Literacy Connections

Kelly ClarkKDE

October 23 2013

Old definition of science literacy

• Read something• Do comprehension questions• Maybe do an activity• Write something• Say something

New Literacy• Ask a compelling question• Students explore the limits of their prior

knowledge in active discussion• Students develop questions for further

inquiry• Students read and research the texts and

sources that answer their questions with support

• Students make models, create experiments and studies to confirm or deny their ideas

• Students present their findings in ways that are visually and intellectually stimulating to authentic audiences beyond the school

The Difference?

Choice Engagement

Seeking answersMulti-media

Contributing

Kentucky Core Academic Standards

• English Language Arts Common Core • Mathematics State Standards

• Science Next Generation Science Standards

• In process … Social Studies

In a nutshell – ELA Literacy

• The standards insist that instruction in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language be a shared responsibility within the school.

• The grades 6–12 standards are divided into two sections, one for ELA and the other for history/social studies, science, and technical subjects.

Shifts in thinking about literacy with KCAS Science Standards

Focus more attention on disciplinary practices

But let’s take a deeper look at the identified practices, even the ones that don’t explicitly mention argument, reasoning, or talk.

2. Developing and using models3. Planning and carrying out investigations

In order to learn HOW tomodel,or analyze data,or use appropriate tools,students have to participate in these practices, with others.

Remember these?

Choice Engagement

Seeking answersMulti-media

Contributing

To meet the standards, students will need to:

• Externalize their thinking;• Listen carefully to one anotherand take one another seriously;• Dig deeper into the data and

evidence for their positions;• Work with the reasoning of others.

How can you help students?• Have plenty of highly engaging text in

all grades K-12 • Appendix B: Text Exemplars and

Sample Performance Tasks• Help students and parents understand

Lexile• Understand the three levels of text

complexity used in the ELA standards (Appendix A)

Text Complexity (1:30-2:20)A Three-Part Model for Measuring Text Complexity (1)Qualitative dimensions

of text complexity

(2) Quantitative dimensions of text complexity

(3) Reader and task considerations

Possible activities for Summer Reading

• Explore a science topic in your local community

• Have a guest scientist come in lay the ground work

• Read alouds in texts

• Field trip to local site

• Have students use a science notebook

• Start with compelling questions

• Have students research topic

• Record observations, data, notes and results of research.

• Appendix J NGSSScience, technology, society and the environment

• Emphasizes home, community and school connections

Guidance

ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS• Question, Problem, Purpose• Prediction• Developing a Plan• Observations, Data, Charts, Graphs,

Drawings and Illustrations• Claims and Evidence• Drawing Conclusions• Reflection –next steps and new

questions

Key points to stress in any activity

1 • Content vocabulary

2• Exposure to authentic science texts

3• Experience reading graphical representations, charts, graphs,

info-graphics

4• Student choice

5• Opportunity to read, write, observe AND speak and listen in

order to process new information

RESOURCES• http://education.ky.gov/curriculum/docs/

pages/kentucky-core-academic-standards---new.aspx

• http://www.corestandards.org• http://www.nextgenscience.org• http://www.nsta.org

Kelly.clark@education.ky.gov

Department of Education

Kelly Clark