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>>teacher: ...but they also come in many other colors. Most bowling balls are black,
but they come in many colors too. Both kinds of balls...
This week for integrated ELD, I used a strategy called text reconstruction
which allows my students to develop language as well as access the content.
So we're going to be looking at an informational text this morning and
before we start, we're going to look at some vocabulary words,
and we're going to evaluate some of these words.
This word is solids. Echo.
>>students: Solids.
>>teacher: I want you to think about this word, solids. And I want you to evaluate.
Three - I know this word and sometimes I use it. Two - I've heard it before
but I'm not sure how to use it. One - I've never heard this word before.
Go ahead and evaluate. Whisper to your buddy something about this word.
So before I read the text to the students, I build background, I showed them visuals
and I also showed them definitions of the words and after that I went ahead and I
wrote 'em on the white board so that they can access them later as we're reconstructing
the text.
OK, so today when we reconstruct the text, we are going to follow are steps here.
Our first step is going to be to listen to the text.
Our second step is to take notes of key words and phrases.
The third step is to add details and facts to our notes that we are taking.
I'll take questions in a couple of minutes.
Our fourth step is to share our notes with our buddies.
Our fifth step is to together, collaborate in reconstructing the text.
So I read the text several times. The first time I read the text to the students, I
wanted them to just listen.
Solids are a kind of matter. They are things that have their own shape.
They do not flow like liquids do. You can see and touch solids.
You can describe a solid by its properties.
Some of those properties are color, shape, size, and texture. Bowling balls...
The second time I read the text, I wanted them to take notes and focus on
key ideas details.
Are they different? Let's compare. Most tennis balls are yellow or green
but they also come in many other colors.
Most bowling balls are black but they come in many colors too.
And the third time I read the-the text, I wanted them to use their notes
and add more details to what they had already written down.
You can hold the tennis ball in one hand. A bowling ball is much bigger.
It is also much heavier than a tennis ball.
So when choosing a text, um you want to stay away from choosing a lengthy text.
You want to choose something that's about a minute-under a minute perhaps.
You can actually do this strategy with any type of text. So it doesn't have to be
expository, it doesn't have to be specifically any type of text.
You can do this strategy using any text.
In a couple of seconds I'm gonna let you share out your notes with your buddy.
But we're going to go over some collaboration rules. How do you collaborate
with a buddy and have a discussion in a peaceful, respectful way?
So I also reference to our collaborative discussion dos and don'ts.
My students have been practicing how to politely and respectfully collaborate with
each other. So it's a good idea to review those steps before my students are released
to have those discussions.
But I'm gonna go ahead and share with you our other starter-our sentence starters.
I want you to start thinking about how you can start the text.
So one way that you can start the text is by stating, solids are:
Echo. Solids are. >>students: Solids are.
You can also use this starter...
The following step is for them to have a discussion with-with their partner.
Um and they're discussing their notes, they're sharing their notes. They're also
giving and getting. So some student might have added a word that is not relevant
to the text, or maybe it's not as important for understanding the text.
So they're having this dialogue to help each other. They're discussing if the word
is-is a good word for your notes and for your text.
>>student: I-I don't have... I have solid, matter, bowling ball, and...tennis ball.
>>student 2: OK. So let's see...
Solid is something that you can hold. Matter - everything around us. Liquid - a...
a liquid is something that flows that could just go through your hand.
Um...property - it belongs to someone or something. Texture - how something feels.
And compare - how they are alike.
Compare - how they are alike.
>>teacher: How are you guys doing? >>student 2: Good.
>>teacher: Let's see, you guys: You added liquid to yours, property, and compare.
Compare. And you added tennis ball and bowling ball to yours.
>>student 2: I thought we could use those like for examples, so I put them on there.
>>teacher: I think that's great too. Those are going to be great examples to compare.
So, all of these matched, and you both had those. Very nice.
So after my student have their discussion the next step is to reconstruct the text.
I like my students to have an oral discussion before they're
actually reconstructing the text. I think it allows my students to really
dig into the language and practice.
student 2: OK. Then we can...
>>student: Solids are...
>>student 2: OK. We could use from...according to the text solids are
something that you can hold. Because didn't we here that in the text?
>>student: We could do all of these. >>student 2: All yeah.
>>student: Because you have a lot.
>>teacher: So I heard a really good discussions about how you could start the text
and provide example for that. Now I went ahead and placed some paper. You can go ahead
now you may start. If you had already started make sure that you re-read what
you're writing and that you're using those sentence starters if you need help
to help you reconstruct the text. Capisci? >>students: Capisci?
OK. Go ahead and reconstruct the text.
>>student 2: Texture - maybe we could do um bowling ball and tennis ball.
Tennis balls are kind of like... >>student: Fluffy?
>>student 2: Kind of like fuzzy a little, and bowling balls are smooth.
and then some... >>student: And they're heavy.
>>student 2: Yeah, they're heavy. So texture...
>>student 3: Like it says, could you state your idea clearly?
cause I really can't understand you. You're saying, I think we add, I think we add.
Um, here's something you could start off by saying, I think we should add blah, blah , blah.
>>student 4: I think we add...
add...
I think we add...
>>student 3: I think we should add... a solid is something that you can see and touch?
>>OK? Alia, do you agree with that? >>Alia: Yes, I do.
>>teacher: When my students are doing the reconstruction and working in pairs,
only one of my students is doing the writing. And the reason for that
is that I really want them to collaborate in reconstructing the text.
So only one of them is doing the writing so that they stay focused
in reconstructing that text together.
Good job. >>Alondra: Because if trees-trees are wood and...
>>Jeremy: Wood is solid.
>>teacher: So Alondra, as Jeremy is finishing this thought,
think about how guys can add that what you just said. From the text, I know that...
So my role as my students are reconstructing the text is to be a facilitator.
I'm asking questions, I'm referring back to their notes, and I'm asking them
how are you going to use this word in the text? I notice you have this word here.
How can we fit this word in your text?
I like how you added that word, and you're adding that key word from your notes.
Good job. So finish that thought. That was really nicely put.
>>student 3: A solid is matter and does not flow like a liquid. For example, I solid is
something that you...can...see and touch.
A liquid is the opposite, you can...
>>teacher: So when they were done reconstructing the text, I had my students
in pairs present, and this allow me to hear if they are really grasping the content.
And I also give them feedback.
>>student 3: ...called gas, and those are three states of matter.
>>teacher: Alright. I like how you gave examples and your group gave us
a lot of information. Now, um
you guys added extra stuff that we had...
In this strategy, my students get to use all language domains.
So they're listening, they're speaking, they're writing, they're reading
their own reconstructed text, and my students are really developing language.
And so this is a great strategy, a great integrated strategy.
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