Framing Our Reading Part 4

Framing our reading part 4 – vocabulary The three words Jennifer and I chose to focus on this week are solution, wavelength, and temperature. First, Jennifer made a list of all the important terms in each article we have analyzed for the past few weeks. Each article had between 5-10 words that she felt were vocabulary important for students to know or learn to understand the concepts presented in that piece of text. Next, Jennifer and I discussed which one word we should focus on from each of the three readings. In the first piece of text, Chemical Solutions, we chose the word “solutions” because it is in the title and can have many meanings in science and other subjects. In the gravitational waves article, we chose the word “wavelength” to focus on because it is an important part of the vocabulary for physical science and can be confusing to imagine. In the Molecules in Motion article, we chose the word “temperature” because this word is often used incorrectly and can be described in many different ways. To help our students internalize these vocabulary words we need to have the students do more than just write and study definitions of these terms. “Teachers can help students build conceptual knowledge of content area terms by teaching and reinforcing the concept words in relation to other concept words. This key instructional principle plays itself out in content area classrooms whenever students are actively making connections among the key words in a lesson or unit of study. ” (Vacca & Vacca 322). One method of helping students learn vocabulary in science is to use a graphic organizer that connects new words with familiar concepts in that unit. In his study of the benefits of the use of nonlinguistic learning strategies (which include graphic organizers), he found a 17 percentile point increase in achievement (Marzano 1). Each text and vocabulary word lends itself to a different method of study, which I will discuss below. For the word wavelength, I would use a semantic feature analysis chart (McLaughlin 115-6). I would use this organizer because it can be used before, during, and after reading to compare all different types of wavelengths and their characteristics. I would compare all of the different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, geological waves, and gravitational waves. At the end, I would have the students write their conclusions about wavelengths. For the word temperature, I would use the Frayer model to best illustrate this term to my students. I would choose the Frayer model because students have the opportunity to “…provide a definition, list characteristics, and provide examples and nonexamples of the concept” (Barton & Jordan 53). Since there are many misconceptions about what temperature actually is, and how it is different than heat, I think that by providing examples and nonexamples, students would get the most benefit from this graphic organizer. The word I chose to try in a vocabulary strategy this week was solution. For the word solution, I think that the best way for students to learn the many meanings of this word is through a semantic question map (McLaughlin 110). This method is useful because I can use it to help my students focus on specific aspects of a topic, and questions can be teacher or student generated. To use this strategy with my students, I would write the word “Solution” in the center circle, with four ovals surrounding the main circle. On the left, I would ask the following questions: “What is a solution in math?” and “What is a solution in humanities?”. On the right, I would focus my two questions on science: “What is solution in science” and “What are the parts of a solution in science?”. Since I need my students to know how to use this word in science specifically, I focused two of the 4 questions on science. I looked up definitions for solution using the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, and wrote the parts of a scientific solution from memory. I have attached a PDF of my completed semantic question map, with the questions, answers, and sources of my answers. References Barton, M.L. & Jordon, D.L.. (2001) Teaching Reading in Science: A supplement to Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If not me then who? 2nd Ed. Aurora, CO. McREL (Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning). Marzano, R. (2010) The Art and Science of Teaching/Representing Knowledge Nonlinguistically. Educational Leadership. Vol 67. No 8. ASCD. Accessed online 04/27/2018. Mclaughlin, M. (2015) Content Area Reading: Teaching and Learning for College and Career Readiness. 2nd Ed. University of Pennsylvania. Pearson. Vacca, R. & Vacca J.A. (1999) Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum. 6th Ed. New York. Longman.

Module 6 Discussion - Vocabulary

Module 6 Discussion Post - Vocabulary My history with vocabulary is much like McLaughlin mentions in her book, stating: “Many of us can probably remember learning lists of words and their definitions and taking the dreaded Friday vocabulary quizzes.” (McLaughlin 105). Back when I was in high school, we used a vocabulary series called “Wordly Wise” all four years in our language arts courses. To help me study, I made foldables of all the vocabulary words. I would take a piece of lined notebook paper, fold it in half the long way, and write words on the outside with definitions on the inside. There were at least 30 words on each quiz, and since we only really used the words when completing the workbook exercises, the quizzes were brutal. As an experienced teacher, I now know that her method of exposing students to vocabulary is not the best approach to having them really internalize what is being taught. McLaughlin states, “The more knowledge and experience learners have with a particular topic, the easier it is for them to make connections between what they know and what they are learning.” (McLaughlin 50). Despite the fact that the vocabulary was difficult to learn, I did keep making foldables to help me study all the way through graduate school, so at least I learned a useful study strategy from this experience. In contrast, my Spanish teacher had an entirely different approach to helping her students internalize vocabulary. In addition to weekly vocabulary quizzes, we were required to meet with her privately outside of class to earn “pesos” by speaking the language and using the vocabulary of the week appropriately. I think we were required to earn 50 “pesos” each term, and they were calculated into our overall grades. My Spanish teacher also made lots of “word walls” in her classroom, which helped me to review and learn the vocabulary as well. “Word walls provide visual support for all learners in the acquisition of academic vocabulary” (Larson, Dixon, & Townsend 2). Even though it has been more than 20 years since my last Spanish class, I can still read and speak the language pretty well, and I think that this is because of the type of vocabulary instruction I received in that class. According to Merriam-Webster, the word consciousness means “the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself”. When I am considering literacy in science, consciousness is important because my students need to be mindful of the tools they use to read and understand texts in my classroom. Science consists mostly of informational texts, so there are rarely bits of irony, change of voice, or other nuances of the English language that you might find in literature in the humanities. That being said, my students need to understand that certain words have different meanings in my classes versus others. An example of a word that is often misused by other disciplines and society at large is the word “theory”. Like Jacqueline Beliveau, I noticed that my students had a hard time keeping track of the different meanings of words in science class versus the rest of society. She states, “Additionally. Students are confused even further with math terminology when the see a familiar words with an unfamiliar definition in the math classroom” (Beliveau 2). When students approach vocabulary in science (or any other subject), they need to make a conscious effort to raise their awareness of what a particular word might mean in a particular subject. I’ve found over the years, that it’s my responsibility to coach them and remind them of the importance of this type of consciousness in their studies. References Beliveau, J. (June 2001). What Strategies Strengthen the Connections Between Literacy and Math Concepts for Higher Math Achievement with Culturally Diverse Students? Glasgow Middle School. Fairfax, VA Larson, L., Temoca, D., & Dianna, T. (May 2013). How can teachers increase classroom use of academic vocabulary? Voices from the Middle, 20(4). doi:National Council of Teachers of English Mclaughlin, M. (2015) Content Area Reading: Teaching and Learning for College and Career Readiness. 2nd Ed. University of Pennsylvania. Pearson.

This caught my eye on Pinterest!

Title: “I like to move it, move it!” Article Title: Energy on the Move (original article) Standards or Learning Objectives Being Met: In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact with others; in a gas, they are widely spaced except when they happen to collide. In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations. (MS-PS1-4) Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles of matter. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present. (MS-PS3-3),(MS-PS3-4) Vocabulary words addressed: kinetic energy, temperature, heat, conduction, thermometer, equilibrium How did we find this piece of text? For the reading analysis this week, my partner, Jennifer, found the article online and shared the article with me. We are still focusing our chosen pieces of text on physical science as a general topic. I like this piece of text because it brings real world examples to the students’ minds, while drawing attention to how molecules move through clear scientific diagrams that embellish the text. Teaching about particle motion can be a really dry endeavor. I feel that this piece of text in particular would grab my students’ attention with its references to food (hot chocolate and milk) and the text’s easy to read language. My experience reading it for the first time: When I read the text for the first time I actually had a bit of trouble because of the way the text is laid out on the pages. The pages have two columns of text on each page that are sometimes interspersed with photos, scientific diagrams, and questions. It was a little tough for me to follow along. I found myself using my finger to follow the text so that I wouldn’t get distracted by everything else on the page. I read the text with my highlighter in hand – marking words and phrases that I thought connected the text to the physical science standards I teach in 8th grade. There are four main topics in the text selection: 1) Heat is a measure of the kinetic energy of the particles, 2) Kinetic energy (heat) can change, 3) average kinetic energy can be measured with a thermometer, and 4) particles always move from high to low energy, and never truly stop moving. The selected text has vocabulary words of interest already highlighted: energy transfer, average kinetic energy, conduction, and equilibrium. The words highlighted in the passage do not exactly match up with the required list of vocabulary set out by the archdiocese, but it is a good start. Analysis – PAT part 2 The piece of text we chose to analyze this week is an informational text, in which the author seeks to inform the reader about how the motion of molecules cause heat (and temperature). The passage is reasonably information dense, with about 1 new concept per page. I can tell that this reading selection is made for students, because of the way that each page is set up and the fact that there are questions at the end of the article. Major ideas can be found in bold at the top of each section, and vocabulary words are highlighted to draw the reader’s attention. Before reading the passage, it would be important for my students to know what kinetic energy is, since the text just briefly reviews the idea. Students should also be familiar with what an analog thermometer looks like and how it works. More and more students are coming to my classes having only experienced digital thermometers, and it would be very hard for these students to fully grasp the article without this experience. My experience using a reading strategy that extends thinking This week, I chose to try a Venn diagram as a reading strategy that extends student thinking with this piece of text. “The diagram, which is represented by two interlocking circles, provides a format for us to note similarities and differences or two perspectives about a topic. The similarities appear in the overlapping sections of the circles; the differences appear in the outer sides of each circle.” (Mclaughlin 99). I thought that students could compare what the particles are doing in hot vs. cold fluids, then the overlapping portion of the circle could be used to write down characteristics that both hot and cold fluids share. To complete the activity, I drew out two intersecting circles on a piece of notebook paper. I used red pen to write down all the information that pertained to hot fluids only, blue pen for cold fluids, and purple for words or phrases that described both. I challenged myself to find at least three items in each section of the diagram. Finally, I wrote two sentences explaining what makes hot and cold fluids similar and different. I wanted to try the Venn diagram this week because while I have a lot of experience with them as a learner and teacher, my students do not. I thought that by choosing this strategy, I could strengthen my ability to explain how and why we use this strategy sometimes to my students. I think that reading about Venn diagrams with fresh eyes and approaching a new text with this strategy, it strengthened what I already knew about this strategy and gave me some new insight into how to approach teaching this strategy the next time the opportunity presents itself. References Buehl, D. (2014) Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning. (4th ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Guilford, J., Bustamante, A. J., Mackura, K., Hirsch, S., Lyon, E., & Estrada, K. (2017, January 1). Text Savvy: Planning Rich Reading Experiences That Support Language Development and Science Learning. The Science Teacher, 50-56. McLaughlin, M. (2015) Content Area Reading: Teaching and Learning for College and Career Readiness. University of Pennsylvania. Pearson.

Making Waves with the Discovery of Gravitational Waves in Space

Title: Making Waves with the Discovery of Gravitational Waves in Space Article Title: “What’s the Big Deal about Gravitational Waves?” can be accessed at: https://app.discoveryeducation.com/learn/player/6b6b0ca9-2541-4516-b4bf-855dc58aaffb Standards or Learning Objectives addressed: (This article could be used as background information to help students make arguments or design a model about gravity’s role in space.) MS-PS2-4. Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects. MS-ESS1-2. Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system. How did we find this piece of text? I found this article while browsing through selections on the Discovery Education website. I searched for articles for grades 6-8 in the subject of physical science. Unlike the previous article that I found on this website, this piece of text did not have a Lexile score. I was curious about what the Lexile score might be, so I copied and pasted the entire piece of text into the “Free Lexile Analyzer” on the lexile.com website. I was surprised at how easy this website is to use. Within seconds I had the following pieces of data about the piece of text I entered: • Lexile® Measure: 900L - 1000L • Mean Sentence Length: 11.98 • Mean Log Word Frequency: 3.16 • Word Count: 611 From our studies thus far in ED 620, I know that Lexile is just one measure of how to choose a text for your students, so I decided to delve further in and find out more. From the website “Matching Lexile Measures to Grade Ranges”, I found that Lexile scores do NOT correspond to grade levels, but are used as a guide to meet and challenge students where they are. In addition, Lexile scores are just one small piece of judging a piece of text for its appropriateness for a group of students. The Lexile scores give us a range in which 50% of students in that grade level scored on standardized tests. I think that this is why many people wrongly assume Lexile scores can tell us grade levels. When I compared the data for this article to a chart of Lexile scores per grade level, I found that the article could be appropriate for some students in as low as 4th grade, and perhaps up to 9th grade. This demonstrated to me the importance of knowing each individual student as a reader in your class and using appropriate tools to give them texts that can challenge them. My experience reading the text the first time: I was anxious reading this article for the first time. While I took college astronomy and have taught physical science for years, I’m a life scientist at heart. This topic is not something I would choose to read for pleasure. Even reading the first paragraph in which the acronym “LIGO” appears made me nervous – “What is that?” “Am I going to need to know that term later?” As I read along, I was glad that the authors had placed section headers when they changed topics. This helped me to focus my reading and digest what I was learning about in small pieces. I enjoyed the final section of the reading, which had a series of ‘fun facts’ about gravitational waves and other space trivia. I think my students would find this part interesting too – a kilonova? Sounds amazing! Analysis – PAT part 2 This is a piece of informational text designed to introduce the reader to the concept of gravitational waves, how they are measured, and how they are used to analyze objects in the solar system. I think that this article was written specifically for science students by the Discovery Education team. Before reading, my students would need to know that space phenomena are usually measured using electromagnetic waves, such as microwaves and gamma rays. Gravitational waves are not a type of EM wave and are new technology in analysis of space phenomena. Part of the text talks about a collision between two neutron stars 130 million light years away. I can see my students needing assistance defining what a neutron star is, understanding the life cycle of stars, and relating to light years. This piece of text has only one point of view and one argument – that gravitational waves are a new tool being utilized to measure events in space. There are no references to any outside texts or theories, although it might be helpful to provide such information to my students ahead of reading the text. My experience using a guiding comprehension strategy This week, our focus is guiding comprehension strategies. These reading strategies are specifically used to guide students’ thinking while reading, and to help students monitor their own thinking while reading (McLaughlin 86). The reading strategy my partner, Jennifer, chose for me to try with the text this week is gallery images. She chose this strategy for the article because it is an informational text, and the reading does include quite a bit of visualization language in describing gravitational waves. The first step in using gallery images is for the teacher to explain to the students that visualizing is a reading comprehension strategy, and the name of the specific visualizing reading strategy we are using today is called gallery images (McLaughlin 85). In other subjects, you might visualize land forms while studying geography, or imagine small beads to help calculate sums in mathematics. The teacher then does a think-aloud with the students as they read the first section of the text. If I was doing this with my students I would draw two stars colliding far away with waves emitting from them while reading the first paragraph. It’s important to use simple line drawings, and to summarize the visualizations with a few sentences. The next step is to have students continue the exercise on their own. They are paired up with another student and their task is to make at least two more text visualizations while they continue reading the text. They draw their sketches on poster paper and share them with the class. Finally, all the students reflect on using visualizations to help understand texts, and brainstorm ways they could use the strategy in other classes (McLaughlin 85). Since I’m all by myself for this activity, I couldn’t really do partner work or compare my diagrams with anyone else, so I improvised with what I had. I read the next section of the text, which describes what gravitational waves are. The text describes gravitational waves as follows: “They're ripples in space-time; tiny alterations in the fabric of reality itself. Gravitational waves are "not another part of the electromagnetic spectrum; it is a whole new spectrum in itself. It's a completely different way of getting information from things," Cambridge University astrophysicist Anthony Lasenby told Wired. Because they're not part of the electromagnetic spectrum, gravitational waves aren't scattered by cosmic dust, absorbed by objects, or distorted by distance.” (Science Channel 1) As I read the above text, I imagined squiggly lines in space going right through stars and rocket ships without changing. As a summary, I would write: “Gravitational waves are different than EM waves, and can even travel through matter without changing.” References: Buehl, D. (2014) Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning. (4th ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Guilford, J., Bustamante, A. J., Mackura, K., Hirsch, S., Lyon, E., & Estrada, K. (2017, January 1). Text Savvy: Planning Rich Reading Experiences That Support Language Development and Science Learning. The Science Teacher, 50-56. McLaughlin, M. (2015) Content Area Reading: Teaching and Learning for College and Career Readiness. University of Pennsylvania. Pearson. (70-87) Metametrics, Inc. (2018). Free Lexile Analyzer. Retrieved April 14, 2018, from https://la-tools.lexile.com/free-analyze/ Metametrics, Inc. (2018). Matching Lexile Measures to Grade Ranges. Retrieved April 14, 2018, from https://lexile.com/educators/measuring-growth-with-lexile/lexile-measures-grade-equivalents/ Science Channel, (2017) What’s the Big Deal about Gravitational Waves?. [Reading Passage]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com

A Chem-mystery! Who stole Ian’s bike?

Title: A Chem-mystery! Who stole Ian’s bike? The article referenced in the analysis below can be found at: Chemical Solution. [Reading Passage]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com. I used Discovery Education to locate this piece of text. I chose a piece of text involving chemistry concepts because I teach some principles of chemistry to my 8th graders at the beginning of each school year. Additionally, this article will help me in encouraging students discover careers that use science, and show them how to use scientific principles to solve real-world problems. My partner, Jennifer, said that the article ties in with some videos she uses to expose students to scientific processes and careers that are related to chemistry. To find the article, I used the Discovery Education search engine to find this piece of literature for grades 6-8 in the subject of chemistry. I was also drawn to this piece because they gave me the Lexile score, which was 770. Before now, I haven’t seen any Lexile scores on assignments I’ve created for my science students, so I thought it would be good practice for me to read this piece, knowing that it was geared toward their age group. The first time I read through the article completely, I noticed three sections that are the most important to the lesson. I imagined that I would use this article to supplement our chemistry unit in 8th grade. The first idea in the text that I found engaging is the idea that chemical reactions can be used to solve real-world problems in society. One of the enduring understandings of the 8th grade Matter and Interactions Unit is, “The processes of chemical reactions have real world applications such as in cooking, medicine, and technology. (light bulbs, air bags, cell phones, and even atomic weapons)” (Rubicon 1). The second take away I had from the reading is that different chemical reactions can be used to identify different pieces of evidence – it is not just that one reaction will give the detectives all the answers. And third, I liked how students were expected to take the evidence provided and determine who the culprit was. This part of the reading ties in perfectly with our Nature of Science – STEM Practices standard: “MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.” (Rubicon 2) As an experienced reader of scientific texts, I found a few vocabulary words that I imagined my students might need assistance understanding before they read the article. These words are: vapors, serums, and forensic chemist. All in all, I think that this piece of text would be an interesting piece for my 8th graders to read so they could see how what we study in class relates to everyday life, and how to use the clues presented in the story to solve a problem. In “Chemical Solutions”, there are several different voices used to tell the story of the missing bike. There is Ian, the child who lost his bike, the detective, and several neighbors. The text is presented mostly chronologically, with the exception being when Ian tells the detective when and where he had last seen his bike. An idea that is alluded to in the text, but not explicitly stated is the use of the scientific method to find answers. The language of the text allows the reader to observe the presentation of facts from the mystery from an outside prospective (like being a fly on the wall). I think that the author’s purpose was to present middle school students with a mystery, provide the facts/evidence, and then ask the students to solve it. I think that the author anticipated careful, purposeful readers. This article requires the reader to pay close attention in order to keep track of the evidence and correctly solve the mystery with the facts presented at the end of the passage. In addition to text, the story has pictures of a bike, a thorn on a rose, a detective’s badge, and an envelope with clues. The reading strategy presented in The Science Teacher article really piqued my interest because the strategy allowed for students to use critical thinking skills in a prescribed way to find the answer to the mystery. The title for this reading strategy is C-E-R, or “Claim-Evidence-Reasoning”. The object of the Chemical Solutions piece is for the students to solve the mystery – who stole Ian’s bike? Using the C-E-R process, students could 1. Make a claim about which character in the passage stole Ian’s bike, 2. Restate evidence from the reading that helps support their claim, and 3. Provide reasoning, including scientific principles, that connects the evidence to the claim. (IMSSP) I discussed the idea of using a CER with students reading this article, and my partner, Jennifer, said she had used the CER strategy with her students when they study forensics. After I found out more about the CER reading strategy from the article, internet resources, and my partner, I knew that this could be a successful strategy for this piece of text. When I read through the article again, I wrote down clues from the story, then I made a decision about which character I thought took Ian’s bike. I read through the article again, with my hypothesis in mind and made note of any other clues that could support my case. Finally, I went back and connected the clues I found in the article with scientific principles. One of the final clues that really pointed to who committed the crime was that the piece of fiber found at the scene of the crime was synthetic – made from plastics. The two suspects in the case had clothing made from cotton (natural fiber) and fleece (synthetic fiber). Students might not know that fleece is made from plastics, and therefore synthetic, so they could have trouble arriving at the same (correct) solution that I did. In conclusion, I think that the CER strategy could really be useful in helping my students engage with the Chemical Solutions article. To help the students be more successful I would provide definitions for words they hadn’t encountered before and would make sure they knew the differences between how cotton and fleece fabrics are made. References Chemical Solution. [Reading Passage]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com. Guilford, J., Bustamante, A., Makura, K., Hirsch, S., Lyon, E., & Estrada, K. (2017, January). Text Savvy. The Science Teacher, 49-56. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://archbalt.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Develop/UnitMap/View/Default?UnitID=39421&TeacherID=19319&EditMode=1&SubNavDevelop=1 Archdiocese of Baltimore Rubicon Atlas Matter and Interactions (Rubicon 1) (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://archbalt.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Develop/UnitMap/View/Default?UnitID=39419&TeacherID=&EditMode=1 Archdiocese of Baltimore Rubicon Atlas Nature of Science: STEM Practices (Rubicon 2) Scoring C-E-R Writing. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://www.mydigitalchalkboard.org/portal/default/Content/Viewer/Content?action=2&scId=504488&sciId=17987 Integrated Middle School Science Partnership (IMSSP)

Text Complexity

Module 3 DB Post Questions: What are the key points you took away from the videos about text complexity and the readings this week when it comes to determining the text that you choose for your classrooms and the strategies you use with students to access it? What stood out to you most? When I look for a text to share with my middle school science students, I will take into consideration the complexity of the text and the strategies that will best help my students access the text to the best of their ability. Before watching the videos and doing the readings this week, I was pretty sure that text complexity was mostly about the text’s length or amount of ‘hard’ vocabulary. I was partially correct. Wessling defines text complexity as presenting students with texts and reading tasks that consistently push students out of their comfort zone. I really like the idea of “layering text” by presenting students with three or more different kinds of text all about the same topic. For example, when I teach evolution to my 7th graders, I could show them a Far Side cartoon depicting dinosaurs smoking, a journal article about the evolution of whales, and “The World of the Dinosaurs” music video on YouTube (Channel: MelodySheep-Symphony of Science). I feel that by “layering the text” on this topic, I can help my students visualize and understand more about evolution that they would get by just reading the textbook and answering questions. This summer, I will be working with the two other science teachers at my school to choose new science textbooks. After preparing for this week’s module, I know that I will need to pay attention to much more than just Lexile scores when I consider appropriate texts for my students. According to the Common Core State Standards for ELA & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, there are three factors I must take into consideration when I’m choosing texts: qualitative evaluation of the text, quantitative evaluation of the text, and matching the reader to the text and the task. Qualitative evaluation of the text can be completed by software that evaluates the number of words, length of sentences, and Lexile scores. Quantitative evaluation of the text is a bit more subjective as it must be measured by humans and includes things like language difficulty and determining what background knowledge is necessary to fully understand the text. Finally, I’ll also have to consider matching the student to the text and the task so that I take into consideration what my students are bringing to the assignment, as well as what they are supposed to do with the text. Wessling had a good suggestion here, stating that the difficulty of the concepts and text complexity have an inverse relationship. For example, when I teach my students about the life cycle of stars, which is a very complicated topic, the text I use should be simple in its complexity. The reasoning here is that students shouldn’t have to struggle with both the task and the text at the same time, nor should they be too easy. My final major take-away from this week’s module was that I can employ disciplinary questioning techniques to help my students make better connections with the text and task for my students. Both biological and physical sciences use 6 levels of thinking in self questioning while reading a text: creating, evaluating, analyzing, applying, understanding, and remembering. However, biological sciences also puts more emphasis on self-questioning strategies about classifying information. I have taught secondary science (both biological and physical) for almost 16 years, and have never made that distinction on my own. From now on, I’m going to try to think about how to make my science texts more accessible to my students by taking into consideration the degree of distinction between texts about a physical or biological concept. References: Buehl, D. (2014) Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning (4th ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association. (34-38) McLaughlin, M. (2015). Content Area Reading Teaching and Learning for College and Career Readiness (2nd ed.). Pearson. Wessling, S. B. (n.d.). Simplifying Text Complexity. Retrieved April 04, 2018, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/simplifying-text-complexity#