| . |
. |
. |
|
Into,
Through, and Beyond
|
|
|
A
Framework to Develop Content-Based Material
|
|
|
|
The dedication of this issue
of Forum to content-based instruction (CBI) is significant in that it recognizes
CBI as an important instructional paradigm-not only in the ESL but also in the EFL
context. To confirm the impact that CBI has had on second and foreign language teaching,
one has only to look at the ESL/EFL commercial textbook market, or to survey the
proceedings of second language teaching conferences (such as the annual TESOL Conference
or its affiliate conferences). Not surprisingly, CBI's entry into these arenas has led to
its inclusion in preparatory programs for teachers, with many TESOL Certificate or MATESOL
programs today including courses that familiarize teachers with the basic precepts of CBI.
Teacher educators have a wealth of materials to choose from here too, as a number of
resource works have appeared over the last decade that provide new teachers with
appropriate methodological foundations and training in this approach (Adamson 1993;
Brinton, Snow, and Wesche 1989; Cantoni-Harvey 1987; Crandall 1987; Mohan 1986; Short,
Crandall, and Christian 1989; Snow and Brinton 1997).
|
|
|
|
Yet for these new teachers, and for the many
others who were trained before this approach appeared on the language teaching scene, the
task of teaching language through content often remains an intimidating one. Central to
all instructional efforts in CBI is providing access to content- regardless of what form
this content takes (see Footnote 1
). How to provide such access is perhaps the biggest challenge faced by the CBI
practitioner, since the content materials that form the core of the CBI lesson are often
derived from authentic sources, and tend to be at a level of conceptual and linguistic
difficulty that seriously challenges the students' linguistic skills.
|
|
|
This article describes a lesson planning
framework that CBI teachers can easily adapt to their instructional materials, student
populations, and classroom settings. Applying the framework to an authentic reading
passage about the future of our universe, the sample lesson illustrates how teachers can
develop activities that supplement the content, increase student access to and
comprehension of the core materials, and simultaneously foster students' linguistic skills
(see Footnote 2 ).
|
|
|
Into, through, and beyond
|
|
|
One way of facilitating access to core content
text is to apply an into, through , and beyond framework for CBI lesson
planning. This lesson framework, originally adapted from The California Literature Project
(Brinton, Goodwin, and Ranks 1994), involves a three-stage process designed to maximize
students' comprehension and mastery of content:
|
|
|
- Into: In the first stage of the lesson, students' prior knowledge about a
concept is probed. Typical into activities include reviews of previously learned content,
the use of content-related visuals, reaction journals, vocabulary previews, free
association or visualization exercises, and anticipation reaction guides to assist
students in accessing the new content material. The end goal of this stage is for students
to gain an entree into the topic, recognize the depth of their own prior knowledge, and be
better prepared for the new content materials they are about to encounter.
- Through: In the second stage, students encounter the new content, relating
it to their discussions of the concepts during the into stage. This may entail confirming
or rejecting the hypotheses they formed, or expanding their knowledge base with new facts,
ideas, or opinions. Activities that are typically found in this lesson stage include
grammar development or vocabulary expansion, reading guides (e.g., idea sequencing and/or
text completion exercises), and information gap tasks (such as jigsaw reading). Through
activities also include a variety of text explication exercises, either oral or written.
The end goal of this stage is for students to practice new language skills while
demonstrating their comprehension of the basic concepts.
- Beyond: In the final stage of the framework, students further demonstrate
their comprehension by creatively applying their new knowledge. Such application may take
several forms: application of the knowledge to personal experience, to an example, to a
literary passage, etc. Beyond activities involve more extended oral and written
output such as role-plays, debates, and essays. The end goal of this stage is for students
to demonstrate both conceptual and linguistic mastery, and to provide a forum for
communicative language practice.
|
|
|
The framework applied: What is the future of our universe?
|
|
|
The following example illustrates the
application of the into, through , and beyond framework to a CBI unit
involving basic science content. Specifically, the unit, which is designed for middle
school students in a sheltered content class, deals with the beginnings and the future of
our universe. To better illustrate how the framework can be applied, we outline a number
of possible unit activities. To provide readers with a broader range of task types, we
have intentionally included more activities than would be appropriate with any one CBI
class. We recommend that teachers choose at most two or three activities at each stage,
keeping in mind that their ultimate goal is for students to comprehend the concepts, gain
mastery over new language items, and be able to present and analyze these concepts using
their burgeoning linguistic skills. Figure 1 presents an overview of the activities.
|
|
|
In a CBI framework, into activities
generally take as their point of departure a brief review of already- learned material. In
this manner, the teacher can ascertain whether students have sufficient command of both
the necessary language skills and the concepts to proceed to the next step of the lesson.
The students in the middle school classroom for whom these materials are designed have
previously learned about the "big bang" theory of the creation of the universe.
In the next segment of the lesson, they are about to read a text dealing with two opposing
theories of the future of the universe. The following activities are suggested in this
phase:
|
|
|
The teacher begins the lesson by showing
students a handful of popcorn kernels, and asking them to use the analogy of popping corn
to explain the big bang theory of the universe. (She may ask, for example, "How is
popping corn similar to the beginning of the universe?") This activity may be done as
a small group discussion, with each group receiving popcorn kernels and using them as a
hands- on demonstration of how the big bang may have occurred. Alternatively, it may be
conducted as a teacher- led discussion, with individual students volunteering information
and the teacher charting this information on the chalkboard.
|
|
|
Activity #2: TPR demonstration
|
|
|
Moving chairs and desks aside to clear space in
the center of the classroom, the teacher designates the center of the classroom as the
"center of the universe" and asks for student volunteers to take part in a total
physical response (TPR) demonstration of the conditions that might have led to the big
bang. To enhance the activity, the teacher can prepare name tags or small signs to hang
around the necks of the students indicating galaxies that the students are already
familiar with (e.g., Andromeda, the Milky Way, the M-8 Galaxy). Several different students
can wear the same tags, since they can represent different stars in a given galaxy. The
student volunteers gather in the center of the universe, with the teacher encouraging them
to huddle together very closely. She then tells them to imagine that it is getting hotter
and hotter in the center of the universe, and asks them if they feel comfortable. When
they answer in the negative, she then asks them whether they would feel more comfortable
if they were further apart, and encourages them to move away from the center and find
another location to stand. Students should be encouraged to move in the same direction as
other stars in their galaxy, and to form concentrations within a galaxy. The activity is
followed by class discussion of what occurred, and how gravity as a force figures in the
movement of the various stars.
|
|
|
Activity #3: Sentence strip sequencing
|
|
|
To orally review the main ideas of the big bang
theory, the teacher prepares index cards listing key events in the beginning of the
universe. Assembled, these sentences should provide a summary of the big bang theory,
using vocabulary that students are familiar with from the content area reading passage.
For example:
|
|
|
- Fifteen billion years ago, matter and energy were concentrated in one place.
- It was really hot in this place.
- Because it was so hot, an explosion happened.
- This explosion is known as the "big bang."
- Because of the force of gravity, this matter formed clusters called galaxies.
- Even today, these galaxies continue to race away from the center of the universe.
|
|
|
The teacher again asks for volunteers and
distributes the index cards randomly to six students. She asks these students to assemble
in a circle in the middle of the classroom and has each student read his/her sentence
aloud so that everyone can hear it. She then asks students to read the sentences again and
to reorder themselves so that the sentences are in the correct sequence. Following the
sequencing activity, students can be asked to write their sentences on the chalkboard in
the order they have determined to be correct.
|
|
|
Activity #4: Jigsaw reading
|
|
|
Using cooperative learning techniques, students
can next be grouped into expert groups "A" and "B" to answer prepared
comprehension questions (see Appendix 1
for an example). Students should be encouraged to work with a partner or in a small group
and use the information in the content reading to complete either Worksheet A or B;
following completion of the worksheet, students are re-paired or re-grouped to complete
Worksheet C, the cooperative summary worksheet. For homework, they can then be assigned to
read the entire passage.
|
|
|
Activity #5: Journal entry or quick write
|
|
|
Either as an in-class quick write or as a
homework assignment, students are asked to write on one of the following topics:
|
|
|
- How do you think the world will come to an end?
- In your culture, is there a myth about the end of the world? Tell this myth.
|
|
|
If desired, the teacher can have students share
their responses in a read-around group, or display copies of the students' work on a
bulletin board. This activity foreshadows the concepts that students are about to
encounter in the next phase of the lesson, where they learn about the two theories of how
the universe will end.
|
|
|
Activity #6: Chalkboard cluster
|
|
|
Like activity #5, this activity begins to set
the stage for the new material that students are about to encounter. The teacher begins by
placing a large circle in the center of the board and labeling this "the
universe." She then draws spokes extending outward from the circle, and asks students
"What can you tell me about the universe?" As students volunteer information,
the teacher writes this information next to the outward-extending spokes. For example,
students may volunteer information such as "The universe is infinite" or
"There are billions of galaxies in the universe." This activity can continue
until students' knowledge is exhausted, but may require prompting on the part of the
teacher. For example, if information on the size of the universe is not forthcoming, the
teacher can prompt this by asking questions such as "How large is the
universe?", etc.
|
|
|
Activity #7: Poster design
|
|
|
A final cooperative activity to round out the into
phase is one that asks students in pairs or small groups to design a poster providing a
visual answer to the question "Where are you in the universe?" Useful resources
for this activity are glue, scissors, old magazines, markers, yarn or ribbon, assorted
stickers, etc. Once students have designed the posters and put the finishing art touches
on them, they can be hung around the classroom "gallery fashion." Students can
then be asked to orally present their poster and explain their ideas. Appendix 2 illustrates one such
student poster.
|
|
|
Prior to this phase of the lesson, students have
either 1) reviewed previously studied materials or 2) tapped into their existing knowledge
about the concepts that are about to be studied. It is in the through phase of the
lesson where students encounter new material and engage the concepts and linguistic
features contained in this new material. In the lesson being used here to illustrate the
framework, students are about to encounter two contrasting theories about the future of
the universe-one proposing that the universe will continue to expand and the other
proposing that the universe will begin to contract and eventually return to the total
nothingness from which it evolved. Although much of the vocabulary is already familiar
from the previously studied material, there is important new key vocabulary for students
to learn as well as new concepts which they must comprehend and be able to explain using
their own language. It is therefore important to guide students carefully through this
phase of the lesson, providing lots of built-in support (both conceptually and
linguistically) through activities of the following sort:
|
|
|
Activity #1: Visual demonstration
|
|
|
Beginning the through phase with a
hands-on activity, the teacher prepares a visual demonstration of the expanding vs.
contracting universe by using a colored marker and drawing a series of concentric rings on
a balloon to represent galaxies. At the center of each ring, she depicts a larger dot
representing the center of the galaxy. She then asks students to watch what happens to the
galaxies as she blows up the balloon, and as she lets the air back out again. She prompts
students: "In which case do the galaxies get further apart from each other?"
"In which case do they get closer together?" She uses this opportunity to expose
students to the central terms from the new unit, i.e., "open" or
"expanding" universe and "closed" or "contracting" universe,
writing these key terms on the board and again demonstrating them using the balloon
visual. If desired, she can pass out balloons and markers to pairs or small groups of
students and allow them to make their own visual demonstration.
|
|
|
Activity #2: Hypothesis building
|
|
|
Given the complexity of many CBI readings, it is
essential for the lesson's success to include pre-reading activities before students
engage new text materials. One method for doing this involves extracting key information
from the text and getting students to sort this information into predetermined categories.
For example, given the content of the sample reading (which details two contrasting
theories of the future of the universe), the teacher might divide the chalkboard into two
columns labeled "open universe" and "closed universe." To one side of
these columns, she would affix post-it notes on which are written simplified main ideas
from the reading. For example:
|
|
|
- The universe will get bigger.
- The universe will get smaller.
- The stars will keep their energy.
- The stars will lose their energy.
- The galaxies will move away from each other.
- The galaxies will move toward each other.
|
|
|
She would then ask students to come to the front
of the class and make "guesses" about which type of universe is being described
by placing each post-it note in the appropriate column (see Appendix
3 for the sample chalkboard layout).
|
|
|
Activity #3: Active listening
|
|
|
Students can next confirm the hypotheses they
have made by listening to the teacher present an informal mini-lecture on the topic of
open vs. closed universes. For example, they might hear:
|
|
|
Many scientists believe in the theory of an open
or expanding universe. In an open universe, the galaxies move away from each other, and
the universe gets larger and larger. Eventually, the stars begin to lose their energy. At
the end of the open universe, the stars lose all their energy and the result is total
emptiness. However, not all scientists believe this theory. Other scientists believe in a
closed or contracting universe. In a closed universe, the galaxies move closer together,
and the universe gets smaller and smaller. The stars keep their energy. Eventually, they
come together, and the result is total togetherness.
|
|
|
In the case of incorrect hypotheses, the teacher
might ask students to come back up to the chalkboard and rearrange the post-it notes to
correctly represent the two scientific theories.
|
|
|
Activity #4: Reading guide
|
|
|
Now that the key vocabulary has been introduced
and students are familiar with some of the core concepts, they can work with the reading
to further develop their language mastery and concept comprehension. A reading guide such
as the one in Appendix 4 allows
students to scan the text and locate additional key information without the pressure of
understanding every word or grammatical structure in the text. Such activities provide the
needed structure for students to better comprehend a conceptually and linguistically
complex text. This activity is best done as pair work since the teacher can circulate
around the class as students work and answer any questions that arise.
|
|
|
Activity #5: Vocabulary development
|
|
|
In activity 4, the reading guide serves to
assist students in comprehending the text. However, in CBI classes, it is important to
remember that language development, not concept mastery, is the primary goal. Vocabulary
enrichment is one important part of language skills work in CBI classes. Often, the
particular language that is the lesson focus grows out of the content itself, as is the
case with the vocabulary development activity in Appendix 5 . This activity has students work with the differences between
oral or informal language and academic register.
|
|
|
Activity #6: Guided summary
|
|
|
As a follow-up step to activity 5, students can
be asked to use the new vocabulary appropriately to complete a guided summary (see Appendix 6 ).
|
|
|
Activity #7: Poster design
|
|
|
An appropriate activity to complete the through
phase and to allow students to demonstrate concept mastery is to have students visually
represent either an open or closed universe on butcher paper or poster board. As in the into
phase of the unit, the student representations can be displayed on the classroom walls and
students can be asked to explain their diagram to the class.
|
|
|
The final phase of the framework, appropriately
designated as the beyond phase, directs students to apply the knowledge they have
gained and use language creatively to express themselves on the topic. The following are
possible extension activities relating to the open vs. closed universe theories:
|
|
|
Activity #1: Silent dialog
|
|
|
Silent dialogs are in-class paired writing
activities that ask students to assume a role (see Appendix 7 for sample role cards) and carry on a "silent"
conversation on paper. Seated so that they cannot see what their partner is writing, the
students pass a piece of paper back and forth, each time writing a line of the
conversation. When finished, they can be asked to either hand the conversations in to the
teacher or perform them live for other members of the class.
|
|
|
Activity #2: Retrospective discussion
|
|
|
This activity refers students back to their
journal entry from the into phase in which they described their view of the end of
the universe. Retrospectively, student groups are asked to characterize each member's
views as either belonging to an open or closed view of the universe. An additional step in
this activity might involve an assignment in which students individually are asked to
rewrite their journal entry, incorporating their newly-acquired knowledge of scientific
theories.
|
|
|
Activity #3: Post-unit creative writing
|
|
|
A creative writing alternative to activity 2
asks students to read a creation myth (see Appendix 8 for a sample myth) and then write a parallel myth describing
how this universe comes to an end. Again, students must decide if the end of this universe
will follow the open or closed universe theory. Student products can either be presented
orally to the entire class or displayed in their written form on bulletin boards.
|
|
|
Students in CBI classes often lack the cognitive
academic language proficiency needed to process and express content area concepts (Cummins
1992). The task of the CBI teacher is to expose students to appropriate content designed
to further their linguistic skills and to render the core concepts of the CBI lesson
accessible through language enrichment activities. This task involves sophisticated
adaptation techniques and strategies; for many teachers, it may entail a rethinking of how
to present material to students. The into, through , and beyond framework is
one method that many teachers have found useful in this endeavor. We hope that the
examples given in this article suffice to give readers of the Forum an idea of how
this framework can help them with their own students, settings, and instructional
materials.
|
|
|
Donna
M. Brinton is a lecturer in the Department of TESL and Applied Linguistics at UCLA
and Academic Coordinator of the UCLA ESL Service Courses for matriculated students.
Christine Holten is a Lecturer in the Department of TESL
and Applied Linguistics at UCLA, where she is involved in both ESL teaching and teacher
training. |
|
|
Return
|
|
|
- Adamson, H. 1993. Academic competence-Theory and classroom practice: Preparing ESL
students for content courses. New York: Longman.
- Brinton, D., J. Goodwin, and L. Ranks. 1994. Helping language minority students read and
write analytically: The journey into, through, and beyond. In With different eyes:
Insights into teaching language minority students across the disciplines. eds. F. Peitzman
and G. Gadda. pp. 57- 88. New York: Longman.
- Brinton, D., M. Snow, and M. Wesche. 1989. Content-based second language instruction.
New York: Heinle and Heinle.
- Cantoni-Harvey, G. 1987. Content-area language instruction: Approaches and strategies.
Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
- Crandall, J. 1987. ESL through content-area instruction. New Jersey: Prentice- Hall
Regents.
- Cummins, J. 1992. Language proficiency, bilingualism, and academic achievement. In The
multi-cultural classroom: Readings for content-area teachers. eds. P. Richard-Amato and M.
Snow pp. 16-26. New York: Longman.
- Maton, A. et al. 1997. Exploring the Universe. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice- Hall.
- Mohan, B. 1986. Language and content. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
- Short, D., J. Crandall, and D. Christian. 1989. How to integrate language and content
instruction: A training manual. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics. (ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED 305-824).
- Snow, M., and D. Brinton. 1997. The content-based classroom: Perspectives on integrating
language and content. White Plains, NY: Addison-Wesley Longman.
|
|
Figure 1
INTO |
THROUGH |
BEYOND |
| Oral review: How is the big bang theory
similar to popping popcorn? |
| TPR demonstration: The formation of
galaxies and the force of gravity |
| Sentence strip sequencing: The big bang
(part 1) |
| Jigsaw reading: The big bang (part 2) |
| Journal entry/quick write: How will the
world come to an end? |
| Chalkboard cluster: What do you already
know about the universe? |
| Poster design: Where are you in the
universe? |
|
| Visual demonstration: Building schema
using balloons |
| Hypothesis building: Open vs. closed
universe (post-it note activity) |
| Active listening: Hypothesis checking |
| Reading comprehension: Open vs. closed
universe |
| Vocabulary development: Finding synonyms |
| Guided summary: Open vs. closed universe |
| Poster design: Open vs. closed universe |
|
| Silent dialog: Spontaneous written debate
between two astronomers with opposing theories about the origins and the end of the
universe |
| Retrospective discussion: Review of
journal entry "How will the world come to an end?" |
| Creative writing: Creation myth plus
speculation on how this "world" will come to an end |
|
|
|
|
|
Figure 1. Overview of the activities accompanying "What is the Future of our
Universe?"
Footnote 1
| 1. Content in CBI most often takes the
form of a central reading passage or passages. However, since CBI by definition entails
the teaching of multiple skills, related listening, speaking, and writing tasks also need
to be planned into the CBI lesson framework. |
Footnote 2
| 2. The reading upon which these
activities are based was taken from a middle school science textbook. This content is
chosen for illustration purposes only. It is our hope that, assisted by the activities we
outline, teachers facing the challenge of CBI can apply the framework to their own content
materials to more effectively teach language through content. |
Appendix 1
Appendix 1: Jigsaw reading worksheets
The Big Bang Theory
Astronomers believe that the expanding universe is the result of
an enormous and powerful explosion called the Big Bang. The Big Bang theory may explain
how the universe formed. The Big Bang theory states that the universe began to expand with
the explosion of concentrated matter and energy and has been expanding ever since.
According to the theory, all the matter and energy in the universe was once concentrated
into a single place. This place, of course, was extremely hot and dense. Then some 15 to
20 billion years ago, an explosion-the Big Bang-shot the concentrated matter and energy in
all directions. The fastest moving matter traveled farthest away. Energy too, began moving
away from the area of the Big Bang.
If the Big Bang theory is correct, the energy left from the Big
Bang will be evenly spread out throughout the universe. This energy is known as background
radiation. And indeed, scientists have discovered that the background radiation is almost
the same throughout the entire universe. This constant background radiation is one
observation that supports the Big Bang theory.
After the initial Big Bang, the force of gravity began to affect
the matter racing outward in every direction. Gravity is a force of attraction between
objects. All objects have a gravitational attraction. This force of gravity began to pull
matter into clumps.
At some time, the clumps formed huge clusters of matter. These
clumps became the galaxies of the universe. But even as the galaxies were forming, the
matter inside the galaxies continued to race away from the area where the Big Bang had
occurred. And this is just what astronomers have discovered. All of the galaxies are
speeding away from the center of the universe. |
|
Maton, et al; Prentice Hall Science: Exploring the
Universe,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ:Prentice-Hall, Inc. © 1994, 1993.
Used by permission of the Publisher. |
|
The Big Bang Theory-Worksheet A
Task: Look in your science book on page 25 in the section titled
"The Big Bang Theory" to find the answer to these questions:
1. How many billions of years ago did the Big Bang happen?
_________________________________________
2. At the beginning of the universe, what was concentrated
in one place?
_________________________________________
3. What was it like in this place?
_________________________________________
4. What happened to the matter and energy in this place?
_________________________________________
5. Why is it important to know the Big Bang theory?
_________________________________________ |
|
The Big Bang Theory-Worksheet B
Task: Look in your science book on page 25 in the section titled
"The Big Bang Theory" to find the answer to these questions:
1. Where is the energy that is left after the Big Bang? What is it
called?
_________________________________________
2. What is gravity?
_________________________________________
3. What did gravity do to the matter left after the Big Bang?
_________________________________________
4. How were the galaxies formed?
_________________________________________
5. In what directions are the galaxies moving today?
_________________________________________ |
|
The Big Bang Theory-
Cooperative Summary Worksheet 3
Task: You and your partner have both read some information about the big
bang theory. Each one of you has different information. Use the information that you have
to complete the following summary of the big bang theory.
|
Astronomers believe _________________called the Big Bang formed the
universe. The Big Bang took place _________________years ago. At this time, all matter and
energy in the universe was located _________________. This place was very
_________________. Because of these conditions, the matter and energy in this place
_________________. The force of the _________________ caused matter and energy to
_________________. The fastest moving matter traveled the farthest. The energy left over
from the Big Bang _________________ and it is called _________________. After the Big
Bang, the force called _________________ began to affect the matter. It began to make the
matter form _________________. These clumps of matter formed what we now call
_________________. The galaxies kept on moving and even today they are moving in a
direction that is _________________ the center of the universe. |
|
|
|
|
Appendix 2
Appendix 2: Sample student poster
An Open Universe
Most astronomers feel that the Big Bang theory leads to two
possible futures for the universe. Perhaps the galaxies will continue racing outward. In
this case, the universe will continue to expand. Such a universe is called an open eternal
universe. But eternal does not mean "forever" when it comes to the universe. In
an open universe, the stars will eventually die off as the last of their energy is
released. So the future of an open universe is one in which there will be nothing left. An
open universe leads to total emptiness. But even if the universe is open, its end will not
occur for many billions of years.
A Closed Universe
Most astronomers do not feel that the universe will become an open
universe. They suspect that the gravitational attraction between the galaxies will one day
cause their movement away from each other to slow down. The expansion of the universe will
finally come to a halt. Then gravity will begin to pull the galaxies back toward the
center of the universe. When this happens, every galaxy will begin to show a blue shift in
its spectrum. Recall that a blue shift means that a galaxy is moving toward the Earth.
As the galaxies race back toward the center of the universe, the
matter and energy will again come closer and closer to the central area. After many
billions of years, all the matter and energy will once again be packed in to a small area.
This area may be no larger than the period at the end of this sentence. Then another big
bang will occur. The formation of a universe will begin all over again. A universe that
periodically expands and then contracts back on itself is called a closed universe. In a
closed universe, a big bang may occur once every 80 to 100 billion years.
Maton, et al; Prentice Hall Science: Exploring the
Universe,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ; Prentice-Hall, Inc. © 1994, 1993.
Used by permission of the Publisher. |
Appendix 3
Appendix 3: Open vs. Closed Universe
chalkboard layout |
Open Universe |
Closed Universe |
| The galaxies will move away from each other. |
The galaxies will move toward each other. |
| The universe will get bigger. |
The universe will get smaller. |
| The stars will lose their energy. |
The stars will keep their energy. |
| Eventually, the stars will die. |
Eventually, the stars will come together. |
| The result will be total emptiness. |
The result will be total togetherness. |
Appendix 4
Appendix 4: Reading comprehension guide
Task: Read through the section in your text about open and closed
universes. Then, circle the appropriate answer in the box next to each statement. |
|
Statement
1. The universe will continue to expand. |
Open Universe
yes no don't know |
Open Universe
yes no don't know |
| 2. Galaxies will continue moving away from the center of the
universe. |
yes no don't know
|
yes no don't know |
| 3. Stars will die. |
yes no don't know |
yes no don't know |
| 4. There will be total emptiness. |
yes no don't know
|
yes no don't know |
| 5. Another big bang will occur. |
yes no don't know |
yes no don't know |
|
Appendix 5
Appendix 5: Vocabulary development
Task: Turn to page 25 in your textbook. Find the synonyms (words or
phrases that mean the same as the words below) and write them in the space provided. |
|
Finding Synonym
|
|
|
guess ______________ get bigger _______________
move quickly ________ get smaller_______________
let go of ____________ nothing _________________
stop _______________ |
|
|
|
|
Appendix 6
Appendix 6: Guided summary
Task: Complete the guided summary using the new words you have learned in
this lesson. |
|
Guided Summary: Open and Closed Universes
|
When astronomers think about the future of the universe, they ___________ that the big
bang may lead to two possible futures. The first future is called the open universe. In
this case, scientists believe that the universe will continue to _____________ and that
the galaxies will continue to _____________ away from the center of the universe. But this
is not the end of this type of universe. Eventually, the stars will _____________ their
energy and die off. Eventually, there will be ________________. In the second possible
future, scientists believe that the expansion of the universe will ______________________
and that then the universe will begin to _____________. |
|
|
Appendix 7
Appendix 8: Sample silent dialog role cards
|
|
|
| Role card #1: You are an astronomer. You believe in an open
universe. Your colleague disagrees with you. You want to convince him/her of your view.
You begin the dialog! |
|
| Role card #2: You are an astronomer. You believe in a closed
universe. Your colleague disagrees with you. You want to convince him/her of your view. |
|
Appendix 8
Appendix 9: Sample creation myth |
|
The Great Cosmic Egg-Chinese Creation Myth
|
At first there was a great cosmic egg. Inside the egg was Chaos, and floating in Chaos
was P'an Ku, the Undeveloped, the divine Embryo. And P'an Ku burst out of the egg, four
times larger than any person today, with a hammer and a chisel in his hand. He used the
hammer and chisel to fashion the world. Two great horns grew out of his head; two long
tusks grew from his upper jaw, and he was covered with hair.
P'an Ku went to work at once, mightily, to put the world in order. He chiseled the land
and sky apart. He piled up the mountains on the earth and dug the valleys deep, and made
the rivers. He placed the sun and moon and stars in the sky; below he placed the four
seas. He taught people to build boats and showed them how to throw bridges over rivers,
and he told them the secrets of the previous stones. |
|
|
Back to Article
|
. |
. |