S17: Blog 4: Space LDC

This past week and this coming week, my 5th graders are working in both reading and science on a LDC (Literacy Design Collaborative) about space. LDCs weave instruction together across subject areas with the end goal being that students will be able to complete a performance task. The 5th graders have previously completed two LDCs last semester, a reading/science one about rollercoasters and a reading/social studies one about Colonial America. Because I teach science with a 4th grade class, I have been able to see the reading component of this space LDC, co-teaching lessons with my reading CT.

Monday was the first day of the LDC. We began by giving out the materials to the students that they would use all throughout the LDC, in both reading and science. These materials are two booklets, one containing the different reading passages that students will use to collect information and the other containing activities that students will complete, such as written responses or graphic organizers. The first thing we did, after that, was to read the performance task in its entirety to the students. This particular performance task is rather long and goes as follows:

What makes up our galaxy? After reading informational text, write a scientific report that includes a chart and a model in which you answer the question and explain the characteristics of inner and outer planets and the differences between the Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. Give several examples from the texts, observations, and notes to support your discussion. What conclusion can you draw about why Pluto is not a planet?

Because of the performance task’s complexity and length, we spent time breaking down the performance task into two categories, what students needed to know and what students would need to be able to do. I led this part of the lesson, creating a Know and Do chart on the Promethean Board and calling on students to provide information to include in each part of the chart. Students were then able to copy down what I had written onto the back of their LDC booklets as a reference.

Because the ultimate goal of the LDC is to have students write their own scientific report, we then spent time examining a sample scientific report for features that they would want to include in their own scientific report. These text features included headings, pictures and captions, and charts. Students circled and labeled these features in their own LDC reading booklet.

Tuesday was Day 2 of the LDC. I led the majority of this lesson, with support from my CT. We began by having a student re-read the performance task aloud. I then explained that on this particular day we would be focusing on the first question asked, “What makes up our galaxy?” I then had students turn to the text they would be reading that day in order to answer that question and the day’s essential question, which was, “Using information from the text, explain how the Andromeda galaxy, and our galaxy, The Milky Way are similar.”

Students independently read through the text during the first-read. During this time, they were underlining words, phrases, and sentences used by the author to describe a galaxy. After students had read through the text once and underlined, I displayed the article on the Promethean Board and had students share information they had underlined. We were then able to, as a class, come up with our own definition of a galaxy. Our definition was that a galaxy is “a huge collection of stars, gas, and dust held close together by the force that pulls us down-gravity.” My CT created hand motions to go along with each piece of the definition, knowing that many of these particular students need that kinesthetic aspect to help them remember the definition. I then gave directions for what students were to do during the second reading of the article. During this time, they would be coding the article for information about the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies (A for Andromeda and M for Milky Way). They then needed to take the information they had found and put it into a T-chart found in their activity booklet.

While students were working on this, my CT and I were also pulling small groups of students to have them answer text-dependent questions about the article. I worked with a group of 5 students who have been “my group” all year. I found that all my students had a strong understanding of the first two questions, but most lacked understanding of what was meant by the third question. Rather than identifying the signal words, they instead provided examples of how the two galaxies are similar.

By Friday, the next time I was in reading due to testing and class, we were on Day 4 of the LDC. This day found students gathering information about different objects that make up our solar system: the Sun, planets, dwarf planets, moons, comets, and asteroids. While LDC lessons are explicitly planned that doesn’t mean they don’t need modifications because of the students sitting in the room. Instead of following the lesson plan provided for us, we decided to have the students read the day’s article and complete the day’s graphic organizer through a jigsaw activity. Each student was assigned one of the space objects to read about and take notes on. Students then got into groups and shared the information so that each student then had a complete graphic organizer. During this time I facilitated one of the groups. Note-taking from text and note-taking from listening to someone else read are skills that our 5th graders are still building. I was impressed with the information my students had pulled from the article. A skill I now know we still need to work on is how to verbally share notes/ how to listen and take notes when another student in verbally sharing. My students had a hard time keeping pace with the person reading, often imploring them to slow down or having them repeat themselves multiple times. This is a skill that will improve over time, as more and more note-taking occurs in middle and high school. However, I would like to think of a way we could have displayed the notes, to add a visual component to this highly auditory activity.

I’m looking forward to this coming week and continuing the LDC!

FEAPS: 2e: Models clear oral communication skills

2f: Models clear written communication skills

2j: Integrates appropriate and available communication technologies

3b: Teaches literacy strategies across the curriculum through explicit instruction

3d: Modifies instruction to respond to student needs

6d: Maintains positive and productive relationships with colleagues

Evidence:

Pictures of lesson plans/activities

Picture of student responses from question on Day 2

blog4a

blog4b

blog4c

blog4d

blog4e

blog4f

blog4g

blog4h

#EDE4940 #FEAPS2E #FEAPS2F #FEAPS2J #FEAPS3B #FEAPS3D #FEAPS6D