Scaffolding Background Knowledge for ELLs July 2014 Michelle Mangan, PCG

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3 Purpose of this Session Participants will be able to…  identify when and how to provide additional background knowledge instruction for ELLs.

4 Agenda  Introductory article and discussion  Background knowledge and ELLs  Background knowledge instruction: key decisions  Module practice  Types of background knowledge instruction  Closing

5 Introductory Article and Discussion What do we mean when we say “scaffolding” background knowledge?  Teaching background knowledge  Activating background knowledge (or prior knowledge) 

6 Introductory Article and Discussion At your tables, find the excerpt from Timothy Shanahan, Letting the Text Take Center Stage. Individually,  Read and annotate the text: ? for questions ! for statements that resonate with you * for statements you want to explore more Guiding question: What factors does Shanahan identify as important in distinguishing between effective background knowledge instruction and excessive or ineffective instruction? 

Introductory Article and Discussion With a partner, discuss:  At least one annotation you made  Your thoughts on the guiding question: What factors does Shanahan identify as important in distinguishing between effective background knowledge instruction and excessive or ineffective instruction? 7 

Introductory Article and Discussion Group discussion:  What factors does Shanahan identify as important in distinguishing between effective background knowledge instruction and excessive or ineffective instruction?  Did you agree with Shanahan’s distinction between effective and ineffective background knowledge instruction? Why or why not?  Does this reflect the practices you see at your school? How? 8 

Background Knowledge Instruction and ELLs “How much background information is appropriate depends on the text….” (9) and the students you serve! 9 

Background Knowledge Instruction and ELLs Why might background knowledge instruction be especially important for ELLs?  Different cultural backgrounds/frameworks  Limited English vocabulary (they may not know the English words for concepts)  Experience with different elementary/secondary education systems Note that these experiences may be different depending on students’ home country, years in the U.S., and level of English language development. 10 

Background Knowledge Instruction: Key Decisions 11 Identify major ideas and concepts in the text (or presupposed knowledge) (i.e. historical, cultural, chronological, spatial) 1. Is the idea or concept important for understanding the text or lesson? Yes: Continue 2. Is the idea or concept something that most native English speakers or students who grew up in the U.S. likely already know? Yes: Continue Provide supplemental support for ELLs around this concept. No/Maybe: Provide some background knowledge support on this concept to all students, and possibly more for ELLs No: Stop Do not spend significant time directly teaching concept. 

Background Knowledge Instruction: Example Text: Excerpt from The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights, Russell Freedman. Summary: The excerpt describes the moment when Marian Anderson stood to sing before a crowd gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. She had been denied to sing in other venues because she was an African American. 12 

Background Knowledge Example: The Voice that Challenged a Nation 13 Identify major ideas and concepts in the text: Marian Anderson (her biography, life history) 1. Is the idea or concept important for understanding the text or lesson? Yes: Continue No: Stop While her heritage is important, it is not important to understand her background to understand the major themes in this excerpt. Students may explore her life later in the book or through other study, but not necessarily before reading. Do not spend significant time directly teaching concept before reading. 

Background Knowledge Instruction: The Voice that Challenged a Nation 14 Identify major ideas and concepts in the text: History of civil rights in the United States (especially climate in the 1960’s) 1. Is the idea or concept important for understanding the text or lesson? Yes: Continue It is important for students to understand why this event was so important. 2. Is the idea or concept something that most native English speakers or students who grew up in the U.S. likely already know? Yes: Continue Most native English speakers would have at least a rudimentary understanding of the history of segregation and civil rights in the U.S. Provide supplemental support for ELLs around this concept. 

Background Knowledge Instruction: Example Text: Excerpt from “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves”, Karen Russell (Featured in Grade 9 Module 1) “At first, our back was all hair and snarl and floor-thumping joy. We forgot the barked cautions of our mothers and fathers, all the promises we’d made to be civilized and lady-like, couth and kempt. We tore through the austere rooms, overturning dresser drawers, pawing through the neat piles of the stage 3 girls’ starched underwear, smashing lightbulbs with our bare fists… we jumped from bunk to bunk spraying. We nosed each other midair, our bodies buckling in kinetic laughter…” 15 

Background Knowledge Instruction: “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls…” 16 Identify major ideas and concepts in the text: Animal behavior (and the vocab that goes with it) 1. Is the idea or concept important for understanding the text or lesson? Yes: Continue It is important for students to understand how the girls are different from other girls and to contrast their pre and post Lucy’s behavior. 2. Is the idea or concept something that most native English speakers or students who grew up in the U.S. likely already know? Yes: Continue Provide supplemental support for ELLs around this concept. No/Maybe: Provide some background knowledge support on this concept to all students, and possibly more for ELLs 

Module Practice 17  Find the Lesson 3 Introduction and an excerpt from The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (pages 63 – 66) at your table. With a table partner,  Read and annotate the lesson overview and text  Guiding question: What background knowledge do you think ELLs in your class might need for this text?  

Module Practice Group Discussion:  What background knowledge do you think ELLs in your class would need for this text?  What influenced your decision?  Did you and your partner agree? 18 

Types of Background Knowledge Instruction Group discussion:  What instructional strategies have you used to scaffold background knowledge to ELLs in the past?  What structures do you have in place to provide this instruction? (push-in/pull-out ESL teachers, etc.) 19   

Types of Background Knowledge Instruction 20  Teacher-led small group instruction Additional short text with questions Video with questions Website link with questions Vocabulary instruction around a particular concept Additional work with the text itself, additional guiding questions   

Types of Background Knowledge Instruction 21  Teachers should choose what type of background knowledge instruction to provide based on students’ home language and English language development levels. They may also choose to support students in students’ home language to provide background knowledge support.   

Types of Background Knowledge Instruction 22  Example: Teacher-led vocabulary instruction around a concept Text: “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” Small-group lesson:  Teacher provides information on pack animals (wolves, dogs, etc.) and elicits student response for types of movements and behaviors these animals often make (teacher may choose to ask students to act out these behaviors)  Teacher provides important animal verbs with visuals to introduce students to important words from the text.    to spray; to nose; to paw; to pounce/jump; to bark

Types of Background Knowledge Instruction 23  Example: Additional text with guiding questions and glossary Text: The Voice that Challenged a Nation Concept: Segregation, civil rights movement in the U.S. Lesson: Provide a short text that summarizes the concept of segregation in the U.S. (could be teacher generated)    Text Excerpt Glossary Guiding Questions: 1. 2.

Types of Background Knowledge Instruction 24  Individually or with a partner, revisit the excerpt from Henrietta Lacks Complete the background knowledge planning chart for your students.    Background Knowledge Planning Chart Concept or ideaHow I would provide instruction for ELLs

Closing: Discussion and Reflection 25  Takeaways from this session:    Letting the Text Take Center Stage Background knowledge instruction and ELLs Deciding what background knowledge to provide for ELLs Deciding how to provide background knowledge for ELLs

26 Q & A

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