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  • A Teacher's Perspective: Science Talks

    Book Chapter |

    What are science talks? And what are the benefits of including them in the science curriculum? Mary Rizzuto, a science curriculum instructional specialist at the Needham Science Center in Needham, Massachusetts, shares…

  • Essay: Creating a Foundation Through Student Conversation

    Book Chapter |

    This essay discusses a pedagogical practice called Science talks. Science talks allow students to use their diverse language practices and life experience to understand scientific phenomena and allow teachers to see new…

  • Essay: What Is Culture?

    Book Chapter |

    What is culture? How does it figure into learning and teaching? What can educators do to make their classrooms sites of deep learning for all children? This essay examines the concept of culture, exploring how this…

  • Case Study: Using Students' Cultural Resources in Teaching

    Book Chapter |

    Teachers often want to incorporate their students’ cultural resources into the curriculum but do not know how. This case study describes what teachers participating in the Funds of Knowledge for Teaching Project, based…

  • A Teacher's Perspective: What Is Culture?

    Book Chapter |

    In her chapter, “What Is Culture?,” page 89, Norma González explains how the concept of culture has evolved historically and how it has affected education over time. As anthropologists continue to define culture in more…

  • Essay: Learning a Second Language

    Book Chapter |

    What challenges face students who are learning a second language at the same time as they are learning science? This essay considers some of the difficulties associated with learning to speak, read, and write in a…

  • Case Study: Using Two Languages to Learn Science

    Book Chapter |

    Often teachers ask their English language learners to confine themselves to using English as they explore ideas, frequently because the teacher does not know the child's first language. This case study tells the story…

  • A Teacher's Perspective: Learning a Second Language

    Book Chapter |

    In “Learning a Second Language,” page 107, Ellen Bialystok explains the ways in which reading a science text in a second language makes learning more challenging. She explains that language is the core of science…

  • Essay: Programs for Teaching English Language Learners

    Book Chapter |

    Today's K-12 American classrooms are rich with students from families of diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic backgrounds. An increasingly important dimension of diversity in contemporary schools is language…

  • A Teacher's Perspective: Programs for Teaching English Language Learners

    Book Chapter |

    In their essay, “Programs for Teaching English Language Learners,” page 129, Fred Genesee and Donna Christian take an in-depth look at some of the most frequently used educational approaches for teaching students who…

  • Essay: Creating Culturally Responsive Learning Communities

    Book Chapter |

    The population of the United States is more ethnically and racially diverse than ever, a fact particularly evident among young and school-age children. This presents today’s elementary schools—including teachers,…

  • A Teacher's Perspective: Creating Culturally Responsive Learning Communities

    Book Chapter |

    In their essay, “Creating Culturally Responsive Learning Communities,” page 151, Eugene García and Okhee Lee begin with the idea that human beings construct knowledge by “applying knowledge of previous concepts to the…

  • Essay: What Is Equity in Science Education?

    Book Chapter |

    Concerns about equity often influence and drive decision making by educators and policy makers. How do these concerns—and different understandings of equity itself—affect the quality and form of science instruction…

  • A Teacher's Perspective: What Is Equity in Science Education?

    Book Chapter |

    In his essay, “What is Equity in Science Education?,” page 167, Walter Secada challenges our understanding of equity by raising questions about how different meanings of equity can influence science education for…

  • Conclusion: Reconceptualizing Diversity in the Science Classroom

    Book Chapter |

    This book has discussed steps teachers can take toward reconceptualizing diversity as an intellectual strength in the science classroom. By way of closing, the authors outline a path for those interested in pushing…

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