The Expert and The Novice Activity
Shift
Foster Interaction and Output
Strategy
Academic Conversations
Activity
The Expert and the Novice
Notes for Applicants
Grade Level
Bands
K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12
Proficiency
Level(s)
WIDA​- CPL 2-5;
TX ​- TBD
CA​- TBD
NY​- TBD
Focus
Domain(s)
Speaking​
, Listening
Objective
Students develop speaking and listening proficiency as
they explain a task or concept and respond to a peer.
Grouping
Partners
Materials
Content/language scaffolds as needed (anchor charts,
sentence frames, word banks, etc)
Description
Teacher
Actions
Students take turns being The Expert and The Novice.
The Expert’s role is to ​explain or teach the Novice​about a
classroom procedure, academic concept or even
academic vocabulary that has been studied. The Novice’s
role is to be a ​purposeful listener and to ask questions​
.
The teacher should s​et clear expectations​for both the
Expert and Novice task. Depending on grade level and
language proficiency, there should be a
​ mple supports
available​- anchor chart, sentence frames, word banks
and other visuals. This can be used as a review or even a
Quick Check!
Before Lesson
➢ Select specific ​learning objectives​you want the
students to teach each other and p
​ ost them​for all to
see.
During Lesson
➢ Place students into partners.
➢ Define and model​for students what it looks and
sounds like to be an Expert and to be a Novice.
➢ Explain that this isn’t a test; it’s an opportunity to be
a teacher!
➢ Direct students to begin and then​circulate the room​,
© 2015, Ellevation, LLC.
Activity Overview Includes
- All grade level and
language proficiency bands
activity would benefit,
separated by semi-colon
-All domains that would
benefit, the primary listed
first and bolded
-A one sentence clear
objective linked to strategy
-All possible student
groupings
-Necessary materials
Activity Description
-A concise paragraph that
summaries both teacher and
student steps
-May include vital
modifcations for grade or
language levels
Teacher Actions
- Separated by before and
during the lesson
-No more than 8 bullet points
-Include steps that are
necessary for English
language learners
helping students as needed.
➢ After the set amount of time, get students attention
and ask them to s​hare successes and struggles.
➢ Direct students to switch roles; circulate the room
again.
➢ After set time is up, get students attention for the
final time and continue class discussion about
successes and struggles as well as content learning.
Student
Actions
Evidence of
Success
Watch Out!
Quick Tips
Primary
Grade Level
Details
➢ Plan what language to use and use any resources
that will help.
➢ Take the role seriously ○ Expert​
: Teach your partner and try to use
Expert words.
○ Novice​- ask important questions using
Question Words.
➢ Be positive! Help your partner and share what he/she
did well!
➢ Ask for help if you need it. Write things down if that
helps.
➢ Help the class by sharing anything that went well or
was hard.
➢ Students are having p
​ urposeful discussions​about
the content or task and are using or attempting to
use academic language.
➢ Students are ​willing to share​the challenges and
successes of the activity.
➢ Be cautious of the ​tone​you set - this can be a high
anxiety task for some students. If they don’t feel
successful they won’t take it seriously.
➢ Consider the linguistic demands of the task - are
there sufficient ​supports available​for students to
use? These could be interactive notebooks, sentence
stems, vocabulary books.
➢ If students are silent and not following directions
they probably don’t have the confidence, language
or content knowledge necessary. B
​ ack up and
reteach​or give more supports.
➢ For students with lower language languages:
○ provide Question Words for The Novice
○ provide sentence stems for The Expert
➢ Consider allowing s​tudents prep time​
: 3-5 minutes to
prepare by jotting down notes.
➢ If students are excelling, pause the class and have
them ​model​for all. It builds confidence and will help
struggling students.
➢ This activity could be called The Teacher and The
Student.
➢ To teach this activity consider using a non-academic
© 2015, Ellevation, LLC.
Student Actions
-Contain active verbs
-Include thinking and
planning steps
-Could be given directly to
students if teacher chose to
Evidence of Success
-Are linked to student
language objectives and
behaviors
Watch Out!
-Points out common
mistakes teachers might
make with ELLs
-Has solutions or
suggestions
-No more than 3
Quick Tips
-Address ways for teachers
to improve lesson
-Seeks to clarify or extend
activity
-Contains 1-3 tips
task - rather try it with a classroom or school
procedure such as lining up, making lunch choice,
etc.
➢ Model, model, model!
Secondary
Grade Level
Details
Other
Resources
Similar
Activities
Content
Adaptation
Example 1
(Select the
subject and
grade bands
you’re
writing for)
➢ Work with students to co-construct definitions and
examples of Expert and Novice.
➢ Consider the first time using this activity in your
classroom to be around a short non-academic task getting a late pass, going through the lunch line, etc.
➢ Consider creating a rubric for students to score each
other or to self-reflect.
➢ Set a goal for how many academic words or
sentences you expect the students to use.
External Resources and
Extensions
Jeff Zwiers
Edweek Blog with Tips
6th Grade Example
Additional Materials
Question Words
Poster/Handout
Math
ELA
Science
Social Studies
K-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Other Resources
-External links that would
enhance teacher
understanding or lesson
implementation
​Content Area:​Math, Skip Counting by
Content Objective:​Students will able to explain how to
skip count by 5s and 10s to 100 using a 100s chart.
Language Objective:​Students will be able to use general
content language and speak in phrases or complete
sentences.
➢ Teacher should model how to be The Expert and
teach someone how to skip count by 2s using a
hundreds chart.
➢ Teacher will stop and “think aloud” the indicators of
success and either write or have posted important
language to use. This might include- ​even, odd, ones
place, tens place.
➢ Next, teacher will model how to ask questions as The
Novice. Relevant question words such as w
​ hy, how,
when a
​ nd w
​ hat​should be posted or handed out to
students.
© 2015, Ellevation, LLC.
-Provide specific tips or
modifications to simplify or
extend activity as
developmentally appropriate
-Additional Materials are
click-and-print for classroom
use
Jigsaw, Inside-Outside Circle, Line Up
Grade Level:​1st
5s and 10s
Grade Level Details
Content Example
-Contains specific grade level
and content area
-Details clear content and
language objectives
-Explains more specific steps
with clear vocabulary and
instructional material examples
➢ Teacher places students into groups, and students or
teacher assign who will be the Expert first and who
will be the Novice. Hundreds charts or number lines
should be available for all students to use.
➢ Students begin with the first Expert. They teach the
Novice how to skip count by either 5 or 10 and go as
high as they can.
➢ The Novice then asks at least one question of the
Expert about skip counting by that number.
➢ Students switch roles, with the former Novice
becoming the Expert and vice versa. The exercise is
repeated.
➢ Teacher listens to different groups. If some are
struggling, point out language and math scaffolds
that can help. Consider pausing the class and having
a group with success model for the class. Highlight
and share quality questions.
➢ Teacher brings the class together to quickly discuss
the language and content that was used in the
activity.
© 2015, Ellevation, LLC.
Rubric for Activities
Criteria for Success
Grade Level Bands &
Proficiency Level(s)
Common Mistakes
● Appropriate and instructionally valuable, either WIDA or
another state known to applicant
● Not developmentally appropriate or realistic for
implementation
● Appropriate and instructionally valuable
● Not linguistically appropriate or realistic for
implementation
Objective
● One clear sentence
● Contains explicit language function
● Too long or too short
● Spelling or grammatical errors
● Has no active verb for language function
Grouping
● Lists all valuable scenarios, starting with best
● One clear sentence
● Contains explicit language function
Materials
● Necessary for activity
● Missing vital or contains unnecessary
● 3-5 clear sentences
● Contains explicit function of Shift and Strategy
● Too lengthy or too short
● Unclear of educator expectations or disconnected
explanation
● Has no clear function of Shift or Strategy
Teacher Actions
● Maximum of 8 points, each with one step or two
connected steps
● Delineates any before and during
● Indicates places for linguistic modification
● Provides clear expectations for instructional value of the
activity
● Too vague or confusing - doesn't account for needs of
ELLS
● Each bullet point is too long and looks like a paragraph
● Omits steps because it’s assumed known
Student Actions
● No more than 5 per activity
● Each bullet point has one clear step
● Are clear enough that they could be communicated or
given directly to the student
● Suggests areas for modification for language needs
● Too vague or confusing
● Each bullet point is too wordy and looks like a
paragraph
● Focuses on student outcomes rather than student
actions
● Uses overly complex language
● One or two objectives linked to student performance,
affect, language or content growth
● Talks about higher order outcomes rather than the
original objective of the activity
Focus Domain(s)
Description
Evidence of Success
© 2015, Ellevation, LLC.
Watch Out!
● A few clear points that will draw the teacher’s attention
to ELL specific needs - emotional, linguistic or academic
● Empowering/enlightening, not critical
● Makes assumptions about teacher’s ELL knowledge or
linguistic knowledge
● Focuses on challenges of the activity or that account
for students’ linguistic needs; not content challenges
Quick Tips
● 1-3 additional points to extend or modify
● Appeals to both majority of classes and exceptions
● Tips are disconnected to the implementation of the
lesson
● Tips are confusing or too wordy
Primary Grade Level
Considerations
● Considers and explains developmentally appropriate
instructional needs with at least one clear modification
● May suggest way to introduce or implement for
younger audience
● Change the essential nature of the activity
● Leave teacher with more questions that ideas
Secondary Grade
Level Considerations
● Considers and explains developmentally appropriate
instructional needs with at least one clear modification
● May suggest way to extend activity
● Too content specific
● Change the essential nature of the activity
● Leave teacher with more questions than ideas
External Extensions
● Research-based, instructionally sound sources
● Provides background knowledge, lesson plan or
example to deepen understanding and impact
● Poor formatting of external source
● Requires subscription or only has free trial
● Requires more than one click to access, or requires
scrolling through a web page to find
Additional Resources
● Describes at least one specific “Grab and Go”
resource- graphic organizer, poster, video, etc.
Similar Activities
● 2-4 similar Activities (likely known by name only)
● Disconnected
● Explains in depth how the activity would play out in a
specific grade level and content area
● Provides clear examples of vocabulary and/or
processes
● Lacks specificity
● Not developmentally or linguistically appropriate
Content Examples
Additional Media
© 2015, Ellevation, LLC.
● Links to relevant and helpful free source media
● Vague or over-generalized
● Not visually appealing
● Media is too lengthy, too short or difficult to access