Snapshot 7.6. Reading Like a Scientist
Integrated ELA/Literacy and ELD in Grade Twelve (cont.)- Environmental plans
- The county’s dependence on imported water
- The amount of water flowing into the river
- The reclaimed water
- This proposed reduction in volume
- The habitat now supported by the river
Ms. Fontana then facilitates a discussion in which the students unpack the meanings in
these noun phrases.
In addition, Ms. Fontana has noticed that sometimes her students find reference
challenging, so she also points out that there are quite a few ways that the writer of this
article refers the reader back to previous information in the text. For example the word this in
the second sentence refers back to the entire first sentence. She circles the word and draws
an arrow to what it is referring to. The use of the word this to refer to the whole idea in the
first sentence, she points out, is one way the writer was able to pack a lot of information into
a small amount of space.
At the end of the unit, students use the knowledge gained from their readings and
Internet research to collaboratively design and produce documentaries about water quality in
the Los Angeles River.
Resources
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power - Water Reclamation (http://wsoweb.ladwp.com/Aqueduct/
historyoflaa/reclamation.htm)
Los Angeles River Revitalization (http://www.lariver.org/index.htm)
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power - Water Quality (https://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/faces/ladwp/aboutus/
a-water/a-w-waterquality?_adf.ctrl-state=qq7f3t2e0_114_afrLoop=207807172192772)
Los Angeles River Water Quality (http://thelariver.com/about/water-quality) Note: content originally accessed
September 2014 but link no longer active.CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy: RST.11–12.4; SL.11–12.1; L.11–12.1b, 3, 4
CA ELD Standards: ELD.PI.11–12.1, 4, 6, 12a; ELD.PII.11–12.2, 4, 5Additional Information
Examples of student documentaries:- Alliance Environmental Science and Technology High School student-produced documentary: This is the LA
River (http://www.esathigh.org/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=250347&id=0) - Los Angeles River Revitalization Project Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/38701379)
Fang, Zhihui, and Barbara Pace G. 2013. “Teaching With Challenging Texts in the Disciplines: Text Complexity and
Close Reading.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 57 (2): 104–108.
Fang, Zhihui, and Mary J. Schleppegrell. 2010. “Disciplinary Literacies Across Content Areas: Supporting Secondary
Reading Through Functional Language Analysis.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 53 (7), 587–597.
Grades 11 and 12 Chapter 7 | 771