TEACHING BASIC SCIENCES(TO EFL PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS)

THROUGH ENGLISH

Parlindungan Pardede Universitas Kristen Indonesia (2011)

INTRODUCTION

WHY?(Rationale)

WHO TO TEACH?

(Children’s Learning Way)

WHAT?(Course Contents)

HOW?(Strategies)

PRODUCTS(Lesson Plan Design &

Team Teaching Practice)

The Growing number of children moving with their parents to places of different mother tongue makes English the first alternative media for study.

The use of English as the first scientific language makes its mastery very important for scientists and ‘scientist-to be’.

RATIONALE FOR TEACHING BASIC SCIENCE TO EFL PRIMARY SCHOOL

STUDENTS

Children (including lower grade students) are inquisitive. They are curious of the world around them and this leads them to explore the world by observing and manipulating the objects and materials around them. They instinctively observe, sort, group, and order items in their environment. This tendency to observe and order leads inevitably to the scientific inquiry process.

Using the children’s curiosity in learning science is very beneficial. By introducing them to the use of science tools and the investigative inquiry approach; the students explore their world, ask questions, and find science concepts everywhere.

The Nature of Children Learning

COURSE CONTENT OF BASIC SCIENCE FOR LOWER GRADE STUDENTS

• Science curriculum at the lower grade level must be designed to meet students’ curiosity for the world around them.

• Thus, the course must focus on the investigative inquiry approach to obtain information about the interaction between the students and their environment, i.e. human body, family, school, neighborhood and the nature (living and non-living things) around them.

contents Basic ScienceScientific & Classroom

English

•Open your books at page ..., please•How do you say ... in English?•Spell ... for me, please?•Come to the board, please.

Strategies for Teaching New Content

• Before starting a new content (topic), keep in mind that because these students possess a limited English proficiency, you will need to provide them with additional learning tools. Help them get started by developing some concepts before beginning a new topic or unit.

• Following are some effective strategies for teaching new content to LEP students.1) Give an overview2) Explain your expectations3) Use hands-on activities4) Use discussion groups

Give an Overview• Provide the students with an overview of the chapter or unit. Use

as many visual aids, transparencies, and models as possible while discussing the new material.

• Identify the vocabularies and main concepts with your students while using the visuals. This builds the students’ familiarity with the concepts to be learned, gives them a head start with the vocabulary to be covered, and increases their confidence that they will be able to follow the lessons.

• Include other contextual clues during this overview. Specific gestures, facial expressions, or even acting out the meanings of words will help some students better grasp the meaning of new vocabulary terms.

• Reduce the pace at which you convey new information by speaking slower and enunciating clearly. Use only new vocabulary that is necessary for the lesson and for your goals. Keep your sentence length short. Avoid the use of idiomatic expressions.

Explain Your Expectations

• After the overview, give your students a detailed list of your expectations. This list might include the vocabulary and concepts they should be familiar with at the conclusion of the lesson, the types of quizzes or tests they can expect, and the labs or activities they may be doing.

• With an overview of the material and a clear sense of what is expected from them, your students should be able to approach the material with confidence.

A sample of List of ExpectationUnit 1: My BodyAfter completing this Unit, you should be able to:1. Name parts of your body.2. Explain and do actions possible to do with your body while remaining in one place.3. Explain and do different actions with your body if you are allowed to move from one

place to another.New Terms:

Activities: Completing the handouts and practicing actions with parts of the body Quiz: Oral explanation on vocabulary and actions with parts of the body

head arm foot foreheadlips finger hair …..(etc)nod shake blink …..(etc)happy sad angry afraiddaydreaming surprised sleepy …..(etc)

Use Hands-on Activities

• Once you have given your students the confidence that they can handle the new material, introduce the new material by engaging the students in experiments and activities that present the material in a hands-on manner.

• You can also perform demonstrations related to the material. Intersperse or follow these activities with visual aids, such as photos, transparencies, or charts.

• While using visual aids, point out the essential vocabulary and concepts you presented in the overview. Check for the students’ understanding.

Use Discussion Groups• Provide sufficient time to encourage your students to talk about what they have observed in the demonstration or hands-on experience. Encourage them to discuss their ideas and results with you. By explaining terms and concepts, they can get their point across and will benefit from having the proper English term provided for them. It serves as a reinforcement because the more opportunities they have to interact with new material, the more likely they will master it.

• During the discussion, write down what your students say, including any grammatical errors. Review each student’s impressions individually, and address grammatical and conceptual corrections as you go. By writing down and then reading aloud the students’ own words, you give considerable value to what the students have said and a great boost to their self-esteem. This approach also acknowledges and clarifies what the students understand, reviews the concepts they are learning, and prepares them for reading about the material in the textbook.

Notes on Vocabulary Development• Appropriate use of key science terms is an indicator of the

precision and sophistication of understanding. Thus, vocabulary plays a great role in teaching basic science in English.

• Students learn new terminology and word meanings best when they encounter them during purposeful activities and investigations. Therefore, teachers will want to teach vocabulary as part of their core instruction, not as a separate activity.

• Teachers can support vocabulary learning by supplementing discussions and activities with real objects, pictures, and visual supports. The meaning of abstract information can be made more explicit in charts, graphs or activities involving the thing or idea that is being named. When new words are introduced, teachers should clearly convey the meaning of the words, then check students’ understanding.

TEACHING PRACTICES

RESOURCES

• Gillespie H. and Gillespie R. (2007). Science for primary school teachers. New York: Open University Press

• Lowe, N.K. (1988). Science and Technology Education. Paris: UNESCO

Media• Learning activities in blog:

http://parlindunganpardede.wordpress.com