Project MSSELLMiddle School Science for English Language Learners

Project MSSELLMiddle School Science for English Language

Learners

Funded by National Science Foundation, DRL-0822343 and DRL-0922153

Advisory Board Meeting6th Grade Implementation

November 12, 2010

Dr. Rafael Lara-Alecio, Principal Investigator

Dr. Beverly J. Irby, Principal Investigator

Dr. Fuhui Tong, Internal Evaluator

Dr. David Francis, External Evaluator

Dr. Linda Rodriguez, Aldine Area-Superintendent

Cindy Guerrero, M.Ed., Coordinator

Tracy Mansfield, M. Ed., Coordinator

• To implement a rigorous, two-year randomized trial longitudinal evaluation of enhanced instructional science models for middle school monolingual English and Spanish speaking students with the hypothesis being a research-based model for improved science achievement and academic English proficiency.

Objective

NSF Comments / Strengths:• Project team has formed and effective, enthusiastic

partnership across two colleges and a school district, all represented at visit

• Team has articulated important, testable hypotheses about the utility of focusing on language (both English and academic) to improve science content learning

• Team has refined and strengthened research design through consultation with evaluator

• Team expressed challenges associated with recruitment of control-condition student participants and should be commended for choosing a rigorous design to test their intervention hypotheses

• Learning gains on district benchmark science tests have demonstrated promising preliminary results from the intervention for both the non-ELL students and ELL students

Reverse Site Visit

• Challenges– district zoning– student electives resulting in scheduling

difficulties– science teachers also teaching social

studies – state mandated re-teaching and re-

testing– 85 minute science blocks on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

6th grade implementation

Level I

Teacher Professional Development

Level II

Student Instructional Intervention

Two Levels, Three Tiers

Tier I

District curriculum taught in all content

areas, except in science

Tier 2

Academic science intervention components

Tier 3

Tutorials for lowest achieving students

Level I:Teacher Professional

Development

• Systematic and structured training, monitoring, mentoring, feedback, and self-assessment through reflection via professional portfolio

• Bi-weekly staff development sessions:– English science vocabulary building and fluency– Oral and written academic science language

development– Integrated science content reading comprehension– Imbedded ESL strategies in science– Enhanced instruction for science teaching

• 5E Instructional Model• Questioning strategies

• Bi-weekly staff development for paraprofessionals

Level I

Teacher Professional Development

Level II

Student Instructional Intervention

Two Levels, Three Tiers

Tier I

District curriculum taught in all content

areas, except in science

Tier 2

Academic science intervention components

Tier 3

Tutorials for lowest achieving students

Level II:Student Instruction

• Tier I: District curriculum taught in all content areas, except science.

Level I

Teacher Professional Development

Level II

Student Instructional Intervention

Two Levels, Three Tiers

Tier I

District curriculum taught in all content

areas, except in science

Tier 2

Academic science intervention components

Tier 3

Tutorials for lowest achieving students

Level II: Student Instructional

Intervention• Tier 2: Academic in-class science intervention (80 minutes

daily) using 5E Model of instruction (Bybee et al., 2006):– Engage: make connections between past and present

learning, focus students’ thinking– Explore: provides students with common base of

experience through manipulating materials or exploring environment

– Explain: students verbalize understandings, teachers introduce formal definitions, explanations for concepts

– Elaborate: students develop deeper and broader understandings by practicing skills or learning more information

– Evaluate: students and teachers evaluate understandings of concepts

Level II: Student Instructional

Intervention• Integrated curriculum components:

CRISELLAContent Area Reading In Science for

English Literacy and Language Acquisition

• Supporting science and reading skills with expository (informative) text:– Science vocabulary development and

extensions– Word reading instruction– Paired Science Reading– Using text from Scott Foresman Science

textbook, Internet, Science Journals/Magazines, and ScienceSaurus that directly align to 6th grade science TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, state guidelines)

WAVESWritten and Academic oral language Vocabulary development in English in

Science

• Individual science notebooks to help students process science content by:

•Predicting•Recording•Organizing•Drawing•Questioning•Reflecting

TIELLASTechnology Integration for English

Language and Literacy Acquisition in Science

• Technology integrated into intervention:– Equipping classrooms with instructional

technology (ELMO document camera, projector, Mimio interactive white-board, Mimio pad, digital camera, science learning tools)

– Integration of science educational software (EduSmart)

– Exploring internet science resources to support learning

– Suggesting related websites in Family Involvement in Science take-home books

– Communicating with science mentors through email

TIELLASTechnology Integration for English Language

and Literacy Acquisition in Science

• Mimio interactive whiteboard and pad– Teachers can control computer wirelessly– Use interactive software to reinforce science

strategies– Put technology into students hands

SRM²Scientists as Role Models and

Mentors

• Mentoring program involving science professors and graduate students– Assist with teaching specific topics– Students generate questions and email

scientists– Science Saturdays at Sam

• students visit SHSU science labs and

mentored on various science topics

FISFamily Involvement in Science

• Take-home science materials developed for students to work with parents/family

• Provides family members with opportunities to conduct science activities and become citizen scientists

• Materials in both English and Spanish– Materials lists– Safety information– Reference reading materials and

websites

6th grade implementation

Additions:

• Based on recommendations by Dr. Koch, science consultant, we included science big ideas

• Engage – added more scenarios (science stories) to help make connection to real world

• Science Vocabulary – added weekly word wall poster or science concept poster

Lesson Plan:

Force, motion, and energy – Unbalanced Forces

Alignment

Day 1

Warm Up: Students describe force

Engage: Scenario – How can I measure force?

Explore: How can you weigh an object with a spring?

Explain: Vocabulary preview

EduSmart “What is force?”

Textbook “What happens when forces act on objects?”

Evaluate: Students explain how force acts on an object (cue ball)

Closure: Define force.

Identify a tool used to measure force.

Explain what happens when a force acts on an object.

Day 2Warm Up: Students explain whether objects have to touch in order for a force

to act

Engage: Observe and describe double pan balance

Explore: Investigate balanced and unbalanced forces using double pan balance

Explain: Vocabulary Review

EduSmart “Balanced and Unbalanced Forces”

Reading “Forces and Motion”

Evaluate: Concept web outlining balanced and unbalanced forces

Closure: Give example of a balanced force.

Give an example of an unbalanced force.

Describe how an unbalanced force affects an object.

Day 3Warm Up: Students describe the effect of the force on dominoes and identify

if the force is balanced or unbalanced

Engage: Students observe soccer ball and describe motion

Explore: Tug-of-War

Explain: Vocabulary Review

EduSmart “Effect of Force on Motion”

Reading “Forces and Motion”

Evaluate: Students illustrate and label example of an unbalanced force

Closure: Explain how unbalanced an unbalanced force changes the position of an object.

Explain how unbalanced forces changed the direction of an object in tug-of-war.

How do you think unbalanced forces effect the speed of an object?

Review homework using science strategies

Con

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Level I

Teacher Professional Development

Level II

Student Instructional Intervention

Two Levels, Three Tiers

Tier I

District curriculum taught in all content

areas, except in science

Tier 2

Academic science intervention components

Tier 3

Tutorials for lowest achieving students

Level II: Student Instructional

Intervention

• Tier 3: Additional tutorials provided for lowest achieving students:– MSSELL-X (Middle School Science for English

Language Learners – eXtra)• Tutoring focuses on science concepts,

vocabulary, oracy, and writing

Level II: Student Instructional

Intervention

•Questions?•Comments?•Suggestions?

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