The Learning Cycle

The learning cycle can be the learning cycle with just another name.  I'm researching strategies for working with English language learners (ELL's) in the science classroom.  I came across a book at Cowles Library called Making Science Accessible to English Learners: A Guidebook for Teachers.  The book is framed around the idea that teachers should plan science lessons for ELL's using a five step framework: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate.  Although there are fives steps in this framework, the fives steps coincide with what we have learned about creating lessons designed around the learning cycle.  Engage and explore essentially match with exploration from the learning cycle, explain matches concept development from the learning cycle, and elaborate coincides with application from the learning cycle.  So, the book basically told me that the learning cycle is effective for all learners, including ELL's.  Good teaching is just good teaching then . . .

The example lessons in the back of the book followed the five step framework as well as incorporated developmental learning theory, yet the lessons did have a heavier focus on language skills than we have discussed in class.  Although I think we need to provide ELL's with realia, visuals, and videos before we provide them with the language, we do need to provide them with the content vocabulary as the students will unlikely come up with the language on their own.  Language is important for ELL's.