Written by Wendi Vogel, Kent ISD Science Consultant and DLE Task Force Member 

Essential Practices for Disciplinary Literacy Instruction in the Secondary Classroom: Grades 6 to 12 focus on literacy in the content area. This brings up a lot of questions around how teachers all over the state might access resources that already utilize Disciplinary Literacy Essentials (DLE) instructional practices in an equitable manner. Then, thinking from a system’s lens, how does a district provide this opportunity for each teacher in grades 6-12?

Providing Equitable Access with Open Educational Resources

Nationwide, there are science education researchers, classroom teachers, and science education specialists using grant funds to develop Open Education Resources (OERs). These resources focus on phenomenon or problem based learning, which is DLE #1.  An entire science unit is written around a phenomenon or problem students will make sense of and be able to explain at a more sophisticated level over time. Some examples from these units include,  “How should we search for life beyond Earth?” and “How can containers keep things from warming up or cooling down?” Embedded in these units are opportunities to engage students in disciplinary writing, disciplinary reading, and discourse. The most exciting thing is these resources are being used and supported here in Michigan, at no cost for districts to use. This allows equitable access to high quality curricular resources to every district in Michigan.  

Local Districts in Kent County Using Open Education Resources

What are these OERs and who is using these resources? Kent ISD’s School News Network (SNN) recently published an article highlighting some schools using these OERs in Opening Doors to Science by Erin Albanese. Districts in Kent County, as well as around the state, are either fully adopting or using various parts of these resources to implement the NGSS aligned Michigan Science Standards. Since they also attend to many other disciplinary literacy essentials, these OERs allow districts to have a starting point for both science and literacy. These resources include strategies for teaching disciplinary writing, reading, just-in-time academic vocabulary, reflection on student learning (meta moments), as well as an abundance of tools to facilitate academic discourse and sensemaking in small and whole groups. Facilitator guides help educators implement these pieces, all while figuring out that unit phenomenon. 

Those in the state using OERs also have support from various science leaders in Michigan. Many teachers in Michigan have written, piloted, contributed to, and provided professional development around OERs, such as Grace Boersma from Godwin Heights High School, as seen in “It’s All Hands-On in Chemistry” (SNN, January 12, 2022). Grace was a pilot teacher for iHUB Chemistry. Dr. Wendy Johnson and Dr. Kristin Meyer, both classroom teachers as well, developed biology and chemistry resources respectively while getting their Ph.D. from MSU with CREATEforSTEM. Holly Hereau and Wayne Wright, former science teachers in Michigan turned curriculum designers at BSCS, were also involved in OER development with iHUB and OpenSciEd.  The Math and Science Leadership Network, led by Dr. Mary Starr, supports the pilots for OpenSciEd, currently available for 6-8th grades, as well as the high school level resource still under construction. The MiSTEM Network has also contributed funding for professional learning, scholarships, and support for many OER resources in Michigan, so districts can support these robust resources. 

Learning How to Use the Open Education Resources

A list of several OERs and their links can be found below. Professional Learning is strongly recommended when implementing these units; and, with any science instruction, there is usually a cost for any new materials. Consider what DLE could look like in your district, especially when the science resource itself already attends to DLE #1 for each instructional unit.

Available Curricular Resources or Lesson Sets (OER or almost OER)

FULL COURSE High School Resources

• iHUB Year of Biology 
  • Facebook page for educator collaboration: https://www.facebook.com/groups/inquiryhubbiology 
• iHUB Year of Chemistry with some integrated Earth (coming soon, expected summer of 2021 for first unit or two)
  • Facebook page for educator collaboration: https://www.facebook.com/groups/inquiryhubchemistry 
• iHUB Physics is in development (integrated with Earth/Space)
• OpenSciEd High School: Coming soon, in pilot, similar to iHUB
• Interactions, Physical Science for High School
• New Visions out of NY, Earth and Physics are designed for use without a textbook, more coming soon
• Model Based Biology, Biology Resource, THEY WILL BUILD OUT CA INTEGRATED EARTH 
• Carbon Time, Life Science/Earth Science/little Chem, 6-12
• CREATE for STEM has CESE, Chemistry, Physics); professional learning required at cost, OER coming soon
• AMTA: Modeling Teachers’ Association and Curriculum
  • Michigan Modeling Instruction  http://www.mimodelinginstruction.org/ 

FULL Course  Middle School Resources

• OpenSciEd Middle School
• MiSTAR, $300 per teacher subscription
• AMTA: Modeling Teachers’ Association and Curriculum, summer professional learning available with stipend funded by MiSTEM Network in MI
  • Michigan Modeling Instruction  http://www.mimodelinginstruction.org/ 

General High Quality Units, not complete courses

• NGSS Storylines 
• Ambitious Science Teaching (Search Under Tools, check by grade or content to search)
• NGSS Quality Examples of Science Lessons
• Going 3D with GRC (Lessons set at all levels, not complete units)

Summer Professional Learning Opportunities

Staying on top of the latest inquiry and exploration trends can be time-consuming and exhausting. But it doesn’t have to be with when you are equipped with the right strategies, tools, resources, and a network of connections at your disposal!

NEW * Professional Learning in a Box

This summer Sarah Wood is working with Wendi Vogel on a professional learning experience designed to equip you with tools and strategies, called PL in a Box. PL in a Box is a subscription based professional learning opportunity that conveniently shows up on your doorstep each month! During each month of this learning experience, you will be sent a box of resources and a guided facilitated learning experience that will help you to implement technology into your science, literacy, mathematics, and social studies lessons. Through exploration, experimentation, and reflection, you will be on your way to transforming traditional teaching and learning methods using critical thinking and creative innovation approaches that support collaborative teaching and learning.

Seats are limited for PL in a Box, so sign up today!

NEW * Essential Schoolwide Practices for Disciplinary Literacy Professional Learning

Join us for an interactive, two-day workshop on June 28th & 29th! This course is intended for anyone who leads improvement work related to adolescent literacy in a school or district. We will focus on using tools to assess your system and plan for future continuous improvement, with an emphasis on collaborative conversations and opportunities to interact with the authors of the documents.

Click here for more details and to register!

Kent ISD Disciplinary Literacy Supports and Services

If you are looking for additional information on how to implement all of the open education resources listed above into your science classroom, email Wendi Vogel.

You can also see additional supports and services offered by the Teaching and Learning team around disciplinary literacy by visiting our supports and services page.

#DisciplinaryLiteracy #Science #WeLeadLearning #KentISD