MISD Bilingual/ESL Department SIOP Training #2 Building Background October 8, 2013

Agenda Review of Lesson Preparation  Content Objectives  Language Objectives Curricular Adaptations Questions on SIOP

Scientific Based Research Professional Development The SIOP Model includes teacher preparation, instructional indicators such as comprehensible input and the building of background knowledge. It comprises strategies for classroom organization and delivery of instruction.

Building and Activating Background Knowledge

Building Background – Content Objectives 1. Identify techniques for connecting students’ personal experiences and past learning to lesson concepts 2. Define the key elements of academic language and tell why it is so important to teach to the ELLs.

Building Background – Language Objectives 1. Write a lesson plan incorporating activities that build background and provide explicit links to students’ backgrounds and experiences and past learning. 2. Identify the academic vocabulary in SIOP lesson and select key vocabulary words to emphasize

Consider… Have you ever taught a lesson that you carefully prepared but with which your students cannot connect? As you are explaining new concepts, you observe confused faces, off-task behaviors and maybe some students mumbling to each other?

Building Background CMS Ivanna Mann Thrower 2007 Link concepts to students’ background experiences. Bridge past learning to new concepts. Emphasize key vocabulary.

Meaningful Language Effective teaching takes students from where they are and leads them to a higher level of understanding (Krashen, 1985, Vygotsky, 1978). But there is a caveat to this - The language must be meaningful!

Look at these letters CN NFB ICB SCI ANC AA

How many do you remember? ?

Working Memory There were 16 letters on the list, and most people can recall only 7 There is not sufficient space in working memory to maintain more than that Now try again!

Background Knowledge! CNN FBI CBS CIA NCAA Easier, right?

Same Letters These two lists contain the same information This is called chunking! CN NFB ICB SCI ANC AA CNN FBI CBS CIA NCAA

No Background Knowledge

Activating Background Knowledge

Background Knowledge This was ACTIVATING background knowledge

Background Knowledge How do I BUILD background knowledge then?

ACTIVATE Background Knowledge

BUILD Background Knowledge

Let’s Reflect As a group, discuss building background.  What is meant by activating prior knowledge?  What is meant by building background?  How do they differ instructionally? Share…

Instructional Activities: Pretest with a Partner Activity helpful for students in grades 2-12 and is appropriate for any subject area The purpose of the Pretest with a Partner is to allow English Learners the opportunity to preview at the beginning of a lesson or unit the concepts and vocabulary that will be assessed at the conclusion on the lesson or unit.

Instructional Activities Pretest with a Partner Distribute one pretest and pencil to each pair of students. The pretest should be similar or identical to the posttest that will be administered later. The partners pass the pretest and pencil back and forth between one another. They read the question aloud, discuss possible answers, come to a consensus, and write the answer on the pretest.

Instructional Activities Pretest with a Partner This activity provides an opportunity for students to activate prior knowledge and share background information, while the teacher circulates to assess what students know…recording gaps and misinformation You are not teaching any information at this time

Making Connections Explicit connections between new learning, the material, vocabulary, and concepts previously covered in class are important.

Making Connections Research proves a student will not learn anything NEW until he connects it to something he already KNOWS

Links can be made through discussions “ Who remembers what we learned about________?” How does that relate to our chapter/vocabulary/unit…” By reviewing graphic organizers, previously used in class notes, transparencies, or power points.

Linking Background Knowledge By preserving and referring back to word banks, outlines, charts, maps, and graphic organizers – teachers have the tools for students to make those critical connections.

Difficulties with Activating Prior Knowledge Cultural Background For children to excel in a classroom, they must be valued there and share in the dialogue of learning. You should encourage the participation of all voices in the classroom. This fosters greater understanding not only of the curricula but of various people and cultures as well.

Who is this?

Hamburgers!

Sauce Americaine!

Hamburgers! Sauce Americaine!

Hamburgers! Mixture of: ketchup and mayo Even served with steak!

Cultural Differences Delicacy in Thailand?

Cultural Differences Deep fried tarantulas

Difficulties with Activating Prior Knowledge Differences between cultures are often perceived as threatening or “wrong” rather than just different. Feelings of apprehension, loneliness, or lack of confidence are common when students move into a new, and possibly unknown,culture. What is logical and important in one culture may seem irrational and unimportant to another. All cultures have internal variations. Cultures are continually evolving.

Key Vocabulary Emphasized Research indicates a strong relationship exists between vocabulary knowledge and comprehension.

Systematic and comprehensive vocabulary instruction is necessary for English Language Learners…Why???  Content area texts include sophisticated vocabulary  Reading performance tests given to ELL rely on wide ranging vocabulary knowledge  ELLs vocabulary instruction must be accelerated because ELLs are learning English later than their native speaking peers.  ELLs’ acquisition of deep understanding of word meanings is very challenging.

Vocabulary Instruction Students should 1. be active in developing their understanding of words and ways to learn them. 2. personalize word learning through practices as Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategies 3. be immersed with words 4. build upon multiple sources of information to learn words through repeated exposure.

Concept of Definition Map How is a slope represented in everyday life? How is a slop represented on a formula? How is a slope represented on a graph? Ratio of the change in the y- coordinates to the corresponding change in the x coordinates What is it? What is it like?

Homework Assignment Work on building background of SIOP on lesson plans and document your successes and challenges.  Begin to develop background knowledge into your lessons.  Explicitly activate prior knowledge in your lessons. First fifteen minutes of our next meeting will be devoted to sharing with the class. us any time if you need additional support – Tina Kelman Or Wendy Burt