Writing for Learning in Math and Science Kim Olson: Instructional Facilitator Melanie Wyckoff: NBCT, 7th Grade Science, LA Karl Berggren: 7th Grade Math, LA Billy Harris: 7th, 8th Grade Math

Objectives To gain strategies to help increase your students’ abilities to write in your math and science classroom. To gain strategies to help increase your students’ abilities to retain math or science content. To understand that intentional and unified teaching helps increase student achievement.

Baker Middle School 1 of 11 middle schools in Tacoma School District 67% free or reduced lunch Ethnically diverse student population Asian: 17.9% African American: 21.9% Hispanic: 17.7% White: 36.6% Special Education: 9%

Our Scores

African American Students Hispanic Students White Students Special Education Students

Going Deeper into the Data: Low income vs. non low income In 2004-2005, the difference between Non low income vs. low income was 25.2% In 2007-2008, the difference between Non low income vs. low income was 7.8%

Going Deeper into the Data: Special Education vs. Non Special Education Special Education students are now higher than our non Special education students 4 years ago.

The Process In 2004-2005 school year, Baker schedule changed from a “singleton/block” format to a “team” format, where the common curriculum was language arts. Teams consisted of 4 teachers; each content area plus language arts District adopted Step Up To Writing curriculum and all teachers were trained to use this curriculum SUTW training was done during common planning time, LID days and afterschool workshops CASL (Collaborative Analysis of Student Learning) process helped teachers to understand that each content area could contribute to writing at each grade level.

Getting Started In your opinion, what is the role of reading and writing instruction in a science classroom?

Reality We, as science teachers, get worried about being able to fit in all the content and process skills required for our grade levels. We don’t think we have time to teach reading and writing strategies as well as our content. The question is…… How can we teach students to read science texts, write about what they have learned, including all the content criteria and process skills in 180 (or so) days?

Learning The reality is that reading and writing (literacy) instruction leads to learning in ALL content areas. With a holistic approach to science with reading and writing instruction included: content will be retained as well. Assumicide Number of times students need to be introduced to new ideas Experienced students: 1-4 times Intermediate students: 4-14 times Inexperienced and special needs students: 14-100 times

Frayer Model A graphic organizer that students use to describe the definition of a subject, characteristics, examples and non examples. Can also be used as formative assessment Students can draw a “line of understanding” from before the lesson and after the lesson. Student examples

Double Entry Journals Graphic organizer used to: Pull important details from a text and write down in a graphic organizer. Readers are asked to think about a detail pulled from the text. Readers are asked to go one step deeper Relate the detail to their own prior experience Relate the detail to a lab Why is this detail important? Student Video

3-2-1 Quick technique to check for understanding by having students write responses to their reading. Most commonly after an assignment like a double entry journal. Example: Designer Genes Article 3-please list three statements from the reading that were interesting to you. 2-what are two reasons that genetic testing is currently limited on embyos? 1-state one reason how genetic profiling could benefit society or harm society.

Two-Column Notes A graphic organizer that pulls the main “details” from a reading on the left side of the organizer and supporting “explains” for the details on the right side of the organizer. T=Topic Detail 1 Explain Detail 2 Explain Detail 3 Explain

IVF Summary (SUTW) A graphic organizer that leads students through the topic sentence and supporting details of a summary. I: Identify the article V: Verb it F: Finish the main thought Two column notes for three supporting details for your topic sentence

Identify the Article Verb it (what did it do?) Finish the main idea Copy IVF as topic sentence; Write as a summary paragraph Detail 1 Explain Detail 2 Explain Explain Detail 3

IVF Conclusion: Revelations!! An IVF summary would be great as a lab write up conclusion!!! Adapt the “IVF” portion for the lab I: Identify the lab V: What did the lab do? Show, explain, etc F: What specific finding did this lab reveal? Adapt Two Column Note portion Hypothesis Low data point High data point Explanatory language

Writing in the Math Class Making Sense of the Math…

Think Back… Think back to when you were in 7th grade. Focus your thoughts on your assignments, your tests, your discussions, how the layout of your class was organized, etc. Please write down what you remember.

WELCOME TO 2009!!!! The effect of journaling and writing: The Facts: A close look at The Do Now The effect of journaling and writing: The Facts: Impact of writing on assignments Classroom layout Evidence of growth through assessments

Do Now Write the objective, standard number and assignment in your journal Use words to describe what 15 divided by 5 means and then draw a picture to show it. How many 5s fit into 15. There are 3 groups of 5s that fit into 15. Here there are 15 stars grouped by 5s. Showing 3 groups of 5. Students too often just want to give us the answer of 3 without the explanation they then get frustrated. The more we ask them to do higher order thinking the easier it will be for them in the future and as well as the ability to exceed standard.

The Do Now Usually: requires some explaining for deeper understanding in their journal that stays in the class identifies student misconceptions takes about 15 minutes has students work by themselves has students share with their group has students show examples on the document camera helps develop students vocabulary uses higher order thinking skills accesses prior knowledge ties in with that days standard

Use words to describe what 4 divided by means and then draw a picture to show it. We know that 15 divided by 5 meant how many 5s fit into 15. So 4 divided by means how many s fit into 4. Each whole has a piece with a third left so there are 6 of the pieces in all.

Teach our kids to be Mathletes

Mathletes The math class is the Gym for the mind! When we lift weights we tear down our muscles so that they grow back stronger In math class, working our brains out allows the brain to get stronger, and doing math really fine tunes the logical processing muscle. Writing in math class really helps make that muscle even stronger by creating multiple pathways to the same idea When there is a block in our brains and there are other pathways, a detour can be found!

The Facts Since implementing writing in the math classroom, 7th grade baker WASL scores in math have changed from an average of 18% passing to over 40%. Writing scores growth

The Effect of Journaling Students take responsibility for their learning Teacher directed, student response led Students have daily resources on their assignments in their own writing (misspelled words still have meaning) A level of self pride and self confidence as they learn new concepts

Impact of Writing on Assignments Scaffolded as the year progresses Gradual process as the year progresses No short answer responses Orally explain answers Transfer oral answers to written form Complete one short answer per assignment Focus on transitions for multi-step problems Complete two short answers per assignment Steps for Short Answer Problems Read problem together with students Recognize and understand what the question is asking for Pull out the info that is related to the question. Figure out what operation to use. Solve the problem. Confirm the question has been answered.

Impact of Writing on Assignments Self confidence “I can explain any problem that is given to me”.

Layout of the Classroom Group collaboration Team leaders Writing process within the teams Can go through the writing process within their team

Evidence of Growth Through Assessments The more experience students have with assessments, the better they do as the content increases in difficulty. Culmination of their journaling and daily work that is reflected on their assessments.

Questions???