University of Southern California, Rossier School of Education EDUC 505: Integrating Literacies in Secondary Content Instruction March 10, 2013 Brooke A. Howland, Ed.D.

1. +
Ideological Stance
Robin Lee
University of Southern California, Rossier School of Education
EDUC 505: Integrating Literacies in Secondary Content Instruction
March 10, 2013
Brooke A. Howland, Ed.D.

2. +
Ideological Stance
Inquiry science promotes students’ construction of meaning through
exploration of scientific phenomenon, observations, experiments, and
hands-on activities (Stoddart, Pinal, Latzke, & Canaday, 2002). Teachers
should strive to create an equitable learning environment in which
students can actively engage in inquiry science by incorporating each of
their unique resources accumulated from prior experiences to science
content. To create such a learning environment, teachers should
integrate critical literacy strategies into science instruction to allow for
differentiated instruction, where students can make connections
between the content and their own understandings. Literacy strategies
will also facilitate students in understanding the academic language
used in science content.

3. +
Differentiation
In providing equity and access to content understanding.

4. +
Differentiation
Equity and Access
n Differentiation adjusts instruction for all students, including
underserved, learning disabled, gifted, and English language learners.
n Integrating various critical literacy strategies into inquiry science provides
students with opportunities to engage and access the content.
n Students are not expected to find all literacy strategies effective. By
introducing various strategies, the teacher provides students opportunities
to find a strategy most effective for their own understandings.

5. +
Learning Strategies & Theory

6. +
Guiding Reading Comprehension:
Think-Alouds
n Think-alouds help students clarify their understanding of content
reading through a metacognitive approach (Vacca, Vacca, & Mraz,
2011).
n Students develop hypotheses by making predictions from the text.
n This approach aligns with inquiry science, as students are questioning and
constructing meaning.
n Students should also be encouraged to work with partners in creating
think-alouds.
n Social cognitive learning theory suggests that students can learn by
observing others (Ormrod, 2011). Thus, by allowing students to work with
partners, students can more successfully understand content and further
monitor their comprehension by sharing their interpretations of the text.

7. +
Studying Text:
Graphic Organizers/Semantic (Cognitive) Mapping
n Graphic organizers help students comprehend and retain textually
important information (Vacca et al., 2011).
n In creating graphic organizers, students identify what parts of a text is
important and how these ideas are related to one another. Meaning is
constructed by the student not absorbed, which depicts the core of
constructivism (Ormrod, 2011).
n Semantic maps are an example of graphic organizers that visually
illustrates the relationships associated with the core concepts of the
content.
n Graphic organizers create an equitable learning environment because
students, regardless of whether they are English learners or special
needs students, can explore the academic purpose of the text and
organize their thoughts (Girard & Spycher, 2007).

8. +
Writing to Learn (WTL):
Double-Entry Journals (DEJs)
n WTL activities help students tap into prior knowledge and make connections
between the “old” and the “new” (Vacca et al., 2011).
n Students explore ideas and clarify what they are thinking about in relation to content.
n DEJs allow students to record dual entries that are conceptually related (Vacca et
al., 2011).
n In the left column of the journal, students may be prompted to write about a topic prior to
class discussion, making connections with their prior knowledge. In the right column,
students may write in their own language about what they are learning.
n Through DEJs, students are engaging themselves in inquiry based learning, by making
predictions and connections.
n Because students are encouraged to write in their own language, it allows
students to engage with the content through strategies most efficient for
themselves. This allows for constructivism, in which students can regulate their
own process of cognition (Ormrod, 2011).

9. +
References
Girard, V., & Spycher, P. (2007). Deconstructing language for English
learners. Aiming High Resource: Aspirando a lo mejor. Santa Rosa, CA:
Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE).
Ormrod, J.E. (2011). Education psychology: Developing learners (7th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Stoddart, T., Pinal, A., Latzke, M., & Canaday, D. (2002). Integrating inquiry
science and language development for English language learners.
Journal of Research in Science Teaching (39)8, 664-687.
Vacca, R.T., Vacca, J.L., & Mraz, M. (2011). Content area reading: Literacy
and learning across the curriculum (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.