Elementary Science

Learning Academy
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH
Quick Write
How do you normally plan for a learning sequence? What is your typical
method of lesson planning?
Generate a rule
WHAT MAKES SOMETHING STABLE?
Organize your data
Drawing Drawing

Drawing Explanation
Revise your rule
WHAT MAKES SOMETHING STABLE?
 Recall what you just did as a
learner
Teacher Does: Student Does:
 Reconstructing the
Learning Sequence
 Reflect on the sample lesson we just completed. As a group
record what you remember about the sequence of events.

 First, consider what the teacher did throughout the lesson

 Then consider, what learners did throughout the lesson

5E Learning Model

The 5E Learning Model provides a

means for designing inquiry learning
lessons that positions student-thinking
as the key for successful science
instruction.
What does each E mean?
How does each E differ from other
(traditional) means of instruction?
How do the Es align with your
description of our model lesson?
5E Learning Model
Engage - helps to access prior knowledge, generates interest in the topic,
and/or provides students with a reason to explore.
Explore - the teacher provides materials, space, and time so that students
may generate their own understandings, in their own words, as they
complete a task and/or solve a problem.
Explain – occurs in 2 parts; the sequence is important
◦ Students - First, students are given an opportunity to formalize and share the
understandings generated in the Explore
◦ Teachers - Then the teacher uses students’ language/descriptions to help
structure students’ explanations and refine their new conceptual understandings,
by directing attention to important elements, clarifying where needed, and
providing science vocabulary.

Elaborate -provides students with opportunities to apply the understandings

and vocabulary developed in the earlier phases to a new, but related
situation/problem.
Evaluate - This phase occurs throughout the 5E model (not just at the end)
and provides teachers & students with feedback about the learning process
and students’ progress toward learning goals.
12

What does a teacher need to do in order

for his/her students to learn science?
13

What does a teacher need to do in order

for his/her students to gain English
proficiency?
14

Most of us don’t have the same

answer for both questions.

Even though we might be

talking about the same student.
15
Science, an EL’s new best friend
INQUIRY science provides context for
language.
Science can provide a purposeful and
authentic setting to use new language.
Science can be more culturally neutral
compared to other content area.
Science allows kids complex thinking while
their language skills develop: students can
process science content at a high level,
through complex thinking processes.
16
What are the different processes involved in . . .
“doing” science?
 Observing/describing
 Asking questions
 Analyzing data
 Summarizing Trends/Patterns
 Evaluating evidence
 Constructing an argument.
 Creating explanations
 Describing cause and effect
 And others – Predicting,
Sequencing, etc.
using language?
 Observing, describing
 Asking questions
 Comparing/Contrasting
 Drawing Conclusions
 Evaluating
 Persuading
 Creating explanations
 Describing cause and effect
 And others – Defining,
Reflecting, etc.
17
However, EL’s still need language support

While it is true that “EL strategies” often

benefit most students, there are
language supports that are specific to
students not yet English proficient.

Vocabulary in particular is an issue for

science.
18 Embedded Vocabulary

Words that will fold out of the lesson itself.

This is vocabulary that can be developed
through scientific exploration
(sedimentary, liquid, precipitation).
These words can be introduced during
the lesson as students gain experiences
related to the scientific concept being
explored.
19 Front-loaded vocabulary

Words that need to be clarified prior to

the lesson.
These are words that you would expect
English proficient kids to know, words
that they would use when they are
engaged in the inquiry lesson.
Round, rough, spotted, smooth, above,
around, etc.
20 Let’s add some context

You are going to teach a lesson to a

first grade class on the states of
matter.
Your content objectives include:
Students can identify the three
states of matter (solid, liquid, gas).
Students can support claims with
evidence (observations).
21
The lesson involves students
observing three Ziplock bags:
1. A bag filled with
“air”.
2. A bag with water
3. The bag with
water after an
Alka Seltzer tablet
is added.
22 Your task: consider the
vocabulary

What functional vocabulary would

you need to review/teach in order for
students to successfully participate in
the activity?
What academic/science vocabulary
can be taught through the activity?
23

Other things to consider besides

the vocabulary
24
Sometimes students know the content, know
the words, but struggle with sentence structure.

• I see (hear, smell, feel, taste) .

• I observed .

• When I observed the , I noticed .

• I claim that _______________.

• My evidence is .

• I claim that , because .

• I agree/disagree with your claim of , because .

25 Sometimes students need to talk to
peers or graphics to organize their
ideas.
26

This only works if the content is correct.

Plan the science content first and then

consider where your students will need
language supports.
Don’t be tempted to water down the
content but rather look for ways to reveal
student thinking that are not as language
dependent.
Scientific inquiry is vital to this process.
27 Application to a lesson

You will be given a 5E lesson for a first

grade class about the states of
matter.
Review the lesson and discuss with
your table group the development of
Disciplinary Core Ideas, Science and
Engineering Practices and Cross
Cutting Concepts.
28
Revising a lesson
What words might students need to
successfully interact with the materials and
each other?
What terms can be developed through
the context of the lesson itself?
What other ELD scaffolds can be
introduced (peer talk, sentence frames,
graphic organizers)?
29
Comparisons
You will now be given this lesson again
with ELD modifications.
Compare these modifications to the
ones you came up with.
This is not a perfect example; there is no
one “right” version.
30
What about your lesson?

Consider your own 5E science

lesson.

How might you integrated ELD

strategies into your current lesson?
Questions!
32 Costa’s
Levels of Questioning
Level 1 – Input Questions
Focus on gathering and recalling info
Level 2 – Process Questions
Focus on making sense of info
Level 3 – Output Questions
Focus on applying and evaluating info
33 Question Sort
Each team will be given an envelope
containing a set of question strips
You will have an opportunity to
categorize these questions and
analyze how the questions pushed
“student” thinking
Sort the question strips into Input,
Process and Output, levels of
questioning
 Crafting good questions:
34
putting theory into practice
Review your 5E lesson
Identify questions already in the
lesson.
Identify additional questions that
are needed.
For all questions, consider…
35 How People Learn
Are there questions/opportunities for
students to:
Access appropriate prior knowledge
Build conceptual frameworks – linking
new information to existing
understandings
Be metacognitive – to think about
their own thinking?
36 Questioning in the lesson
Where are there opportunities to deepen
student thinking with more questions?
Are there opportunities for students to
talk to each other? Where does that
occur?
Consider questions or prompts that will
encourage students to talk to each other
about their ideas.
Consider whole class vs small group
37 Questioning Sequence
Check the sequence of questions.
Do they add up to student thinking?
Did you miss an opportunity to probe
deeper or do you have gaps in your
questions that students won’t be able to
follow?
Collectively, do your questions build to an
understanding of the concept the lesson
focuses on?