1. How to Support Literacy through NGSS in the ClassroomBy
Erik Elstad

2. 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.

3. The Literacy Gap

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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.

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

10. 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.

11. 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.

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

13. 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

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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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):

19. 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

20. 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!

21. 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

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

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