William P. Bintz

Using Literature to Teach Measurement

This article reports on one instructional lesson that integrates literacy and mathematics. Specifically, it describes a lesson conducted in a fourth-grade classroom that integrates reading, writing, drawing, and literature to teach linear measurement to the inch and fractional measurement. The article begins with a rationale for integrating literacy and mathematics and shares a collection of literature that is based on major mathematical content strands according to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Then, the authors describe research that supports using literature to teach measurement and identify mathematics and literacy standards that are embedded in this lesson, describe materials and procedures used, and share samples of student work that resulted. The article ends with lessons learned from the experience.

Using Literature To Support Mathematical Thinking in Middle School.

As teacher educators, we spend considerable time working with preservice teachers in university classrooms and experienced teachers in professional development workshops on ways to use literature to support mathematical thinking in middle schools (grades 4-8). This work not only reflects our professional backgrounds (Bintz—Reading/Language Arts; Moore— Mathematics) and personal interests (integrated curriculum), but, more importantly, is based on a recurring dilemma that can best be described through the voices of two composite middle school teachers: Short stories can help clarify math concepts. PHOTO BY DOUG MARTIN

Using Copy Change With Trade Books to Teach Earth Science

Developing and implementing relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory curriculum is critical at all levels of schooling. This article describes one attempt to develop and implement an instance of interdisciplinary curriculum by using copy change with trade books to teach earth science. Specifically, it introduces trade books as a way to integrate science and literacy and address national science and literacy content standards. It also describes using copy change to teach earth science in a fifth-grade classroom and shares samples of student work that resulted from this engagement. It ends with reflections of the experience and final thoughts for integrating science and literacy at all levels of schooling.

Questioning Techniques of Fifth and Sixth Grade Reading Teachers.

Asking questions is a powerful way for students to learn. They use questions as a “pathway to wandering and wondering” (Ciardiello, 2003, p. 228) and as a tool to turn confusing curriculum into meaningful learning. In this way, “student generated questions may lead to more demanding study, particularly when the prescribed curriculum is too often preoccupied with answers to questions young adolescents never ask” (National Middle School Association, 2003, p. 20). Asking questions is also a powerful way for teachers to learn. We are asking two questions: What is going on in the name of reading instruction in the transition between fifth and sixth grades? To what extent are questioning techniques in reading instruction consistent across these grade levels? We ask these questions because students often experience difficulty making a successful transition from elementary (fifth grade) to middle school (sixth grade), as well as declining interest and decreasing success in reading achievement during this time (Bintz, 1997). Our questions come from personal experience. Recently, one of us (Lynne) visited several fifth grade classrooms to observe what was going on in the name of reading instruction at this level. In one class students were studying the Revolutionary War and had just completed a topical unit on the Boston Tea Party. Lynne observed a reading lesson and afterwards talked with students. She asked: What do you now know about the Boston Tea Party? She received answers similar to the following: “Well, a bunch of Indians dumped tea in the water” or “the Americans decided one day that they did not like tea and threw it in the water.” Later, Lynne interviewed the teacher about the unit and the lesson. The teacher stated: “Well, I thought the unit went well. I also think the students understood important events of the Boston Tea Party because they gave correct responses to all the questions I asked in class.” Lynne and I were puzzled. How could students answer teacher questions correctly during class but could not substantively answer Lynne’s question after class? We decided to conduct an action research (Donahue, Van Tassell, & Patterson, 1996; Hubbard & Power, 1993) project investigating the questioning Questioning Techniques of Fifth and Sixth Grade Reading Teachers

Hand-Clap Songs Across the Curriculum

This teaching tip focuses on using hand-clapping to teach content area material across the curriculum. We begin with a brief history of hand-clap songs, followed by a rationale for using them in content area literacy. Then, we describe the instructional lesson, share samples that resulted, and discuss lesson extensions. Our goal is to have participating teachers engage in and learn from activities like the one instructional lesson provides. Our hope is that other teachers across grade levels and content areas will adopt or adapt this lesson to help their own students use hand-clap songs to learn content material across the curriculum.

Paired texts: A way into the content area

Abstract Finding materials to help students make connections is difficult for many teachers across all grade levels. Traditionally, the textbook is the primary resource for instruction. Textbooks, however, do not naturally support students in making connections across texts. To do this, teachers must find other resources. Finding other resources is particularly important at this time because many teachers are becoming increasingly aware of the need for students to learn how to make connections across texts. Teachers feel a sense of urgency because of the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010). One standard in particular requires that students should be able to analyze two or more texts for a variety of purposes: to build knowledge, examine similarities and differences in the approaches authors take, and make connections between themes and topics, events, and characters of texts. This process of making connections between and across texts is often referred to as intertextuality. During the intertextual process, readers make connections with past readings, prior ideas, and previous literary experiences to construct an evolving text (Chi, 2012). In other words, intertextuality posits that no text ever stands alone; rather, every text is connected to other texts. The challenge is this: How can teachers teach intertextuality? How can teachers help students make connections across texts and also across content areas? This article presents lessons learned from our collaborative inquiry project into the world of intertextuality.

What Is Literacy for? A Critical Perspective

Last year I was a Visiting Lecturer in the Aboriginal Studies Program at Armidale C.A.E. Before lectures began, I was invited by the College to a dinner honoring recently graduated Aboriginal students. At that dinner a number of graduates were introduced and invited to comment about their experiences in tertiary education. As each graduate spoke, it became apparent that many had shared similar experiences. For instance, many confided that they were initially very apprehensive about enrolling in formal schooling. Their apprehension was due to a sense of self-doubt as to whether they were willing to make the necessary sacrifices, as well as to a shared premonition that, as one student commented, “for most Aboriginal people, going through formal schooling is like taking a journey into the unknown.”

Learning through Hallmark People in the content areas

Abstract This article shares aspects to consider when designing and implementing content area instruction through the study of people. It begins with a description of an inquiry that investigated students’ learning with the use of authentic literature and meaningful writing in social studies, and then extends to a discussion of how to apply these same instructional principles across content areas. To extend, it discusses texts and learning experiences to consider when creating curriculum centered on people.

Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Using Poetry to Integrate Reading and Writing across the Curriculum.

Abstract This article describes results from a research project in which graduate education students from multiple content areas used an instructional strategy, centered on poetry, to integrate reading and writing across the curriculum. It discusses the importance of integrated curriculum and highlights the metaphorical tug-of-war between interdisciplinary and disciplinary views of curriculum. Next, it provides the theoretical lens used in this research project and discusses how integrated curriculum benefits middle level students and teachers in numerous and complex ways. Third, it describes the research project and instructional strategy and shares samples of and reflections on poems that resulted from this strategy. It ends with lessons learned and poses next steps.

Hybrid Text: An Engaging Genre to Teach Content Area Material across the Curriculum.

The Common Core State Standards for English language arts expect that teachers will use narrative and informational texts to teach content area material across the curriculum. However, many teachers at all grade levels struggle to incorporate both kinds of text, especially given the vast amount of specialized content they are required to teach. The purpose of this article is to introduce hybrid text as an engaging genre that artfully integrates narrative and informational text and teaches content area material across the curriculum. It begins by situating hybrid text within the Common Core Anchor Standards for Reading. Next, it describes how hybrid texts can integrate narrative and informational text. Then, it identifies several design features and discusses potentials of hybrid text. It ends by sharing suggested hybrid texts that teachers can use to teach mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts.