Super Science Students

Funded Dec 22, 2014

Thank you so very much for the donation of the magazines to our classroom. The students have been so excited as we read through the articles and discuss topics that are impacting our world today. One topic they were very excited to discuss was how pollution is harming ocean life. They seemed to really connect as we discussed ways to help our environment. One of my students from Yeoman said, "Can we call the people who gave us these magazines and tell them what we are learning?". I love the enthusiasm and variation of having this resource to use during guided reading and in relation to what we learn in science. Sometimes I give them some independent reading time and let them look through and read the magazine. Then we will gather together to discuss a particular article. I pull up the resources on the Smartboard and we use "TeamTalk" and partnering to discuss the issues we are reading about.

During Guided Reading, I will assign a group to work out of their magazine. I provide the students with print-outs and they use one copy to hold a discussion and answer the questions. It allows them to take control of their learning and to establish a routine. They take turns and usually there is a leader who takes control of reading the questions. The students will share what they learned with the class if time allows. I try to rotate groups throughout the week and allow all the students the same opportunity to work on the same assignment. THis then allows me to ask questions regarding the articles assigned to all the students and not just one or two particular groups. There is many opportunities to build background knowledge and support academic vocabulary learning. I will most likely order these magazines for my students next year.

I believe that this magazine was essential to providing more differentiated learning opportunities and resources for my ESL students. I know that they enjoyed reading the articles, especially the students that really enjoy science. Throughout my class, there are many students that say science is their favorite subject. I am glad that with your help, we were able to provide rich learning environments with abundant stories covering so many various topics in science.

My students' were very excited to take the magazines from their folders each week. Sometimes, I allowed them time to sit and discuss with a partner some of the articles in the magazine. They became the teachers!!! Thank you for providing my students with this great resource. It was used well.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. McKenna