There were 22 students in this classroom. One student was an ELL student. She is a low intermediate student regarding fluency and can be very quiet in the regular classroom. She was sitting at a table with three other students during this lesson.
Teaching
The purpose of this lesson was for the students to learn about the interaction between plants and animals and understand the role plants and animals have in the environment. Vocabulary introduced during this lesson included interact, consumer, producer, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, predator, prey, food web, and food pyramid.
The teacher introduced the vocabulary using the Smart Board. She used visuals and hand gestures to assist the ELL student. She did build the lesson on a previous lesson regarding living Tings and the two categories of plants and animals.
After the direct vocabulary instruction, students read and discussed the text. The teacher used questioning techniques to check for understanding. The ELL student did respond to one of the questions.
Students then worked in groups to create a model of the food web using string and index cards. The ELL student laughed and talked to her partners during this activity. She also corrected another student and took a leadership role in assembling the web. The ELL student seemed to enjoy this part of the lesson very much. During the lecture, she listened but appeared to have a strained look on her face.
Community
Community was observed when the students were working on their models. The design of the desks in groups of four also gave a good sense of community. The visuals also assisted in promoting discussion. The teacher moved around the room and praised students frequently.
The requirements for being part of this classroom included good listening skills, the ability to work and communicate in a small group. Verbal communication assisted in being part of this classroom, but was not a necessity. Using physical movements and gestures would have been sufficient in order to participate. A person who was in the beginning stages would have had much difficulty with the vocabulary, but could have gotten the gist of the lesson. The ELL student involved was able to get the gist and was definitely able to participate, but did master the specific vocabulary during this lesson.
Ethnographic Perspective
The events that ocurred during this oservation included formal instruction by the teacher which involved listening on the part of the learners, classroom discussions, and active participation and informal discussions when the students were creating their food webs.
An observer who comes into theis classroom will se the teacher moving amount clusters of desks, using a Samartboard with visuals and using gestures with her hands. You will see stuents actively engaged in learning during much of the lesson and listening dutring parts of the lesson.
The second language learner would feel very accepted by the teacher and by the other students. The visuals provided would also help the level of understanding and comfort. The hands-on activities in small groups would also be positive. The vocabulary introduced would be very diffficult and at times confusing.
Follow-Up
The formal written assessment taken by the ELL student was not good. The teacher excused this assessment and I reviewed the material and provided an alternate assessment during our one-on one ELL time. In my class as well as the regular classroom, some science sites were used which provided learning games related to the concepts taught. A site we used was Kid's Corner - Food Chain.
