Literacy in the science classroom

1. Literacy in the science classroom Science facilitators hui Aaron Wilson May 10, 2011

2. Literacy Levers Literacy Progression NCEA New Zealand Curriculum SLP Subject Literacy

3. NZ Curriculum • Each learning area has its own language. As students discover how to use them, they find they are able to think in different ways, access new areas of knowledge, and see their world from new perspectives (NZC, p.16)

4. Inquiry focus • “Since any teaching strategy works differently in different contexts for different students, effective pedagogy requires that teachers inquire into the impact of their teaching on their students.” (NZC, p.35)

5. Shanahan & Shanahan (2008)

6. Inadequate responses • Leaving it to the English department • Minimising opportunities for students to read independently • Simplifying the texts that students read and write • Summarising the text for students e.g. providing notes to copy • Focus on (receptive) vocabulary only • Scaffolding ‘in’ but not scaffolding ‘out’ • Providing support - but not developing independence • Providing isolated activities without a clear purpose and without reference to evidence of need • Not evaluating the impact of literacy activities on literacy learning.

7. Woolf Fisher Research Centre The University of Auckland English language learners learn best when: • They are provided with meaningful, high challenge/high support tasks; • Language learning is amplified rather than simplified; • They are engaged in long term projects that help them connect their funds of knowledge with newly acquired concepts and language over time. Based on Walqui 2003

8. Students in a particular class begin the year with lower reading comprehension than their peers in another class In response, their teachers give them fewer opportunities to read, and when they do, the texts are simplified So, the gaps in reading comprehension between the two groups get even bigger Therefore, they get less exposure to rich and authentic texts than their peers

9. Scaffolding Scaffolding is placed around the outside of a new building to allow builders access to the emerging structure as it rises from the ground. Once the building is able to support itself, the builder removes the scaffolding. - Jennifer Hammond

10. Woolf Fisher Research Centre The University of Auckland Reading and writing float on a sea of talk (Britton,1993)

11. Subject-specific literacy demands in science include: • Subject specialised vocabulary • Non-continuous texts • Explanation writing

12. Vocabulary Jumble copper explain properties drops ‘physical properties’ valence discuss reacts ‘copper metal’ formula Al2O3 ions reaction state ductile electrons justify charge ‘aluminium oxide’ ‘sodium metal’ suitable atom malleable aspects ‘outer shell’ describe reactive ‘universal indicator’ vigorously ‘word equation’ ‘electron configurations’ ‘balanced symbol equation’ ‘chemical properties’ ‘water pipes’

13. Traffic Light Activity Green: all words you are very confident you know the meaning of Orange: words you have seen before but are a little unsure about their meaning Red: words that are completely new to you

14. Three types of vocabulary • Tier 2 vocabulary (high literate general use) • Specialised subject vocabulary e.g. photosynthesis • General academic vocabulary

15. A vocabulary learning sequence • Inquiry to identify existing knowledge and needs • Explicit instruction • Repeated opportunities to practice – both receptive and productive • Metacognitione.g. • Memory strategies • Word-solving strategies • Inquiry into effectiveness of teaching sequence, and planning next steps.

16. Word-solving strategies • Context clues • Morphology (roots, prefixes, suffixes) • See handout

17. Key reference • The Language Demands of Science Reading in Middle School by Z. Fang • International Journal of Science Education Vol. 28, No. 5, 14 April 2006, pp. 491-520

18. Complexities • When hatched, the young reptiles are fully developed • Subordinate clause may mean that the subject of this sentence is not clear

19. Causal links • With no jaguars to eat them, the number of anteaters might increase • Alarmed by the fire and destruction it caused, people began a campaign to clean up the Cuyahoga River

20. Nominalisation • A single cell divides, forming two cells. The two cells divide forming four, and so on. This process of cell division does not only occur in pumpkins…

21. More nominalisations

22. Sentence completion • The cells that line the nasal cavities have cilia, tiny hairlike extensions that can move together like whips. ___________ sweeps the mucus into the throat, where you swallow it.

23. Sentence completion • After seeds have formed, they are usually scattered, far from where they were produced. ____________ is called seed dispersal.

24. Paraphrasing • Have students translate scientific language into everyday language and vice versa

25. Translate into everyday language • Alligators and crocodiles are also different in how they pick their places to live

26. Translate into everyday language • The belief that all parts of the environment are equally important, no matter how useful they are to humans, is the preservation viewoint.

27. Connectives • In addition to • Moreover • Conversely • For instance • Hence • Similarly • Yet • Then • Meanwhile

28. Reading and writing texts in science • Audience & Purpose • Ideas especially important subject content • Background knowledge • Vocabulary • Organisation • Sentence level features

29. Helping students learn how texts work • Read the sample text • Use the framework to analyse how this text works

30. Graphic organisers • To help reading and writing

31. Examples Needed for: Come from carbohydrates Food for energy Needed for: Needed for: proteins lipids Examples Come from Come from Examples

32. Types of Food for Energy

33. 90189 • What are the different challenges posed by the 2007 and 2010 assessments?

34. 90189, 2010 • Discuss why copper metal can be used for water pipes. In your answer you should: • State the physical and chemical properties of copper metal that make it suitable for water pipes. • Explain why these properties make copper metal suitable for water pipes.

35. What vocabulary can we use to describe metal properties?

36. Planning tool Properties of copper Water pipe attributes

37. Graphic organiser

38. Writing frame • One physical property of copper is…….. . This property makes copper suitable for use as a water pipe because….. • One chemical property of copper is…….. This property makes copper suitable for use as a water pipe because…..

39. How buffers work DABE: Definition, Acid effects, Base effects, Equations Writing Frame A buffer is …… When an acid is added to this equilibrium system, the following reaction occurs.……. This shows that there is no change in the H3O+ concentration. When a base is added, the following reaction occurs……. This shows that there is no change in OH- concentration.

40. Describing the polarity of molecules BSC: Bonding, Shape, Conclusion The atoms _____ and ______ have a difference in electronegativity so the ____-____ bond is polar.The shape of the molecule is ______________. It is symmetrical/asymmetrical around the central atom _______. Therefore the dipoles will/will not cancel out. This results in a polar/non-polar molecule overall.