Language Discovery Camp is for ESL newcomers that have been in US schools for two years or less. These students
will learn about early American history, biology, and math-related language skills and critical thinking skills.
Teachers will seek to engage students in learning through project-based activities. Students will learn key social
and academic English through content area topics.
Language Discovery camp was developed based on the findings from the Carnegie Panel on Adolescent EL Literacy
(Short and Fitzsimmons, 2007: http://www.adlit.org). The panelists provided the following recommendations for
educators:
Integrate listening, speaking, reading and writing skills into instruction from the start.
Teach the components and processes of reading and writing.
Teach reading comprehension strategies.
Focus on vocabulary development.
Build and activate background knowledge.
Teach language through content and themes.
Use native language strategically.
Utilize technology with existing interventions.
Motivate adolescent ELs through choice.
Although the summer camp is for newcomers, these ELLs are not a homogeneous group. Newcomers can be
refugees, immigrants, or recent arrivals.
Some of the newcomers are well-educated and know more about math, science, world history and geography than
their peers who have been educated in American schools. These students have high literacy skills in their native
language and benefit from a program focused more on reading comprehension and vocabulary.
Another group of newcomers may be Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE). These students
experienced limited or interrupted formal schooling in their home countries. SIFE students often need intensive
interventions to catch up on basic skills. These students require educators to assist in building their background
for content lessons.
Some ELLs may come with exceptional educational needs, not unlike many other students in American schools.
These needs may not have been identified yet because of the challenge of distinguishing between a learning
disability and a language proficiency problem. These students will require educators to provide various
instructional supports, in addition to assisting in building background for content topics.
1
Social Studies Vocabulary Pre-Test
Draw a line to match a word with a picture
Ancestors
Voyage
Feast
Immigrants
Leader
Laws
2
Colony
Social Studies Vocabulary Post-Test
Complete these sentences using one word from the box.
Ancestors, voyage, laws, leader, immigrants, feast, colony
1. The president is the ______________ of a country.
2. My ______________ come from Italy.
3. The ______________from England to Provincetown took 65 days.
4. We celebrate Christmas with a ____________________.
5. Millions of _______________ came to America from Europe in the
19th Century.
6. Congress passed several new ___________ on the environment.
7. When the English came to America in the 1500's, they lived in a
_______________.
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Biology Vocabulary Pre/Post-Assessment
Student: ______________________________ Date: _________
Match the words to the right definitions.
A. cells
( ) any of the RNA-rich cytoplasmic granules that
are sites of protein synthesis
B. organelles
( ) the final stage of mitosis and of the second
division of meiosis in which the spindle disappears
and the nuclear envelope reforms around each set
of chromosomes
C. cytoplasm
( )a chemical that is found in the air, that has no
color, taste, or smell, and that is necessary for life
D. chromosomes
( ) an optical instrument consisting of a lens or
combination of lenses for making enlarged images
of minute objects;
E. ribosome
( ) a cell that is formed when an egg and a sperm
combine : a fertilized egg
F. bacteria
( ) a cell formed by the union of two gametes;
broadly : the developing individual produced from
such a cell
G. protists
( ) any one of the very small parts that together
form all living things
H. amoeba
( )a part of the body (such as the heart or liver)
15
that has a particular function
I. microscope
( ) an aggregate of cells usually of a particular
kind together with their intercellular substance
that form one of the structural materials of a plant
or an animal
J. euglena
( ) to end or disappear or cause (something) to
end or disappear
K. telophase
( ) any of the rod-shaped or threadlike DNAcontaining structures of cellular organisms that are
located in the nucleus of eukaryotes, are usually
ring-shaped in prokaryotes (as bacteria), and
contain all or most of the genes of the organism
L. oxygen
( ) many, multiple, more than two
M. identical
( )any of a large genus (Amoeba) of naked
rhizopod protozoans with lobed and never
anastomosing pseudopodia, without permanent
organelles or supporting structures, and of wide
distribution in fresh and salt water and moist
terrestrial environments; broadly : a naked
rhizopod or other amoeboid protozoan.
N. zygote
( ) being the same
O. organ
( ) any of a genus of green freshwater flagellates
often classified as algae
P. multicellular
( ) a specialized cellular part that is analogous to
16
an organ.
Q. tissue
( )the stage of mitosis and meiosis in which the
chromosomes become arranged in the equatorial
plane of the spindle
R. dissolve
( ) consisting of or existing in two
corresponding or identical parts or examples,
being the same as another
S. metaphase
( ) any of a diverse taxonomic group and
especially a kingdom (Protista syn. Protoctista) of
eukaryotic organisms that are unicellular and
sometimes colonial or less often multicellular and
that typically include the protozoans, most algae,
and often some fungi (as slime molds)
T. split
( ) a cell that carries messages between the brain
and other parts of the body and that is the basic
unit of the nervous system
U. blastocyst
( ) to make a copy of, to produce something
that is the same as or very similar to something
else, to cause (something) to happen again in
the same way
V. neurons
( ) Group of microscopic, single-celled organisms
that inhabit virtually all environments, including
soil, water, organic matter, and the bodies of
multicellular animals.
W. reproduce
( ) to break apart or into pieces especially
along a straight line, to separate or divide into
parts or groups, to separate or divide into
17
groups that disagree
Y. zygote
( ) the modified blastula of a placental mammal
having an outer layer composed of the trophoblast
Z. duplicate
( ) the organized complex of inorganic and
organic substances external to the nuclear
membrane of a cell and including the cytosol and
membrane-bound organelles
18
Biology Vocabulary Assessment A
Student: ______________________________ Date: _________
Match the words to the right pictures.
duplicate
Identical
split
chromosomes
microscope
organ
_____________________________
___________________
____________________
cells
neurons
oxygen
______________________ ______________
________________
___________________
______________________
19
_______________________
Biology Vocabulary Assessment B
Student: ______________________________ Date: _________
Match the words to the right pictures.
organelles cytoplasm
amoeba
ribosome bacteria
euglena
telophase
protists
zygote
______________________
___________________________ _________________________
_______________________
_________________________ _______________________
______________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
20
Biology Vocabulary Assessment C
Student: ______________________________ Date: _________
Match the words to the right pictures.
multicellular
metaphase
tissue
blastocyst
___________________
dissolve
reproduce
______________________
___________________________
_________________________
________________________
21
_________________
Biology
Goal: Provide a foundation in key vocabulary and concepts of living organism structure and functions.
Week 1: SWBAT: Use key vocabulary to discuss plant and animal cells. Compare and contrast animal and plant cells verbally and in written
form using a graphic organizer. Create a model of a plant cell or animal cell by collaborating with a partner. Present orally the parts of the
cell and function of each part.
June 23
Essential Questions:
What do you know
about the body?
What is Biology?
Introduce students to
word parts in biology.
(bio=life; logy=study
of)
Engagement Activity:
Students will illustrate
the body and label as
many parts as they
can with a partner.
Now tell them to think
of smaller parts. What
are the words for the
smallest parts of the
body or life forms?
TW show DE
Engagement Activity:
The Magic of Cells
http://player.discover
yeducation.com/?guid
AssetId=0e3f8a1e2b67-437d-858aab88ad2e1a33
June 24
June 25
June 26
Essential Question:
Essential Question:
Essential Question:
What are cells?
What are the parts of a
cell?
What are the parts of a
cell?
TW introduce key
vocabulary from the
article: The Building
Blocks of Life
http://player.discoveryed
ucation.com/?guidAssetI
d=9392525e-d652-49fcb8e4-c2ec426bdb3f
Key Vocabulary Words:
Tier 1: house, blocks,
small Tier 2: building,
cells, living things Tier 3:
plants, animals,
microscope
TW do a think-aloud and
model summarizing and
clarifying. TW model
taking notes or drawing
pictures as a tool for
summarizing.
SW share journal entries
as the review of what
are cells.
TW introduce plant cells
by showing video clip :
Plant Cells (7:12)
TW review key
vocabulary from this
week.
Discovery Education
Video clip:
http://player.discoverye
ducation.com/?guidAsse Types of Cells (6:02)
tId=a8258a12-ff4b47b1-aed8http://player.discovery
17989f765ab4
education.com/?guidAs
setId=e6390cc7-8bfcEngagement Activity:
4b48-94e2TW have students
c89f0a4638ca
review the parts of a
plant cell by playing a
matching game.
Articles:
After playing matching
game, students will
complete the plant cell
diagram in the Oxford
Picture Dictionary: page
104.
How Cells Work
http://player.discovery
education.com/?guidAs
setId=2114541b-d3764204-ac1d2752df14b397
Formed for Function
SW partner read the next
22
SW discuss what they
learned about cells
from the video and
TW create a thinking
map to demonstrate
summarizing.
two paragraphs and
practice summarizing and
clarifying. SW take notes
in journals.
Engagement activity:
cells
Exit Ticket: SW copy
thinking map in a
journal.
TW have students share
key summary
information by
Snowballing.
Snowballing is when
students work in pairs to
discuss key ideas. Then
write down their ideas on
a piece of paper and
crumble the paper. SW
toss the ball to the center
of the room. SW select a
snowball and read the
info to the group.
Discovery Education
Video clip (6:23):
http://player.discovery
education.com/index.cf
m?guidAssetID=04b0c9
The Cell
77-9be0-4478-a90fhttp://player.discoverye 0c0d22156b43&produc
ducation.com/?guidAsse tCode=DSC
tId=03d549e7-c0a0Discovery Education:
4dc6-831fd01b21a11412
Interactive Text
Article:
Finding Cells
Discovery of Cells and
Cell Theory
http://player.discovery
education.com/?guidAs
setId=7e513a53-1b004637-af3288ea610472ab
http://player.discoverye
ducation.com/index.cfm
?guidAssetID=f36fa6dfe53b-4bf6-ba08336e18bedf46&product
Code=DSC
Discovery Education
Interactive
Informational text:
Optional Activities
Seeing Cells
Articles:
http://player.discoverye
ducation.com/?guidAsse
tId=0e3f8a1e-2b67437d-858aab88ad2e1a33
Cells and Organisms:
http://player.discoveryed
ucation.com/?guidAssetI
d=b3a146d1-373c-4a008301-fef2d0f189fb
Cells:
http://player.discoveryed
ucation.com/index.cfm?g
uidAssetID=71c9da3a6b6b-466b-a41323
Assessment: SW
match, identify, or
name at least one
organelle in a plant cell.
f3df11bea469&productC
ode=DSC
Exit Ticket: What are
cells? Write an entry in
journals.
Biology
Goal: Provide a foundation in key vocabulary and concepts of living organism structure and functions.
Week 2: SWBAT: Use key vocabulary to discuss plant and animal cells. SWBAT compare and contrast animal and plant cells verbally and in
written form using a graphic organizer. SWBAT create a model of a plant cell or animal cell by collaborating with a group. SWBAT present
orally the parts of the cell and function of each part.
June 30
July 1
July 2
Essential Question:
Special
Project:
Es
Students can use
recycled materials or
technology to make a
model of a plant cell or
animal cell. May use
resources to assist in
labeling the model. This
project is designed to
encourage student
engagement and can be
done by pairs or a small
group of students.
Essential Question:
What do organelles do?
What are the
differences between
plant and animal
cells?
Review Tier 1 and Tier 2
vocabulary with the
following activities:
Engagement Activity:
TW review parts of a
plant cell using the
matching game or
Oxford picture
dictionary.
TW introduce key
vocabulary of cell
organelles: organelles,
nucleus, cytoplasm,
cell membrane,
ribosome, Golgi
complex,
SW play the game:
Describe and Draw
Students will draw an
organelle and give
directions on how to
draw to a partner. The
partner tries to follow
the directions.
SW play concentration
game or Pictionary
Game to review
organelles.
SW see if the organelles
match.
Image of Cell with
Organelle
TW show the video clip:
24
July 3
Essential Question:
What are some singlecelled organisms?
TW show the video:
One-Cell Organisms
(3:21)
http://player.discovery
education.com/?guidAs
setId=ce0b6b4c-945e45ae-83d97256d10443cf
TW introduce key
vocabulary: Tier 1:
Earth, shapes, sizes
Tier 2: single-cell
organisms, body
Tier 3: bacteria,
mitochondria, and
chromosomes.
Plant Cells vs. Animal
Cells (6:05)
Engagement Activity:
http://player.discoveryed
ucation.com/index.cfm?g
uidAssetId=4df7766cb8ec-4d27-8b4ee4f67760b592
SW play DE sorting
game: Here a Cell,
There a cell
http://player.discover
yeducation.com/?guid
AssetId=3242fb1e5517-43fc-9e86b3fbacec41ce
SW use Oxford Picture
Dictionary to complete
animal cell diagram.
TW use a Venn
Diagram to model
comparing and
contrasting plant and
animal cells. TW
model using sentence
starters to compare
and contrast. Please
see resources for
sentence starters.
TW show image of a cell
and have student identify
organelles.
http://player.discoverye
ducation.com/index.cfm
?guidAssetId=8f1c8464e73e-45d4-bcd1af04a7d82707
protists, euglena,
amoeba
SW complete and
present their Special
Projects to the class.
http://player.discovery
education.com/?guidAs
setId=2bf778fe-b3874c2d-b1298dbf3b01b5de
Special Project:
Students can use
recycled materials or
technology to make a
model of a plant cell or
animal cell. May use
resources to assist in
labeling the model. This
project is designed to
encourage student
engagement and can be
done by pairs or a small
group of students.
TW read article: Living
Things You Cannot See
and model
summarizing and
clarifying key words in
the first paragraph.
SW partner read next
three paragraphs and
sum up at the end of
each paragraph. SW
highlight key
vocabulary.
Engagement Activity:
SW create a poster to
share their summary.
Optional Activities:
DE Video clips:
Bacteria (1:34)
Plants
http://player.discovery
education.com/?guidAs
setId=90875520-a9504b15-b78612a1c78d4c0a
Animals
Exit Ticket: SW write a
sentence or paragraph
One-Celled Animals:
25
to compare/and or
contrast plant and
animal cells.
Kingdom of Protists
Organisms Found in
Pond Water: Bacteria
and Algae (3:37)
http://player.discovery
education.com/?guidAs
setId=b1617d52-51244554-affa64caa57e964a
Article:
All About Bacteria
http://player.discovery
education.com/index.cf
m?guidAssetID=6eceeb
09-b7cd-4301-baef3e2013df7217&produc
tCode=DSC
Biology
Goal: Provide a foundation in key vocabulary and concepts of living organism structure and functions.
Week 3: SWBAT identify, name, and discuss some single-celled organisms in the body. SWBAT discuss the pros and cons of single-celled
organisms’ effect on the human body or the environment. Students will debate these pro and cons of organisms in the body or
environment. SWBAT take on the perspective of an organism an present their argument of why they should live in an environment or the
body.
July 7
July 8
July 9
July 10
Essential Question:
Essential Question:
Essential Question:
Teacher Workday
What are protist and
how do they effect
our environment and
our body?
What are the positive
and negative effects of
bacteria on the body?
Which organism would
you like to be and how
can you support the
need of living in the
body or environment?
26
Engagement Activity:
TW do a “Word
Splash” to review
vocabulary from June
27. Word Splash is an
activity in which the
key vocabulary word
is placed on the chart
paper and students
add words/phrases
associated with the
topic.
TW show video clip:
Protists (2:31)
http://player.discover
yeducation.com/?gui
dAssetId=1364c7c65bc4-4031-b18fe87733ae79a4
After viewing the
video, TW/SW
describe protist based
on the video. Create
a web of
characteristics.
Prot
ist
TW/SW make a TChart of ways protists
affect the
environment and our
bodies.
TW introduce key
vocabulary: Tier
1:hundred, thousands
millions, trillions,
microscope, Tier 2:
waste, unlike, harmful
Tier 3: bacteria,
bacterium
TW introduce the article:
Bacteria and Your Body.
http://player.discoverye
ducation.com/?guidAsse
tId=f427abf5-2d59-4449b756-daca6c12ebe9
TW do a think aloud and
read the first paragraph
to model summarizing
key points.
SW do a jigsaw reading
of the rest of the article:
Bacteria and Your Body.
SW share their summary
of the article with the
group. SW use a chart to
display their summary.
TW create a T-Chart of
pros and cons of bacteria
in the body and
environment.
TW review single-celled
organisms that help and
harm our environment:
protist, and bacteria.
SW decide which
organism they would
like to be and make a
poster of that organism.
TW briefly outline how
to write an essay and
what is an argument.
SW write a paragraph
or essay that takes the
perspective of that
organism. They will
write an argument of
why they should live in
the environment or the
body.
Students may refer to
the T-charts from
previous lesson to
create their argument.
SW present their poster
and argument to the
class.
Related Articles:
This Means War!
27
TW introduce the
vocabulary words:
pro, con
Pros of
protist
Cons of
protist
http://player.discovery
education.com/index.cf
m?guidAssetID=40dfe7
43-0b4f-49af-b03966808214a1cd&product
Code=DSC
TW show the DE video
clip: Bacteria (1:34)
http://player.discoverye
ducation.com/?guidAsse
tId=90875520-a9504b15-b78612a1c78d4c0a
Life Cycle of a Killer
Protist
SW discuss the pros
and cons of protist on
the environment and
our body.
SW discuss the video and
add more pros and cons
to the T-Chart from the
video
Exit Ticket: SW
illustrate or write a
sentence about the
pros and cons of
protist on the
environment or the
body.
Exit ticket: SW illustrate
or write a sentence
about the pros or cons of
bacteria on the
environment or the
body.
http://app.discoveryed
ucation.com/player/vie
w/assetGuid/A8283118
-C53A-4ADC-903408F458DD5400
Biology
Goal: Provide a foundation in the stages of cell division, tissue, organs, and body systems.
Week: 4 SWBAT identify, name, and discuss the different phases of cell division. SWBAT create a digital gallery of the different phases of cell
division. SWBAT write an informative paragraph about cell division or human cells and tissue.
July 14
Essential question:
How do cells divide?
July 15
Essential question: What
July 16
July 17
Essential question:
What is Mitosis?
Essential Question:
What is the difference
between cell, tissues,
28
are the steps of Mitosis?
TW introduce key
vocabulary words:
Tier 2 Tier 3 Words:
duplicate
copy
prophase
metaphase
anaphase
telophase
centromeres
Tier 2 & Tier 3 words:
Tier 2 & Tier 3 words:
zygote
zygote
egg
egg
dissolve
dissolve
identical
identical
split
split
blastocyst
blastocyst
embryo
embryo
oxygen
oxygen
spindle fibers
chromosomes
SW view the DE video
segment: Cell Division
(1:19)
http://player.discover
yeducation.com/?guid
AssetId=85e1517548b3-456a-a111160fe5c7ccfd
SW view an DE
exploration activity of
cell division:
and organs?
TW make cards of the
phases of mitosis. SW
put the cards in order.
SW use key vocabulary to
discuss what is
happening on the cards.
TW introduce the DE
article: Getting to Know:
Cell Cycle and Mitosis
TW review cell division
and the steps to mitosis
by playing a sequence
game.
Special Project: SW
make a digital
representation of the
stages of mitosis using
technology.
http://app.discoveryeduc
ation.com/player/view/a
ssetGuid/B19DC4D7DC32-4A94-B0DFC6137C4D10D5
Tier 2 & 3 words:
tissue, multicellular,
reproduce, neurons,
contract, expand, nerve
cells, bone cells, blood
cells, muscle cells,
dendrites, axon , organ
TW introduce the
vocabulary words and
model a reading
strategy for the article:
What is Tissue?
http://player.discovery
education.com/?guidAs
setId=6b225f36-a3bc498a-aae644b98a847673
SW partner read the
rest of the article and
summarize in their
journals.
TW show DE video clip:
Specialized Cells and
Tissues (4:26)
http://player.discovery
education.com/?guidAs
setId=06b81218-cd774214-88d71506a9c566fe
TW read the introduction
and model summarizing.
http://player.discover
yeducation.com/playe
29
r.cfm?guidAssetID=1cf
ccb34-38e6-43bc8d6670941bafcc2b&produc
tCode=DSC
Exit Ticket: In your
journal, Illustrate or
write a paragraph
about how a cell
divides. Try to use
new vocabulary
words.
SW read with a partner
and summarize after
each paragraph. SW do
an illustration of their
summary.
TW show DE video clip:
What is an Organ?
(1:26)
http://player.discovery
education.com/?guidAs
setId=506607e0-0bc2438a-aa18a6f4a323c180
TW show Brainpop
Video: Mitosis
http://glencoe.mcgrawhill.com/sites/dl/free/00
78802849/164155/00053
413.html
SW compare and
contrast cells, tissues,
and organs in a
discussion with
classmates.
Exit Ticket: In your
journal, compare the
article with the
information you saw in
the video
Exit Ticket:
SW create an
illustration or write a
paragraph in journal to
about how cells form
tissues, and tissues
form organs.
Biology
Goal: Provide a foundation in the stages of cell division, tissues, organs, and body systems.
Week: 5: SWBAT identify, name, and discuss a system in the body. SWBAT recreate a system using technology or illustrations. SWBAT
discuss the functions of some of the organs within the systems
30
July 21
Essential Question:
What is the difference
between cell, tissues,
organs, and systems?
TW review vocabulary
from previous day.
TW can have students
use Oxford Picture
Dictionaries to discuss
various organs in the
body.
TW introduce new
vocabulary and
concept: systems
using the DE video
clip: Systems (2:35)
http://player.discover
yeducation.com/?guid
AssetId=56e6f468db65-4e0d-bef016721d51453c
TW do the DE
Exploration activity
with the class:
Building a Body
http://player.discover
yeducation.com/?guid
July 22
July 23
July 24
Essential Question: What
are some of the systems
in the body?
Essential Question:
What are some of the
systems in the body?
Students will work on
final projects for
presentation.
TW review definition of a
system and the organs in
the digestive system.
TW meet with students
to assess their progress
on their projects.
TW show the DE video
clip: Organs and Their
Systems
SW complete special
project and present to
the class.
http://player.discoveryed
ucation.com/player.cfm?
guidAssetID=dc3d3c94d37d-49a0-b228e0fcef5ab1f1&productCo
de=DSC
Special Project: SW
explore a body system.
Students may work with
a partner. They will
create a visual
representation of the
system and label the
organs. SW write an
informational paragraph
about the system.
Students may use to
complete the project.
TW/SW create a list of
body systems. SW name
some of the organs in
these systems.
SW select a system to
explore for a project. DE
has an entire section on
the body for each system
that students can
explore: Human Systems.
Great visuals for
students.
http://science.discoverye
31
AssetId=f5cd2857609c-4d4f-8af462ee4a89a882
SW explore a system
in the body by doing
an interactive DE
activity: Follow Your
Food:
http://player.discover
yeducation.com/playe
r.cfm?guidAssetID=2e
55cdfb-b30d-476ea201959d31d3c498&produ
ctCode=DSC
ducation.com/index.cfm?
UID=da85edb7-1eef442c-ad26-f68e69b48f36
Special Project: SW
explore a body system.
Students may work with
a partner. They will
create a visual
representation of the
system and label the
organs. SW write an
informational paragraph
about the system.
Students may use
technology to complete
the project.
Optional Activity:
SW explore a system
in the body by reading
the DE article: A Day in
Your Digestive System
http://player.discover
yeducation.com/?guid
AssetId=6d881966a64f-4e80-9cc69ca403718599
Exit Ticket:
SW illustrate or write
a paragraph in their
journals explaining
how food travels
32
through the body.
Biology
Goal: Provide a foundation in living organism structure and function.
Objective: SWBAT select a final project and present the information to an audience to reflect what they have learned during summer school.
July 28
July 29
July 30
July 31
Students will work on
final projects for
presentation.
Students will work on
final projects for
presentation.
Students will present
their final projects.
Possible projects
Students will select a project to work on with a partner or individually.
Pretend you are an organ in the
body. Write a letter to another
organ in your system.
Incorporate information about
what you do in the body and
what the organ you are writing
to does in the body.
Create a commercial to explain
what teenagers can do to be
healthy. Use information you
learned about the body.
Should we eat foods that have
been genetically changed? Write
an argument for or against
genetically changing foods. You
must do research to support
your argument.
Create a commercial to sell
cigarettes or a commercial that
is against smoking.
Cancer effects the body.
Research one type of cancer and
tell about the effects on the
body. Write or illustrate how to
prevent this cancer.
Create a pamphlet to explain the
differences between plant cells
and animal cells. You must
include the parts of both types
of cells.
What is photosynthesis? Create
a digital presentation that
explains the process. Your
presentation should include an
illustration of the cell and a
sentence about the function of
each part. You should also
demonstrate how the parts work
Create a picture book for small
children on major organs in the
body and how they work.
Create a game about the body.
This game must include key
vocabulary from summer school.
You should also write directions
on how to play the game.
33
together during photosynthesis.
What is stem cell research? How
can it be helpful for the body?
Write an essay to inform your
classmates about stem cell
research.
Write a song about the body.
Include some facts and key
vocabulary.
34
Create a survey about how much
teenagers exercise each week.
Interview the summer school
students. Create a chart or
poster to display your results.
2014 Language Discovery Camp
Math Curriculum
35
Introduction
Welcome to the math curriculum for the 2014 Language Discovery Camp. The math portion of our
program is intended to address three goals:



Language – as this is for newcomer ELLs, the main focus is to provide students with exposure to
and skills in parsing the language of math. To that end, we have daily vocabulary, mini-lessons
focused on specific syntaxes and structures found in math, and multiple reading opportunities.
Additionally, HELP Math is an excellent tool for teaching fundamental math-specific vocabulary
in context.
Higher-level thinking skills – we believe that one aspect of ELL difficulty with high-school level
math (and there is a significant incidence of difficulty) stems not simply from lack of language
proficiency, but from the barriers that low proficiency creates to students using their higherlevel thinking skills. In other words, elementary math is very concrete and not necessarily
language-bound, while secondary math is very abstract, involving rule application, deduction,
pattern recognition and other forms of cognition high up on Bloom’s taxonomy, and the hard
truth is that all of these skills, as they are traditionally taught, are extremely language-bound.
This curriculum attempts to present students with abstract thinking tasks that are not so
dependent on language for success.
Fundamental math skills – the HELP Math online tutorial program has proven itself to be an
excellent way to solidify the basic math skills necessary for students to succeed in high school
level math.
This summer, we’ve attempted to provide you, the teacher, with flexibility in how you plan each day,
while having ready-made mini-lessons and activities available to minimize your planning time. We hope
you keep the three goals of the math program in mind to keep your week balanced.
36
Table of Contents
Note: While this year we’re encouraging teachers to select whichever activities they feel would fit best with the
needs/proficiency of the class, do keep in mind that each section below presents the items in the order which they should
probably be taught, as the progression is from easier to more difficult, and some lessons, especially in the Reading Skills and
Logic sections, build on previous lessons.
1. Reading Skills – Items in this section address language and literacy skills, especially as they relate to
reading math texts and math word problems.







Daily 7-Step Vocabulary
Describing Relationships in Math
Whole Number Computations
The Parts of a Word Problem
How Much – How Many
Question Stem Phrases
Metaphorically Idiomatic Aphorisms
2. Logic – Items in this section are meant to guide students through the process of solving logic puzzles
and provide practice in employing deductive reasoning skills.




Daily Deductive Thinking Skills Warm-Ups
Logic Puzzlers
Falsehood Follies
Peculiar Patterns
3. Patterns – Items in this section are largely visual activities intended to allow students to explore
patterns in various creative ways.




Tangrams
Mandalas
Celtic Knots
Fibonacci Series
4. Games – This section presents two different math-based games.


Magic Squares
King Shamba’s Game
5. Rules – The items in this section may appeal more to students with higher language proficiency. They
specifically address the higher-order thinking skill of divining rules or rule-based patterns.



Secret Codes
Psychiatrist
Analogies
37
Section One:
Reading Skills
38
Daily 7-Step Vocabulary
ExC-ELL Vocabulary Instruction Framework
Every day, some math-related vocabulary has been assigned. You can see it on your lesson planning
matrix/calendar and the full list is below.
After the terms, the numbers in parentheses indicate sample EOG problems (available in the next
section of your binder) that use these terms in context.
Use the framework below to teach each vocabulary word assigned for the day. Each word should take
3-5 minutes. Less is fine, as long as the full framework is followed.
Example of Seven Steps
STEPS
1. Teacher states the word in context from a text.
EXAMPLE
1. “A surveyor determined that the distance across
a pond is √2255 feet.”
2. Teacher asks students to repeat the word three
times.
2. Say distance three times.
3. Teacher provides the dictionary definition(s).
3. The distance between two places is the amount
of space between them.
4. Teacher explains the meaning with studentfriendly definitions.
4. Geraldo is about five feet away from me. The
distance between me and Geraldo is five feet. The
distance between Raleigh and Charlotte is 166
miles. You have to drive 166 miles to get to
Raleigh from here.
5. Teacher highlights features of the word:
polysemous, cognate, tense, prefixes, etc.
5. Notice how we spell distance. Spell it with me.
What is the cognate in Spanish?
6. Teacher engages students in activities to
develop word/concept knowledge.
6. Pick a spot that is not close to you. Count the
floor tiles between you and that spot. When I call
on you, tell me, “The distance between ___ and
me is ___ floor tiles.”
7. Teacher reminds students how this will be used
during class.
7. You will see distance in word problems, and in
problems about measuring. The number that
follows the word distance is usually the measure of
how far apart two objects are.
-- Adapted from Preventing Long-Term ELs: Transforming Schools to Meet Core Standards by Margarita Espino Calderon and Liliana MinayaRowe; 2011; p. 57.
39
40
Complete Vocabulary List
is represented by (S2)
shaded (S3)
approximately (1)
plotted points
lie on the line (2)
graphed (3)
comparing (6)
what is the value of… (7)
let point P represent… (9)
doubling (11)
fixed (13)
when x =… (14)
increased
constant
express the answer as… (15)
suppose that
estimates (16)
satisfies the equation… (18)
charges (19)
additional
models
accurately (21)
for awhile (23)
to the nearest… (27)
displays (29)
set of data (31)
collected data
trend line
about (32)
connect (34)
what is the x-value… (36)
passes through (38)
a rapid pace (39)
creating (41)
cut by (42)
follow the diagram (43)
the measure(s) of… (46)
surveyed (49)
concluded (49)
Vocabulary Context: Released Form North Carolina READY End-of-Grade Mathematics Grade 8
41
Vocabulary Pre-Assessment
Before beginning daily vocabulary instruction, please use the following vocabulary pre-assessment. In
hopes of keeping things light and fun, the assessment is presented in the form of a game – match the
term to the picture. Make copies of the following pages, cut out and separate the pictures and terms,
then give them to the students to see how quickly and accurately the students can match them up. Use
the following data table to record performance:
Student Name
Order of
completion
42
Approximate
time to complete
x/15 correct
43
It weighs approximately
four kilograms.
It weighs about four
kilograms.
comparing
44
connect
The shape is constant.
Lines AB and CD are cut by
line EF.
doubling
45
estimates
A line has been graphed.
increased
46
Line EF passes through line
AB and line CD.
A and B are plotted points.
47
This answer satisfies the
equation.
shaded
Suppose that pigs could fly.
48
Vocabulary Review 1
Fill in the blank in each sentence with the best word or phrase from the word bank below.
x
y
If Ben buys erasers in packs of three. If x is the number of packs of erasers Ben buys,
1
3
then ____________________________________ y .
2
6
3
9
4
12
Jenny is measuring two lines to see which is longer. Jenny is ___________________________ the length
of the two lines.
3
4
of this square are ______________________ .
It is exactly 627 miles from Charlotte to New York City. New York City is ________________________
600 miles away.
A
B
C
D




Points A, B, C and D ___________________________________.
49
After he connected the ________________________, Ryan saw
that he had ___________________ the face of a wolf.
approximately
comparing
lie on the line
graphed
is represented by
plotted points
shaded
50
Describing Relationships in Math
Use chart paper or poster board to recreate the eight images that follow. Each image illustrates a
common relationship between numbers and/or figures used in math. These relationships can be
described by multiple terms.
For each image, you will have a list of terms. Write these out on index cards, sticky notes or segments of
sentence strips. If you think of more terms than the ones provided, fantastic! Use those as well. The
final product is going to be a word wall that the students can use as a tool, so make the lettering large
and neat.
Have the students affix the cards with the terms on them to the appropriate posters. If the students
think of more terms, that’s also fantastic and they should be added.
A. within, inside of, in, inside
B. beside, next to, on the side, to the side, to the left of (you could also make a poster illustrating “to the
right of”)
C. above, on top of, over, on
D. under, below, beneath, on the bottom of, underneath
E. together, grouped together, with, separate from
F. equals, equal to, equivalent to, the same as, as much as, as big as
G. less than, smaller than, not as much as
H. greater than, more than, larger than
Expansion activities:



Students could write complete sentences, using the terms you just sorted (“The small square is
above the large square.”) Or, to make it more amusing, they could draw their own figures, using
cartoon images or goofy symbols (or stickers, whatever) and write sentences about those (“The
cat is next to the unicorn.”) As long as they’re using the phrases or terms describing the
relationships.
Students could draw a figure (say a red triangle on top of a blue circle) then cover it, describe it
to a partner, have the partner draw it, then see if they match.
Find different objects or ideas around the room that can be compared (books that are bigger,
smaller, and the same size; students who are older, younger and the same age) and orally or
using cards with <,>, and = signs line things up and compare them.
51
Model Wall Charts for Describing Relationships
A
B
52
C
D
53
E
(
)
F
54
G
H
55
Whole Number Computations
This activity is intended to help students review the terms strictly associated with mathematical
operations. You can see in the activity that the numbers (0-100, 1000) are written out (review, if
necessary) and the operations, which are the following terms and should be reviewed:






















Plus
Times
Minus
Divided by
The remainder of
The largest
Prime number
Less than
The smallest
Factor
Other than itself
Quotient
Doubled
Prime factor
Difference
Product
Sum
Negative
Square root
Cube root
To the third power
To the second power
56
Model problems 1, 5, and 17. The process should be to first write out the problem in numbers and
symbols, then to solve the problem. The directions on the sheet specify “do all the operations in the
order in which they are given” so do not worry about following the Order of Operations here, just do
‘em as they come*. So, problem 1 would look like this:
Four plus seven times three minus six divided by three
4+7x3–6÷3
Which, if we’re going in order, would go:
11 x 3 – 6 ÷ 3
33 – 6 ÷ 3
27 ÷ 3
9
Always, when going over the answers on activities such as this, give the students the opportunity to
come to the front of the room and use the board to demonstrate how they solved the problem.
Students typically enjoy working on the board, and need to be given lots of opportunities to talk about
their work.
*If your students are good little arithmeticians, not following the Order of Operations is going to bug the heck out of them.
Discussing how the answer might come out different for certain problems, given the order in which the problem is solved, could
be a good teachable moment, if the question comes up. Remember, the Order of Operations is: parentheses, exponents,
multiplication/division, addition/subtraction. The problems below don’t have parentheses, but all the other elements do come
into play.
57
58
The Parts of a Word Problem
This activity is intended to help ELLs understand better how word problems work by looking at their
structure. Students need to understand that the mathematical information they need to select and
generate the operations that will provide the solution is found in the middle and final section of the
problem (referred to here as the “conditions” and “question”).
Objectives: Students will understand that word problems provide three separate stages of information:
the setup, the conditions, and the question. Students will be able to identify each of these stages in
examples of word problems.
Procedure: Use the first two pages of the activity to explain the three stages of information in a word
problem and to model separating a word problem into these stages. The latter two pages (the list of
word problems and the graphic organizer) are the activity the students will do, in which they cut apart
the problems and paste the appropriate sections into the organizer. This would be a good activity for
completing in groups. The students are not expected to solve the word problems in this activity (unless
they want to). The main purpose is the reading of the problems.
59
The Parts of a Word Problem
Word problems follow a general pattern:
SET UP, OR ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE PROBLEM TAKES PLACE -- This is the first part
of the word problem. It will tell you about the people and things in the problem. This
part helps you understand what is going on in the problem.
CONDITIONS SPECIFIC TO THE PROBLEM -- This is the middle part of the word problem.
It will tell you about changes being made to things. There are generally numbers and
words that tell you what happens to those numbers. The information in this section will
become an important part of the number sentence you write to solve the problem.
THE QUESTION YOU NEED TO ANSWER – The question is the last part of the word
problem. It works with the conditions section to tell you exactly what kind of math
problem you are going to write. The question will almost always include one of the
following words: find, what, which or how. Often there is other important information in
the question, such as units of measure, or words like approximately, most likely, or best,
that tell you more about what your answer should look like.
60
Take a look at this word problem:
The regular price of a refrigerator is $1100. It is going to be discounted by 20%.
What is the discounted (sale) price?
SET UP, OR ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE PROBLEM TAKES PLACE
The regular price of a refrigerator is $1100.
CONDITIONS SPECIFIC TO THE PROBLEM
It is going to be discounted by 20%.
THE QUESTION YOU NEED TO ANSWER
What is the discounted (sale) price?
Now, work in groups to cut up the following word problems and glue their segments in the appropriate
part of the graphic organizer.
61
A baseball league has 192 players and 12 teams, with an equal number of players on each team.
The number of teams was reduced by four but the total number of players remained the same.
How many players are on the new teams?
Julie bought a card good for 35 visits to a health club and began a workout routine.
After y visits, she had y fewer than 35 visits remaining on her card.
After 18 visits, how many visits did she have left?
Ron bought two comic books on sale.
Each comic book was discounted $1 off the regular price r.
If each comic book was regularly $2.50, what was the total cost?
In basketball, players score 2 points for each field goal, 3 points for each three-point shot, and 1 point
for each free throw made.
The Bobcats scored 23 field goals, 6 three-point shots, and 11 free throws.
What was the total score for the Bobcats?
Gary needs to buy a suit to go to a formal dance.
Using a coupon, he can save $60, which is only one-fourth of the cost of the suit.
What is the original cost of the suit?
Einar has $18 to spend on his friend’s birthday presents. He buys one present that costs $12.35. How
much does he have left to spend?
A leak in a commercial water tank changes the amount of water in the tank each day by -6 gallons.
When the total change is -192 gallons, the pump will stop working. How many days will it take from the
time the tank is full until the pump fails?
Julie is balancing her checkbook. Her beginning balance is $325.46, her deposits add up to $285.38, and
her withdrawals add up to $683.27. What is her ending balance?
There were 7 legs of the BT Global Challenge 2000 yacht race. The crew of the winning boat, the LG
Flatron, sailed at a rate of at least 6 knots (6 nautical miles per hour) continually on the leg between
Cape Town, South Africa and La Rochelle, France, a distance of 5820 nautical miles. How many hours
did this leg take?
Elaine runs the same distance every day. On Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, she runs 3 laps on the
track and then runs 5 more miles. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she runs 4 laps on the track, and then
runs 2.5 more miles. On Wednesdays, she just runs laps. How many laps does she run on Wednesdays?
62
o
SET UP, OR ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE PROBLEM TAKES PLACE
CONDITIONS SPECIFIC TO THE PROBLEM
THE QUESTION YOU NEED TO ANSWER
63
How Much – How Many
The question section of word problems frequently center on either the term “how much” or “how
many”. Which phrase is used depends on the count/non-count nature of the nouns in question. Count
and non-count nouns are a common source of confusion for ELLs, so this activity is meant to approach
the problem from the math angle and help elucidate what is being asked for when “how much” or “how
many” appears in a mathematical task.
Objectives: Students will be able to categorize nouns as “count” or “non-count”. Students will
recognize that “how much” is used in questions about non-count nouns and “how many” is used in
questions about count nouns.
Procedure: Use the first page of the activity as your mini-lesson guide and talk through the distinctions
between and examples of count and non-count nouns.
Model the first two items, found at the bottom of the first page. Have the students complete the
remaining items.
64
How Much – How Many
Some things can be COUNTED. Some things can be MEASURED.
Examples of things that can be COUNTED:










students
pennies
rocks
M&Ms
pencils
toes
cars
books
points
birds
But, you can’t count some things, like water. Water, like any liquid, is only limited in size or shape by its
container, so we often describe water as a glass of water, a bucket of water, a tub of water. When we
talk about water or other liquids in a math problem, we usually describe them through measurement: a
gallon of water, a pint of milk, a liter of liquid nitrogen.
Likewise, you can’t count time. Time is infinite, so we generally refer, when we talk, to a segment of
time: some time, a long time, lots of time. In math problems we again usually describe time in terms of
measurements: a second, a minute, an hour, a day.
Things that you can count are called count nouns. Things like water and time that you can’t count are
called non-count nouns. We treat them differently when we use them in sentences.
In math, the main difference you will see is the way we ask about them. You can count pencils, so a
math problem will ask, “How many pencils?” You can’t count juice, so a math problem will ask “How
much juice?”
On the following page, read each sentence, and then decide if the question should be “how MUCH” or
“how MANY,” depending on the type of object that is being counted.
65
1. Jack had seventeen jelly beans. He ate six of them. How ___________ jelly beans did Jack have left?
(much/many)
2. The recipe called for two cups of apple juice and one cup of pineapple juice. How ______________
(much/many)
juice did the recipe need?
3. Judy spent one hour studying math, two hours studying science, and a half hour finishing her art
project. How _______________ time did Judy spend working on her homework altogether?
(much/many)
4. Shari’s bucket can hold a pint of sand. She used four buckets of sand to build her sandcastle. How
____________ sand did Shari put in her sandcastle?
(much/many)
5. Byron’s yard has two hummingbirds, four bluebirds, and one mockingbird. How ______________
birds live in Byron’s yard altogether?
(much/many)
6. Larry’s tub holds ten gallons of water. Larry filled the tub completely, then drained 25% of the water.
How ____________ water was left in the tub?
(much/many)
7. Mrs. West requires that students leave their cell phones in a box on her desk during class. Mrs. West
has 30 students, two-thirds of whom have cell phones. How ____________ cell phones are in Mrs.
West’s box?
(much/many)
8. Leanne wants to put down carpet in her bedroom. Leanne’s bedroom is 8 feet long and 10 feet wide.
How _______________ carpet, in square feet, does Leanne need to buy to cover her whole floor?
(much/many)
Note: Money is a little bit odd with the how much/how many rules. Although it is possible to count
dollars and cents, generally the typical phrasing when asked about a total amount of money, such as a
price, is phrased “How much money?” So use your brain and try to figure out these last two!
9. Nigel had $2.40 in his pocket, earned $5 from Mrs. Hart for mowing her lawn, then spent $1.70 on a
soda. How ___________ money does Nigel have now?
(much/many)
10. Bethany saves all the pennies she gets in a jar. When the jar gets full, she goes to the bank and
deposits the pennies into her account. The last time she took the jar to the bank, she deposited $27.83
into her account. If that total amount came out of her penny jar, how _____________ pennies did
Bethany have in the jar?
(much/many)
66
Question Stem Phrases
Secondary math state testing questions are often characterized by not having concrete, absolute
answers, but rather by asking students to select the best of a set of flawed options. This activity is
meant to help students recognize when a question is calling for an exact, incontrovertible answer, and
when it is asking them to use the information in the question to compare and judge the options based
on the information given.
Objective: Students will be able to recognize when a test question requires an exact answer, and when
the question is asking them to use information given to select the best option available.
Procedure: The following lecture notes are also available as the PowerPoint presentation titled
“Question Stem Phrases.” If possible, use the PowerPoint. The work done by the students here is
embedded in the presentation.
67
Question Stem Phrases
How are these two test questions DIFFERENT?
1. What is 2+2?
A. 2
B. 4
C. 6
D. 8
2. What is Mary’s favorite color?
A. pink B. blue C. red D. purple
Question 1 has a clear answer. Question 2 does not. Let’s improve Question 2:
Mary always wears red shoes and a red hat. Her house is red brick, and she rides a red motorcycle.
What is Mary’s favorite color?
A. pink B. blue C. red D. purple
You are probably guessing “red,” because there are clues that suggest that Mary likes red. But you don’t
KNOW that. Maybe red stuff was on sale. Maybe the four things listed above are red, but everything
else Mary owns is blue.
So actually, the “fixed” Mary question is still written incorrectly. On a test, the question should look like
this:
Mary always wears red shoes and a red hat. Her house is red brick, and she rides a red motorcycle.
What is most likely to be Mary’s favorite color?
A. pink B. blue C. red D. purple
The phrase “most likely” recognizes that you do not have all the facts, but asks that you use the facts
you have been given to make your best guess.
When you see the words LIKELY, MOST, MORE or BEST in the question part of a math test stem, it
usually means:



there is not one single correct answer, but many answers that may be correct
clues that will help you make a good guess are in the conditions set in the stem, before the part
where the question is asked
the choice that matches best with the clues given in the conditions set in the stem is the right
choice
68
Which question is written correctly?
Mark asked for pizza for his birthday. Mark has a
pizza oven in his kitchen and has learned how to
make his own pizza. Mark has Dominos, Pizza Hut
and Papa John’s on speed dial.
Mark asked for pizza for his birthday. Mark has a
pizza oven in his kitchen and has learned how to
make his own pizza. Mark has Dominos, Pizza Hut
and Papa John’s on speed dial.
What is Mark’s favorite food?
What is most likely to be Mark’s favorite food?
Robert builds a path out of bricks. Each brick is a
square, six inches long on all sides. He lays
twenty-four bricks end-to-end.
Robert builds a path out of bricks. Each brick is a
square, six inches long on all sides. He lays
twenty-four bricks end-to-end.
How long is Robert’s path?
How long is Robert’s path most likely to be?
In the first example, “What is most likely to be Mark’s favorite food?” is correct, because we don’t have
enough facts to prove definitively that any one single food is Mark’s favorite… although we do have a
good guess.
In the second example, “How long is Robert’s path?” is the correct way to phrase the question. There is
only one right answer and no need for guessing, so there’s no need to point to a “best” or “more likely”
answer, there is only the right answer.
More practice – which is the right way to phrase the question?
1. Jenny runs twice a week. On Tuesdays she runs two miles. On Thursdays she runs four miles.
A. How many miles does Jenny most likely run in a week?
B. How many miles does Jenny run in a week?
2. Tom went to Johnson’s Store and bought two pairs of pants, five pairs of socks, and three shirts.
A. What type of store is Johnson’s Store most likely to be?
B. What type of store is Johnson’s Store?
3. Tom went to Johnson’s Store and bought two pairs of pants, five pairs of socks, and three shirts.
A. How many items did Tom most likely buy?
69
B. How many items did Tom buy?
70
“Most likely” is common, but there are other phrases that let you know the answer is a best guess, and
not an absolute right answer:






Which graph best describes how well Diggity Dog Brand Dog Food has sold over the past year?
What scatterplot best fits the data set?
Which poster best represents why Harry should be class president?
Which route is Laura more likely to take?
Which is the best name for Paula’s restaurant?
Which argument best supports Richard’s answer?
71
Metaphorically Idiomatic Aphorisms
Sometimes people say, “a bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush.” This means, “What you
have is better than what you think you can get. Because you have it.”
How can we guide students from the aphorism to the plain English translation?
The aphorism is a metaphor that paints a picture. Literally, you can imagine a person holding one bird,
and covetously eyeing two other birds sitting in a bush some ways off.
There’s a story in this picture. Get the students to tell it to you, and explain why the bird in the hand is
worth more than the two in the bush.
Now, point out that “A bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush” is something we say all the
time. However, do people walk around valuing actual birds in their actual hands on a regular basis? No,
because pecking, and hysterical elimination, and also, probably, mites. “A bird in the hand…” is meant
to be useful advice. Discuss with your students how this concept can actually be helpful advice. This
should guide them to a good approximation of the definition already given above.
Two key points fall out here: 1) it’s not about birds, even though it says “birds” and 2) it’s supposed to
be helpful advice. Show the students “Don’t judge a book by its cover” and “The squeaky wheel gets the
grease.” If the first aphorism isn’t about birds, then what should each of these NOT be about? Books.
Wheels. Grease. The point is not wheel maintenance and book selection, the point is helping people
understand something about themselves or other people.
In this activity, cut out the aphorisms and separate them from their definitions. Post the definitions
around the room, give the students the aphorisms, and ask them to find the correct definition and
match them up.
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Take it further: After students find their definition, have them draw a cartoon that literally represents
the aphorism, then another that represents the advice or wisdom meant to be conveyed.
Challenge: Which one of the following aphorisms isn’t real, but rather is actually something I made up
five seconds ago?



Don’t go punching hippos if the mud is not sticky enough.
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Least said, soonest mended.
Can the students write their own definitions of these aphorisms?
A stitch in time saves
nine.
Doing the job well now
saves doing a bigger job
to fix things later.
Hint 1: “in time” here means “at the right time”
Hint 2: “Nine” what? Nine stitches, later on.
A dictionary could help with: stitch
People in glass houses
People who aren’t
should not throw stones. perfect shouldn’t talk
about what others are
doing wrong.
Six of one, half a dozen
Both choices are the
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of the other.
same.
A dictionary could help with: half a dozen
Birds of a feather flock
together.
People who are the same
stay together.
Hint 1: “of a feather” means “that are the same”
A dictionary could help with: flock (v.)
Great minds think alike.
We had the same idea,
therefore we are both
very smart.
The early bird gets the
worm.
You can get what you
want if you get there
earlier than everyone
else.
Don’t judge a book by its You can’t decide who a
person is just by looking
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cover.
at them.
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The squeaky wheel gets
the grease.
People who say what
they want are more likely
to get what they want
than people who stay
quiet.
A dictionary could help with: squeaky, grease
In for a penny, in for a
pound.
If I am going to do this
(probably bad) thing, I’m
not going to do it a little
bit, I’m going to do it all
the way.
Hint 1: this saying comes from England, where a “pound” is similar to a dollar.
Hint 2: “In for” here is like with poker: you have put in a penny so that you can play the game – you’re
“in for” a penny.
Idle hands are the Devil’s People with nothing to
workshop.
do are likely to get in
trouble.
Hint 1: if necessary, elucidate who the Devil is
A dictionary might help with: idle, workshop
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Too many cooks spoil the If many people try to
broth.
control a project, that
project will probably turn
out badly.
A dictionary might help with: spoil, broth
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Section Two:
Logic
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Deductive Thinking Skills Warm-Ups
Explanation – As mentioned in the introduction to the curriculum, we believe that ELLs suffer from lack
of exposure to abstract thinking and higher-level thinking skills, because the traditional instruction of
these skills is so language-based. These daily warm-ups are just one way to provide students with a
chance to exercise their deductive reasoning skills, and tasks to follow in the curriculum will address
other aspects of high-level thinking. These warm-up were taken from a text designed for
Model Lesson
6/24:
Mary and James each work. One is a bricklayer. One is a skycap. The man is not a bricklayer. Who does
what?
Support tips:



Because this is the first warm-up, you should model the thinking that goes into solving it.
Consider modeling through the first week, depending on how quickly students pick up on it.
“Bricklayer” and “skycap”, while probably unfamiliar terms, are not particularly important to the
exercise. Define them briefly and emphasize that the important fact is that they are the names
of two completely different jobs, and our goal is to figure out which job belongs to whom.
For these warm-ups, always make sure that students know the commonly expected gender
attached to names.
Solution: If the man (James) is not a bricklayer, then Mary is the bricklayer, which leaves James to be the
skycap.
6/25:
Malinda’s report card showed a C in math. Malinda’s mother was angry. She said that if Malinda’s next
report card didn’t show a better grade in math, Malinda would be grounded. Malinda’s mother never
lies. Malinda’s mother saw Malinda’s next report card but Malinda did not get grounded. What must
have happened?
Support tips:


Review the American A, B, C, D, F grading scale.
Explain “grounding”.
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Solution: Malinda’s mother requires a grade better than C on the new report card or she will punish
Malinda. If Malinda is not to be punished – and she isn’t punished -- her new report card must show a
grade higher than C (I guess, C+ through A+).
6/26:
Mrs. Raynor and Mr. Sartin each went to the store. One was supposed to buy cheese. The other was
supposed to buy eggs. Mr. Sartin was not supposed to buy cheese. What was each person supposed to
buy?
Support tips:


Define “supposed to.”
Define “The other” as it is used in the third sentence.
Solution: If Mr. Sartin was not supposed to buy cheese, then he was supposed to buy the other item,
which was eggs. So, Mr. Sartin is buying eggs, and Mrs. Raynor is buying cheese.
6/30:
Mandy believes that everyone should go to a dentist at least twice a year. Mandy knows her brother
has been to a dentist only once in the last two years. What must Mandy believe about her brother?
Support tips:


Clarify, perhaps by drawing a timeline on the board or using a calendar, the difference between
“twice a year” and “once in the last two years.”
Students might need help with the phrase “What must Mandy believe…”
Solution: Mandy probably believes that her brother doesn’t go to the dentist enough.
7/1:
I am thinking of three colors. I like the first better than the second. I like the third better than the first.
Of these three colors,
a. Which one do I like the best?
b. Which one do I like the least?
Support tips:

Review ordinals (first, second, third, fourth, etc. …) if necessary.
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

Review the comparative “I like… better than…” if necessary.
If students are struggling, ask them to pick three colors, then label them “first”, “second” and
“third”, and then try to order them by which one is liked more.
Solution: a. The “third” is the color liked best.
b. The “second” is the color liked least.
7/2:
Amy’s hair is longer than Marlene’s. Tanya’s hair is shorter than Marlene’s.
a. Who has the shortest hair?
b. Who has the longest hair?
Support tips:

If needed, define “shorter than”, “longer than”, “shortest” and “longest” (comparatives and
superlatives).
Solution: a. Tanya has the shortest hair.
b. Amy has the longest hair.
7/3:
Rocky and Terrible are a bird and an elephant. Rocky weighs more than Terrible. Who is what?
Support tips:




Does everybody know what a bird and an elephant are?
The names are not important.
Define “weighs more than”.
Make sure the students understand what the question “Who is what?” is asking.
Solution: Elephants generally weigh more than birds. Rocky weighs more than Terrible, therefore Rocky
is probably the elephant.
7/7:
If Randy were 5cm taller, his height would be 89cm. How tall is he?
Support tips:
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



Explain how “If… were…” presents a conditional situation, or a situation that is not currently true
but where the solution will be found by pretending that it is true. In other words, Randy is not
5cm taller. However, in order to find the solution to the problem, it is necessary to imagine that
he is, and then compare that height to how tall Randy really is.
If necessary, explain that “cm”=centimeters and define or illustrate centimeters.
“Taller” in this sentence is defined as “taller than Randy is now” (see convoluted explanation of
conditional, above).
If necessary, define “taller” (in and of itself) and “height” and point out their relationship to one
another.
Solution: 89cm is Randy’s new pretend height that he attains with the addition of 5 imaginary cm. To
find out how tall Randy really is, subtract 5 from 89, which leaves 84cm.
7/8:
If Rod were 10cm shorter, he would be the same height as Stacy. Stacy is 67cm tall. How tall is he?
Support tips:
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

Remind students of the 7/7 warm up about how tall Randy is, because the principle, especially
of the conditional (if… then…) element is essentially the same.
If necessary, define “shorter.”
Make sure that students realize that “How tall is he?” refers to Rod, not Stacy. It’s actually a
pretty common confusion.
Solution: Rod’s real height minus 10cm is 67cm, so to find Rod’s actual height, add 10cm back to 67cm,
finding that Rod is 77cm tall.
7/9:
An airplane was flying at an altitude of 1500 meters. A second airplane was flying at an altitude of 500
meters higher than the first. What conclusion can you draw from this?
Support tips:


Define “altitude.”
This one may require you to model finding the solution.
Solution: The second airplane was flying at an altitude of 2000 meters.
7/14:
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We all know that no 2-year-old can ride a bicycle. Danielle is 2 years old. So, what must be true?
Support tips:


Students may not be familiar with the construction “no 2-year-old can ride a bicycle” as opposed
to “2-year-olds can’t ride bikes”.
If students seem a little stuck, amend the second sentence to “What must be true about
Danielle?”
Solution: Danielle can’t ride a bike.
7/15:
Anyone who is completely happy has no worries. Ms. Neuman has a few small worries. What must be
true?
Support tips:


Discuss how “completely happy” and “no worries” suggest absolute states (as would using
words like “all”, “always” or “every”) and that for those states to be “true” there can’t be any
flaws or little tiny deviations.
If necessary, define “a few.”
Solution: “A few small worries” is a flaw, however tiny, in the state of “no worries.” So, “no worries” =
FALSE, therefore the dependent state, “completely happy” must also = FALSE, therefore, Ms. Neuman
can’t be completely happy.
7/16:
Barry spends all of his spare time reading books. Mr. Darton is a grade school teacher. He belongs to a
teacher’s bowling league. What must be true?
Support tips:
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

If necessary, define “spends… time”, “spare time”, “grade school”, “belongs to” and “bowling
league.”
Understanding the difference between first names (“Barry”) and last names (“Mr. Darton”) is
necessary to finding the solution.
You may need to model thinking on this one (see below).
Solution: This one is moving into slightly new territory, in which the authors are expecting the kids to be
hip to their devious, devious ways. The solution to this question depends entirely on the students
making an assumptive leap which winds up being definitively not true, but has to be made anyway.
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In order to figure out what the question is asking, the students have to understand that it is possible for
“Barry” and “Mr. Darton” to be the same person. Once they understand that possibility, then they
realize the question “What must be true?” is really asking “Are Barry and Mr. Darton the same person?”
That’s the hard part. The final answer is actually pretty easy: no, Barry can’t be Mr. Darton, because Mr.
Darton spends some of his spare time bowling, and Barry spends all of his spare time reading. Another
one of those “absolute state” questions, like the one about Ms. Neuman.
7/17:
Ezra likes milk better than lemonade. But he likes lemonade better than soda. Of these three drinks:
a. Which does he like best?
b. Which does he like least?
Support tips:

If necessary, define “likes… better than…”, “like best” and “like least”.
Solution: Ezra likes milk best and he likes soda least.
7/21:
Marsha’s mother sent Marsha to the store three times today. One time Marsha bought bread. Another
time she bought hamburger. The other time she bought mustard. She bought the mustard before she
bought the bread. She didn’t buy the hamburger last, but she didn’t buy it first, either.
What did Marsha buy on each of her three trips to the store?
Support tips:

Have the kids make a little time-line and label three points on it “first”, “next” and “last”, then
try to use the clues from the question to sort out which .
Solution: Marsha bought the mustard first, the hamburger second, and the bread last. Marsha’s mother
clearly needs to get organized.
7/22:
A SUPER-8 is more expensive than a TIGER. A LEOPARD is cheaper than a FASTCAR. A TIGER costs more
than a FASTCAR. List these four products in order, starting with the one which costs the least.
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Support tips:



The names (SUPER-8, TIGER, LEOPARD, FASTCAR) mean nothing and should not have time
wasted on being defined. They seem to be four different brands of cars, but it totally doesn’t
matter to solving the problem.
Define, if necessary, “more expensive”, “costs more” and “costs the least”.
This is the first warm-up where four, rather than three items are to be put in a specific order. If
three items is still challenging some students, you should model solving this item. (I had to use
sticky notes, so I could move them around.)
Solution: From least expensive to most: LEOPARD, FASTCAR, TIGER, SUPER 8.
7/23:
Celeste had an apple, a pear, and a banana. She put them in a row. She put the apple to the right of the
pear. She put the banana to the right of the apple. Name the way she set the fruits from left to right.
Support tips:

If your students are struggling with right, left, “to the right” and “from left to right”, try
modeling the following practice item with sticky notes: “Cedric had a carrot, a tomato and an
onion. He put them in a row. He put the onion to the left of the tomato. He put the carrot to
the left of the onion. Name the way he sets the vegetables from left to right.” (Solution for
practice item: carrot, onion, tomato.) Then have the students do the actual item on their own.
Solution: Pear, apple, banana.
7/24:
Amos had a grape, a lemon, and a watermelon. He put them in a row. He put the largest one in the
middle. He put the smallest one to the right of the largest one. Name the way he set the fruits from left
to right.
Support tips:


Make sure everyone knows that the grape is the smallest and the watermelon is the largest.
In addition to “to the right” like we saw yesterday, we also have “in the middle” today, so define
that if necessary.
Solution: Lemon, watermelon, grape.
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7/28:
The sum of the ages of Darlene and her mother is 29. Darlene’s age is 4. How old is Darlene’s mother?
Support tips:

If necessary, define “sum.”
Solution: Darlene’s mother’s age is 29 minus Darlene’s age (4), so Darlene’s mother is 25.
7/29:
Two people share a ride to work each morning. Their first names are Sue and Terry. Their last names
are Rawls and Peters. Sue is almost never ready on time. Terry drives a blue car. Rawls likes to watch
TV. Peters is almost always ready on time. What is each person’s full name?
Support tips:


If necessary, define “share a ride”, “ready on time” and “full name”.
This is a fun one, in that the key to solving it lies in eliminating a lot of useless information. The
question at the end indicates that the solution involves correctly connecting “Sue” and “Terry”
to “Rawls” and “Peters”, which is accomplished through finding something that a specific first
and last name must have in common OR a reason why they can’t possibly be together. The only
facts that help in this way are that Sue is almost never ready on time and Peters is almost always
ready on time, which means that Sue can’t be Peters. That they share a ride, that Terry drives a
blue car, and that Rawls like to watch TV are all useless bits of information. Help the students
see how they can put the distractions aside to find the hints that actually help (literally crossing
things out, for instance).
Solution: If Sue can’t be Peters, then it’s Sue Rawls and Terry Peters.
7/30:
Three years ago, Jefferson was a year older than his brother. Jefferson’s brother is now 6 years old.
How old is Jefferson now?
Support tips:

Don’t think we need any tips here, although I know some kids are surprised by the fact that, if
their brother is a year older than them now, he will always be a year older.
Solution: Jefferson is still a year older than his now-6-year-old brother, so Jefferson is 7.
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Logic Puzzlers
This activity is intended to extend on the technique of breaking down word problems into three
separate stages of information. The problems here are not actually math word problems, but rather
logic problems, but they follow the exact same format as math word problems. This will hopefully a)
keep the focus on the reading aspect of working with the problems while reinforcing the technique from
the previous lesson, helping students improve the skills they’ll be using in the warm-ups, and
encouraging abstract thinking skills.
Procedure: Ask students to identify the set-up, conditions and question of each problem, either by
highlighting them in three different colors or by circling the conditions, underlining the question, and
leaving the set-up blank.
Model solving the first problem. You could say something like:
The question is which person is wearing yellow, so I have to figure out from the clues given in the problem
which person is wearing yellow. The set-up tells me there are three people, so I’m going to put three
circles on the board, one for each person. I see a bunch of colors mentioned in the conditions section, so I
bet that’s where I will find the clues that help me solve this problem. Here it says: “’I’m not wearing red
or blue,’ says the first.” So my first circle is the first person, and I’m going to write “red” and “blue “ under
that circle, then cross them out to show that they are not wearing red or blue. Here it says: “’But one of
us is wearing yellow,’ says the second.” All that tells me is that one person is wearing yellow, but it
doesn’t tell me anything about which person, so I’m not going to write anything under the second circle,
which is my second person, just yet. Now the problem has the third person saying “I don’t see any yellow
or red on either of you.” This doesn’t tell us anything exactly for the third person, but it does tell us that
both the first and second person aren’t wearing yellow and they aren’t wearing red. I already have “red”
written under the first person and crossed out, but I don’t have it written and crossed out for the second
person, so I’m going to do that now. Also he said that neither the first nor second person were wearing
yellow, so I’m going to write “yellow” under each and then cross it out.
1
2
Red
Blue
Yellow
Yellow
3
So I can see that both the first and second person can’t be wearing yellow, but somebody is wearing
yellow, because the second person said so. Look at the circles: who’s left? That’s right, the third person
must be the one wearing yellow, because we’ve already figured out the other two can’t be.
Have students work in pairs to complete the other problems. Ask them to volunteer to explain how
they worked out the solution. Getting them to talk about this may take some coaching/modeling.
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Section Three:
Patterns
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Tangrams
A tangram is a geometric puzzle of sorts, consisting of a set group of polygons that can be rearranged to
make an infinite number of shapes and patterns. Work with tangrams helps familiarize students with a
host of geometry concepts, especially about polygons and angles.
First, print out the tangram template below, and cut along the lines to create the tangram pieces (gluing
to a pasteboard or construction paper backing will make the pieces sturdier).
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In addition to doing the standard tangram picture-puzzles on the following pages, students can also
exercise their critical thinking skills by doing the following activities:
1. Sort the tangram pieces using your own classification or rules.
2. Put two or more of the tangram pieces together to make other shapes.
3. Put two or more of the tangram pieces together to form shapes that are congruent (identical in
shape and size).
4. Use all of the tangram pieces to make a square. DO NOT look at the existing pattern.
5. Use the seven tangram pieces to form a parallelogram.
6. Make a trapezoid with the seven tangram pieces.
7. Use two tangram pieces to make a triangle.
8. Use three tangram pieces to make a triangle.
9. Use four tangram pieces to make a triangle.
10. Use five tangram pieces to make a triangle.
11. Use six tangram pieces to make a triangle.
12. Take the five smallest tangram pieces and make a square.
13. Work with a partner to come up with as many mathematical terms or words related to tangrams
as you can.
14. Make a rhombus with the smallest three triangles, make a rhombus with the five smallest pieces
and make a rhombus with all seven pieces.
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Below are some patterns you can challenge students to reproduce – using all of the tangram pieces
with none left over. After that, what new pictures can they design themselves?
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Mandalas
A mandala, common to Indian meditation traditions, is a repetitive design within a circle. Encourage
students to develop color patterns when coloring the following designs. The final mandala page is
actually a blank mandala, where students can create their own mandala.
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Celtic Knots
Maybe it’s because, if you trace all the lines of my heritage (except the apocryphal Cherokee one) back
far enough, you hit a Celt tribe somewhere, but I think Celtic knots are nifty as all get-out. I’m including
some fun with them here because a) they’re beautiful and b) they are patterns with allowances for onthe-fly rule-making, which fits in nicely with some of our work on abstract thinking.
We’ve got some knot work from the Book of Kells to study and color, directions on how to build knots
using the traditional method, and directions on how to build easier knots that I made up myself during
Finite Math back during my freshman year in college (D+!).
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Making Celtic Knots (dots method)
This is a method of drawing Celtic knots that I found in a book of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon painting. It
called the knots 'interlace', and said "Interlace is not a motif that can be learned by simply looking at a
model. One must know the 'trick', and from unfinished interlace borders we can tell how it was usually
made up." This suggests that there was only one method, but looking at examples of Celtic knots, I
suspect that several methods was used. This method would only work for close-weave knots in a simple
border.
Start by drawing dots in a diamond lattice pattern like this. You would normally draw
this in black, but I'm making the dots red to contrast with the later lines.
The dots should be diamond-shaped themselves. When you start drawing lines, draw
them alongside the dots rather than through the centre, otherwise this technique
doesn't work.
The patterns below are from the Durham Gospel.
Simple plait with four strands
Draw the top left diamond. Draw the top left and bottom right sides only. Keep
inside the dots. This is the first strand.
Draw a curved line at the top. This represents the strand bending round to go
downwards.
Draw the lower diamond the same, still keeping inside the dots. This will make the
long line look wonky. This is the second strand.
Draw the middle diamond. This time you draw the bottom left and top right sides.
Keep within the dots! This is the third strand.
Draw the top diamond and the top curve, as before. This continues the second
strand.
Draw a bottom curve and bottom diamond, to start the fourth curve.
The middle diamond continues the first strand.
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The top diamond and the top curve diamond continues the fourth strand.
Continue to complete the knot. I have changed the red dots to black so you can see
the finished effect. There is a suggestion of a black background as well, to heighten
the effect.
Twists with four strands
This design starts the same as the last one.
Continue the top curved line twice as far as last time. It's better to rub out the
surplus dot altogether.
Continue with the next two diamonds, the same as last time.
Make a second shorter curve, below the top one.
Make a long curve at the bottom, remembering to remove the surplus dot.
Make a short curve above the bottom curve.
Draw the second middle diamond.
Draw the second middle diamond.
Draw the two outer curves...
... then the middle two diamonds.
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Here is the final result.
Entangled loops
Draw a line straight down in the centre. This is the start of a new loop.
Draw in a normal under and over from bottom left heading up and right, and
curve it round.
Make a short curve, bending round the top of the loop.
Draw in another under and over next to the previous one, but this time bend
it round with a long curve. removing the middle dot.
Make a long curve at the bottom in the same way.
Draw a line straight down in the centre. This is the end of the old loop.
Repeat.
The final pattern.
I don't think this can have been a design tool for Celtic knots, since it's quite easy to get lost (which is
why I've broken it down into small steps). But if you designed a rough draft using a looser design
technique (see below), then this method could be useful for transferring your pattern to the final copy.
It would also be useful for bending patterns round curves, to fit inside letters, for example. It can be
hard to predict the angles of the lines, but you could mark a pleasing regular pattern of staggered dots,
then fit the pattern round it.
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Making Celtic Knots – Square Matrix Method
1. First, draw small squares around the perimeter of a square or rectangle:
There must be a minimum of 4 squares on a side – but anything more than 4 is fine. This is a square
with 5 small squares on each side.
2. The small squares are the holes in the knots. Now you need to draw the knots around the squares:
The knots are formed by sets of parallel lines on the sides of the small squares that cross over and under
each other.
3. The finished basic weaving:
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4. Now the ends of the strings are hanging loose, and they need to be connected. This is the fun part.
Use loops and arcs to connect one loose end to another:
5. When the ends are all connected, the final product will look like a very simple Celtic knot:
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Fibonacci Series
More fun with math and reading! Start this one off by putting some of the Fibonacci sequence on the
board (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55…) and challenging the students to discover the rule and/or find the
next number in the pattern.
The explanation is in the reading that follows (from the same source as “Magic Squares” and “King
Shamba’s Game”).
You can challenge the students with some other Fibonacci-related puzzles, such as:
List the five 3-digit Fibonacci numbers.
(144, 233, 377, 600, 977)
Which of the following is a Fibonacci number: 4666, 1077, 6685, 3114
(6685)
Which Fibonacci numbers under 100 are prime numbers? (1, 2, 3, 5, 13, and 89)
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Fibonacci Project
An interesting thing about the Fibonacci series is that it is found everywhere in nature. The text shows
three different flowers that present three, five and thirteen petals. Have students work in groups to find
images online -- or, even better, samples from outdoors -- of plants and even animals that have parts in
multiples from the series. If working online, students can put together a slide show. If working with
actual bits of nature, have students mount the items on a poster or otherwise display it.
Product: Create a display or slideshow presenting examples of Fibonacci series numbers (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8,
13, 21, 34, 55…) in natural items (five fingers on humans, thirteen petals on ragworts, eight legs on
spiders).
Content objective: Students will be able to identify and explain the pattern that generates the Fibonacci
series. Students will recognize an example of how mathematical rules operate in nature (other
examples of mathematical rules operating in nature involve symmetry and fractals).
Language objective: Students will be able to explain orally and/or in writing the pattern that generates
the Fibonacci series. Students will be able to present their displays and explain the relationship
between Fibonacci numbers and the nature examples they have placed on their displays.
Rubric: [Teachers, please feel free to adapt the elements of this rubric in whatever way you think
appropriate to how your particular students will best execute the project.]
Didn’t
Completed Excellent
Completed
Do It
Correctly Example
Project Element
Product has at least five different images or samples,
each showing the presence of a different Fibonacci
number.
0
1
2
3
Group/student took on the challenge of finding two or
more examples of two-digit or larger Fibonacci numbers.
0
1
2
3
Display/slide show is neat and attractively presented.
0
1
2
3
Group/student gives an oral presentation explaining
each sample and its evidence of a Fibonacci number.
0
1
2
3
TOTAL POINTS
(If you want to assign grades, 0-3 is an F, 4-5 is a D, 6-7 is a C, 8-10 is a B and 11-12 is an A.)
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Section Four:
Games
116
Magic Squares
This is a fun-with-math activity with some reading thrown in. Make student copies of the following four
pages. Have students read the first two pages either through round-robin reading or having partners
read to each other. Go over the key facts: magic squares are math crossword puzzles, they’ve been
around for thousands of years, and the goal is to use all of the single-digit numbers (1-9) and have the
horizontal, diagonal and vertical rows add up to 15. On the second page are some example puzzles.
Have the students present on the board how to solve them or model solving them yourself, whichever is
necessary.
8
3
4
1
5
9
6
7
2
2
7 6
9
5
1
4
3
8
Item C on this
page is taking things a step further. Try to get the students to note
that, if there are 16 squares, you have to use each number, 1 through 16, one time. Also, the third row
is completed, so the target sum for all rows, columns and
diagonals
should be 34.
12 1
7
14
2
13
8
11
16
3
10
5
9
6
15 4
The final two pages provide instructions on how to construct and
play a game
around the concept of the Magic Squares, which students can work in partners or in groups to complete
and play.
117
118
119
120
121
King Shamba’s Game
Like the “Magic Squares”, King Shamba’s Game is another delightful mix of reading practice and mathy
fun. Again, have students partner up to read (the first page and the top of the second page), go over the
key facts in the history of the game, then have them work together to follow the directions to build and
play the game. The game can be constructed with egg cartons and jellybeans (or similar).
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
Section Five:
Rules
129
Psychiatrist
Objectives: Students will practice identifying patterns and rules. Students will describe these patterns or rules
orally.
In the game of Psychiatrist, “It”, or the Psychiatrist, leaves the room for a minute, while the rest of the group
decides on a weird behavior for the Psychiatrist to diagnose. The Psychiatrist then returns to the room, interacts
with the group, and attempts to determine what the rule of the selected weird behavior is.
The group needs to agree upon a simple rule that will guide their behavior when the Psychiatrist returns. For
example, everyone could decide to lie whenever the Psychiatrist asks them a question. Or they have to say a color
every time they answer. Or they could choose to pat their head every time the Psychiatrist looks at them.
Probably it would be good to model generating the rule for the students, until they get the idea and take over.
Encourage goofiness – this game can be hilarious. When the Psychiatrist correctly guesses the rule, let the
Psychiatrist pick his or her successor, or draw a name from a hat.
The challenge for newcomer ELL students – and what they have to do in order to succeed at the game – will be
communicating the diagnosed rule accurately and effectively. In the case of this game, the rule will be determined
by WHO is doing WHAT and WHEN.
WHO will probably be “everybody,” so a good sentence starter for the solution would be “Everybody is…” If it’s
not everybody, it will be an identifiable group, such as “all of the boys,” so then the sentence starter would be “All
of the ________ are…”
WHAT is the action, be it lying, head-patting, color-mentioning, or whatever. Given the way we’ve started the
solution sentence, this should be expressed as a present participle: “Everybody is lying…”, “Everybody is patting
their head…” Now a scaffolded framework for the solution sentence would read: “Everybody is ______ing…” or
“All of the _______ are _______ing…”
WHEN is the conditions under which the students perform the action of the rule. Everybody is lying when the
Psychiatrist asks them a question. Everybody is patting their head when the Psychiatrist looks at them. Now the
end of the solution sentence is, for the Psychiatrist: “… when I (do something).” So…
Everyone is ________ing when I __________.
or
All of the _________ are ___________ing when I _________.
I would have these frameworks up on the board for the Psychiatrist to reference (and for the rest of the students
to reference while developing a new rule), and I would demarcate the different elements of the rule within the
sentence:
All of the _________ are ___________ing when I _________.
WHEN
WHO
WHAT
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131
132
133
134
Analogies
135
Find more worksheets at http://englishforeveryone.org/Topics/Analogies.htm
136
137
138
Analogies
Objective: Students will be able to identify then explain the rules that support analogies.
A
B
C
dog
puppy
cat
A
B
C
D
dog
puppy
cat
kitten
Explanation:
D
B is ________ to A, so D must be ________ to C.
rule
rule
B is the baby to A, so D must be the baby to C.
A puppy is the baby to a dog, so a kitten must be the baby to a cat.
A
B
C
yes
no
up
A
B
C
D
yes
no
up
down
D
Explanation:
D
B is opposite to A, so D must be opposite to C.
No is opposite to yes, so down must be opposite to up.
A
B
C
day
night
light
Explanation:
B is ________ to A, so D must be ________ to C.
rule
rule
_____________________________________________________________________________________
139
A
B
C
pine
tree
rose
D
Explanation:
A is ________ to B, so C must be ________ to D.
rule
rule
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A
B
C
Washington, D.C.
United States
Paris
D
Explanation:
A is ________ to B, so C must be ________ to D.
rule
rule
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A
B
C
morning
breakfast
noon
D
Explanation:
B is ________ to A, so D must be ________ to C.
rule
rule
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A
B
C
head
hat
feet
D
Explanation:
B is ________ to A, so D must be ________ to C.
rule
rule
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A
B
C
pen
write
scissors
140
D
Explanation:
B is ________ to A, so D must be ________ to C.
rule
rule
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
A
B
C
summer
hot
winter
Explanation:
D
B is ________ to A, so D must be ________ to C.
rule
rule
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Answer Keys
141
142
How Much – How Many
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Many
Much
Much
Much
Many
Much
Many
Much
Much
Many
Analogies
Sentence Analogies 1:
1. C
2. B
3. C
4. A
5. A
6. A
7. A
8. C
9. B
10. C
4. B
5. A
6. A
7. A
8. B
9. C
10. B
Sentence Analogies 2:
1. A
2. A
3. B
Analogies
Dark: Night is the opposite of day, so dark must be the opposite of light.
Flower: A pine is a type of tree, so a rose must be a type of flower.
France: Washington, D.C. is the capitol of the United States, so Paris must be the capitol of France.
Lunch: Breakfast is the meal you eat in the morning, so lunch must be the meal you eat at noon.
Shoes/Socks/Etc.: A hat is worn on the head, so shoes must be worn on the feet.
Cut: You write with a pen, so you must cut with scissors.
Cold: It is hot during the summer, so it must be cold during the winter.
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144
145