BRINGING SCIENCE TO LIFE

Strategies for Working with LEP Students in Utah's Classrooms

During the 1995-96 school year, more than 30,000 students in Utah classrooms had a limited proficiency in the English language. These students, known as Limited English Proficient (LEP), make up about 6-1/2% of the total K-12 student body in the state. Teachers around Utah are dealing with a wide variety of challenges as they work with LEP students - different languages and cultures, a range of levels of English proficiency, different prior learning experiences, and a varied number of LEP students in their classes. In many cases, the teachers do not speak the native language of these students. Despite these challenges, science offers both teachers and students great opportunities for combining language learning with development of core concepts.

Good science teaching ties in naturally with techniques used for effective teaching of English language learners. Both are student-centered, constructivist in approach, and build on prior knowledge and world views. Information gathering, problem solving, and decision making are important parts of science learning that also help students develop language and communication skills. Students must learn to ask questions, research information, record data, and communicate ideas. Doing this involves all four modalities of language - reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

The following strategies can help you teach science more effectively in a wide variety of classroom settings.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE

Students coming from other countries may enter the Utah classroom with widely differing expectations and understandings. These differences may be subtle, but can have a great impact on the students' performance in the classroom. Depending upon the culture, it may be considered rude to question a teacher or to volunteer information in class. Some students may be embarrassed by public praise. In some cases, families may place a very high value on education and have high expectations of their children. In others, education may be seen as secondary. In many cultures, expectations will be different for boys than for girls, and girls may need more encouragement and support.

Teaching Tips

• Learn about the cultural backgrounds of your students and provide a classroom setting that is sensitive to and accepting of cultural differences.
• Where possible, incorporate cultural aspects into science activities to create links to students' homes and communities.
• Make sure classroom rules and expectations are clear and specific. It is helpful to post them in simple written form as well as to review them orally before beginning new activities.
• Before beginning a unit of study, determine what students already know or think about the subject. This can be done careful questioning or by having students create lists of their own questions or ideas about a topic. A common technique is to use a "K-W-L" chart, also known as an "inquiry chart" - What students know about a topic, what they want to learn, and, throughout the unit of study, what they have learned. Relate the topic to students' actual experiences whenever possible.
• Develop a home-school connection. This can take the form of assignments for investigations, surveys, etc. that students can do at home with their parents. Simple science experiments that students can replicate at home with common household materials are also good.

SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING

Learning a second language is not an easy task - even for children. In a school setting, it is even more challenging because students are expected to learn core concepts at the same time they are trying to master a new language and adapt to a new culture. By carefully structuring lesson plans and adapting your teaching techniques, you can make the process easier and more successful for all students, not just the LEP students.

Teaching Tips

• Language learning includes four modalities that must be mastered - listening, speaking, reading and writing. Develop activities that give multiple opportunities for using all four modalities - e.g., listening to directions, asking questions, reading background material, recording results, interpreting and discussing outcomes. Journal keeping, games, and role play can be used effectively. Communication, not grammar, should be the focus in a science journal - encourage the use of pictures and diagrams.
• Most students go through "silent periods" when learning a new language. These are breathers that give them time to recharge and to process what they are learning without the fear of making mistakes. Don't attempt to force a student to speak during this phase; use non-verbal means of assessing his or her learning - pictures, hands-on activities, etc.
• Allow time for practicing listening and speaking of new vocabulary and concepts before asking students to read and write.
• Focus on key vocabulary, introducing no more than 4-5 new words per lesson. Introduce the vocabulary in a separate session, before beginning the science lesson. Pictures are very helpful when introducing new words.
• Simplify your language and the structure of your sentences, but be careful not to lose the essence of what is being taught. Break compound sentences into several simple ones. Speak slowly and clearly, but not so slowly that the natural rhythm of the language is lost. Avoid the use of idiomatic expressions, unless they are easily defined.
• Learning a new language is a tiring process. Help alleviate the students' fatigue by trying the "10-2" technique. Limit verbal teaching to 10 minute blocks followed by 2 minutes of creative, fun activity - hands-on investigation, dramatization of concepts, or just a short game.
• Use visuals and real objects to clarify and reinforce the vocabulary and concepts. Magazines and calendars are good sources of pictures. Some school supply stores also carry picture files that are related to themes.
• Repeat and paraphrase all concepts several times.
• Use simple, open-ended questions to encourage students to practice the language and to help them clarify the concepts being taught.
• Allow enough time for students to respond. When you are trying to communicate in a new language, it takes time to frame a response.
• Give students simple, concise, written review materials with the key vocabulary and concepts after the activity or lesson.
• Learn key action command words in the students' native language - e.g. look, listen, repeat, say, ask, answer.
• Don't assume that a student understands English in a classroom setting just because he or she can speak it quite well on the playground with other students. There can be a wide gulf between a conversational mastery of a language and an academic mastery. By the same token, many students cannot read or write with any degree of fluency in their native language.
• Pair LEP students with a primary language partner - another student who speaks the same native language. This will allow them to discuss and review concepts and ideas in their own language.
• Use volunteers or language tutors to preview and review major concepts in the students' primary language. Local colleges and universities can be a good source of language volunteers. Also, look to parents in the community as a potential source of volunteers.
• Use graphic organizers - these are charts or diagrams that are used to organize key ideas and concepts. They provide a visual aid that can help students retain important information. Graphic organizers can be as simple as a two-column chart or as complex as a web-style concept map, depending on the age and level of the students. They can be done with pictures as well as words.
• Remember that the focus of the activity is to learn science concepts. If a student makes a grammar mistake, simply model the correct grammar by repeating the phrase properly rather than correcting the mistake.

THE CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH TO SCIENCE LEARNING

Science should be viewed as a process, rather than as a set of concrete "facts." It is the way in which we strive to make sense of the world around us. In a somewhat simplistic sense, it starts with an observation and a question or questions about the observation. The process then continues with exploration and experimentation, moves on to construction of possible explanations and theories, and then uses more exploration and experimentation to test the theories. Communicating the results to others and developing ways to apply the results in "real-life" situations are also integral parts of the process.

Teaching Tips

• Begin each unit of study with a group brainstorming session by the students. In one column, have them list the things they know (or think they know) about the subject. In another column, have them write down questions they have about the subject. This will help you identify the level of prior knowledge (discussed in "The Importance of Culture," above), as well as assess their understanding of vocabulary needed for the unit. This approach also helps the students develop ownership of the process, because they will be investigating their own questions and ideas.
• Follow the brainstorming session with activities that allow for structured exploration and experimentation of some of the students' questions and ideas. Post the student-generated lists where students can see them, and refer back to the lists periodically to see if their ideas have changed, or if they have new questions to add.
• Focus on concepts and processes that have real world applications. An understanding of how the scientific process works, how to observe, how to design an experiment, how to solve a problem, etc. are skills that students can use throughout their lives.
• Try the following model, developed by Fathman & Quinn (1989) - Explore each science concept through three types of activities: a teacher demonstration (which gives students an opportunity to observe and listen before having to talk), a small group hands-on investigation of the concept (to allow interaction and promote inquiry), followed by an individual investigation (to allow students to explore the topic further at their own level of understanding).
• Have each student maintain a science journal where they record (in pictures and/or words) processes, observations, and results of their science activities. If this is new to the students, you may want to provide them with an outline or a format to follow. The outline should list the key ideas or questions you want them to focus on, and should leave room for drawings, explanations, etc.

STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING & COOPERATIVE LEARNING GROUPS

Cooperative learning groups are ideal for both science and language learning. This approach requires students to work collaboratively in small groups of two to five to accomplish a task that has a specific outcome or product. The collaborative nature of the task requires students to interact with each other, providing extra opportunities for LEP students to talk and listen to each other, and to learn from one another as well as from native English-speaking students.

Small, cooperative student groups are also a natural format for scientific exploration and experimentation. This process, sometimes called the "discovery process," actively involves students in defining the questions to be asked, developing hypotheses, figuring out ways to gather the information needed to solve the problem, and summarizing and evaluating the results of their investigations.

Teaching Tips

• Divide the students into heterogeneous groups for activities. This allows students who are less proficient in English to learn from those who are more advanced.
• Each group should have at least two students with the same primary language. Don't leave a LEP student without this support!
• Assign specific roles to each student in the group - e.g., one student can be in charge of the recorded information, another can measure things, one can give an oral report, etc. In this way, even students who have very little command of the language can participate in a meaningful way. In some cases, you may want to assign the job of recorder to a student you feel needs practice in writing, the oral report to one you want to encourage to speak, and so forth. This also helps to ensure participation by all members of the group. Make sure the students understand, however, that the responsibilities are shared by the whole group and they must help each other to achieve the results.
• Make sure all students understand the task and the rules. One way of doing this is to have the students take part in making a chart that lists the rules and expectations. Cooperative learning may be quite different from what students are used to. It is important to clarify the rules and expectations before beginning any cooperative projects. These rules should include protocol (politeness, ways to help each other, how to resolve conflicts, etc.) and accountability (what is expected for an outcome/product and how it will be assessed). During each activity, focus on one of the rules or procedures.
• Assign group tasks that encourage problem solving and student-centered learning. The task should challenge to students to discover something or to figure out how to accomplish something.

THEMATIC INSTRUCTION

The real world is complex. Nothing happens in isolation, yet we often compartmentalize our teaching into neat categories. In thematic instruction, teachers choose a theme and weave it around and through the different core subjects such as math, science, reading, social studies, and art. Thematic instruction can benefit all students, because it helps develop an understanding of the way all things are related and how they work together, making the material more relevant, more interesting, and more understandable to the students.

For LEP students in particular, the use of themes can make it easier to teach core subjects such as science in a culturally relevant way. This takes careful advance planning and preparation by the teacher. Where are your students from? What aspects of the theme can be especially related to your students' cultural and geographic backgrounds? Look beyond the obvious festivals and arts - think about geography and geology, plant communities, weather patterns, water and water usage, human communities and general lifestyles, etc.

Teaching Tips

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• If possible, involve the students in determining the theme or themes to be covered. This helps engage their interest and provides them with some "ownership" of the curriculum, as well as challenging them to discover the relationships between and among the subjects they are studying. Remember, however, that LEP students often need more structure and guidance so adjust student level of involvement accordingly. For example, allow them to choose between two possible themes, or choose from a list of possible sub-themes.
• Make sure you can cover required core curriculum with the chosen theme. The theme(s) should also have real-world applications and the ability to promote inquiry and future learning.
• Explore the relationships and associations among the core subjects through individual thought and group brainstorming. Brainstorming is a way of allowing creative ideas to surface - they can be sifted through and narrowed down later.
• Choose specific topics of study from the list generated by brainstorming, making sure all of the required core elements are covered.
• Find, develop, or adapt materials and activities that can be used to teach the material in an active, hands-on, student-centered manner.

ADAPTING WRITTEN TEXT MATERIALS

For LEP students, there is often a significant gap between their cognitive abilities and their linguistic ones. Most textbooks that are grade appropriate for native English speakers may be too difficult for many LEP students. To allow these students to keep pace with their native English-speaking counterparts, you may have to adapt portions of the written text materials that contain critical information. This means simplifying the language without loosing or distorting the important information, and/or supplementing the material with illustrations or other visual aids. Also, if the students are literate in their native language, try to provide them with written materials in that language.

Teaching Tips

• Make sure that the written information is relevant and important. Eliminate superfluous or tangential material, and keep it short. A few paragraphs will be more effective than an entire chapter.
• Highlight or underline key vocabulary and provide a separate vocabulary list with definitions. Review the key vocabulary before asking students to read it on their own.
• Shorten the sentences and simplify the grammar. Break compound sentences down into two or more simple sentences. Avoid the passive voice - e.g. "The leaves were eaten by the monkey," and use the active voice - "The monkey ate the leaves."
• Reinforce understanding of vocabulary by repeating key words. Paraphrase the important information using the key words in different sentences.
• Find easier written materials for your LEP students and have a small group of them become "experts" on a single key concept that they can teach to the rest of the class.
• For students who are literate in their native language, try to provide supplementary written material in that language.
• Use concrete examples and visuals to reinforce the concepts.
• Make up poems, songs, and chants to incorporate key vocabulary and concepts. Rhythm and/or a catchy tune is helpful in reinforcing all the language modalities.

ADAPTING ACTIVITIES

A variety of good, hands-on activities for teaching science are available through resources such as the Elementary Science Teacher Resource Book put out by the State of Utah Department of Education, and other commercial sources (see Selected References and Resources for Teachers at the end of this document). Many of these activities will work well with LEP students with very little revision or adaptation, provided they are carefully chosen.

Teaching Tips

• Keep the following questions in mind when choosing and adapting activities:
  • Is the activity grade-appropriate? Does it meet the core curriculum objectives for my grade level?
  • Does the activity encourage scientific inquiry, cooperative learning and student exploration?
  • Does the activity allow for learning of key science concepts despite possible language barriers?
  • Is the activity culturally relevant? How can I bring cultural relevance into it?
  • Does it provide opportunities for using all four language modalities - speaking, listening, reading, and writing?
  • What vocabulary will need special introduction for LEP students?
  • How can I most effectively introduce the activity to the students? What types of visuals, real objects, demonstrations, etc. will help students understand it?
  • How can I assess the outcome and determine if students are learning the concepts?
• Prepare a list of key vocabulary to present to students before doing the activity. If possible, give the vocabulary in both English and the students' native language. Use visuals wherever possible to reinforce understanding.
• Give the students instructions both orally and in simple written form (such as a T-chart posted where students can see it). Instructions and expectations should be clear and concise.
• Keep written notes of what works well and what doesn't. This will make it easier to choose activities and techniques in the future, and can also be of help to other teachers.

ASSESSING LEARNING OUTCOMES

How do we know if students are learning the relevant material? Effective assessment is difficult with all students, but is especially problematic with LEP students. Traditional pencil and paper tests assess linguistic ability as much or more than they address content knowledge. Oral exams assume competency in understanding and speaking. Many standardized tests are culturally biased and assume a common prior background knowledge. If we want to evaluate the progress of LEP students fairly, we must look for alternative methods of assessment.

Teaching Tips

• Define the learning objectives clearly before developing a unit of instruction. It is much easier to assess student progress if the objectives are clearly stated. The objectives can be written and posted where students can see them and use them to track their own progress. Refer back to the list frequently during the unit.
• Develop a multi-faceted combination of formal and informal assessment tools. These can include observation checklists, student portfolios, rubrics (based on learning objectives presented at the beginning of the unit), written and oral tests, performance based tests, student self-evaluations, and student projects.
• Use different tools to assess different aspects of learning. For example, you may want to have students perform a task, such as setting up controls for a scientific experiment to assess understanding of the scientific method, and a written or verbal test to assess vocabulary competency.
• Set up a matrix of learning objectives and assessment tools to help you develop a balanced approach. The following example is adapted from Assessing Integrated Language and Content Instruction by D. Short (1993):

  Assessment Tools

  	Check list, Inventory	Teacher Observation	Student Self-Evaluation	Portfolios	Performance Manipulatives	Written Essays, Reports	Oral Reports	Student Interviews
  Problem Solving
  Content Area Skills
  Concept Comprehension
  Language Use
  Communication Skills
  Individual Behavior
  Group Behavior
  Attitudes

• Keep careful records of your observations of student progress through the unit. This will help you measure student progress both in scientific understanding and knowledge, and in language development.

SELECTED REFERENCES AND RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

General Information on Techniques and Strategies

Brecktel, M. (1992). Bringing the Whole Together: An Integrated Whole Language Approach for the Multilingual Classroom. San Diego, CA: Dominie Press, Inc.

*Burkart, G.S., and K. Sheppard. (No date). Content-ESL Across the USA: A Training Packet. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

*Fathman, A.K., M.E. Quinn, and C. Kessler. (1992). Teaching Science to English Learners, Grades 4-8. NCBE Program Information Guide Series, Number 11. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education.

*Fern, V., K. Anstrom, and B. Silcox. (No date). Active Learning and the Limited English Proficient Student. NCBE Directions in Language and Education, Volume 1, Number 2.

*Hainer, E.V., B. Fagan, T. Bratt, L. Baker, and N. Arnold. (1990). Integrating Learning Styles and Skills in the ESL Classroom: An Approach to Lesson Planning. NCBE Program Information Guide Series, Number 2. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education.

Loucks-Horsley, S., et al. (1990). Elementary School Science for the '90s. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Minicucci, C. (1996). Learning Science and English: How School Reform Advances Scientific Learning for Limited English Proficient Middle School Students. Educational Practice Report: 17. Santa Cruz, CA: The National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning.

Moya, S.S., and J. M. O'Malley. (1994). A Portfolio Assessment Model for ESL. Journal of Educational Issues of Language Minority Students, 13, 13-36.

Rosenthal, J.W. (1995). Teaching Science to Language Minority Students: Theory and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Multilingual Matters Ltd.

*Sakash, K., and F.V. Rodriguez-Brown. (1995). Teamworks: Mainstream and Bilingual/ESL Teacher Collaboration. NCBE Program Information Guide Series, Number 24. Washington, DC: National Center for Bilingual Education.

*Zeller, A. (1994). Working with English Language Learners: Strategies for Elementary and Middle School Teachers. NCBE Program Information Guide Series, Number 19. Washington, DC: National Center for Bilingual Education.

Short, D.J. (1993). Assessing Integrated Language and Content Instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 27(4).

*Short, D. J. (1991). Integrating Language and Content Instruction: Strategies and Techniques. NCBE Program Information Guide Series, Number 7. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education.

*Available through the NCBE Website: http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/

Science Activities and Lesson Plans

Intercultural Center for Research in Education, Inc. Sunflower Science Discovery Curriculum for Children / Girasol Revista de Descubrimiento Cient¯fico para Niìos.

A set of bilingual (Spanish-English) science curriculum materials for use in grades 2-6. Units are currently available on Plants, Water, and the Human Body. Anticipated additions for 1997 include Air, Sound, and Trash. Materials are presented in a full-color magazine format activity book for students (available in English or Spanish) and an accompanying teacher's guide, also in English or Spanish.

Materials or information can be obtained from INCRE, 366 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA 02174. Telephone (617) 643-2142, Fax (617) 643-1315, email icre@igc.apc.org

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Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley. GEMS - Great Explorations in Math and Science.

GEMS is a set of more than 50 units of hands-on science and math explorations on a wide variety of topics. The thematic units encourage student-centered learning and use everyday materials.

Materials can be ordered through Eureka!, telephone (510) 642-1016.

The Lawrence Hall of Science also publishes OBIS - Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies with a focus on ecosystems for children 10 - 15 years of age, and MARE - Marine Activities, Resources, and Education on ocean related topics for grades K - 8. MARE is a multi-cultural curriculum which includes tips and techniques for sheltered content instruction for LEP students.

OBIS materials may be borrowed at no charge from the Utah Society of Environmental Education (USEE), 350 South 400 East, Salt Lake City, telephone (801) 328-1549.

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Utah Museum of Natural History, The Great Salt Lake Story: An Interdisciplinary Activity Guide.

This curriculum guide, aimed principally at grades 3 - 8, uses the Great Salt Lake as an integrating theme to teach core concepts in science and social studies. Hands-on activities cover concepts in geography, geology, water, weather, biology, prehistory, history, economics, and environmental issues. A supplementary teaching kit with materials is also available for borrowing from the museum.

The guide may be purchased from the Utah Museum of Natural History, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, telephone (801) 581-4887.

World Wide Web Sites for Science Activities

Note: Things change rapidly in cyberspace! The World Wide Web is loaded with curriculum ideas. The following list includes just a few recommended sites.

http://www.sd68.nanaimo.bc.ca/schools/coal/welcome.html

"Highway to Science"

A project from British Columbia with ideas and hands-on activity plans for grades 4 - 7 in Earth, Life, and Physical Sciences.

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http://diogenes.sedl.org/scimath/pasopartners/welcome.html

"Paso Partners - Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Language: An Instructional Program Vol. I.

This is a bilingual (Spanish-English) curriculum and resources guide for grades K - 3. Units, which include background information in Spanish and English, are: K - Five Senses, Spiders, and Dinosaurs; Grade 1 - Plants and Seeds, The Human Body, and Good Health; Grade 2 - Oceans, Weather, and Sun and Stars; Grade 3 - Matter, Sound, and Simple Machines.

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http://sln.fi.edu:80/tfi/welcome.html

The Franklin Institute Science Museum web site has numerous resources for teachers, including a variety of hands-on science activities for grades 1-8. To find the activities list from the home page, go to the bottom of the document and click on "table of contents." In the table of contents, click on "Franklin Institute Science Museum." Then click on the phrase "Science-related enrichment activities are available."

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http://lerc.nasa.gov:80/WWW/K-12/K-12_homepage.html

NASA's K-12 site also has some activity ideas as well as links to other sites. Most of the activities are under the Summer Computer Teacher Workshop.

All rights reserved except those which may be granted under Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. This document may be freely distributed in its entirety for non-profit purposes provided that the copyright notice is not removed. If you have questions concerning proper use of this material, or if you are interested in obtaining permission, contact the Curriculum Section Reception Desk at 801-538-7698.

This document was submitted for posting to the Internet by the State Science Specialist. Any questions concerning content should be directed to that individual.

Updated May 27, 1999 by Michelle Dumas