Can Global Warming Improve Vocabulary?: A Natural History of Word Learning in a 5th Grade Classroom

1. Can Global Warming Improve Vocabulary?: A Natural History of Word Learning in a 5th Grade Classroom statisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCEstatisticsACKNOWLEDGEhypothesistransportPROJECTINCORPORATEATTRIBUTEinitiativescycleINCIDENCE Sarah Meacham SERP & Harvard Graduate School of Education April 10, 2007

2. The observation of WG in a real classroom at the Mystic Middle School provided an experimental setting from which to learn how socio-interactional context impacts vocabulary learning It provides data with which to alter aspects of the WG activities and materials design and with which to discover situated innovations made by real teachers.

3. Plan of the Talk Discuss status of word knowledge at the end of each of two weeks of WG (as represented in students’ end of week writing) Discuss interaction over the course of the two weeks and Offer some tentative theories about the links between interaction and growth in word knowledge

4. Methodology Video-recording and observation of Weeks 8 and 11 of WG Transcription of talk and activity into CA format, approximately 200 minutes Collection of student writing assignments at end of both weeks

5. Analysis Counted instances of attempted and appropriate word use in student writing, Counted target word use in class and Identified discourse structures and activities within which target words were embedded

6. Word Generation at The Mystic Middle School Ms. Ross’ 5th grade 24-26 students Class is 100% English Language Learners Ms. Ross is teaching all five days = 100 minutes/week of instructional time

7. WEEK 8 Global warming: What should be done? Global climate statistics suggest that the average temperature of the earth's surface is increasing. For example, the warmest ten years of the 20th century were between 1985 and 2000. Another statistic indicates that surface temperatures have risen by about 1˚F since the late 1800’s. Though this change may seem small, it has raised the ocean level by 4-8 inches. This is because more snow and ice are melting into the sea. Many scientists support the hypothesis that global warming is linked to heavier storms, floods, and other extreme weather. They attribute these changing environmental conditions to human activities like driving cars that use a lot of gas. Scientists believe that people contribute to global warming through burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas). Such activities increase certain gases that trap the sun’s energy inside the atmosphere and warm the earth. This is called the greenhouse effect. Scientists say that this warm period is not just part of the earth’s natural climate cycle. This trend does not fit the usual pattern of warm periods followed by cool periods. Scientists project that temperatures will keep rising if we continue to ignore the impact of our activities. Should people be allowed to drive SUVs? Should companies be allowed to make them? Should the government invest in exploring other energy sources? Who is responsible for preventing future destruction?

8. Tuesday/Wednesday: informal assessment, group work relating words to world Monday/Tuesday: informal assessment, theories of word meaning, reading of passage, talk about topic, scanning of text/annotation Wednesday/Thursday: debate Friday: essay writing

9. Writing Prompt WEEK 8 What should be done to prevent global warming? If you feel nothing should be done, say that. Have information to back up what you believe in.

10. Word Use Rating Appropriate: “My hypothissis is that global warming will get worse if no one does anything about it.” Inappropriate: “I attribute my friends to stop waisting elecrisity and fuel.” Makes some sense: “The global warming has a green house and it goes in a cycle by little by little.”

11. statistics project hypothesis cycle attribute WEEK 8 WORDSappropriate use in student writing as a proportion of attempted use 9 9 9 8 7 7 5 3 3

12. WEEK 11 Junk food: Should schools sell it? Many kids now acknowledge that eating too much junk food is not good for their health. They realize that soda, chips, and candy have little nutritional value. They know that these foods have too much sugar, salt, fat, and refined starches. Yet they continue to eat junk food regularly. Many kids also admit that they do not incorporate enough exercise into their daily routines. There is a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes among kids in recent years. This has been linked to rising obesity rates. Diabetes is a disease in which the body's insulin levels are too low. The digestive system breaks down food to make glucose, which provides the body's energy. Insulin is an important digestive hormone that helps the body absorb glucose. Without enough insulin, the blood cannot transport glucose to all of the body’s organs. Despite the link between diabetes and weight, some students think that schools should keep selling soda and snacks. They argue that kids should have a choice about what they eat. Selling snacks also generates money for schools. Other people think that schools make junk food too accessible. They believe that schools should cooperate with health professionals on initiatives aimed at changing kids' eating and fitness habits. For example, schools could fill snack machines with more nutritious foods. Should schools sell the snacks kids want, or do they have a responsibility to promote healthy habits?

13. Writing Prompt WEEK 11 Should schools sell junk food to kids, why or why not? Remember you need to provide evidence when you say why or why not.

14. Word Use Rating Appropriate: “Schools need to acknowledge that their lunches are not healthy.” Inappropriate: “We should initiative how much junk food we can eat a day.” Makes some sense: “So now if you eat alot of sugar a tiny incidence of possible you getting HYPER.”

15. WEEK 11 WORDS appropriate use in student writing as a proportion of attempted use 11 11 8 9 9 6 4 4 3 2 acknowledge incorporate transport incidence initiative

16. How are these outcomes linked to the interactional texture and history of these two weeks?

17. Explaining Attempted Uses in Ms. Ross’ Students’ Writing

18. Explaining Attempted Uses in Ms. Ross’ Students’ Writing Number of times the word is mentioned over the course of the week seems to have some association with the number of attempted uses of the word in students’ writing

19. Number of Utterances of the Week 8 Words by Day and Total (#) Students’ contribution to utterance totals

20. 37 30 28 19 9 9 9 9 7 8 7 5 3 3 attribute statistics project hypothesis cycle Appropriate use as a proportion of attempted use next tonumber of mentions during week 8

21. Number of Utterances of the Week 11 Words by Day and Total (#) Students’ contributions to utterance totals

22. acknowledge incorporate transport incidence initiative Appropriate use as a proportion of attempted use next tonumber of mentions during week 11 22 21 17 18 17 11 11 9 9 8 6 4 4 3 2

23. statistics project hypothesis cycle attribute But what are the explanations for appropriateness of use? 37 30 28 19 9 9 9 9 7 8 7 5 3 3

24. statistics project hypothesis cycle attribute But what are the explanations for appropriateness of use? 37 30 28 19 9 9 9 9 7 8 7 5 3 3

25. Explaining Appropriate Uses in Ms. Ross’ Students’ Writing

26. Explaining Appropriate Uses in Ms. Ross’ Students’ Writing Routines and formats set up associations between words, activities, discourse, and world views (Bruner, 1975; Keenan & Shieffelin, 1976; Snow, 1972)

27. Explaining Appropriate Uses in Ms. Ross’ Students’ Writing Routines and formats set up associations between words, activities, discourse, and world views (Bruner, 1975; Keenan & Shieffelin, 1976; Snow, 1972) In a week’s time, the words that get learned might be the ones that relate to preexisting evidential worlds and that enable the student to be subjectively involved in those worlds.

28. The Evidential World of Ms. Ross’ Classroom (and many other classrooms in the Boston Public Schools…)

29. The Evidential World of Ms. Ross’ Classroom At the Discourse Level: What information is our thinking based on and what can we predict based on that?

30. The Evidential World of Ms. Ross’ Classroom At the Discourse Level: What information is our thinking based on and what can we predict based on that? Evidence + Inferring + Predicting of Readers Writers Workshop

31. The Evidential World of Ms. Ross’ Classroom At the Discourse Level: What information is our thinking based on and what can we predict based on that? Teacher; I’m not quite sure what that even means, but now that I know when I think of global that I think of world, warming, so I- I’m going to predict that maybe it has something to do with the world becoming so hot and warm, Teacher; based on, the scientists and the hypothesis that’s happening, um global warming is getting worse so, I’m wondering if it is not such a good thing, Teacher; numbers, so it’s gonna say thirty-three degrees or whatever so because we’re talking about the climate statistics, and they’re talking about the temperature what can you think that maybe statistics might mean,

32. The Evidential World of Ms. Ross’ Classroom At the Discourse Level: What information is our thinking based on and what can we predict based on that? Teacher; so my hypothesis is based on the information that’s given to me, Student; (raises hand) Teacher; (points to student) Student; it’s kind of like inferring?

33. The Evidential World of Ms. Ross’ Classroom At the Activity Level: Finding information (on the computer) and forming an opinion about global warming and what’s going to happen Teacher; kay, um what we’re gonna do is were gonna put together a list of information, facts, um hypotheses, statistics, any information regarding um cycles that you noticed as far as the green house effect goes, and the greenhouse effect is global warming, did anybody find any statistics while reading the article, any numerical information, I know there was one um article that talked about um the percent or the- how many inches the sea level’s rising, did anybody have that article, there was one article I read about that, any statistics any percentages that you’ve read Byron, Student Writing: “I found statistics in the computer why global warming is bad scientist say that it can extinct animals and make hurricanes, floods and other disasters.” Student Writing: “When I went to the internet it said there’s a hypothesis about coastal cities scientests predict that coastal cities are going to disapear under water completey.”

34. It seems like the evidential world of the classroom is one in which the pattern ofinformation gathering + inferring + predictingis emphasized routinely at the discourse, syntactic, and activity levels

35. It seems like the evidential world of the classroom is one in which the pattern ofinformation gathering + inferring + predicting(statistics) + (hypothesizing) + (projecting)is emphasized routinely at the discourse, syntactic, and activity levels

36. acknowledge incorporate transport incidence initiative Appropriate use as a proportion of attempted use next tonumber of mentions during week 11 22 21 17 18 17 11 11 9 9 8 6 4 4 3 2

37. Theories (Conclusions?) Just uttering the word frequently increases students’ attempts to use the word themselves (which can provide space for feedback). Students’ subjective involvement in the “life” of words (the way they relate naturally and are grounded within classroom discourse and activity frames) strengthens the likelihood that the word will be used appropriately. WG designers might think about the extent to which the program dovetails not only with material norms but also routine cognitive frameworks, activities, and linguistic ideologies within the schools.

38. Further Analyses Count and analyze occurrences of prior weeks’ words Discursively analyze the contextualization of different words, looking for differences in data and construction of meaning Continue to analyze the way subsequent weeks’ words are oriented with respect to the evidential frames of classroom discourse

39. Thank You Mystic Middle School Beth Fallen Jeanette Mancilla-Martinez Laura Potenski The SERP Research Practicum Please contact me at smeacham@alumni.princeton.edu with any questions or thoughts.