Form: "*Subject-Specific Pedagogy - Multiple

Subject"
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Author: Sarah Moss
Date submitted: 03/06/2017 11:57 pm (PDT)
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Handbook.
Case Study 1: Subject-Specific and
Developmentally-Appropriate Pedagogy
A. Contextual Information for Case Study 1
1. Elements of a Learning Experience in a Unit
Grade: Third
Content Area: Language Arts
Subject Matter: Reading and writing
Time Period for the Learning Experience: Two 30-minute sessions in two consecutive
days

State-adopted Academic Content Standards for Students

Reading: Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level Appropriate Text
2.5 Distinguish the main idea and supporting details in expository text
Writing: Organization and Focus
1.1 Create a single paragraph:
a. Develop a topic sentence
b. Include simple supporting facts and details

Learning Goals for the Learning Experience

Students will be able to do the following with a focus on reading and writing:
Identify the main idea of an expository text
Identify three supporting details from the expository text
Summarize the expository text using the main idea and three supporting
details in one paragraph

Instructional Resources Available

Age-appropriate expository text and writing journals
2. Class Description
Students are in a self-contained third grade class. The school is located in a middle-
level, socio-economic community. It is the middle of the academic year. Most of the
students are eight years old. They particularly need opportunities to learn content in
different ways and to revisit content. Many of the students enjoy the school
environment and like to socialize with each other. Most of the students are active in
after-school activities, including sports, clubs, tutoring, and other community
activities, which leaves little time for homework.
3. Developmental Needs of the Students in Grade 3
Experience a structured day
Develop age appropriate literacy skills
 Participate in hands-on experience

B. Questions for Case Study 1:

1.
Given the contextual information for Case Study 1, think about a lesson you
might use with these students that addresses the subject matter learning
goals and the developmental needs of the students described. In the columns
below describe:
o Instructional strategies
o Student activities
o Instructional resources

Note: Instructional strategies are what the teacher does during instruction
and student activities are what the students do during the lesson. Include
how you would use the instructional resources as you describe your strategies
and student activities.
(REQUIRED) 1a. and 1b.
Instructional Strategies Student Activities

Day 1 Instructional Strategies ' Day 1 Instructional Strategies '

Introduction (5 minutes)
Acting as an attention grabber, and to
activate prior knowledge about the topic
of the text, Thanksgiving, the teacher will
ask a quick, verbal class poll. 'What is one
fact you know about the first
Thanksgiving?'
The teacher will use the student name
cards to randomly select three students to
share out their responses. The teacher will
guide brief discussions about the
responses, capitalizing on the students'
social nature.
Now, the teacher will let the students
know that for the next two
English/Language Arts lessons, they will
be focusing on reading an expository text
about the true history of the first
Thanksgiving to find the main idea and
supporting details of the text to eventually
create their own paragraphs about the
topic.
Teacher modeling (10 minutes)
Next, the teacher will read the short
article aloud as the students follow along.
As the teacher is reading, she will stop at
pre-designated areas in the text for think
alouds about the main idea and details in
each section of the text.
Guided practice (15 min)
Introduction (5 minutes)
When the students begin
English/Language arts time for the day,
the students will answer a quick, verbal
class poll. 'What is one fact you know
about the first Thanksgiving?'
Three students will be randomly selected
to share out their responses, using name
cards. The teacher and students will
briefly discuss the selected responses.
Now, the students will listen as the
teacher explains that for the next two
English/Language Arts lessons, they will
be focusing on reading an expository text
about the true history of the first
Thanksgiving to find the main idea and
supporting details of the text to eventually
create their own paragraphs about the
topic.
Teacher modeling (10 minutes)
Next, the students will listen and follow
along in the text as the teacher reads the
text aloud. As the teacher is reading,
students will be engaged in listening to
the teacher's think-alouds about the main
idea and details in each section of the
text. The students will see a model for
how they will be constructing their own
graphic organizers and their eventual
paragraph.
After that, the teacher will place the
students in partners to work on a graphic
organizer with four rectangular sections.
The top section will be the main idea.
Flowing down from the main idea will be
three vertical boxes for the supporting
details.
The teacher will be circulating the room to
check students' understanding of the task
and provide clarification and other
corrective feedback as necessary
throughout the guided practice.
The teacher will collect the graphic
organizers as a formative assessment.
There will be no homework. Any
unfinished work will be completed in class
the next day.
Day 2 Instructional Strategies -
Review and modeling (10 minutes)
To begin the English/Language arts block
on the second lesson day, the teacher will
ask students to pull out their text and be
handed back their graphic organizers from
the day before and use name cards to call
on several students to share their main
ideas and supporting details. This review
will assist this age group, especially in
their need to revisit content. The teacher
will then allow the students to make quick
adjustments to their graphic organizers if
they learned something from the review,
or finish them if they were not completed
the day before.
Independent practice (20 minutes)
For the remainder of the lesson, the
teacher will give the students time to
write their own paragraphs using the
structure of the graphic organizers to
guide them. The finished products that the
teacher will collect will be the completed
graphic organizer and the completed
paragraph, as a summative assessment.
Guided practice (15 min)
After that, the students will
be assigned partners to work together on
a graphic organizer with four rectangular
sections. The top section will house
the main idea. Flowing down from the
main idea of the text will be three vertical
boxes for students to write the supporting
details.
As the students work together, they will
benefit from the the teacher circulating
the room to check students' understanding
of the task and provide clarification and
other corrective feedback as necessary
throughout the guided practice.
The students will hand in their graphic
organizers to the teacher at the end of the
lesson as a formative assessment.
There will be no homework. Any
unfinished work will be completed in class
the next day.
Day 2 Instructional Strategies -
Review and modeling (10 minutes)
To begin the English/Language Arts block
on the second lesson day, the students
will pull out their text and completed
graphic organizers from the day before.
Several students will be called at
random to share their main ideas and
supporting details from their graphic
organizer from previous lesson. This
review will assist this age group, especially
in their need to revisit content. The
students will then be allowed to make
quick adjustments to their graphic
organizers if they learned something from
the review, or finish them if they were not
completed the day before.
Independent practice (20 minutes)
For the remainder of the lesson, the
students will have time to write their own
paragraphs using the structure of the
graphic organizers to guide them. The
finished products that the teacher will
collect and grade will be the completed
graphic organizer and completed
paragraph with a topic sentence and three
supporting details. The final paragraph will
be graded.
 2.
Based on your knowledge of the content and of student development, explain
why the instructional strategies, student activities, and resources you listed in
question 1:
(REQUIRED) 2a) are appropriate for this class
In the middle of the school year, third grade students from a middle-level, socioeconomic
community will be interested in learning more about Thanksgiving. To help students develop the
age-appropriate literacy skills of identifying the main idea of an expository text, identifying
details to support the main idea, and summarizing the expository text using the main ideas and
supporting details in a written paragraph, the teacher will present a two-day lesson on the true
history of Thanksgiving.
(REQUIRED) 2b) address the developmental needs of these students
In planning for this lesson, the teacher will keep in mind the students developmental needs. To
make sure students are experiencing a structured day, the teacher will place the two, 30-minute
lessons at the same time each day over the period of two consecutive days. To ensure students
are developing age appropriate literacy skills, the teacher will be using the graphic organizers to
organize students thoughts before having students write their paragraphs. Additionally, the
teacher will ensure students are participating in hands-on experience by having the students work
together in small groups to fill out the graphic organizers for the text. This method capitalizes on
students interest in socializing to learn the content in a different way.
(REQUIRED) 2c) help these students make progress toward
achieving the state-adopted academic content standards for
students in this content area
Reading through the text and modeling how the came up with the main idea
and details of each paragraph with think alouds will help the students
distinguish their own main idea and details of the entire text with their
partners.
Using a graphic organizer to organize the main idea and details of the text
will give the students a clear, visual understanding of how to format their own
written paragraphs using the main idea as the topic sentence and the three
supporting details as the next three sentences in the paragraph.
END OF CASE STUDY 1
Case Study 2: Assessment Practices
A. Contextual Information for Case Study 2:
1. Elements of a Learning Experience in a Unit
Grade: Second
Content Area: Mathematics
Subject Matter: Money
Time Period for Whole Unit: Three weeks

State-adopted Academic Content Standards for Students

Number Sense
5.0 Students model and solve problems by representing, adding, and
subtracting amounts of money.
5.1 Solve problems using combinations of coins and bills
Mathematical Reasoning
1.0 Students make decisions about how to set up a problem.
1.2 Use tools, such as manipulatives or sketches, to model problems

Learning Goals for Whole Unit

Students will be able to do the following:
o Identify and describe coins (pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half-
dollar) and bills (one and five dollar)
o Add two or more coins of different values
o Identify multiple ways to show a specific amount
o Use coins and bills or sketches to model addition of two amounts
2. Teacher Reflection on Student Assessment for this Unit
I am not satisfied with the assessment plan I used for the last unit of study.
I gave the students a diagnostic test at the beginning of the unit, two quizzes
during the unit, and a final test, all of which came from the teachers guide. I
feel, though, that I need additional information on what students really know
and understand, their misconceptions, what they learned during the
instruction, and their progress toward achieving the learning goals. I am
looking for ways to improve my assessment plan so I can have a more
complete understanding of how well these students learned the subject
matter.
3. Assessment Plan
Day 1 Day 6 Day 11 Day 15

Goals Assessed Identify the value Add two or more Use coins and bills Identify multiple
of coins and bills coins of different or sketches to ways to show a
values model addition of specific amount
two amounts
Type Formal, Formal quiz from Formal quiz from Formal, final
diagnostic test the textbook; the textbook; chapter/unit exam
from curriculum multiple choice; multiple choice; from textbook;
guide; multiple formative formative multiple choice and
choice; formative fill in the blank;
summative
Purpose Assess previous Assess acquired Assess acquired Assess acquired
knowledge and concepts and skills and knowledge and
skills skills concepts skills from
instructional unit
Implementation Individual Individual Individual Individual
assessment; assessment; assessment; assessment; paper
paper and pencil; paper and pencil; paper and pencil; and pencil; teacher
teacher corrects teacher corrects teacher corrects corrects with an
with an answer with an answer with an answer answer key
key key key
Feedback Tell students of Inform students Inform students Inform students of
Strategies scores and inform of correct and of correct and correct and
student of correct incorrect items incorrect items incorrect items
and incorrect
items
Informing To determine To determine who To determine who To determine the
Instruction what needs to be has learned the has learned the achievement level
reviewed and material material of each student
where to begin presented presented towards the goals
teaching

B. Questions for Case Study 2

1. Identifying strengths and weaknesses.
(REQUIRED) 1a) Identify one strength in the assessment plan and
explain why it is a strength in relation to the learning goals of this
unit.
One strength of this assessment plan is that the plan clearly attempts to
address each of the four specific learning objectives of the unit during the
four testing opportunities, as outlined below.
o Diagnostic - Day 1 addresses the objective that students will be able
to identify the value of coins and bills.
o Formative -Day 6 addresses the objective that students will be able
to add two or more coins of different values.
o Formative- Day 11 addresses the objective that students will be able
to use coins and bills or sketches to model addition of two amounts.
o Summative- Day 15 addresses the objective that students will be
able to identify multiple ways to show an amount.
Proper alignment of assessments to the learning goals is crucial to every unit
that is taught.
(REQUIRED) 1b) Identify one weakness in the assessment plan and
explain why it is a weakness in relation to the learning goals of this
unit.
One specific weakness of the assessment plan is the lack of variety in the
type, implementation and feedback method of the assessments. Each of the
four assessments is a paper to pencil, multiple choice or fill in the blank type
of assessment. This is especially detrimental to the assessment plan, because
it does not allow for proper assessment of the learning goal that states,
"Students will be able to use coins and bills or sketches to model addition of
two amounts." Nowhere in the teacher's assessment plan does it allow for
students to express their learning by "using" coins and bills at all. Also,
because students are at a young age, second grade, they benefit from
kinesthetic learning and manipulatives, as stated in the academic content
standards for Mathematical Reasoning from the case study, "1.2 Use tools,
such as manipulatives or sketches, to model problems".
2. Suppose you found the additional assessment in a
supplementary resource. Think about how the additional
assessment could improve the teachers assessment plan.
Additional Assessment
Each student is given a box of plastic coins and bills. The box contains
examples of each type of coin and bill. Students will use various coins and
bills to demonstrate the sum of two given amounts. In addition, students will
use coins and bills to show two different ways to make a given value.

Explain to the teacher how the additional assessment might be used

to improve the assessment plan by answering the following
answering the following questions:
(REQUIRED) 2a) When in the plan would you use this assessment?
The teacher should use this assessment on Day 15, because the
activity is assessing the final learning objective of the unit, according
to the case study materials. The final learning objective of the unit
calls for a summative assessment, which should only administered on
the final day of the unit after the students have had the full
instructional time and student activities to practice their knowledge
of the learning goals.
(REQUIRED) 2b) What goals would be assessed by this assessment?
The specific learning goals assessed by this assessment would be the
following:
o Students will be able to use coins and bills or sketches to
model addition of two amounts.
o Students will be able to use identify multiple ways to show a
specific amount.
Additionally, the state-adopted Academic Content Standards for
Students addressed would be the following:
o Number Sense: 5.0 Students model and solve problems by
representing, adding and subtracting amounts of money. (The
students will not be subtracting amounts of money.)
o Mathematical Reasoning: 1.2 Use tools, such as manipulatives
or sketches, to model problems. (The students will not be using
sketches in this assessment.)

(REQUIRED) 2c) What type of assessment would it be?

This would be a formal, summative, performance assessment
completed one-on-one with the student at the teacher's desk, or any
other semi-private area of the classroom for testing reliability and
privacy, qualities not mentioned in the first four assessments
provided by the teacher.
(REQUIRED) 2d) What would be the purpose of the assessment?
The purpose of the assessment would be to assess acquired
knowledge and skills from the instructional unit.
(REQUIRED) 2e) How would you implement the assessment?
First, the teacher would let students know ahead of time what type of
assessment the teacher would be using to assess their knowledge
gained during the unit. The teacher would also show the students the
rubric she will be using to document their mastery of the learning
objectives. This would give the students time to practice the skills
ahead of time, and also lower their affective filters and reduce any
possible test anxiety on the day of the assessment.
On the last day of the unit, the teacher would have the task of
assessing each of the students in the class individually. To do this
efficiently and effectively, without sacrificing the reliability of the
assessment, the teacher would use moments of the day that students
are completing seat work to pull students aside to the teacher's desk
or any other semi-private area of the classroom. Once in the location,
the teacher would present the student with the box of plastic coins
and bills. Then, the teacher would clearly give verbal directions for
the assessment.
For example:
"Today I would like you to show me how you would answer the
following two problems using these plastic coins and bills.
#1 Using the coins and bills as a visual model, show me how you
would add $4.55 + $1.10. Then show me what the sum would be.
#2 Using the coins and bills as a visual model, show me two different
ways you could represent $10.25. The value should be the same for
both examples, but make sure to use different types of coins and bills
each time."
While the students were completing their tasks I would be
completing a rubric to determine the student's score and writing any
relevant notes to accompany the rubric, and later show to the student
and parents during conferencing.
1 Beginning to
2 Approaching
3 Mastery of the master/ has not
Mastery of the
objective mastered the
objective
objective
Student correctly
Student incorrectly Student incorrectly
and effectively
or somewhat and ineffectively
models
Objective 1 ineffectively models and
and correctly
Students model and models, or incorrectly solves
solves one
solve problems by incorrectly solves one problem of
problem of
representing and one problem of representing and
representing and
adding amounts of representing or adding two given
adding two given
money. adding two given amounts of
amounts of
amounts of money.
money.
money.

Student correctly Student correctly

Objective 2 Student incorrectly
uses bill and coin uses bill and coin
Students uses bill and coin
manipulatives to manipulatives to
use manipulatives to manipulatives in
model the two model 1/2 of the
model problems. both problems.
problems. problems.
(Teacher comments below.)
(REQUIRED) 2f) What feedback strategies would you use?
Directly following the assessment the teacher would keep the student
at the desk with me for just a few minutes longer to go over the
rubric, how the teacher scored the student's product, and why. Then,
the teacher would ask the student if he or she had any questions
about why an answer was incorrect. If the student had a question,
the teacher would answer the question, therefore involving the
student in self-assessment and reflection on his or her learning goals
and progress. The teacher would then allow the student to revise his
or her work based on my feedback and make notes of the changes
the student made. While the teacher would not alter the student's
grade, notes of any changes would be made in the comments section
below the rubric to further show evidence of the student's mastery
toward the learning objectives.
(REQUIRED) 2g) How would the results of the assessment inform
instruction?
The results of the assessment would determine the level of each
student's achievement toward the learning goals. Depending on the
number of students who mastered the skills, approached mastery of
the skills and showed the beginnings of mastery or no mastery of the
skills, the teacher would determine how to proceed with instruction.
For example:
o If the majority of students mastered the skill, the teacher
would continue with the next unit, while only reviewing the
previous unit's objectives with the students who did not
master the skill.
 o However, if a majority of the students did not master the skill,
or only showed the beginnings of mastery of the skill, the
teacher would review the skills that need improvement in
future lessons before moving on to the next unit of
mathematics with the whole class.
(REQUIRED) 3)
Explain how using the additional assessment as you described in
question 2 improves the teachers assessment plan and what specific
information would be gained about what the students really know
and understand about the content area, their misconceptions, and
their progress toward achieving the learning goals
The additional assessment improves the teacher's assessment plan
by providing a logical progression of assessment in relation to the
learning goals of the unit, according to the order that the learning
goals were presented in the case study. The previous assessment
plan did not address the learning goals in the order they were
presented in the case study. Specifically, the "formative" assessment
for Day 11 should have been the summative assessment on Day 15,
and the "summative" assessment on Day 15 should have been a
formative assessment on Day 11.
The additional assessment also improves the teacher's assessment
plan by adding data from a different modality, rather than just the
multiple choice/fill in the blank format. This method
addresses students' multiple intelligences by allowing students to
represent their learning in a kinesthetic activity.
In gaining specific information about what students understand
about the content area, this new assessment directly aligns with the
learning goals and the State-adopted Academic Content Standards for
the unit by addressing the vital piece about using models.
In gaining information about student's specific misconceptions, the
student would be participating in self-assessment and reflection
about his or her misconceptions with the teacher during the brief,
post-test question period in which the teacher allows the student to
revisit and revise his or her answers after seeing what was done
incorrectly. Giving the teacher a first-hand look at the student's
thinking process from the student's own point of view would give
invaluable information about the student's misconceptions.
END OF CASE STUDY 2
Case Study 3: Adaptation of Subject-Specific
Pedagogy for English Learners
A. Contextual Information for Case Study 3
1. Elements of a Learning Experience for 2 Days in a Unit
Grade: Fourth
Content Area: Science
Subject Matter: Earth Science
Time Period for Whole Unit: Three weeks

State-adopted Academic Content Standards for Students

Earth Science
4. The properties and minerals reflect the processes that formed
them. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:
a. how to differentiate among igneous, sedimentary, and
metamorphic rocks by referring to their properties and methods of
formation (the rock cycle)
b. how to identify common rock-forming minerals (including quartz,
calcite, feldspar, mica, and hornblende) and ore minerals by using a
table of diagnostic properties
c. moving water erodes landforms, reshaping the land by taking it
away from some places and depositing it as pebbles, sand, silt, and
mud in other places (weathering, transport, and deposition)

Learning Goals for Whole Unit

Students will be able to do the following with a focus on Earth
science:
o Identify and classify igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
rocks
o Use diagnostic properties to identify rock-forming minerals
o Define the following vocabulary: weathering, transport, and
deposition
o Describe the process of erosion including weathering,
transport, and deposition

Relationship to Preceding and Subsequent Learning Experiences

Science-process skills are important investigation tools, and
opportunities for developing them are provided throughout the unit.
Some of the skills, such as observation and investigation, have been
covered in other scientific units and will again be used in the next
unit on ecosystems and living organisms.
2. Outline of Plans for Days 1 and 2
The following outline addresses some of the academic content
standards and unit goals, but it is not expected that the students will
achieve them during the two days.

Instructional Strategies
o On Day 1, students will be divided into small cooperative
groups. Each group will be assigned one type of rock (igneous,
sedimentary, or metamorphic). Groups will identify defining
characteristics of their assigned rock using the science
textbook, Internet, and supplementary library resources.
o On Day 2 students lead a discussion by presenting the defining
characteristics of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
rocks. The whole class will create a chart listing the
characteristics of each type of rock. Cooperative groups will be
given ten rocks to sort into categories based on their
characteristics. Students will draw an appropriate picture and
write a corresponding paragraph in their science journals
about the characteristics of igneous, sedimentary, and
metamorphic rocks.
Student Activities
o Read the textbook about rock characteristics. Use library
resources, encyclopedias, or the Internet to research the
characteristics of the assigned type of rock (igneous,
sedimentary, or metamorphic).
o Participate in a group discussion. Groups generate a list of
defining characteristics of the assigned type of rock.
o Groups share findings with the whole class. The class will
generate a chart comparing their characteristics.
o Students will draw and write in individual science journals.

Progress Monitoring
o Teacher will use class discussions, oral presentations, journal
writing, quizzes on scientific terms, and written test to
determine level of learning.
o Students will receive written and oral feedback from the
teacher and oral feedback from peers.
3. Student Description
Guillermo is a 10-year-old fourth-grade English learner. He is from
Guatemala and lives with a single mother, three younger brothers,
and a younger sister. His mother works long hours and is often not
home when he returns from school. His extended family in the United
States includes aunts, uncles, and cousins. His grandparents live in
Guatemala. Guillermos family immigrated to the United States three
years ago. His oral Spanish is fluent, but he is unable to read or write
in Spanish. Guillermo reads English two years below grade level. He
has difficulty using correct grammar when writing or speaking.
Guillermo is somewhat shy socially but is well liked and works well in
small groups. He is seldom absent from school. The CELDT results
indicate an overall score in the early intermediate range, and he has
been identified as an English learner.
Written Response to: What is your favorite family day?
A Special Family Celebration
My grandparents have special celebration. They have married 45
year. My mother, my brothers and sister and me make long trip to
Guatemala to celebrate. We carry a special gift it is a picture of all
family. My tio, tia and primos going to. We like to visit our
grandparents and especial celebration. Our family cooks special food
of Guatemala for celebration. I remember we all had good time
together. I miss my abuelita and abuelito. That is the name we say
for grandparent in my country. The celebration is fun we see friends
and play. My grandparents very happy. I want to stay in Guatemala
but my Mom say we come back to America.
Transcript of Oral Response to: Tell me about your soccer
game.
I like to play soccer. Saturday I go to field to play with friends. We
put uniform on for games. I play center field and goal. It is fun to hit
ball. My brothers play. I like it.
B. Questions for Case Study 3
(REQUIRED) 1) Identify two specific learning needs the student has
as an English learner, based on the student description and the
responses.
1. Vocabulary- The student has a specific learning need for
vocabulary as an English learner. The description in the case
study shows he has only been in the country for three years,
and he is reading two years below grade level. Also included is
family information that shows his lack of access to English
vocabulary. The student's mother does not show evidence of
supporting his English development at home, because she
works long hours. Additionally, the student's siblings are all
younger, causing the teacher to assume they are no more
advanced in their English skills than the case study student.
The only other vocabulary support the student has could be
from his extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins, however
it is not clear if they speak English or Spanish together during
their visits. Judging from the way the student addressed his
family in the student responses as "tio" and "tia", the teacher
would assume they speak Spanish together as a family. The
information from the student's responses also demonstrates
his need for an extended vocabulary. As a fourth grade
student, his word choice is far below grade level. The student
repeats simple adjectives like "special" in his written response,
and uses very simple verbs like "I go" and "I play" and "I like"
in his oral response.
2. Grammar- As an English learner with only three years of
reading and writing due to the student's lack of reading or
writing skills in his native language of Spanish, the student is
far below grade level in his use of written and oral grammar.
From the written response, the teacher can see the student has
a grammatical error in almost every sentence. The types of
grammatical errors include, but are not limited to the following
(with corrections underlined):
o missing verbs-- "My grandparents [are] very happy"
o subject-verb agreement issues-- "They have [been] married 45
year."
o verb tense issues-- The verb tense in the written piece jumps
between present, past participle and past tense.
o use of a Spanish cognate that sound like the English
word/Sentences do not make grammatical sense-- "We like to
visit our grandparents and especial celebration."
o missing pronouns and lack of plural "s"-- "We put
[our] uniform[s] on for games."

(REQUIRED) 2a) Identify one instructional strategy or student activity

from the outline of plans that could be challenging for the student.
Reading the grade-level science textbook would be a challenging
instructional strategy for the student.
(REQUIRED) 2b) Explain why the strategy or activity you chose could
be challenging to the student. Use your knowledge of English
learners and your analysis of the students learning needs in your
explanation.
The science textbook is an informational text that is written with
highly specific Tier 3 academic vocabulary. This specialized type of
vocabulary he will encounter in the textbook is only found in the
specific science setting of Earth Science, and would be challenging for
any student first learning about the properties of minerals for the
first time, especially this student as an English Learner who has not
fully deloped Tier 2 descriptive words. The student has a CELDT level
of early-intermediate and demonstrates from his written and oral
responses that he is more familiar with high frequency terms that
would fall under Tier 1 vocabulary acquisition, or everyday speech. In
the oral response, the student correctly used Tier 1 vocabulary in the
sentences "I like to play soccer", and " I like it." However, the
student especially struggled with Tier 2 vocabulary like the word
"special", which he misspelled as the Spanish cognate "especial."
Further evidence of his lack of Tier 3 domain-specific vocabulary even
in a sport he enjoys, soccer, is his improper naming of the soccer
positions in English. Even a teacher who is ignorant of more precise
soccer terms would likely know that "center field" should be "center"
and "goal" should be "goal keeper". Additionally, the grammar
structures in a grade-level science textbook would be much more
advanced than those that the student is capable of producing, as
evidenced by his simple subject and predicate sentence structures in
simple verb tenses.
(REQUIRED) 3a) Describe how you would adapt the strategy or
activity you identified above to meet the learning needs of the
student. Consider specific subject matter pedagogy when writing
your description.
When adapting the strategy for the student, I would use a SDAIE
(specially designed acadmic instruction in English) strategy of using
the technology available to allow the student to interact with the
information by researching his type of rock on the internet, in his
group.
(REQUIRED) 3b) Explain how your adaptation would be effective for
the student in making progress toward the learning goals of the
lesson.
(In your explanation of the adaptation, refer to specific aspects of the
student description and to the samples of proficiency in English.)
These adaptations would be effective for the student to make
progress toward the learning goal because it the student would be
investigating the information on the internet using terms already
provided from the book and from his peers. The student would not
have to struggle uselessly in attempting to access the textbook,
because a wealth of textual, audio and visual resources are available
on the internet through a simple search.
(REQUIRED) 3c) Explain how your adaptation would be effective for
the student in making progress toward English language
development.
(In your explanation of the adaptation, refer to specific aspects of the
student description and to the samples of proficiency in English.)
The adaptation of allowing the student to research through an
internet search of textual, audio and visual materials would be
effective in helping the student make progress toward English
language development because he would be reading material wirtten
in proper grammar, something he struggles with, and the Tier 1 and
Tier 2 vocabulary exposure would help him expand his own
vocabulary base, another one of the student's weak areas.
(REQUIRED) 4a) Which progress monitoring assessment based on
the lesson plan would you choose to monitor this students progress
toward achieving the learning goal(s)?
The teacher should choose the class discussion and oral
presentations to monitor the student's progress.
(REQUIRED) 4b) Give a rationale for your choice of progress
monitoring assessment. Use knowledge of content in this unit, and
this students English language abilities in your rationale.
The teacher should choose the class discussion and oral
presentations to monitor the student's progress because, while the
student is below grade level in both written and oral communication
in English, the student is well-liked by his peers, and the classroom
environment would be welcoming to his attempts to present his
online research from the group work. Oral communication also allows
for the student to explain himself, use body language, use visuals he
acquired from his internet research, and point to documents he found
in his research. The learning objectives of the unit ask for students to
be able to merely "identify" the common rock-forming minerals, and
that can be done through pointing or other visual demonstrations.
(REQUIRED) 5) Based on what you learned about this students
English proficiency, what would be your next steps in planning to
facilitate her English language development?
Consider specific information from the student description and her
written and oral language samples when responding.
The teaacher's next steps in planning to facilitate the student's
English language development and in a cross-disciplinary way would
be to scaffold the written science journal entry for the student. As
has been stated, the student struggles with reading and writing; he is
two grade levels below average. Also, the student's written work has
many grammatical errors. For example, "My grandparents very
happy."
Giving the student structure to write his science journals could look
something like this:
1. "I want you to write 4 bullet points about igneous rocks and
write all your verbs in the present tense. Underline the verbs.
Example: Igneous rocks are heavy."
o _________________
o _________________
o _________________
o _________________
Scaffolding the writing in this way until the student is ready to form
his own complete sentences would be effective in facilitating his
English language development at this early-intermediate CELDT stage
of English acquisition.
END OF CASE STUDY 3
Case Study 4: Adaptation of Subject-Specific
Pedagogy for Students with Special Needs
A. Contextual Information for Case Study 4
1. Elements of a Learning Experience for 3 Days in a Unit
Grade: Fifth
Content Area: History/Social Science
Subject Matter: American Revolution
Time Period for Whole Unit: Three weeks

State-adopted Academic Content Standards for Students

United States History and Geography: Making a New Nation
5.6 Students understand the course and consequences of the
American Revolution.
1. Identify and map the majority of military battles, campaigns, and
turning points of the Revolutionary War, the roles of the American
and British leaders, and the Indian leaders alliances on both sides.
4. Understand the personal impact and economic hardship of the war
on families, problems of financing the war, wartime inflation, and
laws against hoarding goods and materials and profiteering.
5. Explain how state constitutions that were established after 1776
embodied the ideals of the American Revolution and helped serve as
models for the United States Constitution.

Learning Goals for Whole Unit

Students will be able to do the following with a focus on the American
Revolution
o Locate the major military battles on a map of pre-
Revolutionary America
o Identify the turning points of the American Revolution
o Describe the roles of the American, British, and Indian leaders
involved in the American Revolution
o Compare state constitutions created after 1776 to the United
States Constitution

Relationship to Preceding and Subsequent Learning Experiences

The American Revolutionary War will be covered in a manner similar
to other historical events. Events are being studied in chronological
order. Map-reading skills were covered during the study of other
historical events. Following this unit, students will study the United
States Constitution more in depth.
2. Outline of Plans for Days 3, 4, and 5
The following outline addresses some of the academic content
standards and unit goals, but it is not expected that the students will
achieve them during the three days.
Instructional Strategies
o On Day 3 the teacher will present information about what life
was like for a 12-year-old boy or girl during pre-Revolutionary
time by reading aloud text from biographies and other primary
sources. As a whole class, students will create a chart to list
the defining characteristics of life during pre-Revolutionary
War time. Students will write a journal entry to compare their
own life with the life of children who lived in the pre-
Revolutionary War time.
o On Day 4 the teacher will ask students to work in small
cooperative groups to read biographies and other primary
sources about what life was like for a 12 year-old boy or girl
during the Revolutionary War. The small groups will generate a
list of five characteristics that they will then share with the
whole class. The whole class will create a chart that lists the
defining characteristics of life during Revolutionary War time.
Then students will use the class-generated charts to
individually complete a Venn diagram comparing the defining
characteristics of life during pre-Revolutionary
o On Day 5 students will work in small cooperative groups. Each
group will choose one change in life between pre-
Revolutionary War time and Revolutionary War time. Then the
group will use primary resources, the textbook, the Internet,
and other resources to draw conclusions about what led to this
particular change. The groups will then present these causes to
the whole class. Then students will individually write an essay
that explains three causes of lifestyle changes for a 12 year-old
boy or girl between pre-Revolutionary and Revolutionary War
times.

Student Activities
o Students will listen to excerpts from biographies and other
primary sources. They will participate in class discussions and
help to create a chart listing defining characteristics of life
during the pre-Revolutionary War times. Students will
individually complete a written journal.
o Students will work in small cooperative groups to create a
chart listing defining characteristics of life during
Revolutionary War times. Then students will work as a whole
class to generate a complete list of characteristics. Students
will individually complete a Venn diagram comparing the two
lists of characteristics.
o Students will work in groups to identify the causes of one
change in lifestyle between the pre-Revolutionary War time
and Revolutionary War time. The cooperative groups will
present to the whole class. Students will individually write an
essay that demonstrates their understanding of what aspects
of life changed between pre-Revolutionary and Revolutionary
times.
Progress Monitoring
o To monitor student progress, the teacher will use class
discussions, written reflections, cooperative group work, and
presentations.
o Students will receive written and oral feedback, peer review,
and feedback on group work, as well as individual conferencing
with the teacher when needed.
3. Student Description
Julie is an 11 year-old girl in the fifth grade. She has difficulty
focusing, which has an impact on her ability to complete course work
and classroom activities. In the first grade, Julie was diagnosed with
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder by her family physician. She
receives prescribed medication three times per day for ADHD. During
first grade, an Individualized Education Plan was developed to meet
Julies needs. Since then, Julie has been receiving special education
support primarily in the regular education classroom. She is included
and participates in all general education curriculum. The special
education teacher provides two hours of in-class support. She is able
to independently read text at grade level. She struggles with both
written and oral communication skills and is currently performing at a
second-grade level. She often tries to dominate whole-class
discussions and group learning situations. On the playground, she
attempts to dominate games, and she struggles with organization.
Her peers are often frustrated by her behavior.
B. Questions for Case Study 4
(REQUIRED) 1a) Identify one instructional strategy or student activity
from the outline of plans that could be challenging for the student,
considering the description of the students learning disability.
The cooperative group activities on Day 4 and Day 5 would be
especially challenging for the student, considering an effect of her
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is that she often tries to
dominate group learning situations.
(REQUIRED) 1b) Explain why the strategy or activity you chose could
be challenging for the student, based on specific aspects of the
student description.
The group activities on Day 4 and Day 5 will be especially challenging
for this students because, as a result of her ADHD, she often tries to
dominate group discussions, and her peers are often frustrated with
her behavior.
(REQUIRED) 1c) Describe how you would adapt the strategy or
activity you identified to meet the needs of the student.
Before the group activities on Day 4 and Day 5, the teacher would
clearly set the learning expectations and behavioral expectations for
the group work.
The teacher should also provide the student with clear, written
directions for the group's assignment. This can be a printout, or
written on the whiteboard for the whole class to see.
Also, the teacher could assign roles to each group member in every
group. This would ensure all students play a balanced role in
participating in the group activity.
Finally, the teacher would circulate the room during group work,
closely monitoring the student and praising any success the student
makes in proper behavior and academic learning.
(REQUIRED) 1d) Explain how your adaptation would be effective for
the student in making progress toward achieving the learning goal(s)
of this unit.
Clearly setting learning and behavior expectations before the group
activities would help the student focus on the learning goals while
she is in the group setting, not letting her learning be distracted by
inappropriate behavior from her ADHD.
The printout, or written directions for the group task would help the
student focus on the learning goals and not letting her learning be
distracted by inappropriate behavior from her ADHD.
Assigning roles to each group member would ensure all students play
a balanced role in participating in the group activity. This would
especially benefit the student, because she often tries to dominate
group learning situations.
Finally, having the teacher circulate the room and closely monitor the
student during group work and praising any succes she makes in
moving toward mastery of the learning goals will help the student be
more motivated to regulate her behavior so that it does not distract
from her learning. Once she can focus on learning, she can more
easily make progress towards the learning goals of the unit.
(REQUIRED) 2a) Identify one additional instructional strategy or
student activity from the lesson plan that could be challenging for
the student, considering the students other learning needs.
An addtitional student activity that would be challenging for the
student is the written essay on Day 5 that demonstrates the student's
understanding of what aspects of life changed between pre-
Revolutionary and Revolutionary times.
(REQUIRED) 2b) Explain why the strategy or activity you chose could
be challenging for the student, based on specific aspects of the
student description.
The written essay from Day 5 of the unit could be challenging for the
student because, according to the student description, the student
"struggles with both written and oral communication". Additionally,
the student's skills in the areas of written and oral communication
are "at a second-grade level", according to the student
description. Therefore, individually writing an essay with no sense of
direction, guiding materials or other support would be very difficult
for this student.
(REQUIRED) 2c) Describe how you would adapt the strategy or
activity you identified to meet the needs of the student.
For the essay on Day 5 of the unit, the teacher could make sure to
provide the student with clear, oral and written directions for the
task. The teacher will ask the student if she has any questions about
the task before she begins, leaving no room for confusion. Next, the
teacher could provide the student with the Venn Diagram from Day 4
 of the unit, to use during the essay. After that, I would provide the
student with a personal graphic organizer that specifically outlines
my expectations for each paragraph. An example is below:
1. Introductory paragraph
Introductory sentences about the topic. (2 sentences)
_(Pick 1 aspect of life)_ changed between the pre-Revolutionary and
Revolutionary times because __(your reason why it changed)___.
2. Describe one aspect Pre-Revolutionary Life (3-4 sentences).
Use the corresponding side of the Venn Diagram for information.

3. Describe the same aspect of life during Revolutionary times (3-4 sentences).
Use the corresponding side of the Venn Diagram for information.

4. Explain the reason why this aspect of life changed (3-4 sentences).
Use the information from the class presentations.
________________________________________________________________
5. Conclusion paragraph
Restate your thesis and "wrap up" your ideas about this topic.

You're done! Congratulations! :)

Along with these adaptations, the teacher could also make use of the
student's IEP which provides the student with the support of
a special education teacher for two hours a day. The teacher would
plan out the time the special education teacher is present in the
general education classroom to coincide with the writing process. The
special education teacher would support the student during the essay
writing in the least restrictive environment possible.

(REQUIRED) 2d) Explain how your adaptation would be effective for

the student in making progress toward achieving the learning goal(s)
of this unit.
Coinciding with the universal design for learning (UDL) principle of
multiple means of representation, the teacherProviding clear oral and
written directions and asking if the student has any questions would
leave no room for confusion would help the student focus on the task,
which is difficult for her. This way, she has a very clear idea of how
she is supposed to complete the essay.
Allowing the student to view her Venn Diagram from Day 4 would
provide the student with organization, another one of her difficulties.
This way, her prior knowledge from the previous day is very
accessible to her during the essay process.Giving the student a
graphic organizer to write her thoughts will be an excellent way to
help the student access the task of writing an essay because it
provides the clear guide to writing the essay, following the teacher's
expectations. Using the graphic organizer for the essay will also
ensure she is making the same steps to access and achieve the
learning standards as the other students.
Taking advantage of the student's IEP to align the time the special
education teacher is present in class with difficult writing
assignments like the essay will give the student the support she is
legally entitled to. Having the special education teacher present
during the essay writing process will also help the student focus
during the writing task and complete the task, two of her difficulties.
Another benefit of having the special education teacher present is to
allow for multiple means of expression in the essay format. Becuase
the student is writing far below grade level, the special education
teacher may want to give the student the graphic organizer and Venn
Diagram to use as a guide for a verbal essay that the special
education teacher writes out or types as dictation from the student.
This adaptation makes use of the UDL principle of multiple means of
action and expression. All students, especially those with special
needs, should be allowed opportunities to express their mastery of
the learning objectives in different ways.
(REQUIRED) 3a) What progress monitoring assessment would you
choose to obtain evidence of the students progress toward one or
more learning goal(s)?
The most effective type of progress monitoring assessment for this
student would be individual, daily conferencing with the teacher and
the special education teacher at the same time each day.
(REQUIRED) 3b) Give a rationale for your choice of assessment. Use
your knowledge of academic content in this unit, and this students
learning needs in your rationale.
This type of progress monitoring assessment would be most effective
for the student because the student struggles in all areas that the
teacher is currently assessing for the students. First, she struggles in
written communication, which would affect her written reflection.
Second, she struggles with oral communication, which would affect
her participation in class discussions, group work, and presentations.
Therefore, an individual conference with the teacher and the special
education teacher would allow the student to directly explain her
understanding of the learning objectives, in her own words. The
teacher collaboration piece would aide in interpreting the student's
progress toward the learning goals in a holistic way.
Meeting at the same time every day would allow the student a sense
of organization, something that she also struggles with because of
her ADHD.

END OF CASE STUDY 4