1. Strategic Science Teaching Grade Two – Life Science
Connecting Literature with the
California Science Standards
Presenter Preparation: BEFORE YOU PRESENT
Specific science materials preparation and literacy strategy details are found in the free “Strategic Science Teaching Booklet” document PDF at
2) Prior to your workshop with teachers you should :
Read/review pages v-vi in SST as it outlines how the document is organized and the elements of a model lesson linking literature to science.
3) Print out and copy from the SST PDF, for each participant:
Pages v-vi to illustrate the format and use of SST
Page vii to describe the 5E Learning Cycle
Each grade level lesson to be presented
Any Handouts or Data Sheets indicated in each lesson
The complete Literacy Strategy from the Appendix, for each you will be presenting
4) Depending on timeframe and focus of your workshop have:
Copies of the children’s literature available
Science investigation materials ready well ahead of time for your familiarity and preparation
A copy of, or publishers information for, Strategic Teaching and Learning-STL, the research-base source cited for all the literacy strategies
A sample copy of your COE hardbound version of SST, if available.
SST 2nd/Life Science

2. A model lesson for each grade level: • Literature selection • Science Standards • Literacy Strategy • Science Investigation
This presentation is to provide an overview of the document Strategic Science Teaching, and point out both the literature selection for their reference and a grade level-aligned science lesson.
This resource was developed by and for California Science Educators.
SST 2nd/Life Science

3. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/sc/ll/ SST 2nd/Life Science
Point out that all the literature selections in Strategic Science Teaching and MANY more are on this searchable California Department of Education website.
If able to, illustrate active weblink on this slide and how to search for titles.
Mention that this is why SST was written:
To provide a model for teachers to develop their own lessons linking literature to science,
To apply literacy strategies to science content,
To meet needs of English Language Learners.
SST 2nd/Life Science

4. Browse The Elements Of The Lesson
Standards Alignment
Lesson at a Glance
Teacher Background
Materials and Advanced Preparation
Teacher Tips
Common Misconceptions
Explicit script for delivering the lesson through the
5E instructional model
Teacher Reflection
Teacher and Student pages
Refer to Handout pages v-vi: How to Use Strategic Science Teaching
Take some time to walk through these design elements with participants. Help them see where they occur in each lesson as you preview the full lesson handouts too.
Introduce the first 4 pages of the lesson(s) you are presenting, i.e. for Kindergarten:
Page 1 Book titles in this section
Page 3 Lesson outline with 5E, ELD, Literacy Strategy highlights and icons
Pages 4-5 Science concept and content, literacy overview, and Lesson at a Glance
Page 7 Teacher Background and related standards
Pages 8-9 Preparation and Teacher Resources
Pages The 5E Learning Cycle and Teacher Reflection
Page 12 Student page master
Each lesson uses a basic template, with variations suited to the grade level science content and the use of the literature and literacy strategy in the 5E Learning Cycle.
This design is what makes SST a tool for lesson design – not just a compilation of lessons to use – that is recognized in teacher preparation courses across California.
This presentation will guide participants through grade level lesson(s) in the sequence the design provides.
SST 2nd/Life Science

5. The 5E Model of Instruction
Refer to Hand Out page vii: The Learning Cycle and the icons used throughout the lessons.
To summarize this important pedagogical design and its source, Dr Roger Bybee.(Further cited on page ii).
It is worth noting as you review the 5E design that this a learning sequence similar in many ways to others teachers have used, or be using such as “into/through/beyond”, “three-phase lesson design”, “direct instruction”.
In the case of SST highlight that 5E model does not require the literature be used as any particular phase, SST models the literature and literacy strategies at several point in the learning cycle.
Also note that Evaluate is central to the cycle and used continuously at any stage to evaluate student learning, allowing a stage to be repeated, or instruction to be modified, before moving on.
SST 2nd/Life Science

6. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle Caterpillar Capers
Essential Question:
How do the changes that occur in the life cycle of a butterfly compare with the changes in the life cycle of other living things?
Student Outcomes:
Students learn about the stages in a butterfly’s life cycle and recognize the similarities and differences to the life cycle stages of other living things.
Students observe the life cycle of a butterfly and compare this life cycle to those of other living things.
Students use “Graphic Outlining” to illustrate information from a fictional story and compare this information to their observations.
Presenter:
Have participants open handouts to front page of their grade level lesson (see list* of page numbers in the SST PDF below).
Note the Conceptual Statement and Learning Sequence on handouts.
Model opening of lesson, as it might occur with students, with participants by presenting the:
The Essential Question, an open-ended with no single answer, but lots of ways to answer and leading to opportunities for rich discussion.
The Student Outcomes, which describe what students will do to demonstrate science and literacy learning.
*Grade:
K page 4
1st page14
2nd page 30
3rd page 42
4th page 54
5th page 64
6th page 76
7th page 88
8th page 104
Physics page116
Chemistry page 130
Biology page 138
Earth Science page 146
SST 2nd/Life Science

7. The 5E Learning Cycle Engage Look at a picture of an adult animal.
What do you think the animal looked like when it was born?
Presenter Notes: As you move through the lesson, model and highlight how the lesson integrates science, learning strategies, and literature.
Knowing your teacher audience will help you modify what you emphasize in these slides but use them all. (i.e. mixed grade levels, ELD, upper vs. lower grades, science content focus vs. pedagogy focus, etc.
Depending on size of audience and time you may choose to have participants actually do each lesson discussing content and strategies as you proceed.
SST 2nd/Life Science

8. Examples of different animals
A giraffe looks the same when it is born and when it becomes an adult.
A panda bear is very tiny when it is born and grows to become a very large animal.
A caterpillar transforms into a butterfly.
Presenter facilitates discussion about possible student responses
SST 2nd/Life Science

9. Explore – Part 1
Set up the butterfly or moth habitat in an appropriate container for student observation.
Ask students to use their hand lens and observe the insect’s egg, then draw and write about what they see.
Continue observation time over several weeks as butterfly or moth goes through different stages and have students draw and write to record their information.
Presenter Notes:
Point out the Teacher Background content support, Teacher Tips, Teacher Resources, and any science safety indicators.
Prepare ahead to have page references for grade levels you are presenting to.
Prepare any science stations, supplies or other prep well in advance as each lesson has different set up requirements depending on the nature/depth of your presentation.
SST 2nd/Life Science

10. Explain –Part 1
At each stage, share student observations with the class and discuss similarities and differences between observations.
Label drawings with stage names: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis or cocoon), adult (butterfly or moth).
Refer to corresponding page in SST document.
SST 2nd/Life Science

11. Setting up to observe a life cycle
Explore – Part 1
Setting up to observe a life cycle
Set up the butterfly or moth habitat in an appropriate container for student observation.
Ask students to use their hand lens to observe the insect’s egg, then draw and write about what they see. (Graphic Outlining)
Continue observation time over several weeks as butterfly or moth goes through different stages and have students draw and write to record their information.
Presenter prep – order live materials of Butterfly eggs, provide hand lenses for this activity
Distribute Student Page 1.0 and introduce this as a “Graphic Organizer”, the literacy strategy emphasized in this lesson
With funding from CISC it would be appropriate to provide each participant with “live materials” cards that they may send off for and set up the butterfly habitat in their classrooms.
This would be a great place to add pictures of a classroom that has experienced a butterfly habitat and facilitate a discussion about how to set one up and allow for successful learning experiences.
SST 2nd/Life Science

12. Graphic Outlining (it takes practice!)
Graphic Outlining is a method of representing information from a text so that the organizational pattern of the text is highlighted.
It helps students understand what they read by leading them to predict and organize information that they encounter.
Point out all Strategies are located in the SST Appendix. Pages
Take time to examine this and discuss how it can be used across grade levels and subject areas to enable students to improve their learning.
SST 2nd/Life Science

13. Tracking changes over time
Explain – Part 1
Tracking changes over time
Assist students with labeling and appropriate names for each stage they observe
Egg
Larva / caterpillar
Pupa / chrysalis / cocoon
Adult / butterfly / moth
Facilitate a discussion with participants about how student work can be used to identify similarities or differences of their observations.
**it would be optimal to have some student work samples on this topic available for discussion – alternately, ask participants to make some drawings of these stages of life and have them compare their drawings for similarities of differences
SST 2nd/Life Science

14. Predict what the story is about
Explore – Part 2
Predict what the story is about
Show the cover of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and chart student’s predictions of what the story is about.
Read aloud the book, pointing out changes in the organism as they happen
Was there anything they think was not real in the story?
Note that in some cases the 5E model can flex between Explore, Explain, in this lesson there are 2 parts for each
In Explore Part 2, they relate to how the life cycle is represented in the literature selection “Very Hungry Caterpillar”
This literature selection has often been called out for the inaccurate representation of a caterpillar’s diet, be sure that students identify this inaccuracy
Use the lesson script to guide how the story is read and revisited.
Give participants an opportunity to practice if warranted
SST 2nd/Life Science

15. Evaluate
Students research in books and/or on the internet the life cycle of two other living things.
Illustrate the stages of each organism’s life cycle and sequence the cycle. Share their drawings.
Refer to corresponding page in SST document.
This slide is a good time to remind participants that the SST resource is a MODEL for designing of refining lessons of their won, not a stand alone book of lessons.
In many cases they will have an evaluation or Elaboration/Enrichment that suits a lesson yet has a very different design.
The use of summative vs. formative assessment in this document varies, depending how the lesson is being used.
SST 2nd/Life Science

16. Elaborate Compare Life Cycles
Ask students to sequence the stages of a frog’s life cycle
Compare these stages with the stages of the butterfly.
Refer to corresponding page in SST document.
This slide is a good time to remind participants that the SST resource is a MODEL for designing of refining lessons of their won, not a stand alone book of lessons.
In many cases they will have an evaluation or Elaboration/Enrichment that suits a lesson yet has a very different design. 61
SST 2nd/Life Science

17. Teacher Reflection
How does the student work provide evidence that they learned that all organisms have a life cycle with identifiable stages and can explain the four stages in the butterfly’s life cycle.
What instructional strategies used in this lesson promote student understanding? How do you know?
How does the literature selection support student understanding of the science concepts?
How would you modify instruction to ensure understanding of student outcomes by all students?
Refer to corresponding page in SST document.
Discuss with participants if relevant; These prompts could be enriched by local PLC conversations or work, Blogs or chats or as ongoing use of lesson reflection by instructional coaches.
SST 2nd/Life Science

18. Strategic Science Teaching Provided by CISC-Science Sub-Committee
Your presenter will provide local contact information or you may contact your County Office of Education Science Specialist for more information.
Bibliography located in the publication:
Strategic Science Teaching Grades K-12: A Sampler of Science Lessons Connecting Literature with California Standards, 2002, CDE
Note: Note: Provide local contact information here.
Website for free online document
Encourage those attending to share this resource and its potential to encourage more teaching of science!
Provide local contact information
SST 2nd/Life Science