Integrating Literacy Into Inquiry-Based
Science Programs
(FOSS Emphasis)
A Quick Share
Jan Lanting
FOSS Consultant
17 years in the classroom
4 years as District Science
Coordinator
lantingj@thompson.k12.co.us
My Goals for You
See how the Learning Cycle E model is woven into
FOSS lessons/investigations
Understand how literacy strategies support FOSS
investigations
Strategies for observing and evaluating science
lessons in the elementary classroom
Thought Swap
Why integrate science and literacy in
your classroom?
Why integrate science and literacy?
Reading and writing best reside in a content area
Reading and writing are authentic to inquiry
science
Congested curriculum: finding time in the day for
science
Evidence of mutual benefit
Proven benefits for English as A Second Language
Learners
What’s the Best Way to
Learn About FOSS?
Experience it!
Life
Earth,
Physical,
Scientific Reasoning
and Technology
NSF
Funded
and research-based
Developmentally
appropriate
FOSS
Special
Education
Multi-sensory
Hands-on activities
Cooperatively grouped
Inquiry
Essential Features of Inquiry:
Learning Cycle E’s
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend/Elaborate
Evaluate
Engage
Piques their curiosity
Determines students’ prior knowledge
Stimulates their thinking
A Signature Activity
Magnetism and Electricity
Investigation 1:
The Force
Describe the Object
Things That Stick
Focus Question:
What can a magnet stick to
around your seat?
Literacy Strategies
KWL/ KWLH
Kit Inventory
Interactive Word Wall
Kit Inventory Basics
From Dr. Olga Amaral
Unpack the kit (literally), identify an object
Place a word card on the wall for the object
Add the kit object in a Ziploc baggie next to the word
card
Do this for each item in the kit
Take the object down when you need it
More How To’s
Predicting
Pull out one item at a time. Students
predict how the item might be used.
Classifying
Items are distributed.
Items are grouped by students into
categories.
Usage
Properties
Kit Inventory Process Questions
The teacher asks the following questions:
What is it?
Teacher or student look at an object from the
kit.
What is it used for?
Where have you seen this before?
Why is it in our science kit?
What does it feel, look, smell like?
Your Interactive Science Word Wall
Select words from each module that address the
big ideas.
Use the word bank to guide you.
Discuss the words with your students.
Write the words on tag board, strips of paper large
enough to see from the other side of the room.
Display on the word wall.
Add picture or object in baggie next to word.
leaf
Why Interactive Word Walls?
Facilitates notebook entries
Students have input
Includes scientific vocabulary
Includes kit vocabulary
leaves
water
Word Wall-ets
fish
worm
snail
isopod
Word Wall-ets
from Kellie Lauth and Tracy Tellinger, Adams 12
Use colored file folders for different subject areas.
Open the file folder. This is the student’s individual
word wall.
Use labels or strips of paper for words.
Find pictures or draw pictures that show the
meaning of the term.
Explore
Provide hands-on, concrete
experiences to formally construct a
concept, process or skill
Formulate a hypothesis, make a
prediction
Test hypothesis and gather data
Notebook Components
Focus questions/Problem/Purpose
Prediction
Planning
Data Collection/Observations
Claims & Evidence
Conclusion (line of learning)
Reflections ( I wonder…. Questions?)
Science Story
Explains how
magnets were
discovered
and named
FOSS: Science Stories
Magnetism and Electricity
Genre: Folk Tale
• Stories passed down orally from
generation to generation
• Early cultures made up stories to
explain natural phenomena
• Often had animals in the stories
Attract and Repel
Standard:
Develop an understanding of
the position and motion of
objects
Develop an understanding of
magnetism
Assessment:
Worksheet question
Shared Reading
“Magnificent Magnetic
Models”
FOSS: Science Stories
Magnetism and Electricity
“Magnus” vs.
“Magnificent Magnetic Models”
Standard:
Student will identify
similarities and
differences in two reading
selections.
Assessments:
T-Chart, Venn diagram
Teacher led discussion
Magnus
How
Magnets
Interact
Vocabulary/Word Bank
force
magnet
magnetism
attract
repel
Connections
Kit
Inventories
Interactive
Science Word
Walls
Vocabulary
Development
Your Interactive Science
Word Wall
Select words from each module that
address the big ideas.
Use the word bank to guide you.
Discuss the words with your students.
Write the words on tagboard, strips of
paper large enough to see from the other
side of the room.
Display on the word wall.
Add picture or object in baggie next to
word.
leaf
Why Interactive Word Walls?
Facilitates notebook entries
Students have input
Includes scientific vocabulary
Includes kit vocabulary
leaves
water
Kit Inventory Basics
From Dr. Olga Amaral
Unpack the kit (literally), identify an
object
Place a word card on the wall for the
object
Add the kit object in a ziplock baggie
next to the word card
Do this for each item in the kit
Take the object down when you need it
Kit Inventory Process Questions
The teacher asks the following
questions:
What is it?
Teacher or student look at an object
from the kit.
What is it used for?
Where have you seen this before?
Why is it in our science kit?
What does it feel, look, smell like?
More How To’s
Predicting
Pull out one item at a time. Students
predict how the item might be used.
Classifying
Items are distributed.
Items are grouped by students into
categories.
Use
Properties
Word Wall-ets
fish
worm
snail
isopod
Word Wall-ets from Kellie Lauth
and Tracy Tellinger, Adams 12
Use colored file folders for different
subject areas
Open the file folder. This is the student’s
individual word wall.
Use labels or strips of paper for words.
Find pictures or draw pictures that show
the meaning of the term.
Content/Inquiry
•Magnets stick to iron
•Two magnets can
attract and repel.
•A force is a push or a
pull.
During a FOSS Investigation
What was the role of the student?
What was the role of the teacher?
How did the teacher interact with the
students?
What was the source of the
information the students were
learning?
What thought processes/scientific
problem solving skills were the
students using?
Essential Features of Inquiry:
Learning Cycle E’s
Engage - Pique students’ curiosity, determines students’ prior
knowledge, invites students to express what they think and ask
questions.
Explore - Student or teacher designed experiences that enable
student to test questions and ides related to BIG IDEAS,
encourages student-to-student interactions.
Explain – Direct teaching of concepts through discussion, and
vocabulary lessons. Students read for information. Students
use common experiences and data to develop explanations.
Students express their learning in a variety of ways.
Extend/Elaborate - Students establish connections between new
and former experiences. Further experiments to support
learning may be provided.
Evaluate- Students apply what they have learned in new situations,
Investigation 1, Part 1
Engagement: Describe the Object Game
Explore: Things That Stick
Explore: Test Objects
Explore: Iron Detectors
Explore: Magnetic Interactions
Explain: Attract and Repel, Force
Elaborate: Science Stories, Math Problem of the
Week, FOSSweb: Kitchen Magnets
Evaluate: Teacher Observation, Assessment
Chart 1
Investigating More Magnetic
Properties
How do magnets interact with other
objects?
Does an iron object have to touch a
magnet to become a temporary
magnet?
Does magnetic force go through all
materials?
Investigation 2: Making
Connections
• Students find ways to
make simple circuits
Investigation 3:
•Students build series and
parallel circuits
Investigation 4: Current
Attractions
Building an electromagnet
Investigation 5: Click It
Building the Telegraph
Break
•Register for prizes
•Look at books
•Ask Questions
Integrating Literacy
Strategies Into Your Foss Kit
Interactive Editing
“Magnets”
Delta Science Reader
Electricity and Magnetism
Anticipation Guides
“What is a Compass”
FOSS: Science Stories
Magnetism and Electricity
“Make a Compass”
• Use Nonfiction Checklist
• Discuss Table of Contents
• Explain function of the glossary
Standards:
Students will identify the resource appropriate for a specific
purpose, and use that resource to locate information.
Students will identify and apply knowledge of the text
structure and organizational elements to analyze
nonfiction or informational text.
Assessment:
FOSS: Science Stories
• Nonfiction Checklist
Magnetism and Electricity
• Discussion
Main Idea
“Renewable Resources”
Standard:
Students will identify the main idea and
supporting details in what they have read.
Assessment:
Main idea graphic worksheet
Delta Science Reader
Electricity and Magnetism
Stop and Jot
“Ben Franklin”
FOSS: Science Stories
Magnetism and Electricity
Additional Strategies
Frayer Model
I Wonder
I See
Journal Prompts
•
Science
Assessments
Formative Assessments
• Teacher Observation
• Anecdotal Records
• File Folder
• Rubric – Student Response Sheet
• Student Notebook
• Summative Assessments
• End of Unit Test
• Performance Assessment
Quote
"Tell me and I forget. Teach
me and I remember. Involve
me and I learn."
Benjamin Franklin
Focus question: What kind of materials
do magnets stick to?
Formulate a Hypothesis: Example: If
all metal objects stick to a magnet, then we
can sort the objects into two groups,
metal/non-metal, and all objects in the
metal group should stick to the magnet.
Predict and gather data
Literacy Strategies
I’m Curious – Example: “What Makes
You Curious About…”
Quick Write – Example: Giant Magnet
Science Story
Explains how
magnets were
discovered and
named in a folk
talk genre.
FOSS: Science Stories
Magnetism and Electricity
Literacy Strategies
Science Story
Word Splash
Stop and Jot
Paired Reading
Questioning Cubes
Attract and Repel
Focus Question: What happens
when two or more magnets
interact?
Explain
Students use common experiences and data to
develop and discuss explanations
Teacher clarifies student concepts, corrects
misconceptions and introduces scientific
terminology
Connect student’s explanations to experiences
from engage and explore phases
Provide reading and writing opportunities to
reinforce concepts.
Vocabulary / Word Bank
force
magnet
magnetism
attract
repel
Vocabulary Strategies
Frayer Model
Word Web
Foldables
3 Column Vocabulary
Glossary Index
Glossary: 3 Column Vocabulary
Word
Magnet
Picture
Example
Bar
Horseshoe
Refrigerator
Donut
Content / Inquiry
Magnets stick to iron
Two magnets can attract and repel.
A force is a push or a pull.
Magnetism is a force
Extend / Elaborate
Correct any remaining misconceptions
Expand student understanding of the concept
in a broader context beyond the previous
explorations
May provide further investigations in new
situations to support learning
Shared Reading
“How Magnets Interact”
FOSS: Science Stories
Magnetism and Electricity
“Magnus” vs. “How Magnets Interact”
Student will identify
similarities and differences
between two reading
selections.
Assessments:
T-Chart, Venn diagram
Teacher-led discussion
Magnus
How Magnets
Interact
Main Idea
“Electromagnets”
Assessment:
Main idea graphic worksheet
Delta Science Content Reader
Electricity and Magnetism
“Make a Compass”
Nonfiction Checklist
FOSS: Delta Science Content
Readers
Magnetism and Electricity
Evaluate
Teachers use a variety of formal and in-formal
procedures to assess conceptual understanding and
progress towards learning objectives
Students apply what they have learned in new
situations to test their own understanding and skills
Interactive Editing
“Magnets”
Delta Science Reader
Electricity and Magnetism
Anticipation Guides
“What is a Compass”
FOSS: Science Stories
Magnetism and Electricity
Discourse Circle
Discourse Statement:
Renewable sources of energy are
best for making electricity.
Delta Science Content Reader
Seeds of Science
2008
Electricity and Magnetism
Additional Strategies
I Wonder
I See
Quote
“Tell me and I forget.
Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn.”
Benjamin Franklin