Literacy is integral to science. A significant portion of science deals with
the ability to read, write, analyze, and present information. Even in the most hands on lesson plan there
is a need to communicate what happened and to share the information with
others. With technology the ability
to instantly compare findings, collaborate on projects, and seek answers opens a
whole new door for scientific discoveries.
An article in the Wall Street Journal explained how sharing
online has opened a realm of possibilities in the mathematics fields and
illustrates how science has the “opportunity to reinvent discovery itself.”
Of course, students in middle school are not typically on
the verge of ground breaking discoveries or pondering universe altering
questions, but they do need to be literate.
One of the things that often trips up students in science is
the vocabulary.
“What do you mean no
work has been completed if the object hasn’t moved?!"
“How can an object be accelerating if it is
slowing down?! "
Air is a fluid?!”"
One of the things I like to do to help students with
vocabulary is to have them define a new word, write a sentence using it, and
draw a picture to illustrate it. This
way I have direct feedback on whether the student actually understands the new
word or has just memorized a definition.
If there is a huge misconception about the meaning of a word I am able
to stop and correct it immediately instead of waiting till a testing
situation. Students can also keep their vocabulary
to create a science dictionary. There
are many different forms to use for this type of method. The one below is a Word Triangle my students
completed during our unit on Forces and Motion.
This one is a sample I used
to show how to fill in the squares during a think aloud.
One of the things I like about using this type of vocabulary
strategy is the ease in which it can be differentiated. Students
are able to write their sentences based on their own reading and writing
level. A below level reader can still
show understanding of a new word while expanding vocabulary. Extensions can be added for those who are
above level such as including past vocabulary words in the writing of the
sentence or definition.
While the above strategy does not really call for any technology, there are plenty of ways to add a technological component. If the students have easy access to a computer, a wiki could be used to create an online classroom dictionary like this classroom did.
PowerPoint, videos, or even podcasts can also be used as a way for students to share their understanding of new vocabulary words. All of which brings us back to the ability to share findings. Students who can use scientific vocabulary correctly will be more successful in sharing their work with the world and perhaps make some of those ground breaking discoveries.
If you are interested in finding more ways to use technology in improving vocabulary, this article several ideas using free technology on the web.
Hi Valerie. I agree that vocabulary is often a stumbling block for students and to be honest, it can sometimes be made even more confusing by teachers who use too much or too little of it. Dr. Bob Marzono and Debbie Pickering coauthored a book about implementing a comprehensive approach to teaching academic vocabulary at the school, classroom and district level. The theory is basically that it is more important that students become fluent with a minimal amount of vocabulary rather than just aware of vocabulary related to only one subject. It calls for teachers to identify vocabulary as it relates to all subject matters and teach those words together. It's a great resource. You can find it at http://www.amazon.com/Building-Academic-Vocabulary-Teachers-Manual/dp/1416602348.
ReplyDeleteI also love your graphic organizers. This is great scaffolding! Here's a link for more graphic organizers if you're interested. http://www.adlit.org/strategy_library/
I love your word triangles! I am always defining words and drawing pictures to match. Especially working with ESL kids. I would like to try incorporating that into my lesson. They need all the word practice they can get but I don't want to do the same thing every week.
ReplyDeleteI use a four square vocabulary chart similar to yours with the word,definition, examples, and nonexamples. I like that they can be differentiated to the students level. The word triangels are great. I am going to use that with my students, thanks for sharing!
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