Lesson 4: How can I use these strategies to make logical adaptations to my lessons
Objective
Learners will adapt sample lessons and assessments and justify their use based on their knowledge from lessons 1-3.
Case Study
After weeks and months of struggling to help her ELLs, Mrs. K takes some time to sit down and adapt her upcoming lessons in hopes that she will be more successful at reaching these students. She is looking for some insight and inspiration as she begins to modify her lessons, activities, and assessments.
Introduction
As we previously learned in Lesson 3, modifications and adaptations can be broad and can apply to most or all grade levels and subject areas. Here, you will look at the specifics for your grade levels.
Investigation
For elementary grade levels:
Read- This website provides 5 recommendations for literacy instruction for ELLs. Choose 2-3 of the recommendations to read and discuss. Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades
Discuss- On the discussion page for this lesson, respond to the following prompts:
- Of the recommendations you read, which one(s) could you apply to your teaching environment? Why and how?
- Which one(s) made you question how/if you could apply to your teaching environment? Why?
For secondary grade levels:
Watch- This video series provides six different videos, that range in length from 5 - 10 minutes, on providing instruction to ELLs in an ELA classroom. Although not all of you are ELA teachers, there are still strategies provided in these videos that can be applicable and adapted to any subject area. Video Playlist: English Language Learners Choose 2-3 videos to watch and discuss.
Read- *Optional* There is a tab under each video titled "Supporting Material". Here you will find supporting documents of the video along with the lessons shown in the video, supporting material given to the students, and more. For example, on the first video "Persuasion Across Time and Space:Unit Overview", the supporting document title "ELA Persuasion Across Time and Space" is the full lesson plan. On page 7 of the document, you can find the various options of differentiation of the unit.
To access the "Supporting Material", you will need to make an account. This is free to all users. You only need your name, email address, and a password.
Discuss- In the comments sections of the videos you choose, respond to the "Thought Starters" provided under each video selection. Read the comments of others who have also responded to the questions and reply to two others.
Application
In this part of the lesson, you will take all that you have learned thus far and apply it to a provided lesson plan of your choice.
- Go to the website https://www.teacher.org/lesson-plans/ and scroll down to the bottom of the page where you should see two lists: one broken down by grade level and one broken down by subject area
- Choose the subject or grade level that applies most directly to your current teaching situation.
- Choose a lesson plan that appeals the most to you or is closely related to what you teach within your curriculum
- Read through the lesson plan you chose
- Thinking in the context of Mrs. K's class: What accommodations, scaffolding, or adaptations would you recommend for this lesson plan? Mrs. K's class will now become the subject area and grade level you have chosen. Use what you know about her class and ELL students to choose accommodation and scaffolding methods that you have learned thus far. Justify your choices with the knowledge you have gained from the previous lessons. Write to Mrs. K as a fellow colleague providing recommendations. Post your reply in the dedicated Discussion Section thread of this lesson.
Course homepage: English as a New Language: The Basics, Accommodations, and Co-Teaching
Up Next: Section 3: Co-Teaching - Lesson 5
