Reading, writing and inquiry in the science classroom: Lesson Analyses

1. Reading, writing and inquiry in the science classroom: Lesson Analyses Larry D. Yore University of Victoria

4. Explicit Science Reading Instruction • Model (Pearson & Dole, 1987) • Establish need and value of strategy • Model strategy • Provide guided practice • Reinforce procedures of strategy • Transfer ownership and application • Visual Literacy--Graphic Adjuncts • Tables, charts, diagrams, mechanical drawings • Photographs, models, illustrations • Graphs

5. Practical Guidelines for Reading Science Text (Yore, et al, 1998) • The Nature of Science: It is a way of knowing about reality that is not a finished task and the resulting ideas need to be evaluated. • Science Text: Is someone’s interpretation of a pattern of events and not all interpretations are equally valid. • Science Reading Strategies: Science text is made of words, symbols, graphics and mathematics and this form of text requires different strategies and considerations than normal narrative fiction.

6. Lesson Part 1: Engage and Explore • Initial Attempts to Read Cross Section Diagrams • Provides Individual and Different Experiences with Cross Section Diagrams • Forests • Desserts • Rain Forests • Oceans

7. Lesson Part 2: Small Group Consolidation • Pair-Share • Induction--Experience to General Rule • Different Diagrams Enrich Discussions

8. Lesson Part 3: Large Group Consolidation • Teacher Led Discussion • Compare/Contrast Different Cross Section Diagrams • Establish Differences • Establish Common Features--General Rules

9. Lesson Part 4: Consolidation of General Characteristics • Title • Caption--General Description • Labels--Specific Information (Focused by pointers/arrows) • Picture • Think about What You Learned

10. Lesson Part 5a: Explicit Instruction • How to Read a Cross Section Diagram • Guided Practice • Locate Title • Read Caption • Read Labels and View Specific Parts • Look at the Picture • Think about what you have learned • Guided Practice

11. Lesson Part 5b: Applying New Strategy • Apply Strategy • Use Different Textual Materials • Require Comprehension • Record Responses • Discussion • Assessment

12. Lesson Part 6: Consolidation: Summing Up • Review Purpose and Value of Strategy--Cross Section Diagrams • Reinforce Characteristics--Reading Cross Section Diagrams: Steps to Follow • Title • Caption • Labels • Picture • Learning

15. Practical Guidelines for Writing in Science(Anthony, Johnson & Yore, 1996) • The Transportation Problem: Resources are already in desired genre--encourages copying. • The Uphill Problem: Students are writing to their teacher--need an authentic audience. • The Question Problem: Students are frequently without questions or have low-level ones — need to develop radiant questions for writing tasks.

16. Explicit Genre Lesson • The “Encyclopedia Genre” lesson video has been organized and labeled to parallel the Science Co-op Elements of Inquiry. • Engage • Explore • Consolidate • Assess

17. Lesson Part I: Engagement: Introduction of the Genre • This lesson part inductively develops the form and function of the genre. • Explorations of the example texts provide students with the data/information from which to identify some general claims and descriptions of the genre. • Pair/share allows students opportunities to practice their consolidation and to ‘test’ their tentative ideas.

18. Lesson Part II: Consolidation: Common Features of the Genre • This large-group teacher-directed lesson part identifies and emphasizes common characteristics of the genre. • Questions and chart paper establish the form and function of the genre. • Verification of the form and function is done with a common “Encyclopedia Genre” model.

19. Lesson Part III: Collecting Information As the Basis for Writing • Information-gathering separated from text production to minimize the copying. • Transportation Problem addressed with temporal isolation of resource materials from the writing. • Lesson organization forces writers to collect, select, and interpret notes and compose text as independent but connected cognitive operations. • Conceptual scaffolding of writer (brown bears) by teacher guides the writer’s decision.

20. Lesson Part IV: Consolidation/ Application: Using the Genre • Teacher-directed example and modeling of the information collection and interpretation • Pocket chart, phrases, and sentences represent the unorganized information. • Comparison of the class composition to the teacher’s textual model reinforces form and function.

21. Lesson Part V: Introduction to Text Production • Individual writing time allows students to explore and experience the genre. • Teacher provides style help to student writer (brown bears) to organize the information that follows the characteristics of the “Encyclopedia Genre”.

22. Lesson Part VI: Consolidation and Assessment: Sharing and Summary Comments • Student samples: Elephants & Brown Bears • Assessment using an analytical scoring rubric designed to reflect the form and function and of the quality of the writing and holistic scoring to guage global effects