Transcript: Grade Four Science Designated ELD

Grade Four Science Designated English Language Development: Sequential Connectives

Introductory Slides (00:00–03:09)

Narrator: Welcome to the California Department of Education Integrated and Designated English Language Development Transitional Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve Video Series. Designated English Language Development Building Into and From Science in Grade Four. In this lesson, the students are learning, reviewing, and practicing listening, speaking, reading, and writing to exchange information and ideas that build the language resources necessary to accurately explain a sequential process exhibiting access to grade-level content.

Narrator: The Focal California English Language Development Standards Driving this Lesson. The English Language Development Standards at the Bridging Level are: Grade 4, Part 1, Standard 1: Exchanging Information and Ideas, where students contribute to class, group, and partner discussions, including sustained dialogue, by following turn-taking rules, asking relevant questions, affirming others, adding relevant information, building on responses, and providing useful feedback. Grade 4, Part 1, Standard 6a: Reading and Viewing Closely, where students describe ideas, phenomena, and text elements in detail based on close reading of a variety of grade-level texts, with light support. And Grade 4, Part 2, Standard 2b: Understanding Cohesion, where students apply increasing understanding of how ideas, events, or reasons are linked throughout a text using an increasing variety of academic connecting and transitional words or phrases to comprehending texts and writing cohesive texts. Watch how students move from early levels of proficiency toward the Bridging levels of these English language development standards throughout the lesson.

Narrator: The Supporting California Next Generation Science Standards Used in Tandem with the Focal English Language Development Standards. The Science Performance Expectation is Grade 4, Earth and Space Science 3, Sub-item 1: Earth and Human Activity, where students who demonstrate understanding can obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment. Watch for how this California science standard is addressed throughout the lesson.

Narrator: Watch how the teacher leads the students in activities that move them to expand and enrich their explanation of how solar panels work using newly learn language structures through scientific discussion. Watch the students first read, identify, and discuss the purpose of sequential connectives in an explanation text.

Teacher Introduces the Lesson (03:10–4:34)

Teacher: Now, we are looking at, if you remember, our explanation genre. Okay and we have our purpose, structure, language feature. Show me genre.

[Teacher and students gesture with hands]

Teacher: What genre are we doing?

Students: Explanation.

Teacher: Explanation.

[Students gesture with hands]

Teacher: A purpose of an explanation, okay. The purpose of an explanation is to understand the sequence of events. So, let's do it together.

[Teacher and students gesture with hands]

Teacher and Students: To understand the sequence of events.

Teacher: Good. Show me structure. What does structure look like?

[Teacher and students gesture with hands]

Teacher: Structure. What is this structure of an explanation text?

Teacher and Students: [Reading from the board] To explain something in a sequence of events.

Teacher: Good. And then the language feature we want to pull out and really focus on.

[Teacher and students gesture with hands]

Teacher: What's that language feature?

Teacher and Students: [Reading from the board] Sequential connectives.

Teacher: Okay, so in order for us to have this explanation genre we got to have all these pieces. We're looking at this sequential connective that's gonna connect our ideas. I'm gonna give you a minute or so. Reread the text. Okay, and as you reread the text independently if you notice any... Do this with me.

[Teacher and students gesture with hands]

Teacher and Students: Sequential connectives

Teacher: … That you notice here and then if you see any, feel free to underline them, okay. But you are gonna talk out loud. Ready, go ahead and read the paragraph on your own.

Students Reread the Text (04:35–05:03)

Student 1: To begin, the so... the panels must be carefully positioned to get the maximum amount of the sun exposure in order to convert the most energy possible. At the same time, the sun hits the panels and the energy is made into electricity.

Student 2: The sunlight is con... converted into... [inaudible]

Students Discuss in Partners (05:04–07:04)

Teacher: Now I want to give you the opportunity. With your partner, I want you to discuss. Did you guys find any sequential connectives that you either notice on our list or that you know are connecting those ideas? Talk to your partner about that. What did you guys notice? I noticed. I observed. I saw.

Student 3: So, the one I noticed, I saw, is “at last” and another one I saw is “to begin.”

Student 1: I concur with you because I found those two, too, but I found another one was “as a result.” So, I underlined it because I thought it was a... I thought it was one of, of the connectives.

Student 4: So, the one that I saw were, umm, “as a result.” Cuz, umm, “as a result” is like of, umm... of like... It's like giving like a reason. And then like kind of showing like how they go like step by step, as a result.

Student 5: Uh-hmm.

Student 4: Did you write “at last” or…?

Student 5: I already had “at last.”

Student 1: First, I saw “to begin,” then I saw “at last” and then last I saw “as a result.” And I saw them cuz when I was reading, I saw, "To begin, the panels must be carefully positioned to the max... to get the maximum amount of sun exposure in order to convert the most energy possible." So, I underlined it cuz I... cuz it was a... connective.

Student 3: I agree with you. I saw “to begin” and then “at last.” And then I saw a... “as a result.” And I think “at last” because it say, "At last a solar environment helps turn the electricity into power that can be used."

Looking Deeply at Classroom Instruction (07:05–07:17)

Narrator: Watch the teacher lead the students to analyze the explanation text and discuss how the sequential connectives support the text structure, in order to add details about how solar energy is generated.

Students Discuss in Partners and in Whole Group (07:18–15:36)

Teacher: I want you to look at this, this graphic organizer. Okay. I want you to talk to your partner. What do you think this graphic organizer is talking about? What is it explaining here? Look real quick, think. When you think you have a thought, just give me a thumb. Turn to your partner. What do you think this is displaying? What is this talking about?

Student 6: I think this is displaying how the sun is giving electricity to the su... solar panels. Then, then the inverter is storing the... the electricity. Then using the electricity for the household appliances.

Student 4: It's like describing of like how energy is like could go to like like a house for people could use.

Teacher: Yeah, how energy is used here, okay. And more importantly how energy is used through what?

Student 4: Through...

Teacher: Our solar panels. Our solar energy. Okay. Our unit was all about solar energy. So, we want to know, how do we create this solar energy? There's a sequence of events. There's an order here that we have to follow in order to get that energy. So, let's look at our first picture here.

[Teacher pointing to a graphic organizer]

Teacher: I want you to look in your text, your paragraph. What sentence, what text evidence do you see here that talks about what's going on in the first picture? So, you're gonna have to read in your head a little bit. Give you thinking time. Or maybe you already know what this picture is describing. Talk to your partner. What step do you think this picture is describing? You can use your text evidence if you need to. Go ahead.

Student 5: I agree with you and... but I would like to add on. It's like the sun, umm, hit... like giving the solar power... I mean the solar panels, umm, energy or something.

Student 4: I, umm, I agree too, but and would like else I think I know what you were gonna say. So, like everything like the sun it's like giving energy to a solar panel instead of the like the solar panel giving energy like to the sun. So yeah, I think you must have thought that's why you thought the sun was giving energy to the solar panel.

Teacher: Oh, let's connect it to the text. What sentence in the text is talking about that same idea Edgar just pulled out? Look really quick in the text. What sentence is talking about that? I'll read it with you. You can tell me to stop if you think this is the text. “Now that we've learned how sunlight is converted into electricity, how do we actually make use of it? A solar panel is made up of groups of solar cells. Remember, solar cells make sunlight into electricity. To begin, the panels must be carefully positioned to get the maximum amount of sun exposure in order to convert the most energy possible.”

Student 4: Stop.

Teacher: Stop! What do you see Edgar?

Student 4: Umm, “To begin, the panels like must be carefully” umm umm...

Teacher: Positioned.

Student 4: “Positioned to get the maximum amount of the sun ex...”

Teacher: Exposure.

Teacher: So, if I want to put that in words, what, umm, sequential connective did they use in the text?

Student 4: “To begin.”

Teacher: “To begin.” Look at your list. Is there another word that I can use besides "to begin" that means the same thing? Look at your list of connectives. Is there anything else we can use to start our process off besides "to begin"? Kimberly, what do you think?

Student 1: “Initially.”

Teacher: “Initially” also means “to begin.” I love that. So, in your box let's write that, “Initially.” Initially, what?

[Students writing]

Teacher: What's going on here?

[Pause while students write]

Teacher: Initially, what's going on here? Initially... Osvaldo, what was going on here, bud?

Student 2: What was going on was that the panels must be carefully like...

Teacher: Positioned.

Student 2: Positioned to get the maximum amount of solar...

Teacher: Sun exposure.

Student 2: Sun exposure.

Student 2: In order to...

Teacher: In order to convert.

Student 2: Convert the most energy possible.

Teacher: Awesome. That sentence is used there but I don't want to copy it word-for-word. I kind of want to put it in my own words. That's the challenge here is how do I turn that to my own words? So, if I'm looking at it, I'm gonna say, "The panels must be carefully positioned.” Everyone do this.

[Teacher gestures with hands]

Teacher: Positioned.

[Students gesture with hands]

Teacher:  Position is where you place something. Okay. I'm gonna position the notebook here. Or I want to position it this way. It's where you place it, okay. So, if I want to say that, I'm gonna say, “Initially...

[Teacher writes on the board]

Teacher: The panels are...

[Students write on their paper]

Teacher: Can I use another word besides “positioned”? How about the word “placed”?

[Teacher and students write]

Teacher: “Initially the panels are placed... “Let me look back at that sentence. “To get...

Student 4: The most energy possible.

Teacher: To get the most, not energy. What are they receiving the most of?

Student 3: Sun.

Student 1: Sun.

Student 4: Sun.

Teacher: The most sun.

Student 3: Sunlight.

Teacher: Sunlight. I like that Vanessa. To get the most sunlight. To receive.

[Teacher writes on board]

Teacher: To receive what from the sunlight?

Student 3: Energy. (13:50)

Teacher: Energy. I love that. Okay and the connective I used here was “initially.” My group right here, Rosa and Oswaldo, they did find it. They found it at... the next sentence over, "At the same time the sun hits the panels, the energy is made into electricity." And I gave them this challenge. How do you turn that into your own words? What's our connective here? What's our connective that they used? What word or phrase, Rosa?

Student 6: “At the same time.”

Teacher: “At the same time.” Is there another word that you can use here? And then how do you change that sentence more? So, this is what you're doing with your partner. I need you to find a different connective. Okay, and when you’ve found that connective that means the same thing as "at the same time", I want you to turn the rest of it into your own words and add it to your box. This is your reflec... your connection piece, okay. I want you to take that new connective and then try to turn that sentence into your own language, and you can do it with your partner. Go ahead and talk.

Student 1: Then the... where is it. So, then the solar... the sun hits the panels and it turns it into electricity.

Student 3: I, I, I...

Teacher: Which connective are you guys thinking of?

Student 3: “Then.”

Student 1: “Then, then”

Teacher: Okay, you can use that one. And then what would you do to explain the rest? Then what?

Student 3: Then.

Student 1: Then the solar... the sun hits the panels and it turns into electricity.

Teacher: You know how I know that's her own words? It is cuz she looked at me. And told me what it was. It wasn't just reading it from the text.

Student 3: Uh-hmm.

Teacher: I love that. Go ahead and write that.

Reflection and Closing of the Lesson (15:37–17:16)

Narrator: Watch the students apply their learned language in writing to explain how solar panels are used.

Teacher: So, remember, our objective was to identify those sequential connectives that explain the process of how solar panels work. But now I want you to put into your own words, what did you learn about how solar panels work, based off of what we did? Just quick one or two sentences. Go ahead and write that down, okay. What did you learn through this about solar panels?

Teacher: So, Edgar, can you read yours now? We did do some corrections together but what does your new sentence say?

Student 4: Solar panels work by the sun hitting the panel and that and, and, the energy is converted into electricity.

Teacher: Awesome. I love that. Can I have another person share theirs? Jocelyn, really loud.

Student 5: I learned how solar panels work. They work by the sun hitting the solar panels. Then it's converted into electricity.

Teacher: Ooh, I love that. She even used a connective in her explanation. What was her connective she used?

Student 4: The...

Teacher: Read it one more time so they can hear. Now listen for that connective. What was the word she used?

Student 5: I learned how solar panels work. They work by the sun hitting the solar panels. Then it's converted into electricity.

Teacher: So, we perked up right away. Which one did she use?

Student 3: “Then.”

Teacher: “Then.” Awesome. So, she had actually three sentences that talked about what she learned, okay. So, good job with those today and next when we get into our expert jigsaw groups you guys are gonna be really prepared to do the next couple boxes as a team. All right. Good job today.

Beyond the Lesson (17:17–18:05)

Narrator: Beyond the Designated English Language Development Lesson. Building Into and From Content Instruction. By engaging in designated English language development lessons such as this one, the students are better prepared and more confident to express their growing science content knowledge in speaking, reading, and writing during collaborative activities with peers in small groups, as a whole class, and individually with diminishing supports.

Narrator: Through extended discussions, reading, raising the students' awareness of how English works in science, and writing tasks, the teacher moves the students along the academic language continuum from using informal language about science topics to more precise, academic language in speaking and writing.

Students Discuss in Small Group During Science (Integrated ELD) (18:06–18:54)

Student 1: So first, initially the panels are placed to get the most sunlight to receive energy. That's in the first box.

Teacher: What does “initially” mean, Kimberly?

Student 1: “Initially” means “first.”

Teacher: Good. So, she replaced it and it had “to begin.” But she put it in her own words. So, she said “initially.”

Student 7: Initially, something, something...

Teacher: So, tell them what you put after that. Initially what?

Student 1: Initially the panels are placed to get the most sunlight to receive energy.

Teacher: That is a good fact. So why don't you guys write that.

Student 8: The panels...

Student 1: The panels are...

Student 8: Are...

[Students writing]

Student 7: The panels are.

Student 1: So, the next one for solar panels is, “Then the sun hits the panels and it converts it into electricity.”

Closing Slides (18:55–20:11)

Narrator: Reflection and Discussion. Reflect on the following questions. First, how did you observe the following focal English language development standards and supporting content standards being implemented in this grade four designated English language development lesson?

Narrator: English Language Development, Part 1, Standard 1: Exchanging Information and Ideas. Part 1, Standard 6a: Reading and Viewing Closely. Part 2, Standard 2b: Understanding Cohesion. And Earth and Space Science 3, Sub-item 1: Earth and Human Activity.

Narrator: Second, what features of designated English language development did you observe in the lesson? Now pause the video and engage in a discussion with colleagues.

[pause]

Narrator: The California Department of Education would like to thank the administrators, teachers, and students who participated in the making of this video.

Narrator: This video was made possible by the California Department of Education in collaboration with WestEd and Timbre films.