E.L. Achieve Symposia 2016
Beyond Sentence Frames:
Academic Language for Life
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Symposium webpage:
http://www.elachieve.org/symposium.html
Who’s at Your Table?
n Introduce yourself to others at your table
n Share your name, district, and role
n Share a favorite academic word!
§ brick word: tangent, iconoclastic; OR
§ mortar word: whereas, penultimate
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E.L. Achieve Symposia 2016
Session Objectives
n  Reflect on different types of language
supports and their specific purposes
n  Determine an appropriate language
pattern for a given task
n  Review the purposes of structured
student talk and identify appropriate
routines for the purposes within the
lesson
Agenda
n  Welcome and Introduction
n  Language Patterns Sort
n  Theoretical to Practical
n  Creating Effective Language Patterns
n  Language Patterns in SST Routines
n  Reflection and Next Steps
Constructing Meaning
Refining Our Practice
1. Backward Design
Design instruction that
addresses the cognitive
and linguistic demands
required to meet the
student learning goal.
2. Language as Part
of Content Teaching
3. Structured
Student Talk
Teach both content
‘brick’ and functional
‘mortar’ throughout
instruction.
Structure peer
interaction for students
to use the target
language in the goal.
4. Interactive Reading
and Note-making
Use comprehension
strategies and notemaking tools to increase
student independence.
5. Academic Writing
Support
6. Assessment to
Refine Instruction
Provide tools and
facilitate processes that
support students in
producing complex text.
Assessment results
inform instructional
next steps to support
student learning.
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E.L. Achieve Symposia 2016
What’s Your Experience?
n  Are language supports always
beneficial for students? When can
they become a hindrance?
n  Discuss key considerations teachers
should follow so that language
supports are helpful.
Language Pattern Sort
1.  Form a pair or trio with people at your table
2.  Sort the frames into categories that your group
determines
- Choose any categories with this exception:
do NOT sort them by language function
3.  Discuss your group strategy and rationale for why
certain frames belong in each category
4.  Combine with another group to share and discuss
the categories
5.  Whole-group debrief
Understanding Language Patterns
A sewing pattern is a
suggestion of one person’s
idea of how to create an article
of clothing. With practice, one
can modify the pattern to
create something with a
different size, shape, and style
to better match the occasion
and audience.
Language patterns are a resource that students
can internalize and modify to fit their purposes.
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E.L. Achieve Symposia 2016
Ways We Teach Language Patterns
n 
Sentence Frames
Both __ and __ have __.
n 
Sentence Stems
After the experiment, we
concluded that …
n 
Signal Words
Due to, / Consequently,
n 
Drafting Templates
The goal of these resources is
the internalization and flexible,
fluent use of target language.
True Sentence Frames Teach Patterns
They are not:
They are:
•  fill in the blank
•  open-ended,
more than one
possible answer
•  too specific to
the task
•  rigid
•  portable across
content areas
•  flexible
Characteristics of
Constructing Meaning Language Patterns
n  High leverage – useful language that
students will regularly encounter and use in
academic discourse (avoid esoteric terms)
n  Portable – used across contexts
n  Flexible – multiple options are given, and
students are shown how to modify the
pattern to fit their needs
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E.L. Achieve Symposia 2016
One Criteria at a Time… Improve These Patterns
n  With a partner, critique the provided
language patterns using the criteria
shared.
§ high leverage, portable, flexible
n  Listen to the example and modify the
language patterns as needed. We will
debrief each criteria as a whole group.
n  Be prepared to share your modifications
and why you made them.
One Criteria at a Time… Improve These Patterns
With a partner, read
through the Sample
Student Response and
the language patterns
provided.
The language patterns
were intentionally written
so that they could be
improved using the three
criteria.
We will examine the
patterns for each criteria
separately.
Sample Response #1
Sample Student Response
While plant cells and animal cells have many similarities, they also have important
differences. Both types of cells have the following organelles in common: a nucleus,
ribosomes, mitochondria, and Golgi apparatus. Also, although both cells have a cell
membrane, only plant cells have a cell wall. Furthermore, animal cells don’t use
photosynthesis, ergo, they don’t have the essential organelle for that process,
chloroplasts. Another distinction is that plant cells often have one large vacuole while
animal cells usually have many small vacuoles or none at all.
Sample Language Patterns - Are the language patterns:
•
High leverage – useful language that students will regularly encounter and use in
academic discourse (avoid esoteric terms)?
•
Portable – used across contexts?
•
Flexible – multiple options given and students are shown how to modify the pattern to fit
their needs?
Revise the sentence frames below as needed to meet the above criteria.
1. Both types of cells have __________________________ in common: __________________________.
2. Although both cells have _______________________ , only plant cells have ____________________.
3. Furthermore, ________________________ don’t use _____________________ , ergo, they don’t
have ____________________________.
4. Another distinction is that plant cells often have one __________________________ while animal
cells usually have many small ________________________ or none at all.
High-Leverage Language
n  Useful – Words and/or syntax that students
will regularly encounter and need to use in
academic discourse
n  Authentic – Would you say it this way when
speaking or writing in an academic register?
n  Not esoteric –
Don’t teach the sequence word ‘penultimate’ (which
is a fun word that I love) until students have mastered
more common academic terms such as ‘initially’
and ‘subsequently’
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E.L. Achieve Symposia 2016
How did you make it high leverage?
n  Briefly discuss any changes you made
to create high-leverage language
patterns.
n  Be prepared to share your
modifications and rationale.
Portable Language
n  Functional language – Is it based on a
language function that students can use in
other circumstances?
n  No bricks – Model how the pattern works
using appropriate brick terms, but give them
the broad pattern as a language resource.
n  Open ended – Is there more than one way to
create a sentence using the pattern?
§ … even in another lesson or content area?
Portability – Cross-Content Check
n  Meet with another table group that worked
on a different content area example.
n  Try to use your language patterns to talk
about their content. Then switch roles.
n  Adapt your language patterns as needed to
make them usable for both content areas.
n  Be prepared to share changes and
rationale.
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Flexible Use of Language
n  Horizontal choice – provide multiple
language patterns to offer variety
n  Vertical choice – provide language
patterns at multiple proficiency levels,
considering your students
n  Metalinguistic awareness – model how
to modify the patterns and create new
patterns in order to adequately express
ideas in a way appropriate to the context
Flexibility – Think-Write-Pair-Square
n  Reflecting on your own students, are these
language patterns at the right level of
language proficiency?
n  Will these patterns help students develop
their academic language to the next level?
n  If the patterns’ proficiency level is too high or
too low, how would you change them?
n  Discuss changes with your partner and then
share ideas with another group at your table.
The Purpose of
Constructing Meaning Language Patterns
n  It is NOT to get students through the current
assignment.
n  It is to give students new language choices over
which they can take ownership and use the rest
of their lives in school, work, and social settings.
n  The goal is to support college and career
readiness by giving students practice entering
into academic discourse.
Teachers should explain the purpose so that students
will think critically about their language choices.
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E.L. Achieve Symposia 2016
Crafting Effective
Language Patterns
Craft Your Own Language Patterns
With a new partner, read
through the Student
Learning Goal, Sample
Student Response, and
Brick terms provided.
Create language patterns
for this lesson and write
them in the Mortar
section.
Social Studies
Task Analysis for Language Production
Student Learning Goal – For what content and language will students be held accountable?
Students will write a cause and effect paragraph about the causes that led to the
Dust Bowl period of the Great Plains in the United States during the 1930’s.
Sample Student Response – What do you expect students to say and/or write?
There were many reasons that led to the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s. Because of many
years of drought and strong winds, the topsoil/dirt blew away. Clouds of dust filled
the sky and blocked out the sun. The farmers also plowed up the prairie to plant more
wheat to help feed the soldiers during World War One. As a result, the prairie grasses
were no longer there to hold the soil in place. This caused erosion since there was no
moisture left in the soil. Crops dried up and blew away, trees and animals died,
because there was no food or water. The effects of the drought devastated farmers.
Consequently, many families moved to California to look for work and start over.
Function – Which language function(s) will students be expected to use?
! Cause and Effect
" Compare and Contrast
" Description and Elaboration
" Proposition and Support
" Sequencing
Bricks – What content-specific language will students be expected to know and use?
Use the mortar in the
Sample Student
Response as a starting
place.
Dust Bowl, drought, soil/ topsoil, prairie, plowed, erosion, moisture, crops, devastated
Mortar – What functional words and phrases will students be expected to know and use?
Craft Your Own Language Patterns
n  Move to a corner of the room to join one of the four
groups by content area:
§  ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies
n  Read through the mostly completed Task Analysis.
n  With a new partner, create language patterns and
write them in the blank Mortar section.
n  Use the language in the sample student response
as a starting place.
Be sure your language resources are:
High Leverage Portable
Flexible
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Give One, Get One
n  Meet with another pair working in the same
content area to share your language patterns.
n  Check that the language patterns meet the
three guidelines.
n  Add one of their language patterns to your
Task Analysis.
n  At the signal, meet with a different pair in your
content area and repeat the steps above.
Give One, Get One Cross Content
n  Meet with a pair working in a different
content area to share your language
patterns.
n  Check that the language patterns meet the
three guidelines – with a focus on portability.
n  Add one of their language patterns to your
Task Analysis.
n  Return to your original table to debrief this
section.
Structured Student Talk
Skill 3
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E.L. Achieve Symposia 2016
Constructing Meaning
Refining Our Practice
1. Backward Design
Design instruction that
addresses the cognitive
and linguistic demands
required to meet the
student learning goal.
4. Interactive Reading
and Note-making
Use comprehension
strategies and notemaking tools to increase
student independence.
2. Language as Part
of Content Teaching
3. Structured
Student Talk
Teach both content
‘brick’ and functional
‘mortar’ throughout
instruction.
Structure peer
interaction for students
to use the target
language in the goal.
5. Academic Writing
Support
6. Assessment to
Refine Instruction
Provide tools and
facilitate processes that
support students in
producing complex text.
Assessment results
inform instructional
next steps to support
student learning.
Now that we have created strong language
patterns for this lesson … n  How do we include them in the lesson
sequence?
n  Where do we put them and how do
students practice the language?
Let’s commit this to memory!
Tab 1-4
Ensure each student
practices target
language multiple
times throughout
every lesson.
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E.L. Achieve Symposia 2016
Know Your Purpose
n  Consider the purpose for interactive
activities. It may be for:
§ Fluency: Getting “miles on the tongue”
§ Flexibility: Putting sentences together in
different ways to express different ideas
§ Depth: Supporting conversations to
elaborate and grow ideas
§ Shine: Collecting assessment data
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Structured Student Talk
Throughout a CM Lesson
n  Building Background Knowledge
§  SST purposes are fluency and flexibility
§  More sharing than collaborating
§  Example routine: Give One, Get One
n  Learning the Material
§  SST purpose is depth of understanding
§  More collaborating than sharing
§  Example routine: Numbered Heads Together
This is one
possible lesson
sequence and
use of routines.
However, there
are many
different lesson
structures, and
routines can be
modified for
other purposes.
n  Closing the Lesson (Lesson Task)
§  SST purpose is to shine (assessment)
§  Example routine: Trading Cards
Complete the Lesson Summary
Review the partially
completed lesson
summary.
Social Studies Lesson
Lesson Learning Goal
Students will write a cause and effect paragraph about the causes that led to the Dust Bowl
period of the Great Plains in the United States during the 1930’s.
Text(s) (if applicable)
The Black Blizzards
Activating/ Building Background Knowledge
How will the lesson be introduced? What are the opportunities to link to prior knowledge or build necessary background? What explicit
language instruction is needed to prepare students for the lesson task? What student talk routines are included?
Decide which language
patterns to provide at the
various stages of the
lesson.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Introduce background information about
geography and historical context of the
Dust Bowl.
Explain to students that they will be reading to
find out the causes and the effects of the Dust
Bowl.
Have students make predictions of what they
think the cause and effects of the dust storms
were. Have students create a list of predictions
at each table of causes and effects.
Introduce vocabulary: Post and review essential
Brick vocabulary.
What Structured Student Talk Routine(s) would you use (label the
purpose)? What mortar language would you provide?
Learning the Material
How will students be engaged in learning the key material for this lesson? How will they be supported in comprehending any reading? What
additional explicit language instruction is needed? What student talk routines are included?
Choose a SST routine
with the appropriate
purpose for each stage
of the lesson.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Introduce text and cause and effect graphic organizer.
Use the Think Aloud strategy to read the first
paragraph and fill in the graphic organizer.
Student pairs read paragraphs 2, 3, 4 and 5,
completing the graphic organizer after each
paragraph.
Use the Think Aloud strategy to read the last
paragraph and complete the graphic organizer.
Review the information from the text. Have
students retell key information.
Revisit brick vocabulary from The Black
Blizzards.
What Structured Student Talk Routine(s) would you use (label the
purpose)? What mortar language would you provide?
Closing the Lesson (Lesson task)
How will students independently complete the lesson task? How will student reflect on their progress toward the lesson goal?
10. Students will use the taught bricks and mortar to
write a cause and effect paragraph about the Dust
Bowl era of the 1930’s.
What Structured Student Talk Routine(s) would you use (label the
purpose)? What mortar language would you provide?
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E.L. Achieve Symposia 2016
Complete the Lesson Summary
n  In your group, review the partially completed
lesson summary.
n  Decide which language patterns to provide at the
various stages of the lesson.
n  Choose a SST routine students will use to practice
the target content and language at each stage.
n  Note any modifications to the routines necessary
to match the purpose at that stage of the lesson.
Be sure to match the routine to the purpose:
Fluency Flexibility Depth Shine
Collaborate on a Lesson Poster
n  Meet with another pair/trio in your same content
area.
n  Compare your work from the previous step
explaining the rationale for the choices.
n  Using the combined ideas from the group,
modify the lesson to create a poster with the
new consensus lesson sequence.
Include the names of the SST routines
and at least four language patterns.
Collaborative Poster
!
!
Topic:!Causes of the Great Depression!
Lesson/
Section/
SST/Routine/
Grade:!11th!
Purpose(s)/
Description/
!
!
!
!
1./Building/
Background/
Knowledge/
Think, Write,
Pair, Share!
Fluency,
Flexibility
/
!
Students brainstorm events
from previous units that
connect to the Great
Depression
!
2./Leaning/the/ Give One,
Get One
Material/
Depth
!
!
!
3./Closing/the/
Lesson/
Trading
Cards
Shine
!
!
!
Language/patterns/provided:/
!
!
Students share information to
complete a jigsaw about
various causes using notes
from reading
!
Students read their final
paragraph to other students
and listen to paragraphs of
their peers.
!
1. One reason ______ was because of ______.
2. ______ caused / led to / contributed to ______.
3. A critical factor leading to ______ was ______.
4. As a result / Ultimately, ______.
Notes:!
(!Do!we!need!to!provide!a!list!of!SST!routines?!
(!Do!I!need!to!provide!an!example!poster!that!doesn’t!use!C!&!E?!
(!If!I!show!them!C!&!E,!do!I!need!to!‘hide’!the!language!frames!part!after!I!model!it?!
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Gallery Walk
n  Stroll around the room with your group.
n  When examining a poster from the same content
lesson, look for similarities and differences
compared to your own poster.
n  When examining a different lesson, look for the
variety of routines used and the portability of the
language support across content areas.
n  Be prepared to share your insights with the whole
group.
Practice the Language Throughout a CM Lesson
n  High leverage – useful language that
students will regularly encounter and use
in academic discourse (avoid esoteric
terms)
n  Portable – used across contexts
n  Flexible – multiple options are given, and
students are shown how to modify the
pattern to fit their needs
Reflection and Closing
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E.L. Achieve Symposia 2016
2016 Symposium
Learning and Leading: Refining Our Practice
Session 2: ____________________________
Learning
What key points do I want to remember? How does this help me move my practice forward?
Session 1: Closing Reflection
Leading
How does this support me in being a leader for my team? How can I contribute these ideas to the District Plan?
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[email protected]
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