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=SCIENCE - FINAL PROJECT=

=//__EDA-383 LANGUAGE AND LITERACY IN THE CONTENT AREAS__//=

=Science Literacy goes beyond simply reading and learning from a textbook= __STRATEGIES__:  each of us feels a sense of urgency to dig deep into our instructional practices repertoire and pull out that overlooked strategy that will work for //all// our students and propel them into academic success. Unfortunately, there is no single such strategy or practice-every child is unique-one size does not fit all. What we have is a body of research that provides us with some basic understandings of how students learn. Given that, we can prioritize and focus our efforts in order to best ensure student achievement. Consider a basic definition of literacy-the ability to use reading, writing, and oral language to learn and communicate thinking we also want students that "can ask, find or determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences. It means that a person has the ability to describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena. It implies that a person can identify scientific issues underlying national and local decisions and express positions that are scientifically and technologically informed

__STANDARDS__: Science, Standard B: Nature of Science Performance Standards - Grade 8
By the end of grade eight, students will: B.8.1 Describe how scientific knowledge and concepts have changed over time in the earth and space, life and environmental, and physical sciences B.8.2 Identify and describe major changes that have occurred over in conceptual models and explanations in the earth and space, life and environmental, and physical sciences and identify the people, cultures, and conditions that led to these developments B.8.3 Explain how the general rules of science apply to the development and use of evidence in science investigations, model-making, and applications B.8.4 Describe types of reasoning and evidence used outside of science to draw conclusions about the natural world B.8.5 Explain ways in which science knowledge is shared, checked, and extended, and show how these processes change over time B.8.6 Explain the ways in which scientific knowledge is useful and also limited when applied to social issues

=LITERACY STRATEGIES:= __**BEFORE READING**__: __Science Hands On- Inquiry__: Giving students a chance to experience science with a hands-on activity is supported by research. Beginning a unit with an inquiry, allows students to gain some background knowledge as well as fourmulate questions which then make reading more meaningful and purposeful. Students benefit greatly by having real science materials in their hands and making connections to science vocubularey before they encounter these works in a text. __Read Aloud/Think Aloud__: Students may acquire background knowledge that is needed to benefit from a guided reading book. A science read aloud may include content vocuablulary. Teach a focus comprehension strategy by thinking aloud and modeling as you read aloud to your students. __Weed Out__: If the text is difficult, select parts that are relevant to the core to share. It always helps to consider the intereest of your students as well as yours. __Stop and talk__ about connections, ask questions, and get clarification. __Hear-share-pair__: after reading/hearing a section of text, allow students to share their ideas with a partner. Students devolop oral languare skills and science vocubularey as they share. This will help solidify concepts and clear up any misconceptions. __Identify and chart text features__: Have students look at the text an didentify the features and text layout. Guide them to identify features such as bold print, captions, diagrams, charts, glossary, etc. On a large chart paper have students record these features and an explanation of how they are used by the reader. Example: Index: Used to find a topic word and it's location in the text. __Picture Review:__ Review the book by having students explain in pairs or as a whole group what each picture, chart, or diagram means in the text. This also leads to a wonderful opportunity to reread as students need clarification. Physical actual examples are also helpful to support language learners.

__**Poetry/songs:**__
Students love the rhyme that promotes fluency - differentiate learning styles. Great site to check out: [] Also sketching or drawing helps to bring understanding to concepts and models.

__**DURING READING:**__ Text Marking is a strategy used to help students identify and remember the most important ideas, vocabulary and concepts in text. It is most common method used but when the text is not available to mark in, the student can utilize the following: use sticky notes or sticky book marks; use an overhead or laminate ovet the book page and use markers (dry erase) to underline or highlight; Copy key pages from a text;or utilize a coding system - underline main ideas, circle key vocabulary, question mark in the margin for points not understood, "D" for detail. CONCEPT MAPS: this map __**AFTER READING:**__ __Recirocal teaching__ is a strategy that combines the comprehension skills of prediction, clariying, questioning, and summarizing. There are many ways to implement reciprocal teaching. It is recommended that the actual teacher model all steps over a period of time until students begin to feel comfortable taking on the role of "teacher". It is recommentded that students begin by taking on small chunks of text, perharps a paragraph or a page. All members of a reading group should be encouraged to be the "teacher" at some point. 1. Put students in groups of four. 2. Each member should have a unique role (summarizer, questioner, clarifier or predictor). 3. Have students read a few paragraphs of assigned text. Encourage them to use note-taking strategies such as selective underlining or sticky-notes to help them better prepare for their role in the discussion. 4. At the given stopping point, the __Summarizer__ will highlight the key ideas up to this point in the reading. 5. The __Questioner__ will then pose questions about the selection: unclear parts, puzzling information, connections to other concepts already learned, stc. 6. The __Clarifier__ will address confusing parts and attempt to answer the questions that were just posed. 7. The __Predictor__ can offer guesses about what the author will tell the group next or suggest what the next events in the story will be. 8. The roles in the group then switch one person to the right, and the next selection is read. Students repeat the process using their new roles. This continues until the entire selection is read.