Speaking

Argumentation/Debates

Shirley Simon, Sibel Erduran, & Jonathan Osborne

Learning to teach argumentation: Research and development in the science classroom, International Journal of Science Education, 2006

Grade Level: 5th-12th grade science classrooms

Description: It is important that students get the opportunity to debate in science classrooms. Teachers can encourage this healthy argumentation by asking question types that require students to take a side. After the teacher poses the statement that the class will be debating about that day, allow the students some time to collaborate with classmates/groups to determine what evidence they will bring to the table to support their claim. Students do not come into classrooms knowing how to appropriately debate. Therefore, it is the teacher's job to teach the student how to engage in this type of activity. One way teachers can do this is by encouraging students to listen to the other groups' claims. The way a teacher does this is by asking their class certain things such as, "what did Sarah just say?" or asking them to repeat the evidence she just gave. This helps students to really listen to what the other people in the class are saying and teaches them that listening is just as important as speaking.

Brainstorming Discussions

Yael Shwartz, Ayelet Weizman, David Fortus, LeeAnn Sutherland, Joi Merrit, and Joe Krajcik

Talking science: Classroom discussions and their role in inquiry-based learning, The Science Teacher, 2009.

Grade Level: all K-12 science classrooms

Brainstorming discussions usually take place at the beginning of a lesson. They are whole-group discussions that allow students to share their past experiences with the new topic being introduced. The main purpose of this strategy is for teachers to connect the topic with the questions that are going to initiate a discussion about what students have experienced and learned before. In the article, the teacher was trying to get students to talk about what they experienced with odors. One of the questions is, "Have you ever walked into your home and smelled what was cooking before you saw it? Tell us about it." This is a strategy allows for students to share their own experiences and gets students participating right at the beginning of class. The teachers role in this strategy is to create questions at the start of lessons that will connect to real-life student experiences. We believe this strategy provides an excellent opportunity to invite students to share cultural connections with the material and for the teacher to learn about students' lives outside of the classroom.

Challenge the Right Answer

Ian Mitchell

The relationship between teacher behaviors and student talk in promoting quality learning in science classrooms, Research in Science Education, 2010

Grade Level: all K-12 science classrooms

Description: The challenge the right answer strategy encourages students to question the "correct" answer. For example, if students were learning about solids, liquids, and gases and were presented notes on the material a student might question, "If the particles in the desk are vibrating why can't I feel them?" When students are challenging the right answer, they are creating and seeking further information. Student's talk is becoming exploratory and engaging. To create a learning atmosphere where students are challenging the right answer, teachers need to ask their students if they have any questions about a concept or the notes. This allows for students to think of something they have learned counteracts the right answer. This type of strategy can bring about discussions other students may not have ever thought of.

Focus Questions

Laura Robertson

A Closer Look at Flowers, Science Scope, 2016

Grade Level: all K-12 science classrooms

Description: The teacher begins the lesson each day with one or two focus questions on the board. These questions deal with the certain science concept that is going to be taught that day. As students enter the room, they read the questions on the board and start thinking about how they would answer them. The teacher's job is to allow students ample time to think on their own and then pair with a classmate to discuss what they think the answer to the question might be. As the students are discussing their answers, walk around the room and listen to their conversations. If they need a little directing then ask that group certain questions to guide them in the direction that you want them to go in. After discussing with their partner, the teacher allows for a whole-group discussion to answer the questions. This discussion can bring up questions that students have as well as make concepts easier to understand. Sometimes the focus questions build on the lesson from the day before; when this happens, having students explain processes in their own words helps solidify confusing concepts.

Group Work

Richard J. Bryant

Toothpick chromosomes: Simple manipulatives to help students understand genetics, Science Scope, 2003

Grade Level: all K-12 science classrooms

Description: When doing a lab or activity, the teacher can put students in pairs or small groups. By doing this, students are getting the opportunity to collaborate as a scientist might. Not only that, but they also get the chance to speak together while they are working. This helps them to practice their science communication. A challenge that a teacher using this strategy might face would be students getting off topic and not talking about the task at hand. To overcome this challenge the teacher might choose the partner or group of students instead of letting the kids pick. This would prevent friends from picking each other and might help students stay on task. The teacher should also be rotating between groups during this time to observe what they are doing and listening to their discourse. If students seem lost or off topic it is important to intervene as the teacher and ask them probing questions to get the group back on the right track and thinking scientifically again. It is important to encourage students to use the correct vocabulary during this time as well.

Say Something

Jill Caton Johnson & Lisa Martin-Hansen,

Improving science reading comprehension, Science Scope, 2005.

Grade Level: all K-12 science classrooms

Description: The Say Something strategy can be used in large or small groups. The groups are assigned a reading passage and each student is to take turns reading, however there are stopping points marked. When a student reaches a stopping point, the student should "say something" about what they had just read to their group. For example, a student could start off saying, "This reminds me of...". After the passage is read, students then take turns saying something. This strategy helps students to think about what the others are saying to receive a better understanding of the passage. Also, it allows students to comprehend and talk about what they had just read. The teachers role is to facilitate around the room to different groups and put their input in as well during the "say something" time.

Show-and-Tell

Ian Mitchell

The relationship between teacher behaviors and students talk in promoting quality learning science classrooms, Research in Science Education, 2010.

Grade Level: all K-12 science classrooms

The Show-and-Tell strategy is usually common in elementary school. However, it is a strategy that can be used in all classrooms. The students' role is to bring in an object from home that they find interesting. We feel this strategy provides an excellent opportunity for students to make connections to their own lives by bringing in objects for which they are familiar, objects frequently used in their homes, objects associated with their culture and/or traditions, or objects that help tell a story about students' lives. The object can be as simple as a cup, coin, play dough, spoons, tool, etc. The main purpose of the strategy is for students to find an object and do a show-and-tell presentation. Then, the entire class would think about the question, "What is the science of spoons?" (p. 14). When this questions is addressed, students will start to generate their own questions. For instance, one student might ask, "Why do spoons of the same size have different weights?" (p. 14). To answer some of the questions students have asked throughout a discussion, experiments and research can be done to help answer them. The teacher's role is to guide the discussion after the show-and-tell presentation. This strategy allows students to communicate with one another by exposing curiosities through objects with which they are familiar.

Small Group Discussions

Neil Mercer, Lyn Dawes, Rupert Wegerif, & Claire Sams

Reasoning as a scientist: Ways of helping children to use language to learn science, British Educational Research Journal, 2004

Grade Level: 5th grade-12th grade science classrooms

Description: For this strategy, teachers place students in small groups. Students are then provided with a scenario that they can read together or (as is the case with this particular study) one that is on the computer and they can complete together. The scenario should give the students some type of science problem that they need to fix. The goal is for students in the group to hypothesize and share their hypothesis with the group and their reason for their hypothesis. Then they should work collaboratively to investigate or solve the scenario. Once the activity is complete the small group should discuss the results, how it was the same or different from their hypotheses, and reasons for the results. The most important part of this strategy is for the teacher to lay ground rules before putting students into groups. The class should discuss what a good science conversation should look like. The teacher should emphasize that no student should put another student in their group down. It is important for the teacher to teach students the proper way to disagree with a classmate. Once these rules are set in place, the teacher should be walking around the room to ensure that the rules are being followed and that appropriate conversations are happening between the groups.

Think-Pair-Share

Rama Radhakrishna, John Ewing, & Naveen Chikthimmah,

TPS (think, pair, share) as an active learning strategy, NACTA Journal, 2012

Grade Level: all K-12 science classrooms

Description: The Think-Pair-Share strategy is used to promote active learning and dialogue between student and student interactions. During the strategy, students are thinking about a topic and then turning to a partner and sharing their ideas and thoughts. Then, the partners can share their ideas with the entire class. This strategy can be used in any lesson to provide students with opportunities with active learning and interactions. A challenge could arise from this strategy if students not staying on topic during their discussion with their partner. To prevent this, teachers need to establish strategy expectations early on, model expectations, and facilitate a classroom environment in which students actively engage in discussions.

Wait Time

Larry D. Yore, Gay L. Bisanz, & Brian M. Hand

Examining the literacy component of science literacy: 25 years of language arts and science research, International Journal of Science Education, 2003

Grade Level: all K-12 science classrooms

Description: When asking the whole class a science question, the teacher should not allow students to shout out answers. He/she should also not call on the first student that has their hand up either. It is important for teachers to allow a good bit of silence for students to think about their answer. This silence can feel awkward and sometimes even forced but it allows students to have time to reflect on their answer. By allowing a longer period for students to think about their answer, you allow every student the chance to answer the question in their heads. Then, when calling on a student, their answer is of better quality and greater length than if the teacher had called on them immediately. The wait time allows the student the opportunity to think of the appropriate scientific vocabulary to use when speaking the answer to the whole class.