Activity 1:Learning Strategies for Students with Limited English Proficiency

1. In the Investigate section students will encounter vocabulary they must understand to complete their observations. New vocabulary words may include:

Provide all students with an opportunity to observe the living organisms using primarily their natural curiosity and observational skills. As the students make their observations, encourage them to connect what they see to the new vocabulary words. Keep in mind that the objective of the activity is to sharpen students’ observational skills and to gain an appreciation for the diversity of life. The vocabulary is there to guide students in their observations. Substitute vocabulary words or use diagrams, as appropriate for your class.

2. Point out new vocabulary words in context of the BioTalk. Practice using the words as much as possible.

You may wish to relate the ideas of an organism, population, and community to the students’ immediate experiences.

3. Consider using a CLOZE activity at the end of this activity. CLOZE activities are useful tools for summarizing material and giving English-language learners opportunities to practice writing complete sentences using science vocabulary. CLOZE activities are most effective when used frequently to build students’ ability with more complex sentences. Ask students to describe the organization in the biosphere. You may wish to offer a first sentence as an example. For instance, “The biosphere is where living things are found.” Model the writing process of editing, where students make corrections that improve the sentences.

Once the paragraph is complete and students agree that it accurately summarizes the organization of the biosphere, have them copy down the paragraph. Explain that tomorrow there will be a brief quiz on the paragraph. The quiz will include the same paragraph they wrote down, but with several blanks with words that are missing. Prepare the quiz by keying in the paragraph and then going back and removing every fifth word and replacing it with a blank. Score the quiz by allotting two points for every blank, one point for the correct word, and a second point for the correct spelling of the word. Let the students know beforehand how the quiz will be graded.

You may also wish to develop paragraphs that explain biodiversity and its importance, and extinction and its effects.