Literacy to Learn Science
NSTA 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
Obtaining, Evaluating,
and Communicating Evidence
Challenges
Ball Drop
• Learning Targets
– I can use data to
make inferences and
draw conclusions
about energy
conservation.
– I can support a claim
with evidence.
11
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.
12
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
13
Scaffolding Student Writing
Focus Question:
Teacher, student, class generated
Graphic Organizers may be
needed to assist students
with organizing data.
Graphic Organizers
- Observations
- Word Walls and/or Banks
Useful words and phrases
- Word Banks
Useful words and phrases
- Word 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
investigations
Reading Strategies
Text Features
Text 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.
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.
21
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.
22
What’s Your Claim?
• Use the frame to guide your writing
Your claim
When a ball is dropped, ___________________. The
data provide evidence that
Include qualitative & quantitative data
_____________________
. Therefore, I think ___
Reasoning for claim
_________________________.
23
Let’s Debrief
D
24
Shifts in ELA/Literacy
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.
25
Shanahan and Shanahan, 2008
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.
Keys to Effective
Use of
Disciplinary
Literacy
Clear learning targets for
the content students will
be learning.
A range of strategies to
assist your disciplinary
discourse outsiders.
Disciplinary Literacy
Discrete Academic Discourse
Science Texts
Vocabulary Load
Assumed
Knowledge
Academic
Language
Visual
Information
Social Studies
Texts
Conceptual
Vocabulary
Historical
Reference
Historical
Perspective
Visual
Information
Mathematics
Texts
Mathematics
Terminology
Multiple Modes of
Presentation
Compacted Prose
Reading
Mathematically
Literary Texts
Indirect
Communications
A Fictional Lens
Writing
Conventions
Literary
Terminology
Two Approaches to Reading in the
Content Areas
Teach
Teach
“teaching around the text”
Teach
Disciplinary
Text
Teach
Teach
Teach
Disciplinary Text
“teaching through the text”
Teach
• “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
44
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