Finding Variations in Living Organisms Transcript
Speaker 1: They're sleeping I think, because this one doesn't move.
Speaker 2: What's the one that talks?
Speaker 3: In science we've been doing investigations on plants and insects.
Today, we are going to do a little research in science.
Goats. You like goats, huh?
Speaker 4: Spiders.
Speaker 3: Today's lesson is about finding variations of living organisms and to research an animal, and be able to make a claim showing either size, color, shape, or texture within a group setting and then to share out.
Speaker 5: She told me some information that I didn't know in my book.
Speaker 3: Excellent, so you learned something by her making a claim about a variation in there?
In our district, we use the five essential ELD integrated and designated practices, and while I'm planning, I always refer to that.
Who needs a pencil? Nancy, you need a pencil?
Going into this lesson, what I thought was going to be difficult was the actual integration. Were the students going to be able to have conversations and feel confident to explain or express themselves? I think it just needs to happen more often.
Before I started the integrated lesson, I worked with my English learners for 30 minutes, and we practiced using academic language using the concept of variations, and then I took that group into the larger group.
In science when we look at living things, organisms, we're going to see some variations.
For today's integrated lesson, first we went over the word variation.
Find someone right next to you and really quick, tell them what a variation is.
I had them do a turn and talk about what they knew so that I could sort of listen in on if they understood what a variation is.
All right, I heard lots of great conversation there.
Brandon, what did Hannah tell you a variation is?
Brandon: A variation is the same and not the same.
Speaker 6: It's like, they're the same, it's the same, but then there's also a little difference in it.
Speaker 3: Okay, they were similar.
Then I moved into watch me as I do what you're going to be doing soon, which was to make a claim, with the book that they're familiar with. They also knew to use some talk moves.
If somebody says one variation is color. For example, this and this. Somebody might say, tell me more.
Speaker 7: Add on.
Speaker 3: Right you're gonna add on because we want to build the conversation up, and we want to be able to discuss. Okay, I will give you about 10 or 15 minutes to research, and then we're going to use our talking chips, why?
Speaker 8: So everyone gets a fair amount of time.
Speaker 3: Yes, equity of voice.
Would you like an owl or a spider?
Okay, look it over, look at the pictures. Try to find some variations, and be ready to make a claim. Put the name of your animal first on your paper.
Speaker 9: Oh, silveries.
Speaker 3: Did you look? Keep looking inside the book and you'll see some of those variations right? Wow, so you saw different colors on here? Wow, okay.
I knew all the different personalities that I have in my class and what their strengths are.
Speaker 10: Can I tell you something?
Speaker 3: I was trying to place two of my boys who are English learners who are dominant speakers with two more sort of dominant speakers thinking that they'll be able to fend for themselves, be able to all speak.
Speaker 11: What does this mean?
Speaker 3: They're alike, but they're different.
Speaker 12: Movement.
Speaker 13: Yeah, how it moves.
Speaker 14: How does it move?
Speaker 15: Fast?
Speaker 16: It doesn't move. It swims, doesn't it?
Speaker 17: Yeah.
Speaker 18: I bet it probably does.
Speaker 19: Medium?
Speaker 20: [inaudible 00:04:16] fast.
Speaker 3: I put the two girls with people who were a little gentler speakers, knowing that they might be a little bit shyer, so that was purposeful.
Speaker 21: Size. Small, large. Movement [inaudible 00:04:33].
Speaker 22: [inaudible 00:04:39]
Speaker 23: They can actually sniff 15 miles away.
Speaker 24: Actually, 100 miles. That's what, in one book.
Speaker 23: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3: Bum ba da bum bum.
Speaker 24: Bum bum.
Speaker 3: We now are going to do our talking chips. One person will go first. You need to listen, and you can respond with things like, "I disagree with you." Tell why.
Speaker 25: My turn. [crosstalk 00:05:12] my turn.
Speaker 3: It's okay. Can you guys [inaudible 00:05:15]?
Academically I'm looking for are they able to articulate variation. I was also looking to see who was speaking and were they able to build on their conservations?
Who's going first?
Speaker 25: I was first.
Speaker 3: Okay. Let's see if we hear any questions. Go ahead, go.
Speaker 25: My variation is dogs. The color can be gray, white, light red, and black.
Speaker 26: Can you tell me more? Do you have anything else?
Speaker 25: Texture feels soft and hard.
Speaker 27: I was with birds. They can be black, pink, or gray. Their shape is diamond and they're nocturnal.
Speaker 28: Now you go.
Speaker 29: Okay.
Speaker 30: I put my chip in.
Speaker 3: Now wait a minute, they can respond to you.
Speaker 31: Tell me more.
Speaker 32: Which ones are nocturnal?
Speaker 27: Owls and [inaudible 00:06:11].
Speaker 3: For formative assessment I like to use my smartphone to record students so that when I'm not there it's much more candid and I can really get a gauge on where they are and what's happening at that time in that moment.
Speaker 33: They're green, red, black, and brown.
Speaker 3: Did everybody go?
Speaker 33: Yeah.
Speaker 34: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Wow. Any questions come up?
Speaker 35: Not really.
Speaker 3: Okay, so share one more time.
Today, in the girl group, my ELL learners talked but they weren't as talkative. It just gives me more information about how to work on that and give more opportunities so that they can feel more confident.
Speaker 36: Okay, Brandon, it's your turn.
Brandon: I picked a whales. I know that the colors are ...
Speaker 3: My boys were very, very talkative. They were just going and talking and building and going beyond where I thought they would go.
Speaker 37: [foreign language 00:07:13], how did they have water inside, and they throw it.
Speaker 38: [foreign language 00:07:21].
Speaker 37: He said that they clean their teeth and then they throw it in the hole they have right here. Yeah.
Speaker 39: What's their texture?
Speaker 37: Hard.
Speaker 40: I disagree. I think they're kind of bumpy and rubbery. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Okay, stop and come to the rug. What I want you to tell me, don't just tell me what you did. You're telling me how the group did. Did you share ideas? Were you able to add on and build on the conversation? How about Michelle? How was your group? Did they do any of these things? Were they listening to each other?
Michelle: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Everybody? Or just some?
Michelle: Some.
Speaker 3: Some. Okay. Did anybody ever do any of these and add on?
Michelle: No.
Speaker 3: No. Next time you guys can work on that as a group?
Speaker 41: One person did say, "Tell me more."
Speaker 3: That's pretty good as a group.
I felt that everybody was able to have a group of about what they had shared, so academically they were learning as well as communicating and seeing how that actually, put together, can really help you practice your language and express yourself.
Speaker 42: Basically I'd say Paxton was doing more like, "Disagree," and stuff. Most of us were doing keep on building.
Speaker 3: I heard a lot of talking going on over here.
Speaker 43: Yeah, Paxton was saying more like, "Tell me more, tell me more."
Speaker 3: He was really trying to get more information.
You know, it's not over. We're just checking in. Is there anything else you would need to do these reports?
Speaker 44: More research.
Speaker 3: Okay, you need more actual books to look into or research? That's good.
Could you give everybody a nice little clap?
After class, I like to look at the paper right away. My English learners were fantastic. Every single part was filled out. I was very pleased to see that they were confident and able to do this. The scaffolding that we were doing during my designated ELD time actually prepared them for that and they were very successful. As opposed to my integrated class did not have as much, so I thought, "Wow, I need to do some more of this with them as well."
Speaker 45: What's the size?
Speaker 46: Size? They're big.
Speaker 47: I disagree.
Speaker 3: I really believe this is a skill that they're going to need and use academically or in their own life, so I feel like that was a worthwhile goal.
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