Enhancing Science for ELLs
Science strategies for English Language Learners that benefit all students:
Authors: Joanne K. Olson, John M. Levis, Roberta Vann, Katherine Richardson Bruna
National Science Teacher Association
Methods & Strategies
Januarary 2009
This article highlights the author’s belief that, in teaching about science, there are many strategies that benefit the English language learner as well as the rest of the class. One important strategy that can be used in any classroom is to include the ELL as a participating whole member of the class. It stresses the importance of learning and encouraging others to use and pronounce the ELLs name. Using this strategy works to model that others are willing to take risks with pronunciation just like we want the ELL student to do. Assigning a learning partner may help the ELL student feel less isolated, and may encourage the ELL to reach out to other classmates as well.
Another strategy the authors discuss is providing key terms in a readily accessible location. The authors suggest using word walls when learning new concepts. Basically, a word wall includes key terms and a corresponding picture or L1 translation. This helps build vocabulary for all students in the class, and supports the student’s ability to articulate concepts.
This article was very useful. It briefly describes how and why ELL strategies can be implemented and beneficial for the mainstream classroom environment.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9f641e8b-ae09-4dcf-9e03-c939eca6e4cc%40sessionmgr115&vid=4&hid=127
National Science Teacher Association
Methods & Strategies
Januarary 2009
This article highlights the author’s belief that, in teaching about science, there are many strategies that benefit the English language learner as well as the rest of the class. One important strategy that can be used in any classroom is to include the ELL as a participating whole member of the class. It stresses the importance of learning and encouraging others to use and pronounce the ELLs name. Using this strategy works to model that others are willing to take risks with pronunciation just like we want the ELL student to do. Assigning a learning partner may help the ELL student feel less isolated, and may encourage the ELL to reach out to other classmates as well.
Another strategy the authors discuss is providing key terms in a readily accessible location. The authors suggest using word walls when learning new concepts. Basically, a word wall includes key terms and a corresponding picture or L1 translation. This helps build vocabulary for all students in the class, and supports the student’s ability to articulate concepts.
This article was very useful. It briefly describes how and why ELL strategies can be implemented and beneficial for the mainstream classroom environment.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9f641e8b-ae09-4dcf-9e03-c939eca6e4cc%40sessionmgr115&vid=4&hid=127
Teaching Photosynthesis with ELL Students
Authors: Susan Piper and Edward Shaw Jr.
University of South Alabama
Taylor Francis Group, LLC
2010
This article is written in the voice of a third grade teacher who walks the reader through an adapted lesson plan that includes activities for teaching photosynthesis and strategies suitable for ELL students and the mainstream classroom. One strategy this teacher used involved building background knowledge in a way that fostered a feeling of success. The teacher took the students outside and had them observe the plants. The teacher used realia, real plants with roots, that the students could feel and smell, and exaggerated gestures to compare how we eat to how plants eat. The teacher was able to assess understanding because the students could point to answers. The teacher followed up in class by having the students sketch what they understood about the lesson. The article highlights the use of cloze passages with word banks. This gives the Ell the opportunity to practice academically structured writing, and may be used in any classroom when teaching content area curriculum.
I found this article very useful, and I would like to use this lesson when teaching students about photosynthesis regardless of a student’s first language. I found several center activities that use engaging and authentic activities in language and content areas that reinforce learning. The authors also provide resources for electronic media on photosynthesis.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=60082a17-5ad7-428d-909d-9a79920f241a%40sessionmgr110&vid=13&hid=123
University of South Alabama
Taylor Francis Group, LLC
2010
This article is written in the voice of a third grade teacher who walks the reader through an adapted lesson plan that includes activities for teaching photosynthesis and strategies suitable for ELL students and the mainstream classroom. One strategy this teacher used involved building background knowledge in a way that fostered a feeling of success. The teacher took the students outside and had them observe the plants. The teacher used realia, real plants with roots, that the students could feel and smell, and exaggerated gestures to compare how we eat to how plants eat. The teacher was able to assess understanding because the students could point to answers. The teacher followed up in class by having the students sketch what they understood about the lesson. The article highlights the use of cloze passages with word banks. This gives the Ell the opportunity to practice academically structured writing, and may be used in any classroom when teaching content area curriculum.
I found this article very useful, and I would like to use this lesson when teaching students about photosynthesis regardless of a student’s first language. I found several center activities that use engaging and authentic activities in language and content areas that reinforce learning. The authors also provide resources for electronic media on photosynthesis.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=60082a17-5ad7-428d-909d-9a79920f241a%40sessionmgr110&vid=13&hid=123
Science for ELLs: Rethinking Our Approach
Authors: William Medina-Jerez, Douglas B. Clark, Amelia Medina, and Frank Ramirez-Marin
The Science Teacher
March 2007
Science for ELL is based on having a different approach to teaching students within science classes, although these approaches should be used in other subject areas as well. It highlights that we as educators should have collaborative inquiry-based experiences in our classes. The National Science Education Standards are trying to promote “Education for All.” Some of the strategies that they are trying to include: encouraging group work—through having mixed-level groups as well as allowing same-language partners, incorporating collaboration between different teachers, explicitly teach new vocabulary—have students define terms in their own words or draw and design mini-experiments to show understanding of concepts. Another area highlighted is to use alternative assessments with your ELL students. If a student is continually failing a vocabulary term because of the language barrier have students create a project, portfolio, drawing or a presentation to show understanding of the key concepts or vocabulary. After reading this article you can see that there are so many strategies to help the ELLs as well as the other learners within your classroom.
http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=53492&print=true
The Science Teacher
March 2007
Science for ELL is based on having a different approach to teaching students within science classes, although these approaches should be used in other subject areas as well. It highlights that we as educators should have collaborative inquiry-based experiences in our classes. The National Science Education Standards are trying to promote “Education for All.” Some of the strategies that they are trying to include: encouraging group work—through having mixed-level groups as well as allowing same-language partners, incorporating collaboration between different teachers, explicitly teach new vocabulary—have students define terms in their own words or draw and design mini-experiments to show understanding of concepts. Another area highlighted is to use alternative assessments with your ELL students. If a student is continually failing a vocabulary term because of the language barrier have students create a project, portfolio, drawing or a presentation to show understanding of the key concepts or vocabulary. After reading this article you can see that there are so many strategies to help the ELLs as well as the other learners within your classroom.
http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=53492&print=true
Extending Learning: Reading Packets for ESL Students
Author: Chris Bourret
Practitioner Perspective
Adult Basic Education and Literacy Journal-Volume 3, Number 3
Fall 2009
The New England Literacy Resource Center has started a project to implement reading packets in their classrooms. Some of the highlights of the reading packets are helping students learn English, it is said that it takes around 150 hours to advance one level in English. The reading packets are made for students to take home and learn how to read. Each packet contains a folder with a copy of Easy English News and accompanying two-page quiz, a reading from ESL-Library.com or a book from a pleasurable reading series, (True Stories in the News, What a Life, or What a World, all from Longman Publishing), at least one graphic organizer where students will be able to summarize and reflect on their reading, (it would also include a vocabulary section for words they did not know), and lastly a time log, so students can keep track of how long they have read or worked on their activities. A strategy that would be used would be to model each part of this packet for the students. When modeling the packet for students it is done one section at a time and each section is modeled over a period of time so that students are able to comprehend each section.
I found this article useful because this is allowing students the opportunity to work at their own pace as well as read and learn outside of the classroom. They are able to bring materials home. Over the course of using these packets there has been a drastic outcome in students learning to read in English.
http://www.nelrc.org/persist/pdfs/ABEL%20Journal_1109_Bourret_2.pdf
Practitioner Perspective
Adult Basic Education and Literacy Journal-Volume 3, Number 3
Fall 2009
The New England Literacy Resource Center has started a project to implement reading packets in their classrooms. Some of the highlights of the reading packets are helping students learn English, it is said that it takes around 150 hours to advance one level in English. The reading packets are made for students to take home and learn how to read. Each packet contains a folder with a copy of Easy English News and accompanying two-page quiz, a reading from ESL-Library.com or a book from a pleasurable reading series, (True Stories in the News, What a Life, or What a World, all from Longman Publishing), at least one graphic organizer where students will be able to summarize and reflect on their reading, (it would also include a vocabulary section for words they did not know), and lastly a time log, so students can keep track of how long they have read or worked on their activities. A strategy that would be used would be to model each part of this packet for the students. When modeling the packet for students it is done one section at a time and each section is modeled over a period of time so that students are able to comprehend each section.
I found this article useful because this is allowing students the opportunity to work at their own pace as well as read and learn outside of the classroom. They are able to bring materials home. Over the course of using these packets there has been a drastic outcome in students learning to read in English.
http://www.nelrc.org/persist/pdfs/ABEL%20Journal_1109_Bourret_2.pdf
Science: A Second Language for ELL Students
Authors: Martha L. Nabors and Linda Carol Edwards
Kappa Delta Pi Record
Curriculum Connections
Spring 2011
The authors discussed lesson modifications used by interns in an inclusive classroom which were designed to help English-language proficient students learn the material as well as ELLs. Fifteen second grade students (including two Hispanic children) were learning about barn owls. The interns had witnessed the ELLs struggling when the lesson was introduced using mainly text and “teacher talk”. During the course of the lesson, the interns provided several strategies that were beneficial for ELL students. These included placing the ELL with an English-speaking buddy student to help with vocabulary and visual demonstrations. The interns then read aloud a book about barn owls and gave students life-sized barn owl hand puppets so that they could discuss features with their partners. The children were then asked to draw pictures of owls in their notebooks and create KWL charts. Later, students made barn owl masks and while the interns reviewed the book read previously, students role-played owl movements. The interns wrote and said words such as glide, swoop, and fly on card and asked students to perform these actions. Later they stopped saying the words and just held up the cards.
The article details a hands-on, inquiry-based science lesson geared towards students in an inclusive classroom. The article discusses the strategies used and why they are effective for ELL students. The ideas and lesson modifications highlighted will give teachers authentic activities that they may do to motivate students and increase learning in the classroom.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=60082a17-5ad7-428d-909d-9a79920f241a%40sessionmgr110&vid=11&hid=123
Kappa Delta Pi Record
Curriculum Connections
Spring 2011
The authors discussed lesson modifications used by interns in an inclusive classroom which were designed to help English-language proficient students learn the material as well as ELLs. Fifteen second grade students (including two Hispanic children) were learning about barn owls. The interns had witnessed the ELLs struggling when the lesson was introduced using mainly text and “teacher talk”. During the course of the lesson, the interns provided several strategies that were beneficial for ELL students. These included placing the ELL with an English-speaking buddy student to help with vocabulary and visual demonstrations. The interns then read aloud a book about barn owls and gave students life-sized barn owl hand puppets so that they could discuss features with their partners. The children were then asked to draw pictures of owls in their notebooks and create KWL charts. Later, students made barn owl masks and while the interns reviewed the book read previously, students role-played owl movements. The interns wrote and said words such as glide, swoop, and fly on card and asked students to perform these actions. Later they stopped saying the words and just held up the cards.
The article details a hands-on, inquiry-based science lesson geared towards students in an inclusive classroom. The article discusses the strategies used and why they are effective for ELL students. The ideas and lesson modifications highlighted will give teachers authentic activities that they may do to motivate students and increase learning in the classroom.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=60082a17-5ad7-428d-909d-9a79920f241a%40sessionmgr110&vid=11&hid=123
Integrated Assessments for ELL
Students-and teachers-benefit from incorporating writing and drawing in science.
Authors: Joan Armon and Linda J. Morris
Science & Children
Methods & Strategies
April/May 2008
The authors observe a classroom where one teacher, Ms. Adams, is teaching third graders about life cycles. Ms. Adams has noticed that Emil, her ELL student who is learning English, is confused. She has decided to modify her approach. Ms. Adams has integrated science, reading, and art by asking students to write and sketch in a science notebook. This provided students with multiple ways to communicate their understanding. In order to engage Emil, Ms. Adams has employed several helpful strategies. One of these is reading a trade book about the plant life cycle to Emil. Ms. Adams points out the pictures and vocabulary and then draws the cycle in sequenced boxes on the whiteboard. Emil is asked to repeat the key words. Emil is then placed in a group and they reread the plant life cycle book. The students then draw and label the plant life cycle and pronounce each term several times. Ms. Adams then reads another book about a butterfly’s life cycle, draws the cycle, and later has the group repeat. Emil is asked to record his observations in his notebook and draw pictures. Ms. Adams notices that Emil is using more and more details and advanced vocabulary.
The article notes the actions of one teacher to modify and incorporate lesson adaptations in her classroom. The article shows the progression of the student and details what strategies were employed. The article also clearly lists strategies that support integration at the conclusion.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=60082a17-5ad7-428d-909d-9a79920f241a%40sessionmgr110&vid=6&hid=123
Science & Children
Methods & Strategies
April/May 2008
The authors observe a classroom where one teacher, Ms. Adams, is teaching third graders about life cycles. Ms. Adams has noticed that Emil, her ELL student who is learning English, is confused. She has decided to modify her approach. Ms. Adams has integrated science, reading, and art by asking students to write and sketch in a science notebook. This provided students with multiple ways to communicate their understanding. In order to engage Emil, Ms. Adams has employed several helpful strategies. One of these is reading a trade book about the plant life cycle to Emil. Ms. Adams points out the pictures and vocabulary and then draws the cycle in sequenced boxes on the whiteboard. Emil is asked to repeat the key words. Emil is then placed in a group and they reread the plant life cycle book. The students then draw and label the plant life cycle and pronounce each term several times. Ms. Adams then reads another book about a butterfly’s life cycle, draws the cycle, and later has the group repeat. Emil is asked to record his observations in his notebook and draw pictures. Ms. Adams notices that Emil is using more and more details and advanced vocabulary.
The article notes the actions of one teacher to modify and incorporate lesson adaptations in her classroom. The article shows the progression of the student and details what strategies were employed. The article also clearly lists strategies that support integration at the conclusion.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=60082a17-5ad7-428d-909d-9a79920f241a%40sessionmgr110&vid=6&hid=123
Strategies for ELL Students
· Make ELLs included members of the class: Learn and encourage the correct pronunciation of the ELL name. Pair ELL students with a learning partner
· Give students opportunities to produce oral language in situations where they can succeed: Provide language supports in: cooperative learning groups where students can practice discussing writing and sharing ideas and new concepts. Allow for extra wait time for students to answer question
· Provide key terms of the unit in a readily accessible location: Use word walls that illustrate and define key terms
· Use the learning cycle to increase comprehension and ground language in experience: Lesson structure and planning that couples experience and key vocabulary together may access or build prior knowledge, a foundation on which to build new concepts
· Using alternative assessments: Don’t just use paper and pencil tests to assess the ELLs understanding.Students should be encouraged to express their understanding in their L1, simple English or a combination of both along with a visual representation
· Incorporate collaboration
· Promote democratic classroom
· Include the contributions of scientists of different backgrounds
· Encourage parental involvement
· Know your ELLs English proficiency levels to accommodate the lesson appropriately
· Know the content objectives and the language objectives
· Build on prior knowledge before moving into the content oriented curriculum.
· Use concrete experiences with authentic materials to foster success and reduce anxiety
· Use exaggerated gestures and simple vocabulary to explain new concepts
· Use realia for hands on experiences
· Model writing techniques that you want students to emulate
· Use visuals, graphics, photographs and illustrations to reinforce comprehension
· Use graphic organizers and KWL charts
· Group non-native and native speakers together to create small teams
· Offer leveled activities, for example offer one completely blank diagram that requires the student to produce names and processes independently. Another diagram may have a word bank, and a third diagram may be offered where students fill in the missing letters complete
· Use electronic media like videos and animation to support the learner visually
· Alternative assessment for ELLs include demonstrating content knowledge through illustration, diagrams labeling etc., without penalty for limited use of the English language
· Give students opportunities to produce oral language in situations where they can succeed: Provide language supports in: cooperative learning groups where students can practice discussing writing and sharing ideas and new concepts. Allow for extra wait time for students to answer question
· Provide key terms of the unit in a readily accessible location: Use word walls that illustrate and define key terms
· Use the learning cycle to increase comprehension and ground language in experience: Lesson structure and planning that couples experience and key vocabulary together may access or build prior knowledge, a foundation on which to build new concepts
· Using alternative assessments: Don’t just use paper and pencil tests to assess the ELLs understanding.Students should be encouraged to express their understanding in their L1, simple English or a combination of both along with a visual representation
· Incorporate collaboration
· Promote democratic classroom
· Include the contributions of scientists of different backgrounds
· Encourage parental involvement
· Know your ELLs English proficiency levels to accommodate the lesson appropriately
· Know the content objectives and the language objectives
· Build on prior knowledge before moving into the content oriented curriculum.
· Use concrete experiences with authentic materials to foster success and reduce anxiety
· Use exaggerated gestures and simple vocabulary to explain new concepts
· Use realia for hands on experiences
· Model writing techniques that you want students to emulate
· Use visuals, graphics, photographs and illustrations to reinforce comprehension
· Use graphic organizers and KWL charts
· Group non-native and native speakers together to create small teams
· Offer leveled activities, for example offer one completely blank diagram that requires the student to produce names and processes independently. Another diagram may have a word bank, and a third diagram may be offered where students fill in the missing letters complete
· Use electronic media like videos and animation to support the learner visually
· Alternative assessment for ELLs include demonstrating content knowledge through illustration, diagrams labeling etc., without penalty for limited use of the English language