Scaffolding Background Knowledge for ELLs

July 2014

Michelle Mangan, PCG

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Purpose of this Session

• Participants will be able to… identify when and how to provide

additional background knowledge instruction for ELLs.

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Agenda

Introductory article and discussionBackground knowledge and ELLsBackground knowledge instruction: key

decisionsModule practiceTypes of background knowledge instructionClosing

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Introductory Article and Discussion

• What do we mean when we say “scaffolding” background knowledge? Teaching background knowledge Activating background knowledge (or prior

knowledge)

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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?

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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?

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Background Knowledge Instruction and ELLs

“How much background information is appropriate depends on the text….” (9)

and the students you serve!

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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.

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Background Knowledge Instruction: Key Decisions

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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.

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Background Knowledge Example: The Voice that Challenged a Nation

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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

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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…”

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Background Knowledge Instruction: “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls…”

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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

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• Find the 10.3.1 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?

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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.)

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Types of Background Knowledge Instruction

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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Glossary

Guiding Questions: 1. 2.

Types of Background Knowledge Instruction

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• 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 idea How I would provide instruction for ELLs

Closing: Discussion and Reflection

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• 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

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Q & A

Online Parking LotPlease go to

https://www.engageny.org/resource/network-team-institute-materials-july-7-11-2014

and select “Online Parking Lot” for any NYSED

related questions.

Thank You!