How to Support Literacy through NGSS in the Classroom By Erik Elstad

Ben Franklin: The Importance of Words and Thought Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful of your words, for your words become your deeds. Be careful of your deeds, for your deeds become your habits. Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character. Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny.

The Literacy Gap

Vision of the Curriculum Work towards an interdisciplinary curriculum Looks to increase… student writing ability and comprehension that compliments their ELA classes. overall academic performance. SBAC scores.

Ways to Support Literacy through NGSS Scaffold curriculum to create a five paragraph essay. Students create body paragraphs from investigating an essential question. Students answer questions during the investigation in a collaborative way. Reading and annotating different types of text other than the textbook.

Challenges to Overcome Currently... students have difficulties making connections between ideas and concepts. Students have difficulty expressing their ideas through writing. Changing student minds from “WHAT” to “HOW”. Student Stamina

Importance of Narratives When students write narratives they… are able to understand how concepts connect better. are able to remember what is being investigated and why, over longer periods of time. are able to process the information faster because it is contiguous.

Complimenting ELA Classes Creating a 5 paragraph essay through NGSS investigation Literature The main idea or topic The topic paragraphs or body paragraphs. The sentences in the paragraphs . Scientific Investigation Essential Question for the Unit. Investigation Questions for individual lessons. Focus Questions to investigate specific processes or concepts.

Essential Question Overarching question that answers “WHY” a phenomenon occurs “HOW” a scientific process works. A Common Summative Assessment (CSA). Created overtime Graded overtime

Investigation Questions Used to investigate concepts or processes within a phenomenon or scientific process. Associated with the Essential Question. Questions can be created by the teacher or the students. A Common Formative Assessment Can be revised overtime before the assessment.

Focus Questions Used to investigate specific processes or concepts for a particular lesson. Questions can be student created. Students work collaboratively to answer these questions through investigation. Tables of four work as a group to answer the question. Students write their answer on white boards for other students to view and argue. Students use evidence to judge others answers.

What the Scaffolding Looks Like Handouts: Essential Question/Inquiry Activity Investigation Questions What I think… Lecture Revise Focus Questions

Essential Question: Why are soil microbes impacted by human activity Essential Question: Why are soil microbes impacted by human activity? Investigation Question: How do soil microbes contribute to an ecosystem's biodiversity? Investigation 1: Soil microbes, such as bacteria and fungus, undergo a process called nitrogen fixation, which pulls nitrogen out of the atmosphere. This increases the growth of primary producers, which increases an ecosystem’s biodiversity through the food chain. Terms: Biodiversity, ecosystem, soil microbes, fungus, bacteria, nitrogen fixation, primary producers, food chain

The Process Soil Microbes Fungus Bacteria Nitrogen Fixation Primary Producers Food Chain Ecosystem Biodiversity

How do soil microbes contribute to an ecosystem's biodiversity? Evidence Focus Question 1 Why are soil microbes important to primary producers/plants? Term(s):soil microbes, fungus, bacteria, primary producers

How do soil microbes contribute to an ecosystem's biodiversity? Evidence Focus Question 2 How does nitrogen move through an ecosystem? Term(s): ecosystem, nitrogen fixation, primary producers

How do soil microbes contribute to an ecosystem's biodiversity? Evidence Focus Question 3 How do soil microbes increase biodiversity? Term(s): Biodiversity, ecosystem, soil microbes, primary producers, food chain

Assessment Write the question and answer in a complete sentence How do soil microbes contribute to an ecosystem's biodiversity? Claim (HOW): Evidence (WHY): Example (WHAT):

Similarities and Connections ELA Classes NGSS Similarity ACE your response! Answer, Cite, then Explain Connection CCSS Literacy Standards Student work can be graded with the same or similar criteria. Similar Rubrics Similarity Formative Assessments, Exit Slips Claim, Evidence, Example Connection NGSS Literacy Standards Student work can be graded with the same or similar criteria. Similar Rubrics

ELA Classes: ACE Answer the question Cite Evidence What is your response or opinion? In the article/novel, titled, _________________, the author’s claim is … It is evident that … Based o n the article/novel ___________, my opinion is … Use language from the prompt or question! Cite Evidence Quote or paraphrase from text with a parenthetical citation. According to the text … In paragraph … The author explains … As shown on page … Support your evidence while referencing your source! Explain your evidence How does the evidence support your answer? Explain how the evidence supports your answer to the question. Support and tie back to your answer. The evidence shows … This example supports…. Connect your evidence to your answer!

Positive Points about the Curriculum Because there is a scaffolded narrative, the curriculum is completely diagnostic. Curriculum can be scaled to fit a varied student processing ability. Formative assessments throughout the lessons allows for teacher awareness of student’s understanding. Curriculum covers almost all of the CCSS literacy standards. Grading is successive and progressive. Only enter in 5 grades per unit

Successes!! Student writing has improved. Student comprehension between lessons has increased. Student’s ability to explain concepts have increased via: Writing Speaking Modeling/Drawing

Looking Forward Making more connections with Teachers and their lessons through collaboration. Multiple Departments Math English Science Art More…