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Literacy in Science Literacy for Science learning

Literacy in Science Literacy for Science learning. My takeaways from the Literacy for Science meeting organized by BOSE. Useful resources!. Conference website (video of sessions, white papers) http://sites.nationalacademies.org/DBASSE/BOSE/CurrentProjects/DBASSE_083999

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Literacy in Science Literacy for Science learning

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  1. Literacy in ScienceLiteracy for Science learning My takeaways from the Literacy for Science meeting organized by BOSE

  2. Useful resources! • Conference website (video of sessions, white papers) http://sites.nationalacademies.org/DBASSE/BOSE/CurrentProjects/DBASSE_083999 Workshop report (currently pre-pub form) www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18803

  3. Intersections of CC-ELA and NGSS • Supporting students to read and write about science • Classroom discourse a central tool in learning • Argumentation (claim, evidence, reasoning) (but what counts as evidence?) Are these parallels more than superficial? What is role of science teacher and language arts teacher in supporting literacy for science?

  4. My questions going into this • What does a science teacher need to know about literacy to support students using text to advance science learning? • What is role of language arts teacher in supporting reading and writing in science? • What do both need to know about language development to support ELL students to gain literacy for science? • How best can elementary teachers support both science learning and language and literacy development in the same lessons?

  5. Win-Win proposition • Reading and writing science is an important component of active science learning • Rich science contexts motivate language and literacy development

  6. Science learning cycleIterative and recursive, not linear Adapted from Roots of Reading, Seeds of Science work (plus Framework) • Do it: Experience phenomenon (carry out investigation) • Talk it: classroom discourse (develop models; analyze data; use mathematics; develop explanations or designs; argue from evidence; ask and refine questions; plan investigations; obtain, evaluate and communicate information) • Read it : text resources (obtain and evaluate information; use mathematics) • Write it : journal, reports, presentations (develop models; analyze data; use mathematics; develop explanations; argue from evidence; ask and refine questions; plan investigations; communicate information)

  7. Science Discourse is critical! • All S&E practices require it • Supports development of science specific language and general academic language essential for science literacy • Supports science thinking and learning

  8. What do teachers need? Some understanding of what aspects of science text can make them challenging to students Some strategies that help students overcome the challenges Some recognition of strategies taught in language arts and how these do, or do not, translate to science reading

  9. How is science text different? • Multiple modes of information presentation (words, pictures, graphs, maps, charts, tables, equations) • Precision and density of information • Multi-clause sentences – understanding connections and referents critical to sense making (it, that…) • Many implicit logical connections between clauses or sentences (inferential, illustrative, additive, sequential) • Specialized vocabulary, nouns that express whole concepts (deforestation, acidification…) Text does not just mean text book --trade books on science related topics, magazine or newspaper articles, websites….

  10. Strategiessee conference white papers for more • Science journal writing • Close analysis discussion of a single sentence (selected examplars) • Practice (discussion) in coordinating multiple sources of information • Science talk with teacher questioning that elicits elaboration, clarification, reasoning…

  11. Not an either or proposition • Same strategies support science learning • Language arts teachers do not typically have enough confidence in their science knowledge to support reading science texts (especially at hs level) • Each discipline has a specialized “vocabulary”, not just of words but of diagrams (and equations).

  12. Supporting language learners • Inclusion in the discourse (stress on ideas and science thinking, not on language perfection) • Phenomena and diagrams first, vocabulary as needed, pre-teaching vocabulary not the most effective strategy • Repeated use and practice (opportunities to speak, listen, read, write) reinforces both science and language In the science classroom all students are learning new language, thoughtful supports for language development support science learning for all.

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