Content Literacy Professional
Development for
Science Teachers Grades 5-8
Addressing the Literacy Needs
of Science Students
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Welcome!
• Introductions
• Name Cards
• Establish Norms
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How does this quote capture a fatal
pedagogical error?
“…to throw
answers like
stones at the
heads of those
who have not yet
asked the
questions.”
- Paul Tillich
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Michael Bentley, 2009
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Expected Outcomes
• Participants can and do:
• Distinguish content vocabulary from
academic vocabulary terms.
• Develop/enhance a working knowledge of
select vocabulary strategies.
• Implement various strategies from Building
Academic Vocabulary by modeling the 7E
process.
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Scientific Literacy:
“Scientific literacy is the knowledge and
understanding of scientific concepts and
processes required for personal decision
making, participation in civic and cultural
affairs, and economic productivity. It also
includes specific types of abilities. In the
National Science Education Standards, the
content standards define scientific literacy.”
National Science Education Standards, page 22
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Clarification:
You are NOT expected to become reading
interventionists, but you are the best
equipped teacher to provide content area
literacy support because you understand
the reading and writing demands of your
content.
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Think, Write, Pair, Share
• What have you used in your classroom that
has been effective at teaching students
content vocabulary?
• In your opinion, how well do your students
retain content vocabulary?
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Distinguishing between Content
and Academic Vocabulary
“Vocabulary acquisition is crucial to
academic development. Not only do
students need a rich body of word
knowledge to succeed in basic skill areas,
they also need a specialized vocabulary to
learn content area material”
Words, Words, Words, Janet Allen, et al
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Selection Criteria for
Instructional Vocabulary
Tier 1
Description
Examples
Tier 2
Tier 3
Basic words that
most children
know before
entering school
Words that
appear frequently
in texts and for
which students
already have a
conceptual
understanding
Uncommon
words that are
typically
associated with
a specific
domain
clock, baby,
happy
sinister,
fortunate,
adapt
Isotope,
peninsula,
bucolic
Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2002
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Comprehension Problems in
Science Content
• Print Skills
Poor decoding
Slow, word-by-word reading
• Meaning Skills
Limited vocabulary
Limited background knowledge
Limited use of comprehension strategies
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Effective vocabulary instruction
provides:
•
•
•
•
•
Direct and Indirect Instruction
Repetition and Multiple Exposures
Rich Contexts
Active Engagement
Wide Reading
Dependence on a single vocabulary
instructional method will not result in
optimal learning.
NRP
Report, 2000of Education
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• Knowing when AND how
to use various vocabulary
strategies is important.
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Today we will:
• Encounter two processes for vocabulary
instruction:
o Activity-driven
lesson plan illustrating
concept with supporting strategies
o Marzano et. al (2000) Building Academic
Vocabulary process introducing vocabulary
with supporting strategies
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7E (5E) Model
• is a process used in many classrooms to develop
learning cycles.
• is endorsed and modeled in many
products/publications.
• can provide multiple opportunities for vocabulary
instruction.
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Gallery walk
•
•
•
•
Read article
Identify key points
Chart out key points
Debrief
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Gallery Walk Instructions
1.Divide the participants into small groups.
2.Each group should choose or be assigned a
different colored marker for their chart paper.
3.Each group is assigned an “E” from the article.
4.Read the article and identify the key points.
5.Write the key points on their chart paper and post it.
6.Each group walks around viewing and discussing
the other participants’ charts. Add any additional
thoughts/comments/questions in your group's
marker color.
7.Debrief whole group
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Elicit
With a partner, write down all the words
you associate with:
MOTION
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Engage
Motion Videos:
• Sports
o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mwdWtbp4Bk&feature
=related
• Train
o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUc3wd4It8g&featu
re=related
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Explore
• Ball Drop Experiment
• Explore the Vocabulary
• Create Visual Diagrams for select terms
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Explain
• Use the visuals and terms you generated to
describe motion and describe the experiment
to others in the class.
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Elaborate
• View the Science Keys video, “Ball Drop.”
• Collect/observe additional and new vocabulary
terms and ideas
• After the video, create two questions about the
experiment.
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Evaluate
Quick Write
•Individually, write/draw a reflection of the terms
you learned in the context of the experiment
using targeted vocabulary.
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Extend
• Deepens student knowledge of content
• Knowledge is to be applied in a new context
and is not an elaboration of the term/concept
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Seatbelts and the 7E Model
View: http://youtu.be/KhKS5k3Kyt4
View: http://youtu.be/d7iYZPp2zYY
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Introduce / Develop
Understanding
Develop / Enhance
Understanding
Marzano’s Six-Step Process
for Learning New Terms
1. Provide a description, explanation, or
example of the new term.
2. Ask students to restate the description,
explanation, or example in their own words.
3. Ask students to construct a picture, symbol,
or graphic representing the term.
4. Engage students periodically in activities
that help them add to their knowledge of the
terms.
5. Periodically ask students to discuss the
terms with one another.
6. Involve students periodically in games that
allow them to play with terms.
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The Spacing Principle
Wolf (2008). http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/1605/ff_wozniak
(see Ebbinghaus, 1885)
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Extend
“One day your pants may power up your
iPod”
Key Terms:
•
•
•
•
•
Nanofibers
Nanometers
Nanotechnology
Piezoelectricity
Polyvinylidene Fluoride
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Effects of Piezoelectricity
Focus question:
How can I define piezoelectricity?
- Where does one find piezoelectricity used?
-piezoelectric charcoal lighter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an8CtrgPyeQ
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Marzano's Process, continued:
• After the instructor has completed the first three
steps, the sharpening of the term/concept needs to
occur at some point in the unit/lesson plan.
• Steps 4, 5 and 6 are flexible and have various
activities to reinforce concepts
• This process is designed to be implemented
throughout the entire unit.
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A Six-Step Process for Teaching New Terms
Step 4: Engage students periodically in activities
that help them add to their knowledge of the terms in
their notebooks.
Free Association
Comparing Terms
Classifying Terms
Solving Analogy Problems
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Comparing Terms
•
•
•
•
Sentence Stems
Venn Diagrams
Double Bubble
Matrix
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Sentence Stems Example
Mitosis (Kinetic Energy) and Meiosis (Potential
Energy) are similar because they both
________________
________________
Mitosis (KE) and Meiosis (PE) are different because
Mitosis is __________, but Meiosis is ___________.
Mitosis is __________, but Meiosis is ___________.
Mitosis is __________, but Meiosis is ___________.
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Double Bubble
different
different
different
similar
Cellular
Respiration
OR
Kinetic Energy
similar
Photosynthesis
OR
Potential
Energy
different
similar
different
different
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Classifying Terms
A process of grouping terms by
similar attributes.
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Creating and Solving Analogy Problems
A
C
as
B
D
“A is to B as C is to D”
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Solving Analogy Problems
Offensive
line
as
Football team
…won’t let bad things in
Cell membrane
Cell
relating factor
Tsunami
Wave
as
Earthquake
Tremor
…is an extreme example of
…relating factor
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A Six-Step Process for Teaching New Terms
Step 5: Periodically ask students to discuss the
terms with one another.
Think, Pair, Share
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A Six-Step Process for Teaching New Terms
Step 6: Involve students periodically in games
that allow them to play with terms.
Vocabulary Charades
Draw Me
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Greek and Latin Roots
• A word root is a word part that means
something.
• When a root appears inside a word, it lends its
meaning to the word and helps create the word’s
meaning.
• Words related in form and meaning to another
word are called cognates.
• The root conveys sound and meaning.
• It can stand on its own-defining
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(Root) Word Spokes Activity
conscience
science
sci
conscious
subconscious
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Prefixes and Suffixes
• Meaningful word parts
• Attached to the beginning of words (prefix)
• Attached to the end of words (suffix)
Example:
1.endo- is a prefix meaning inner
2.-itis is a suffix meaning inflamed
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Prefix Cloud
Revisit iPod Article: How many words have the same prefix?
Final question: In regards to the iPod article, which
terms would be necessary for explicit instruction after
doing the prefix-cloud?
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How can using Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root
words be useful in defining this term?
hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
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Common Core State Standards
Correlation to Content Vocabulary
Strategies
RST.6-8.4
Determine the meaning of symbols, key
terms, and other domain-specific words and
phrases as they are used in a specific scientific
or technical context relevant to grades 6–8
texts and topics.
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Common Core State Standards Writing
WHST. 6-8.2b and 2d
•Write informative/explanatory texts, including the
narration of historical events, scientific procedures/
experiments, or technical processes.
b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen
facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or
other information and examples.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
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Questioning Strategies in Science
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Content Literacy Professional
Development
This Content Literacy Training is focused on
supporting all middle/high school content
teachers as they view their roles not as teachers
of reading and writing but as teachers of how
to access information from the different kinds of
texts and information used in content classes.
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Expected Outcomes:
Participants can and do:
• Examine personal and professional literacy practices,
• Review scientifically-based literacy approaches and
strategies for content learning, with an emphasis on
Questioning the Author (QtA) and Question-Answer
Relationships (QAR), and
• Structure learning tasks using QtA and QAR that
emphasize content, access of text, and
comprehension as essential goals for students.
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Reflecting as a Reader
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Metacognition
•Thinking about your own thinking
•Awareness of one’s own knowledge
and their ability to understand,
control, and manipulate own
cognitive process
•Identifying and overcoming one’s
own blocks to learning
•Learning how to learn
•Self-awareness of the learning
process
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Text Complexity
“Literacy instruction at the high school level
should support students to continue
developing reading fluency; improving
vocabulary knowledge; developing higherlevel reasoning and thinking skills; improving
reading comprehension skills, and increasing
student motivation and engagement.”
Torgeson et al, 2007
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Text Complexity
•You are an expert for reading in your content
field, but your process has become intuitive.
•You must become metacognitive.
•Break down your own mental processes to
share with students and support their
learning.
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"Rethinking the Role of Literacy in
the Content Areas"
Heller, R., and Greenleaf, C. (2007). Literacy instruction in the content
areas: Getting to the core of middle and high school improvement.
Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent
Education.
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Jigsaw Activity
The jigsaw teaching strategy is one where
students work together as a team to
learn material, then regroup to share
out..
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Jigsaw Activity
The strategy is great to use in any classroom when
there is a great deal of material to be learned.
• Students are part of a 3-6 person team or group,
assigned to a section or “chunk” of the material.
•Within the team, students will read, evaluate,
compare and discuss the information , becoming
an “expert” for the section.
• When each expert understands his/her assigned
material, each group will number off and form new
groups.
• The new groups now have an “expert” available to
share on his/her particular chunk of material.
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Text Features in Science
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The statistics are staggering. Consider this:
•Gaps in reading are NOT narrowing.
•1 in 4 readers in the United States CANNOT identify
the main ideas of text.
•25% of students nationally read BELOW grade level.
•Only 74 out of 100 students who enter 9th grade in
Arkansas will graduate.
•In Arkansas, 50% of 5th, 7th, and 11th grade students
were not proficient in 2005 testing.
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Research-Based Reading Comprehension
Strategies:
1. Comprehension Monitoring
2. Graphic and Semantic Organizers
3. Question Answering
4. Question Generating
5. Story Structure (Text Structure)
6. Summarization
National Reading Panel Report
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Questioning
• Thinking tool
• Strategy of good readers
• Increases student learning
• Research-based
Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, Buehl
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Questioning
• To actively inquire
• To explore uncertainties
• To investigate a text
adapted from Subjects Matter, Harvey Daniels and Steven
Zemelman, 2004
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Questioning the Author (QtA)
• Provides a setting for small group
discussions.
• Improves comprehension and criticalthinking skills.
• Leads to students considering an author’s
thinking
• Offers a voice to confusion.
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QtA
with
“The Russian Traveler”
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QtA Prompts Changes in Classroom
Discourse
• Teacher-generated questions
• Student discourse
Questioning the Author, Beck,
McKeown, Hamilton, and Kucan
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QtA in a Thinking Device for
Science:
Video of “One Day Your Pants May
Power Up Your iPod”
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QAR Strategy: Question/Answer
Relationships
• Helps students connect the salient parts of a
question with a text and the reader’s prior
knowledge.
• Contains four categories of relationships.
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QAR
“In the Book”
1. Right There
2. Think and Search
“In My Head”
3. Author and Me
4. On My Own
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Examples from modeled passages:
1. What did one station mean when it reported that a
new moon was put in the sky?
2. What changes occurred between the first satellite and
the one sent out a month later?
3. What does Sputnik mean in Russian?
4. How can monitoring an animal in space help people
learn more about animals or space?
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Article:
“One Day Your Pants May Power Up
Your iPod”
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Advantages of QtA and QAR :
• Engagement
• Motivation
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Common Core State Standards for
Literacy in History/Social Studies,
Science, and Technical Subjects
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Reflection:
Expected Outcomes:
• examine personal and professional literacy
practices
• review scientifically based literacy approaches and
strategies for content learning, with an emphasis
on Questioning the Author and Question-Answer
Relationships
• learn how to structure learning tasks using
questioning that emphasizes content, access of
text, and comprehension as essential goals for
students.
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