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Making Biology Accessible for English Learners

Making Biology Accessible for English Learners. Dr. Karen Kuhel Dr. Brendan Callahan Kennesaw State University Presentation for the 18 th Annual KSU ESOL Conference February 7, 2019. Latest literature on teaching STEM to English Learners.

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Making Biology Accessible for English Learners

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  1. Making Biology Accessible for English Learners Dr. Karen Kuhel Dr. Brendan Callahan Kennesaw State University Presentation for the 18th Annual KSU ESOL Conference February 7, 2019

  2. Latest literature on teaching STEM to English Learners English Learners in STEM Subjects: Transforming Classrooms, Schools, and Lives National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2018). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25182/english-learners-in-stem-subjects-transforming-classrooms-schools-and-lives

  3. The Shift • Focus no longer on learning discrete vocabulary but on knowledge-in-use(Harris, Krajcik, Pellegrino, & McElhancy, 2016) ANDlanguage-in-use (Lee, Quinn, & Valdes, 2013) • Focus on individual leaners’ engagement in science practices to make sense of the world around them(National Research Council, 2012)

  4. Language in science is often dense and abstract • Science and language instruction are mutually supportive

  5. Vocabulary Tiers – Which is most important?

  6. Activity: With a partner, write a definition for the following words • Kingdom • Table • Round • Power

  7. Word Meaning Differs by Intent & Discipline Science energy kingdom mass matter force Math table round power root product Mora, 2011

  8. Table – It get’s even more complicated • Idiomatic Expressions • “On the table” • “turn the tables on” • Noun v. Verb • Periodic table • “Table a discussion” Often it’s the “common” words that cause the most difficulty!

  9. 3 Components of Academic Language Foundation: Language Function (Discourse Level) Mortar: Grammar/Syntax (sentence level form) Bricks: vocabulary/terminology (word level) Zwiers, 2008 / Franks & Tedesco, 2012

  10. Examples Mortar -- Grammar/Syntax/Sentence Level What morphological feature givesthephylum Molluscaits name? Brick – Tier III Vocabulary

  11. Discourse Level Aremolluscs metameric organisms? Y/N Only considering this aspect,would it be appropriate to considermolluscsevolutionarily closer to nematodesor to annelids? Mortar, Brick (Tier I, II & III words), & Discourse challenges

  12. Tools we will be using today

  13. www.wida.us

  14. What we know about teaching English learners in content classrooms • Goals • Keep level of content “constant” • Teach same content to ELs at all language development levels • Differentiate instruction based upon language development levels • Teach students to use • Appropriate discourse patterns (linguistic complexity) • Sentence structures (language forms) • Word/Phrases (vocabulary)

  15. What do you know about Lexile Levels? • What are they? • How are they used in classrooms?

  16. What do Lexile Levels Mean for English Learners? • Go to www.newsela.com • Sign in • Class Code --- X5FJRF • Full article title -- All the Cells in the Human Body https://newsela.com/read/lib-human-cell-types/id/36618/

  17. What do you notice about the discourseof text? • In pairs/trios use: • Compare lexile levels on handout • Use the WIDA Performance Definitions (Listening/Reading) Chart • What do you notice about the discourse level of the two texts? • How does reducing the lexile level support or hinder ELs at ELD Levels Entering (L1), Emerging (L2), and Developing (L3)?

  18. What do you notice about the sentence level of the text? • pairs/trios: • Compare lexile levels on handout • Use the WIDA Performance Definitions (Listening/Reading) Chart • What do you notice about sentence level in the two texts? • How does reducing the lexile level support or hinder ELs at ELD Levels Entering (L1), Emerging (L2), and Developing (L3)?

  19. What do you notice about the word/phrase level of the text? • pairs/trios: • Compare lexile levels on handout • Use the WIDA Performance Definitions (Listening/Reading) Chart • What do you notice about word/phrase level the two texts? • How does reducing the lexile level support or hinder ELs at ELD Levels Entering (L1), Emerging (L2), and Developing (L3)?

  20. Which text is best?

  21. Juicy Sentence Protocol (adapted) https://achievethecore.org/content/upload/Juicy%20Sentence%20Protocol.pdf STEP 1 -- In pairs/trios: (with limited teacher prompting & questioning to maximize student negotiation of meaning) • What do/does the sentence(s) mean? • Other questions: • Why does….? • How does….? • Encourage annotation • Purpose -- Formatively check on what students are able to unpack and what meaning they can already identify

  22. Juicy Sentence Protocol cont’d Step 2 – Using the WIDA Performance Definitions (Listening/Reading) Chart – Consider what would be difficult for ELs at Entering (L1), Beginning (L2), Developing (L3). • Discourse Level • Sentence Level • Word Level

  23. Debrief

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