Science and literacy instruction in the elementary grades was the focus of a series of web seminars conducted during the 2010-2011 school year. Each of the following entries includes the description, the slides, and references and related resources. Unfortunately, the videos are no longer available.
Informational Text and Multigenre Text Sets
Join us as we discuss the importance of using informational text in the primary and elementary grades, and how the creation and use of multigenre text sets can enhance your instruction. Recorded Thursday, August 26, 2010.
Presenter: Jessica Fries-Gaither
References:
Ebbers, M. (2002). Science text sets: Using various genres to promote literacy and inquiry. Language Arts 80(1), 40-50.
Duke, N. & Bennett-Armistead, V. S. (2003). Reading & writing informational text in the primary grades. New York: Scholastic.
Duke, N. K. (2000). 3.6 minutes per day: The scarcity of informational texts in first grade. Reading Research Quarterly, 35, 202-224.
Inquiry, Literacy, and the Learning Cycle
We will explore the many faces of inquiry-based instruction and how a learning cycle framework can help you seamlessly integrate inquiry and reading, writing, and discussion. Note: In this session, we’ll refer to concepts presented in our August seminar, Informational Text and Multigenre Text Sets. We recommend that you either attend the August seminar or view the archive before taking part in this one. Recorded Thursday, September 9, 2010.
Presenters: Jessica Fries-Gaither and Terry Shiverdecker
Additional Resources:
The Learning Cycle: http://www.ohiorc.org/pm/science/Sci_LearningCycle.aspx
Teaching Students How to Ask Productive Questions
Beaks and Biomes: Integrating Science and Literacy
This life science unit uses scientific inquiry, literacy instruction, and a multigenre text set to examine adaptations, migration, and ecosystems. Leave with a unit framework you can directly incorporate into your classroom! Note: This session builds on concepts presented in our first two seminars: Informational Text and Multigenre Text Sets and Inquiry, Literacy, and the Learning Cycle. You’ll get the most out of the session if you’ve participated in the previous seminars, or viewed the archives. Recorded Thursday, October 14, 2010.
Presenters: Jessica Fries-Gaither and Terry Shiverdecker
References:
The Learning Cycle: http://www.ohiorc.org/pm/science/Sci_LearningCycle.aspx
Ebbers, M. (2002). Science text sets: Using various genres to promote literacy and inquiry. Language Arts 80(1), 40-50.
The Dance of Life: Full Article and Electronic Book
Beaks and Biomes Venn Diagram worksheet
Research Projects, Revisited
Do your students struggle with research projects and reports? Are you just as frustrated as they are? Join us as we discuss strategies for making that standard report fresh and meaningful. Recorded Thursday, November 11, 2010.
Presenter: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Related Resources:
Literature Circles Resource Center
Comprehension & Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action by Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels (and DVD): http://www.heinemann.com/products/E02829.aspx)
Nonfiction Writing from the Inside Out: http://www.amazon.com/Nonfiction-Writing-Inside-Laura-Robb/dp/0439513685
Free Online Rubric Building Tool: http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
Citizen Science and Inquiry
If you have a schoolyard habitat or garden and would like fresh ideas about how to use it, or are simply interested in getting your students outside to experience their environment in meaningful and educational ways, this session is for you! The presenters will share how you and your students can get involved with bird-related citizen-science projects and authentic outdoor inquiry! Recorded Thursday, December 9, 2010.
Presenters: Olivia Kates and Lisa DeRado
Related Resources
This page talks about citizen science at Cornell in general
Reader’s Theater and Informational Text
Join us as we explore how reader’s theater can be used to improve comprehension of informational text and help students learn science concepts. We’ll focus on science-themed text, but the same principles can apply to other content areas as well. Recorded Thursday, January 13, 2011.
Presenters: Jessica Fries-Gaither and Nicole Luthy
Related Resources
Article from Beyond Penguins: Creating Readers Theater Scripts from Informational Text
Rocks Sample Script for Grades 3-5
Readers Theater Sample Rubric for Grades 3-5
The Fluent Reader. Timothy V. Rasinski. Scholastic, 2003 with Study Guide
Ohio Resource Center K-5 Book Lists
Beyond Penguins Virtual Bookshelf
Ohio Resource Center mini-collection on fluency: http://www.ohiorc.org/Literacy_K5/ResourceCollections/Reading/default.aspx?id=13379
Reading 2.0
Come explore how the use of digital resources and free web 2.0 tools can improve reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and other related literacy skills! Leave with concrete strategies that you can implement in your classroom tomorrow! Recorded Recorded February 10, 2011.
Presenter: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Resources – the following resources were discussed as part of the presentation
Science Prize for Online Resources in Education (SPORE) award press release
Beyond Penguins article in Science
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills
Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears electronic books
- Video describing new commenting feature on VoiceThread: http://paulallison.posterous.com/come-talk-about-a-big-new-feature-on-voicethr
- History example: http://s88bhh9.edu.glogster.com/portfolio/glog-flow
- LiveBinders Glogster Collection: http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=25011
Ideas for Using Technology in the Classroom
References
Banister, S. (2008). Web 2.0 tools in the reading classroom: Teachers exploring literacy in the 21st century. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning, 4(2), 109-116.
Visual Literacy and Nonlinguistic Representations: Infographics Part 1
Do your students struggle to interpret diagrams, maps, and charts? Join us as we discuss how to help students understand these sources of information. Recorded March 10, 2011.
Presenters: Jessica Fries-Gaither and Terry Shiverdecker
Resources
I See What You Mean: Children at Work with Visual Information. Steve Moline. Stenhouse Publishers, 1995.
Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, and Jane Pollock. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2001.
Teaching with Infographics: Places to Start
Children’s Literature
The New Way Things Work. Bruce Macaulay. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1998.
“Actual Size”. Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2004.
Eyewitness series. Dorling Kindersley.
“I Fall Down”. Vicki Cobb. HarperCollins Publishers, 2004.
Online Sources of Infographics
Visual Literacy and Nonlinguistic Representations: Infographics Part 2
Explore how to help students become proficient at creating maps, charts, and diagrams. This seminar builds upon the topics explored in Visual Literacy and Nonlinguistic Representations: Part 1, so we recommend listening to that archived recording first. Recorded April 14, 2011.
Presenters: Jessica Fries-Gaither and Terry Shiverdecker
Archived Recording – Move the slide on the bottom of the screen to 25 minutes – we inadvertently started the recording early. We also have the audio transcript available – to view the transcript click on the CC button in the tool bar.
Resources
I See What You Mean: Children at Work with Visual Information. Steve Moline. Stenhouse Publishers, 1995.
Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, and Jane Pollock. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2001.
Teaching with Infographics: Places to Start
Our Presenters
Jessica Fries-Gaither
Education Resource Specialist, College of Education and Human Ecology, Ohio State University.
Jessica began her career in education as a middle school math and science teacher at St. Michael School in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education program. She then moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where she taught eighth-grade science, sixth-grade (self-contained), fourth-grade (self-contained), and fifth- and sixth-grades math and science. Now at Ohio State University, she serves as project director for the NSF-funded Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears and is also involved with the Middle School Portal 2: Math and Science Pathways (also funded by NSF). Jessica received a bachelor’s degrees in Biological Sciences and Anthropology and a master’s degree in Education from the University of Notre Dame. She is currently pursuing a reading endorsement at Ohio State.
Terry Shiverdecker
Science Content Specialist, Ohio Resource Center for Mathematics, Science, and Reading (ORC)
Teresa (Terry) began her career in education as a high school science teacher at Russia Local Schools in Shelby County, Ohio. While at Russia, she taught both physical and biological sciences, served on curriculum committees, and designed and taught a course for the Concord Consortium’s Virtual High School. Her teaching experience also includes adjunct work at the University of Cincinnati and Wright State University, Lake Campus. Before joining ORC, Terry was director of secondary curriculum and instruction for the Shelby County Educational Service Center. She is a member of the National Science Teachers Association, Science Education Council of Ohio, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Terry received a bachelor’s degree from Wright State University, her master’s degree from Miami University, and an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Cincinnati.
Nicole Luthy
Assistant Director, Ohio Resource Center for Mathematics, Science, and Reading (ORC)
Nicole began her career in education as a teacher in the Columbus, Ohio, Public Schools, where she served on curriculum and professional development teams. Before joining ORC, she was a reading and language arts consultant in the Ohio Department of Education with responsibility for state and federal literacy initiatives and grants. She was a member of the Ohio Literacy Campaign team and coordinated the Summer Institute for Reading Intervention program. Nicole received a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Emory University and a master’s degree in reading from Ohio State University, where she is currently pursuing a doctoral degree.
Copyright February 2010 -2011 – The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0733024. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This work is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons license.
