For this assignment, Weather—a trade book written by Seymour Simon—and Astronomy, a textbook written by Jay M. Pasachoff as part of the Prentice Hall Science Explorer collection, were analyzed for readability, friendliness, considerateness, fairness, and text complexity. Weather is a picture book that provides an introduction to the concept of weather and the various components that compose it, as well as explores the effect of weather conditions on human activities and the effect of human activities on weather conditions. On the other hand, Astronomy is a textbook that provides an in-depth introduction to the field of astronomy, by including units on “Earth, Moon, and Space,” “Exploring Space,” “The Solar System,” and “Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe” (Pasachoff, 2005, vi). Both texts could be used to enhance instruction in a middle school …show more content…
The results of Fry’s Readability Formula showed that Weather is written at a seventh grade level and Astronomy is written at an eighth grade level. Based on those scores, if Weather were to be used in a seventh grade class, most students should be able to read the text with ease, since the text is at their assumed reading level (see Appendix A). However, on the other hand, if I were to use the Astronomy textbook with my sixth grade class, since it is written at an eighth grade level, I would need to provide additional supports, as well as teach the students literacy strategies that could help them better comprehend the text (see Appendix A). For both texts, I would need to especially work with my English Language Learners and any other student that may not be reading at grade level to ensure that they receive the support needed to understand the information presented in the
Established Goals: ES.3 The student will investigate and understand the characteristics of Earth and the solar system. Key concepts include:
Mark William Rudd has written Underground: My Life with SDS and The Weathermen. Mark Rudd is a political organiser, mathematics instructor, anti-war activist and counterculture icon. He is most well known for his involvement with the Weather Underground. Rudd became a member of the Columbia University chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), in nineteen sixty-three. By nineteen sixty-eight, he became a leader for Columbia’s SDS chapter. Rudd’s works’ include Truth and Consequences: The Education of Mark Rudd and Underground: My Life with SDS and The Weathermen.
Boyle, Kay. "Astronomer's Wife." Responding to Literature: Stories, Poems, Plays, and Essays. Fourth Edition. Ed. Judith A. Stanford. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003. 619-623.
Linda Hogan’s Solar Storms and Cheryll Glotfelty’s criticism come together to depicts two very different cultural views through an unavoidable clash that occurs when their lives literally depend on it. There is the western culture that sees the earth as nothing more than a never ending resource without realizing that by their activities, they are at risk of creating their own demise. Then there is the indigenous culture that personifies the land. They see the earth as an entity that they have made a bond with; a bond that now lay broken. The book also utilizes silence not only as a symbol for something much bigger but also as a way to craft identity through the views of culture on a forged path of oppression, pain, and inner strength.
Summary: Li Moon, a resource specialist in the Hillsborough City School District in Northern California has completed a study about the use of readability measurement. The surrounding school districts (Hillsborough City School District, Millbrae Elementary School District, and San Bruno Park Elementary District) are using oral reading to enhance students literacy. These schools are using the Open court Reading series in order achieve this goal. The teachers were given many short reading passages at each grade level and the students would then read the passages aloud and the teachers would then monitor the students’ progress throughout the year.
These theories, methods, assessments along with the evidence of success in reading at home make it clear that it is extremely important we try our hardest to support literacy in every child. All students can learn. It’s just a matter of making materials interesting and relevant to them, challenging them (but not to hard), and supporting them along the way.
The causes of reading difficulties often arise because of learning disabilities such as dyslexia, poor preparation before entering school, no value for literacy, low school attendance, insufficient reading instruction, and/or even the way students were taught to read in the early grades. The struggles that students “encounter in school can be seen as socially constructed-by the ways in which schools are organized and scheduled, by assumptions that are made about home life and school abilities, by a curriculum that is often devoid of connections to students’ lives, and by text that may be too difficult for students to read” (Hinchman, and Sheridan-Thomas166). Whatever the reason for the existence of the reading problem initially, by “the time a [student] is in the intermediate grades, there is good evidence that he will show continued reading g...
Richard Brautigan’s short fiction stories incorporate protagonists that are recognizably fictionalized versions of the author himself. He writes in order to extract his own struggles of the past and the difficulties of discovering himself in the present. Through the characters in The Weather in San Francisco and Corporal, the portrayal of his optimistic view of life as a consequence of the rigors of daily life, and the use of symbols, Brautigan presents his personal story through the words on the paper.
The term ‘scientific literacy’ has eluded precise definition ever since it was coined in 1958. That year, in light of the astonishing swift advancements made by mid-century scientists (e.g. the splitting of the atom, space exploration), three publications appeared that made reference to scientific literacy: a report by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which called for a larger technically trained workforce to safeguard our economic and military strength, and a more scientifically literate public able to execute civic responsibilities intelligently; a publication from Paul Hurd and colleagues at Stanford University that exhorted curricula leaders to develop pedagogies that promoted both the cultural and practical aspects of science; and a published address by the president of Shell Chemical Corporation, who called for new curricula emphasizing the fundamentals of science, its history, and its significance for active citizenship and everyday life (see DeBoer, 2000 for review). As DeBoer (2000) noted, however, all three publications used broad brushstrokes to define scientific literacy, thus shrouding the term in ambiguity. Indeed, when asked how they interpreted “scientific literacy,” scientists and science educators had disparate notions about the role content knowledge and a broader understanding of the nature of science had in developing a scientifically literate student (DeBoer, 2000). If nothing else, this example underscores the need for clear definitions and fully articulated curricular goals. To this end, educators have spent several decades making sense of the conceptual spectrum of scientific literacy, resulting in the dissection of scientific literacy into the following sub-genres: pra...
There is a long history of astronomy in science fiction. Some of the earliest can be seen with the Greeks, with their tales of gods representing the parts of the universe they could see. Other cultures began writings of men going beyond the limits of the atmosphere as early a...
The language of this book can sometimes be difficult when the author uses scientific or high tech terms, or certain words that you are not usually used to, but otherwise this book is easily read by people in my own age.
In line with the National Institute for Literacy (2007), adolescent 's today will read and write more than any other time in human history. This substantial increase in reading and writing clearly suggests the need for literacy across the board and not just select subjects. Being that the CCSS is designed for use with all subject areas, it is a forgone conclusion that teachers should incorporate the CCSS within their
Meteorology is my playground and laboratory. For a years on end, I have collected weather maps, radar images, LiDAR images, remote sensing data, and other scientific material for sheer enjoyment. Since my graduation from high school, I began to understand that I should commit myself academically and professionally to what gives me substance and joy. My plan is to acquire the data to identify and explore structures and features of of the earth and its atmosphere; SFSU’s LINGUISTIC DEPARTMENT offers me the resources to realize my vision.
Children in grades 3 through 5 are moving from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" and from "learning to write" to "writing to communicate". Students learn to work independently. They learn to read words and make mental pictures. Third through fifth graders also learn to write paragraphs, short essays and stories that make a point. The curriculum becomes more integrated. "Reading to learn" helps third through fifth graders better understand the scientific method and how to test hypotheses about the physical world. Additionally, "reading to learn" aids students in graphing and calculating scientific observations and then writing up their conclusions. Third grade science class will open new worlds of wonder and invite curious mind to explore (Williams, 2012).
First, I thought it was nice that the teacher started off by referring to the students as meteorologists. It was a great introduction of vocab and put the students in the proper mindset. During the science lesson, I thought that it was good thing that each of the students were given a copy of the textbook. The students could follow along and look at the great pictures while the teacher read. The students were extremely polite and attentive. I also thought it was effective that the teacher didn’t focus solely on the textbook, she had the students make real observations right from their classroom window. This clearly deepened the students understanding of the connection between the sky and weather. It also allowed students to reflect on other times that they have noticed a connections between the sky and weather in the past. At a few points in the lesson the students got a bit loud and off topic. When this happened, the teacher would simply have the student move a card. It seemed to be very effective. The behavior system in the classroom is having students move cards based on their behavior. The teacher also had a bucket of prizes for “good” behavior displayed by the