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>>teacher: So, I have a question for you. And we're going to think about this question
when I ask the question, we are think about this question and then you are going to be
talking to a partner about it.
Do you think...it'd be a good idea to have a penguin for a pet?
Today, the ELD strategy and standard that I was focusing on was Part One, Section 10
Supporting Opinions. The writing prompt that I gave to the students was, whether they
thought that a penguin would make a good pet. And I got that idea from the fact we're
reading Mr. Popper's Penguins. And my ELA standard for this lesson was writing opinions
and listening and speaking.
Remember when you talk to your partner and state your opinion, we're going to use one
of these three sentence frames. We're going to use the top sentence frame to state your opinion
If you want to use an undergraduate sentence frame, you're going to choose
your level. Remember you're going to say -
>>class: I think that... >>teacher: And then you'll finish the sentence.
>>class: In my opinion... >>teacher: And that's a graduates way.
Undergraduate, our...graduate, and our? >>class: Post graduate.
>>teacher: So what would our post graduate sentence be? Let's read it.
>>class: Based on my experience, I think...
>>teacher: So when you are working, when I partner you up, you're going to use one of
these three sentence frames.
Sentence frames are very important to use with my students. And what I have is I have
three levels of sentence frames. I have...I call them undergraduate, graduate, and post
graduate sentence frames but they actually follow the ELD progression: emerging, expanding
and bridging levels. So my students can choose which sentence frame they are
comfortable with. And I like to offer the three choices so they can challenge themselves
and go higher.
Right now you are just sharing your opinion with your partner. So when I say, Geo Go,
You're going to stand up, you are going to raise your hand high in the air.
Make sure that elbow has a bone in it. I want a straight elbow, no curved elbows,
no bent elbows, straight elbow.
You're going to wander the classroom.
I had the students get up and walk around, it's called high-five. And that was a way
for them to find a new partner. But I have them walk around the classroom so that they
don't just always go to the one person they want to be with. I want to mix up
the class and give them a new partner to work with.
>>student 1: OK, I...
Based in my opinion- >>student 2: No, based ON
>>student 1: ON my opinion, experiment..
I that I zzzz-no think because I-I like penguins because the fun. I like to play
with them and... [timer chime]
>>teacher: The advantage for the ELL student to talk to their peers before they
talk to the teacher, or before they write something down is that that is a safe environment.
And by using the constant repetition, partner talk, group talk, there's accountability.
And so everyone has to talk. They can't hide in the crowd.
>>student : I think that a penguin's not a good house pet.
And that's it. That's my...
>>teacher: Don't exclude anyone. You guys...
You all need a voice. You all have a voice in here.
So you've already given your opinion to your partner. You’ve had a chance to talk
to another group and you came up with a very good reason for your opinion,
to justify your opinion.
It's very important to go back and review the sentence frames, have the students
review the sentence frames with me, so it's constantly being practiced and therefore
helps them become familiar with the language and become much more comfortable with
using the language.
We want to say the same thing, graduate sentence-
>>class: I agree with blank that
>>teacher: We want to make it a post graduate-
>>class: My idea builds upon blank >>teacher: Blanks.
You can choose your gra-level of sentence.
No what you're going to do is you're going to going back to your table
and you are going to be working in timed round Robbins
So when I say, Geo Go, you're going to walk to your table and you are going to sit down
in your chair. At each table, Mrs. Klein has a set of numbers.
I had my students go to their tables and do what's called a timed round Robbin,
and that is once more another way for my students to be able to vocalize,
verbalize their thought process, their opinion. And they also get a chance to hear
other opinions and reasons for that. And the timed round Robbin holds like, once again,
every student accountable to speak.
>>student: In my opinion, I don't agree with Camilla and Jacob because...
[timer chimes]
>>teacher: When the students were finished with the timed round Robbins, and we went to
they went back to the carpet, I was modeling for them how to fold their paper
into four sections because when we do our writing our plan has a topic sentence,
detail one, detail two, and then a conclusion. So I want my students when they
make their own plan, they need to have the-it's like a visual for them. The paper is
already broken up so they can see the sections. And I modeled for them on the ELMO
so that they would understand the-where the topic sentence goes, where each detail goes.
I want-I want a penguin as a pet because it can swim with me.
What word am I going to write right here?
>>class: Swim. >>teacher: Nicole?
What word am I going to write right here?
Swim, very good. Because swim is going to help me remember what?
What's swim going to help me remember?
If you are going to give your opinion, remember, you are going to say, I think...
This is my example: I think it would be fun to have a penguin as a pet-
Here's my opinion: Because it could swim with me.
So you see how I have my opinion and then I have my reason.
Just like you guys are going to work on.
Or...no, I don't think it would be fun to have a penguin as a pet.
That is my...
Opinion. Everyone say opinion. >>group: Opinion.
>>teacher: That is my opinion. See, it says opinion. I don't think...
One of the criteria that I used for pulling this group for designated ELD was their ELD
portfolio. And in their portfolio they were struggling with how language works
at their level. And so I wanted to give them that extra scaffolding and support.
So, I-everyone read it with me-I...
>>group: I think that pen-penguin
swim-to get-makes a
good pet.
>>teacher: Say it again.
>>group: I think that a...
>>teacher: With the small group I was pulling for designated ELD strategies
I used-I had a word bank up on the board behind me so that we-they could see
what word might I be using in my sentence. They could reference that-those words
and also I had sentence frames up there so they could reference the sentence frames.
And that helps them because the-when they came back for the designated ELD, I wanted
a lot more of the language used. We were working on their plan, but I was really
working-looking for am I comfortable with the language before I can write it down.
>>teacher: Good. Thank you. So can you-what are you going to write here for your key word?
>>student: Because.
>>teacher: You want to write because or do you think because is going to be your key
word or do you think maybe car...
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