove four parts and reassemble.
3. Remove six parts and reassemble (reverse engineering)
4. Diagram the interior
5. Begin writing assembly instructions (engineer)
6. Remove two more parts and reassemble.
7. Draw the complete interior
8. Complete assembly instructions
9. Test to see if the object is (still) operational
Reading comprehension goes from the learner
to the page not from page → learner
What the learner already knows
determines text comprehension.
Language Learning: Academic English
Academic English
• Found in school contexts – books, texts, articles,
research, and lectures
• The language of prestige and power in the U.S. that
allows one to become academically successful →
occupationally successful.
• Vital for careers, business, and commerce where
academic language is the “local language” of choice
• Precise language - richly descriptive formal language
• The language found in all formal assessments.
• One cannot be successful in academic settings without
mastering academic English (↓AE → ↑dropout)
Excepted from Dr. Robin Scarcella, UC Irvine
Language Learning: Informal language
The language that students engage in most…
• Informal language
• Everyday language
• Survival English (takes one only as far as 3rd grade
content requirements)
• Social language:
• It is the imprecise, grammatically incorrect, casual
language (including slang) heavily laden with
pronoun references (it, then, he, etc.)
Language Learning
• We typically acquire informal language first, followed
by academic language development where we go
from highly imprecise language to deploying
linguistic precision with a variety of refined words
accompanied by sophisticated transitions
(“however,” “moreover,” “in addition to”) similar
to moving downward in a funnel.
• Conversational skills are developed in the context of
engaging activities where they can introduce
academic language skills, including vocabulary
across the academic disciplines, and grammatical
structures.
A GERIATOSE HUMANUS FEMALE PROCEEDED
TO A STORAGE COMPARTMENT FOR THE
PURPOSE OF PROCURING A FRAGMENT OF
OSSEOUS TISSUE FROM AN UNIDENTIFIED
DECEASED SPECIMEN TO TRANSFER TO AN
INDIGENT CARNIVOROUS DOMESTICATED
MAMMAL CANIS FAMILIARIS FAMILY CANIDAE.
UPON ARRIVAL AT HER DESTINATION SHE
FOUND THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT IN A
DENUDED CONDITION WITH THE IMPENDING
CONSEQUENCE THAT THE INDIGENT
CARNIVORE WAS DEPRIVED OF THE INTENDED
DONATION.
Language Learning
• Academic language requires systematic instruction,
(“taught, not caught”) while everyday language
requires no instruction at all.
• Students frequently acquire a new language based on
the individuals with whom they associate. “Firstlanguage isolation” is often one of the greatest
obstacles to progress in English language
learning.
• One of our key goals is to teach students how to use
vocabulary in the production of academic
language (speaking and writing)
Semantic Map: Magnetism
Magnet
Create a Concept Map: Magnetism
“Kiss”
Has a
hole
tough
Donutshaped
round
Stick
together
Pull
together
attract
repel
Push
away
Push up
lift
Magnet
earth
hard
black
cold
Points
north
force
Found in
motors
Mag-Lev
trains
Characteristics
Other
attributes
What they do
Graphic Organizers
Students are taught to construct or complete a
“diagram or pictorial device that displays
relationships.” The main effect of graphic
organizers appears to be on the
improvement of the reader’s memory for the
content that has been read.
(Harris & Hodges, 1995)
Use 2 of These Words in One Sentence
Magnetism
force
Attraction
iron
Material
interact
repulsion
Poles
Repel
magnetic field
Telegraph
Iron
10-80-10 Connections
NAEP: National Assessment of
Educational Progress
Article on arthropods molting
(Highlights Magazine))
Three-Tier Model for Vocabulary
Developed by Isabel Beck
Tier 3
Tier 2
Tier 1
Low-frequency words; Technical and
science
content area words
Words to Teach: high frequency,
high utility sophisticated/academic
Known, common words
exo= external
Insects, crustaceans
arachnids. Why might
an exoskeleton be
beneficial to them?
Name some?
An invertebrate
animal with an
exoskeleton
arthropod
…seen a
lobster before?
Key characteristic =
Segmented bodies &
jointed limbs
See them here?
Heard “arthro-”
before?
= joint
…seen a
crab?
arthritis
exo= external
Insects, crustaceans
arachnids. Why
might an exoskeleton
be beneficial to them?
Name some?
Growth words
(new) in Green
An invertebrate
animal with an
exoskeleton
arthropod
…seen a
lobster before?
Key characteristic =
Segmented bodies &
jointed limbs
See them here?
Heard “arthro-”
before?
= joint
…seen a
crab?
arthritis
It is easier to learn new words if
you know other related words.
Greek Word Origins
tele- = far
micro- = small
-scope = to look, watch or see
-phone = sound
telephone, permits far-away sound to be heard
telescope, permits far away objects to be seen
microphone, permits small sounds to be heard
microscope, permits small objects to be seen
Ours is a Morphophonemic Language
Morphology promotes the use one's knowledge of word
parts and structures to extract meaning from new
vocabulary words.
• Breaking down and examining word parts. Teach:
• Greek (bio-, hydro-, ) and Latin (aqua-, luna-) roots
prefixes, suffixes, base words
• Words and their antonyms (contrast are easier to
remember than synonyms)
• Focus on word associations-connections, rather than
definitions to memorize. Any definition (meaning)
should arises out of experiences in context.
Making Sense of Science Vocabulary
Greek/Latin Language Bases
1. Word roots – provide the core meaning of any word
2. Prefixes – found at the beginning of a word
3. Suffixes – appearing at the end of the word
Word Roots
Aqua
Aster, astro
Bio
Geo
Graph
Helio
Hydro
Litho
Luna
Morph
Photo
Sphere
Terra
Definition
water
star
life
earth
to write
sun
water
rock
moon
form
light
round, global
earth, land mass
As In…
aquatic
Astronomy
biological
geology
telegraph
heliocentric
hydrocarbon
lithosphere
lunar
metamorphosis
photon, photographic
atmosphere
terrestrial
Greek/Latin Language Bases
Prefixes - at the beginning of a word
Prefixes
AntiEndoExoHemiHeteroHomoHyperHypoIsoMegaMetaMicroPolySemiSubTeleUni-, Bi- tri-
Definition
against
inside, interior
outside, exterior
half
different
the same
over, too much
under, too little
equal
large
change
tiny, small
many
half
under
distant, far away
1, 2, 3
As In…
antibiotic
endoskeleton
exoskeleton
left hemisphere
heterogeneous
homogenous
hyperventilate
hypodermic needle
isometric
megabyte
metamorphosis
microscopic
polymorph
semicircle
subcutaneous
telescopic
bilateral incision
Greek/Latin Language Bases
Suffixes - at the end of the word
Suffixes
-able, ible
-gram
-graph
-ic
-ism
-ist
-ive
-ize
-less
-logy
-meter
-oid
Definition
capable of
a record of
written or drawn
related to
theory of, state of
one who does or is
verbs  adjectives
noun  verbs
without
study of
measure
similar to
As In…
inedible
sonogram
electroencephalograph
hemispheric
magnetism
botanist
psychoactive
hypothesize
odorless
neurology
thermometer
asteroid
Patterns: Understanding/Remembering Medical Terms
All medical terms must make sense.
Sciencemaster.com
Verbs →
Nouns
-algia
(pain)
-centesis
(puncture)
-ectomy
(removal)
-tomy
(incision)
-itis
(inflamation)
-plasty
(surgical
repair)
-megaly
(enlargement)
-sclerosis
(hardening)
angiotomy
angitis
angioplasty
angiomegaly
angiosclerosis
↓
Angio(vessel)
--
Craino(skull)
--
Cardio(heart)
Derma(skin)
angiocentesis
-craniocentesis
(hemispherrectomy)
craniotomy
-cranioplasty
craniosclerosis
-cardialgia
cardiocentesis
--
cardiotomy
gastria
Neuro(nerve)
neuralgia
Osteo(bone)
ostealgia
cardioplasty
-dermacentesis
Gastro(stomach)
carditis
megalocardia
-(incision)
dermatitis
dermaplasty
sclerderma
gastritis
gastroplasty
gastromegaly
--
--
-gastrocentesis
gastrectomy
--
--
cardiosclerosis
--
-neuritis
multiple
sclerosis
-osteocentesis
osteotomy
osteoarthritis
ostoplasty
osteomegaly
osteosclerosis
Scientific Root Words: Prefixes and Suffixes
Vocabulary Development
• During repeated exposures, learning is greatly
enhanced if students interact with vocabulary in a
variety of ways -- (Beck, McKeown, and Kucan,
2002).
• Students should be involved in linguistic and
nonlinguistic representations, drawing
pictures, discourse, "playing" with words,
identifying similarities and differences, identifying
similarities and differences, including comparing,
classifying, creating metaphors and analogies…
• Oxygen is to humans as _______________ is
to____________________
Two-Word Rhyming Descriptions
Where do West Virginia hobbyists shop?
Hobby Lobby
What do you call a stout spouse?
Chubby hubby
Playing with 2-Word Rhyming Descriptions
1. A distant celestial object – far star
far-star
2. Appellation → a mistaken identity
same name
3. Residence in Italy's capital
Rome home
4. Stilted response to a joke
half laugh
5. Base-runner missing home-plate
wide slide
6. A fast-moving baseball bat
Quick stick
7. Brevity in poetry
terse verse
8. Just an average dessert
fair éclair
9. A hostile alumnus
a mad grad
10. 24 hours of fun
play day
Vocabulary
If you attend a lecture on a topic with which are not
well acquainted, your vocabulary will serve as
the primary determinant of
● how much
● “what” specifically, and
● “if” you will understand the lecture at all.
Each familiar word brings you closer to comprehending the idea(s) under discussion. The
corollary: Each unfamiliar word you hear makes
the overall content more elusive.
Je voudrais vous inviter à dîner ce soir.
Indicate whether you think the word is or is not a legitimate
English word. For “yes” responses, provide definitions.
Yes
1. ○
2. ○
3. ○
4. ○
5. ○
6. ○
7. ○
8. ○
9. ○
10. ○
11. ○
12. ○
13. ○
14. ○
15. ○
No
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
achene
besom
bolus
borborygmus
fontanel
contrail
caruncula
gnomon
interrobang
moonbow
purlique
sphygmomanometer
terminator
vibrissae
zucchetto
Discipline
Science
Literature
Science
Science
Science
Science
Science
Science
E/LA
Science
Science
Science
Science
Science
Literature
zucchetto
Word
achene
besom
bolus
borborygmus
fontanel
contrail
caruncula
gnomon
interrobang
moonbow
purlique
sphygmomanometer
terminator
vibrissae
15 Words You Should Know
(“Known Unknowns” – D.R.)
1. achene – tiny yellow seed (200) in a strawberry’s skin (exterior)
2. besom (beez-om) – the archetypal witch’s broomstick (a long
cluster of twigs and a long wooden stick)
3. bolus – the round lump of soft, soggy grounded food in your
mouth that is ready for swallowing
4. borborygmus (bor-buh-rig-mus) - rumbling, gurgling, growling
sounds made by the stomach when one is hungry
5. fontanel - the patch of soft membrane on the baby's head, which
has not yet developed into bone (if you look closely, you can see
it pulsating)
6. contrail - the long, thin trail left behind a plane when it is flying
high enough for the cold to turn the exhaust vapor into ice
crystals (full name: condensation trail)
7. caruncula - a small, pink protuberance at the inside corner of the
eye
…rub your Caruncula too long?
8. gnomon (know-mon)- the triangular-shaped part of the sundial
that casts a shadow, the position of which shows the time
9. interrobang - the English punctuation mark that combines an
interrogative point and an exclamation mark ("You did what?!"
"You're having a baby?!")
10. moonbow - the rings around the moon that constitute the
nocturnal equivalent of a rainbow
11. purlique - the measure of distance marked by an extension of the
index finger and the thumb
12. sphygmomanometer - the device used for measuring blood
pressure
13. terminator - the line that divides the dark and light parts of the
moon
14. vibrissae - the coarse hairs inside your nostrils that serve to keep
large particles from entering the nasal passages
15. zucchetto - a small skull cap worn by clergy members of the
Roman Catholic Church
Cognates
Cognates: Words that have similar spellings, pronunciations, and
meanings across two or more languages. CLD (Culturally
and Linguistically Diverse) learners and ELL use their
native language to learn new English words.
When students recognize their own words as cognates, they can
access unfamiliar English words faster and understand
them better when reading (Latin-based languages, such as
Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.)
English
Monday
Tuesday
Spanish
Lunes
Martes
Planet Name
Moon
Mars
Wednesday
Miercoles
Thursday
Jueves
Jupiter
Friday
Viernes
Venus
Saturday
Sabado
Saturn
Sunday
Domingo
Sun (sol)
Mercury
English-Spanish Cognates
In English
In Spanish
invent
inventar
recycled
reciclado
liquid
luquid
ocean
océano
humid
húmedo
condensation
condensación
precipitation
precipitación
Cognates
…Cognates (words that have a similar spelling, pronunciation, and
meaning across languages) in content-area texts
English Language Learners (ELLs) have labels in their native language for
many aspects of the physical and social world. These labels are deep and
rich—they just aren’t the English labels for the words.
Argument from Evidence
“One characteristic of high-performing
schools is an emphasis on teaching
non-fiction writing.”
(Reeves, D.B. (2003). High Performance in High Poverty Schools: 90/90/90 and
Beyond. Center for Performance Assessment. Denver, Colorado)
Interdisciplinary and Specialized Fields
• Tissue engineering
• Nano-engineering
• Nuclear engineering
• Petroleum engineering
• Social engineering
• Audio engineering
• Forensic engineering
• Materials engineering
How the brain learns language
…a secret about
“Phonics”
Preschool → K → primary grades → upper elementary →
middle school = 9-10 years
Today’s Reading List
colorectal
adenocarcinoma
diverticulitis
Australopithecus
microscopy
deoxyribonucleic
phenothiazine
diencephalon
epithelium
hypochondriasis
neurosarcoidosis
diatomaceous
Pachyrhinosaurus
amniocentesis
Panoplosaurus
Dimetrodon
Epacthosaurus
cholecystography
electroencephalograph
Homo neanderthalensis
phenylethylamine
phenylthicarbamide (PTC)
Phonics Instruction:
An obstacle to the reading connection?
National Reading Panel Study
Reading
Proficiency
Fluency
Phonemic
Awareness
Comprehension
Phonics
Vocabulary
In the Classroom: Reading vs. Learning
• “What did you learn from the reading?”
• “What do you remember from the reading?”
Grade for decoding: “A”
Grade for reading comprehension: “F”
“The Perfect Storm” for Teaching Decoding
In English:
• 26 letters of the English alphabet
• 44 phonemic sounds (spelled 400+ diff. ways)
• 220 commonly used sight words
• 600,000 words
• 6 written syllable spelling patterns
Today’s Reading List
colorectal
adenocarcinoma
diverticulitis
Australopithecus
microscopy
deoxyribonucleic
phenothiazine
diencephalon
epithelium
hypochondriasis
neurosarcoidosis
diatomaceous
Pachyrhinosaurus
amniocentesis
Panoplosaurus
Dimetrodon
Epacthosaurus
cholecystography
electroencephalograph
Homo neanderthalensis
phenylethylamine
phenylthicarbamide (PTC)
Reverse Direction Decoding
Dactyloscopy:
The practice of using fingerprints for personal identification
dak-tu-los'ku-pē
(-py)
(-copy)
(-loscopy)
(-tyloscopy)
dactyloscopy
=
=
=
=
=
pē
ku-pē
los'ku-pē
tu-los'ku-pē
dak-tu-los'ku-pē
Colorectal
adenocarcinoma
diverticulitis
australopithecus
microscopy
deoxyribonucleic
phenothiazine
Co-lo-rec-tal
-
A-de-no-car-ci-no-ma
Di-ver-tic-u-li-tis
Aus-tra-lo-pith-e-cus
Mi-cros-co-py
De-ox-y-ri-bo-nu-cle-ic
Phe-no-thi-a-zine
Diatomaceous = Di-a-tom-a-ceous
“Typoglycemia”
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy,
it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod
are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat
ltteer is in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl
mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.
Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it
slef but the wrod as a wlohe.
How Reverse Direction Decoding Works
“In fact, the automaticity with which skillful
readers recognize words is the key to the
whole system…The reader’s attention can
be focused on the meaning and message of
a text only to the extent that it’s free from
fussing with the words and letters.”
--Marilyn Adams
Science just
got easier!
Each year, new findings in cognitive psychology
and neuroscience will be infused into teacher
preparation, curriculum, instruction, student
assessment, and the classroom environment.
The works of Howard Gardner (“Multiple
Intelligences”), Daniel Goleman (“Emotional
Intelligence”), Kenneth Wesson (“Brainconsiderate Learning”), and others have
already been influential in reshaping the
independent school classroom, while programs
like Mel Levine’s Schools Attuned are assisting
educators in using neurodevelopmental content
in their classrooms to create success at
learning and to provide hope and satisfaction
for all students.
Forecasting Independent Education to 2025
-- NAIS
“Reflect and Connect”
• What was the most valuable piece of information that
you learned this morning? What new question is
now on your mind?
• How did our conversation change your thinking?
• Write down two “I will” statements from this
experience. (What will you look at differently/do
differently in your school/district, program or
institution?)
Wesson - CCSS + NGSS = ST2REAM - 2013
AL (and all classes) Recommendations
• Dive deeply into LT learning experiences rather than
just overwhelmingly long blocks of text.
• Choose learning experiences/texts that offer a wealth of
opportunities for discourse, discussion, debate -opportunities to practice languaging.
• Use focus questions. They encourage students to
reflect on experiences and re-read text to find support
for their answers. Questions are the greatest tool in
your arsenal to prompt student thinking.
• Argument and evidence. Require students to provide
evidence as their conversation openers.
AL (and all classes) Recommendations
• Invite multiple perspectives. There’s no single “right”
answer nor only one means arriving there. Invite
multiple interpretations and add your own (modeling).
• Encourage students to use graphic organizers for
vocabulary and concepts. Have them orally explain the
components in their illustration.
• Have students write, write, write! It’s neurophysiologically impossible to write without thinking.
• Develop and deepen all student arguments. Send
students back to their notes or text for more evidence
by prompting them to expand on a classmate’s idea or
something else discovered from an external source.
AL (and all classes) Recommendations
• Slow down discourse and debate by stopping to get
more evidence.
•
Practice the pattern of debate/claims –evidence –
counterclaims.
•
Explore/examine AL words, “SAT words,” and
discipline-specific/context-specific words, which engage
students.
• Anticipate and correct verbal and conceptual
misunderstandings. If students offer misinterpretations,
prompt them to review their notes, go back to the text,
or explore alternative ideas with a group (never say
(“you’re wrong!”).
AL (and all classes) Recommendations
• Personalize discussions: TTT (turn, talk, take notes).
Represent ideas in a variety of ways (self-direct).
• Reflect, visualize and summarize.
• Record: “my thinking changed when I found out that...”
• Make learning engaging with game-like and challenging
activities to promote growth in AL. (Learning should be
fun → memorable.)
• Give students multiple sources of feedback (teacher,
partner, group or class).
• If your feedback is negative, couch it in a question or it
will not be construed as constructive.
LESSONS FROM THE GEESE
We live in an area where geese are very common. We
see them coming in the Fall and leaving in the early
Spring. Their migration is an awesome sight.
There is an interdependence in the way geese function.
FACT: As each bird flaps wings, it creates an uplift for
the bird following. By flying in the “V” formation,
the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range
than if each bird flew alone.
LESSON: People who share a common direction and
sense of community can get where they are going
quicker and easier, because they are traveling on
the thrust of one another.
FACT: Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it
suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to
fly alone. It quickly gets back into formation to
take advantage of the “lifting power” of the bird
immediately in front.
LESSON: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will
stay in formation with those who are headed
where we want to go.
FACT: When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back
into the formation and another goose flies at the
point position
LESSON: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and
sharing leadership -- people, as with geese, are
interdependent with each other.
FACT: The geese in formation honk from behind to
encourage those in front to keep up their speed.
LESSON: We need to make sure our “honking” from
behind is encouraging, and not something less
helpful.
FACT: When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down,
two geese drop out of formation to follow him
down to help and protect him. They stay with
him until he is able to fly again or dies. Then they
launch out with another formation or catch up
with their original flock.
LESSON: If we have as much sense as the geese, we
will stand by each other.
Contact Information:
Kenneth Wesson
(408) 323-1498 (office)
(408) 826-9595 (cell)
San Jose, CA
kenawesson@aol.com
sciencemaster.com