Strength in Numbers: 3rd & 4th Grade Science

Lesson Objective:

According to the New Jersey Learning Standards (NJSLS) for both science and language arts, students between second and fourth grade are expected to consistently build their vocabulary and use these terms to draw conclusions about the world around them. With regards to science subjects, this involves decoding increasingly complex vocabulary related to ecology and using it to classify different organisms. For students with dyslexia, the process of absorbing this new vocabulary, especially unfamiliar multisyllabic words, can be a more difficult process. At the same time, facing these academic challenges, many dyslexic children struggle to establish healthy self-esteem and appreciate their diversity.

As a result, this project aims to support students in developing effective strategies to decode and draw conclusions with science vocabulary while also building their self-esteem through a lesson about biodiversity. Specifically, this activity targets continued NJSLS learning goals with regard to 

• Making observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats. (Science: 2-LS4-1)

• Recalling information from experiences or gathering information from provided sources to answer a question. (ELA: W.2.8 - 2-LS4-1)

Knowing and applying grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding and encoding unfamiliar multisyllabic words (ELA: RF3.3 & RF4.3)

Materials:

1. Vocabulary flashcards

2. Animal cards

3. Biome backgrounds

4. Coloring materials (see minimum needed colors below)

5. Scissors

6. Glue/tape

Set-Up (for Parents and Teachers) and Pre-Activity:

Pre-Activity

1. It is recommended to start with a preliminary lesson on types of animals/biomes in categories described to provide more context for the activity

2. Introduce the idea of diversity:

1. Write the word “DIVERSITY” on a piece of paper 

2. Guide your child to pronounce the word correctly by:

1. Segmenting it into syllables

2. Highlighting/underlining the syllables 

3. Slowly pronouncing the word

3. Have a short prefatory conversation about the meaning of diversity:

1. Ask your child what they think the word means or what they may have heard of it

2. Do they think diversity is important? How so?

3. Ask them to think of examples of diversity in their own life - In what ways might you be unique from others around you? How does that make you feel?

3. Note that this activity involves some more difficult vocabulary; check in with your child and consider using one of the Mini-Meditation activities by the Paper Girls Show to prepare for the activity

1. “I am as Strong as a Tree” - for strength and resiliency

1. “Being Calm and Present” - for slowing down and taking in the moment

Set Up

1. Print and cut out the vocabulary flashcards (print double-sided so front and back automatically correspond to matching terms and definition)

1. Note that there are a lot of words provided; use as many as necessary to classify organisms and build vocabulary. It is recommended to just choose some of these words or to start with a few and build on them so as not to make the lesson feel overwhelming

2. Print and cut out the animal cards and biome backgrounds and gather needed coloring materials

Activity:

1. Use flashcards to learn vocabulary

1. Go through each word with the student slowly using a similar process as before

1. Sound out the term by segmenting it into syllables

2. Use markers or highlighters to visually separate these syllables (underlining, boxing, etc.)

3. Once they are able to pronounce the word correctly, turn the card over and slowly work through understanding the definition, using the image provided as a visual aid

2. When coming across the word “biodiversity,” - be sure to highlight that the word “diversity” is included

2. Use the Animal Cards to group the animals into types

1. Group organisms into types of animals using vocabulary/previous lesson about types of animals (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, invertebrates)

2. Color the border of the animal card according to their classification:

1. Mammals → red

2. Amphibians → orange

3. Fish → blue

4. Reptiles → green

5. Birds → purple

6. Invertebrates → yellow

3. Refer back to the flashcards as needed to reinforce the vocabulary

4. Note that the emphasis is on phonics (being able to decode and pronounce the words properly) as well as drawing conclusions (using working memory skills to classify) rather than memorizing the names of animals

5. Check-in with your student and take a brain break when needed! Consider one of the following amazing breathing activities!

1. 5 Finger Breathing 

2. Box Breathing

3. Organize the Animal Cards into their habitats

1. Using vocabulary from earlier, decide in which biome the animals probably live and glue them on the background  (There may be multiple biomes that the animal can live in)

2. Refer back to the flashcards as needed to reinforce the vocabulary

3. Note that the emphasis is on drawing conclusions by using working memory skills to organize the animals rather than getting the exact environment right

Post-Activity Reflection and Discussion:

1. Ask your child: What is “biodiversity”?

2. Start by going back to the definition on the flashcard before connecting it to a broader conversation about diversity itself

3. Use the activity to facilitate a conversation about the connection between biodiversity and diversity and why these are important in both nature and people:

1. Notice how every environment has a mix of colors (types of animals) - Emphasize that these are what healthy ecosystems look like (each environment has a lot of biodiversity) 

1. Connection to people: Every community has its own mix of people that can coexist together, and all of them play an important role in the environment

2. Each habitat has its own unique biodiversity that makes it special; none of the environments have the exact same set of animals

1. Connection to people: Each community (school/town/state/country) is made of diverse groups of people, which makes it special

4. Relate the discussion back to your child themself:

1. Where do you see diversity in your community at school? In your neighborhood? In your own family?

2. How does your own uniqueness make those communities special?

3. It may help to supplement the discussion by listening to a read-aloud of Paige Britt’s Why Am I Me?

4. Conclude by reiterating the meaning and significance of diversity:

1. Ask your child again: what does diversity mean, and why is it important? 

2. What might they have learned about diversity that they didn’t realize before doing the activity?

3. What do these new ideas about diversity make them feel about themself and their own value?

Learning More for Parents:

How does dyslexia impact learning science subjects?

Students with dyslexia and other language processing disabilities can struggle to understand science topics with a lot of multisyllabic vocabulary, many of which often have spelling and pronunciation discrepancies (e.g. ‘amphibians,’ ‘cold-blooded’). This stems from a deficit in morphological awareness, which involves the ability to comprehend the structure of words as combinations of smaller units, called morphemes, and, according to recent studies, plays an important role in the development of foundational reading skills. (Melloni and Vender, 2022). In addition, dyslexia, in particular, is typically associated with impairments in phonological awareness or the ability to recognize individual sound structures, as defined by the International Dyslexia Association. Studies confirm that such deficits in phonological and morphological awareness are at least partially attributed to impairments in working memory (Knopp van-Campen, et. al, 2018).

What is working memory? How does it relate to dyslexia?

The brain has several different memory systems that are specialized to hold different types of information. The working memory system is designed to hold and mentally manipulate information over short periods of time; as such, working memory skills define the difference between passively memorizing static information and being able to actually do something with it (International Dyslexia Association). Working memory itself also consists of various interlinked components. Children with dyslexia tend to struggle with the verbal component, which concerns information that can be expressed in numbers, words, and sentences, but they typically excel in the visual-spatial component, which involves images, pictures, and information about location in space. As such, activities that use visual aids can be especially helpful when trying to grasp new vocabulary or understanding science topics that are traditionally taught using textbooks and, thus, rely heavily on the verbal component of working memory (University of Michigan: DyxlexiaHelp). This activity, in particular, employs graphic organizers and coloring coding strategies as visual aids to strengthen students’ understanding of biodiversity by relying more on the visual-spatial component of working memory. In addition, considering the phonological and morphological deficits related to working memory—that is, the ability to apply reading skills to grasp new vocabulary—this activity employs “morpheme-based reading strategies” that involve visually segmenting unfamiliar words into their basic units, therefore incorporating the visual-spatial aspect of working memory into the verbal component. Studies corroborate that such strategies that emphasize skills where students with language processing disabilities strive can be “instrumental in helping less proficient [students] to overcome difficulties with reading fluency” (Burani, 2010).

How does this relate to these student’s emotional well-being?

Any child may struggle to build the foundation of their self-esteem and to develop a healthy appreciation of their diversity when confronted with academic problems.  For students with dyslexia, it can be hard to see the benefits of their individuality when the obstacles they encounter seem to be preventing them from advancing in school at the same rate as their peers. Low self-esteem or lack of “perceived competence,” or the “belief that one has skills in a particular area (e.g., math, spelling, peer relationships)” (American Psychological Association) can make children more hesitant to engage in learning or take the necessary academic growth risks to improve, which may further impede their academic development. Accordingly, while teaching students about an important science topic and expanding their vocabulary, this activity highly emphasizes the significance of biodiversity in preserving a healthy ecosystem in nature and how that translates to the strength of humanity itself due to its diversity (or strength in numbers).

What can you do to help your child?

1. Building science vocabulary ~ When it comes to building science vocabulary, it is recommended to emphasize the auditory and kinesthetic aspects of targeted activities in order to appeal to the visual-spatial component of working memory, where dyslexic students tend to be stronger. For instance, in this activity, it may be beneficial to let your child touch or trace the letters on the flashcards while verbally segmenting each word and to let them underline each morpheme themself. Flashcards themselves can be an especially helpful tool for learning new vocabulary, but evidence shows that repeated exposure is key to this process (University of Michigan: DyslexiaHelp). Focusing each exposure on accurate pronunciation and spelling using the same segmenting strategy from this activity may be helpful in strengthening students’ working memory abilities. 

Building confidence ~ Help your child transition to a mindset that focuses on effort rather than the specific outcome. It can be helpful to reinforce the post-activity discussions from this activity to emphasize that the definition of success depends on the person and that your child has the ability to define their own success based on their own goals. Using the analogy of biodiversity in nature helps them connect to the idea that, despite the challenges they may face as a result of having dyslexia, their diversity is a good thing, and society derives strength from the variety of individuals.

Practice the Coloring Confidence Affirmation!

Created by Isabella Thomas