METHODS FOR TEACHING MATH AND SCIENCE TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE

LEARNERS

THE PARTNERSHIP FOR TEACHER EXCELLENCE

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

June 15, 2009

There are many factors affecting ELLs’ success in Mathematics and Science.

Social Language: making requests, retelling

events, describing activities, expressing personal opinions, sustaining conversation, etc.

Academic Language: conceptually demanding and cognitively complex

Content vocabulary is the set of content words used in your content area. Examples:

Math: product, sum, carry, exchange, equal, percentage

Science: cell, electron, amphibian,

virus, atmosphere, environment

A TRIANGLE

Math Teachers: See the Math Unit. p.4Science Teachers: See the Science

Unit. p.2

What other examples do you know?

ACADEMIC VS. COMMON WORDS

encounter meet observe watch maintain keep ultimate last equal same entire whole quantity amount subtract minus

In three more years, Miguel’s grandfather will be six times as old as Miguel was last year. When Miguel’s present age is added to his grandfather’s present age, the total is 68.

How old is each one now?

(Word Problem 1 of Math Unit p.6)

Passive: Water is moved across the large

intestine wall.

Cause-Effect: The fewer the number of hydrogens on

a carbon-carbon bond, the more oxidized the bond.

(See Science Unit pp. 2-3)

TYPES OF ACADEMIC LANGUAGE #2-THINKING SKILL TERMS Terms that describe and facilitate

higher level thinking. Examples: the difference between the probability of it is higher than it boils down to it is similar to it falls under the category of in this way if….were from the point of view of …

These are sets of words or phrases that glue ideas together, support transitions, logical conjunctives, propositions, etc. Examples:

such as but andor while despitealthough yet for instance

but and while despite although yet given that if

Language used to cultivate and facilitate academic discussions in and outside of class. Examples:

My idea is related to John’s in that… I concur with what she said You made a great point about…. I haven’t thought in those terms… My idea supports Susan’s premise… I’d like to piggyback onto your idea Along those same lines, I think…

LEARNING THE UNKNOWN

Be cognizant of the existence of ELLs in your class.

Be sensitive to their diverse needs.Attend to their emotional needs.Attend to their linguistic needs.Attend to their academic needs.Open your minds to new ideas,

strategies, and techniques.Work collaboratively.

Learning is Socially Constructed

http://teachvu.vu.msu.edu/public/designers/media_assets/socialContext.jpg

THE NEXT LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT

http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/graphics/zpd.GIF

ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT

http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_09/i_09_p/i_09_p_dev/i_09_p_dev_2b.jpg

http://www.weac.org/graphics/2005-06/sept05/buehl.jpg

ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT

http://csusap.csu.edu.au/~mross11/Artefacts/ZonePD.jpg

A SCAFFOLD: A TEMPORARY STRUCTURE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT

THE BENEFITS OF SCAFFOLDING

http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring61/scaffolding.gif

SCAFFOLDING STRATEGIES

1. Paraphrase (define)2. Highlight (notice)3. Model (mini-lesson)4. Encourage (output)5. Praise (support)6. Validate (positive reinforcement) the use of academic language.

He committed an egregious error –a very bad mistake.

The liquid becomes effervescent— bubbly, full of bubbles —when we stir it.

EFFECTIVE ESL TECHNIQUES

Create a supportive and facilitative learning environment.

Use scaffolding techniques effectively.

GROUP ACTIVITY: SCAFFOLDING

Choose a scaffolding activity in the Math and Science Units. Discuss how you would use the activity to teach your current ELL students or future ELL students.

Math Teachers: pp.8-20 Science Teachers: pp.5-22

http://durandus.com/images/zoped/zoped1.jpg

BACKGROUND SCHEMA

http://www.laspositascollege.edu/RAW/images/schema.jpg

USING BACKGROUND SCHEMA

IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Math Teachers:Read the mini lesson plan in the Math Unit pp.22-23

Science Teachers: Read the mini lesson plan in the Science

Unitpp.23-25

Incorporate background schema into your lesson plan. (See the next slide.)

Background Schema: 1. Students’ Knowledge2. Students’ Experience3. Students’ Interest

Students will learn best what they want and need to know.

Knowing how to learn is more important than acquiring many facts.

Feelings are as important as facts. Students learn best in a non-threatening

environment. Gage and Berliner (1991)

mind body

emotions spirit

Self-Awareness

Self-Control

Self-Motivation

Empathy

Social Skills

Peter Salovery, Yale John Meyer New Haven Reuven Bar-On, Israeli Daniel Goleman Writer

What do I differentiate? Sources (what to teach), process (how

to teach) and product (what to expect).

What criteria do I use to select all three?

Readiness, interest, and learning styles.

What principles guide my planning? Meaningful tasks, flexible grouping, ongoing assessment and adjustment.

Rothenberg & Fisher (2007)

Advanced Learners:Students write a short report about the

conservation of water instead of a paragraph about their interviews.

Struggling Learners: Students write five sentences instead of a

paragraph.

(Science Unit Lesson: p.25)

Create a scaffolding activity for struggling and advanced learners to be used in the mini lessons:

Math Teachers: pp.22-23Science Teachers:pp.23-25

Differentiating Instruction: Advanced Learners: Struggling Learners:

Creating a supportive and facilitative learning environment

Effective use of scaffolding techniques Providing comprehensible input Checking comprehension Using cooperative learning strategies Developing literacy and second language

skills Developing individual learning strategies Using more Gru-Vi-Mo-Ma-Mu in lessons

Gru - group work and cooperationVi - visuals, such as pictures, graphs,

diagrams, acronyms, charts, graphic organizers

Mo - movement, such as hand motions, gestures, moving around the room, whole body simulations, role-plays, dramas, experiential learning

Ma - manipulatives, or use of tactile or hands-on learning

Mu - music, songs, chants, rhythms

Does everyone understand?Vary inquiry techniques.Make students active

listeners.“Pre-Pair” to respond.Allow extra time.Give credit for trying.Offer face savers.Watch for readiness.

QTEL - Quality Teaching for English Learners (West Ed)

SIOP - Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol

CALLA - Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach

Differentiated Instruction – Individualized Instruction

Series of Professional Development Institutes in Math, Science, Social Studies, and ELA created by WestEd.

Emphasis: scaffolding academic language and content

Primary Elements of QTEL Scaffolding: bridging schema building contextualization metacognitive development

http://www.wested.org/cs/tqip/print/docs/qt/home.htm

Language and content objectives are systematically woven into lesson plans.

Teachers adjust their English to make content comprehensible.

There is a high level of student engagement and interaction.

Affective factors are taken into consideration. Multiple pathways are offered. Supplementary materials are used to support

academic text. Echevarria, Vogt and Short (2004)

Language development - focus on academic language

Content area instruction - discovery and hands-on approach

Explicit instruction of learning strategies - metacognitive awareness, modeling, practice, and transfer Chamot and O’Malley (1994)

Chamot, A. U., & O'Malley, J. M. (1996). The Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA): A model for linguistically diverse classrooms. The Elementary School Journal, 96(3), 259-273.

Echevarria, Vogt and Short (2004) Echevarria, J., Vogt, M. E., and Short, D. J. (2004). Making content comprehensible for English

learners: The SIOP model. (2nded.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

)

Gage, N., & Berliner, D. (1991). Educational psychology (5th ed.). Boston: Houghton, Mifflin.

Rothenberg, R. & Fisher, D., (2007). Teaching English language learners: A differentiated approach. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill – Prentice Hall.