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Mod 14 Curriculum Selection Activity 2

Mod 14 Curriculum Selection Activity 2

Mod 14 Curriculum Selection Activity 2
by Lauren Bowersox -
Number of replies: 0

Text Evaluation: Harcourt Science Florida Edition, Grade 4

Publisher: Harcourt School Publishers
Publication Year: 2007
Accessed via: Google Books – Full table of contents, glossary, index, and multiple chapter previews available.

TEXT SELECTION CRITERIA REVIEW

1. Learner Needs Assessment

  • Strengths: The text is organized by unit objectives and includes guiding questions at the start of each chapter.

  • Limitations: No embedded assessments or surveys to determine ELLs’ language levels or background knowledge.

  • Comment: Teachers must provide supplemental surveys and readiness checks for ELLs at the start of each unit.

2. Visuals, Topics, and Format

  • Strengths: Text is colorful with strong use of diagrams, labeled images, and chapter previews.

  • Limitations: Images do not reflect a wide range of cultural perspectives.
    Comment: Supplement with images of scientists and contexts from diverse backgrounds to improve inclusivity.

3. Authentic Language

  • The text uses academic English without scaffolds, sentence frames, or leveled versions for ELLs.
    Comment: Needs sentence stems, language frames, and simplified companion texts for students at lower WIDA levels.

4. Cultural Awareness

  •  Little to no reference to students’ cultural backgrounds or lived experiences.
    Comment: Teachers should integrate culturally relevant examples (e.g., hurricane prep for Florida students, local wildlife).

5. Comprehensible Input and Pacing

  •  Lessons are short and build on each other.

  • Not differentiated for slower-paced learners or students with interrupted education.
    Comment: Implement tiered lesson plans with chunked text and peer-supported guided reading.

6. Active Participation

  • Includes some experiments and interactive notebook pages.

  • No clear protocols for structured speaking and listening.
    Comment: Incorporate turn-and-talk routines, sentence starters, and structured group discussion roles.

7. Prior Knowledge Activation

  • Missing formal KWL or schema-building tools.
    Comment: Add teacher-created graphic organizers or picture walks for ELLs prior to each reading.

8. Learner Progress

  • Checkpoints at the end of each lesson.

  • No tools for student self-monitoring or language progress tracking.
    Comment: Add self-checklists and exit tickets aligned to both science content and language development goals.

Overall Rating:

Score: 5.5/10

Adoption Decision: CONDITIONAL APPROVAL
The Harcourt Science text is strong in layout and grade-level content but lacks cultural responsiveness and language accessibility. It can be adopted if paired with structured scaffolds and ELL-specific support.

Supplemental Recommendations:

  1. Differentiation & Tiering:

    • Create leveled texts (e.g., using Newsela Science) for pre-teaching core content.

    • Use partner reading and visual-based summaries for emerging ELLs.

  2. Scaffolding Tools:

    • Integrate vocabulary foldables, sentence stems, and labeling activities.

    • Use multilingual glossaries and digital translators.

  3. Cultural Relevance:

    • Connect each science concept to a student’s cultural or local experience (e.g., linking weather units to hurricanes in Florida).

  4. Structured Speaking/Listening:

    • Add roles for lab partners (e.g., "materials manager," "presenter") to ensure ELLs participate.

    • Embed think-pair-share prompts and sentence starters.

Textbook Selection Guidelines for Inclusive Classrooms

I. Diversity-Centered Textbook Evaluation Protocol

  1. Assemble a review committee of ESOL teachers, general education teachers, ESE support staff, and parent/community reps.

  2. Use the Text and Non-Text Selection Criteria to score materials.

  3. Prioritize textbooks that:

    • Reflect multiple cultures and perspectives.

    • Are aligned to Florida State Standards and WIDA levels.

    • Offer scaffolded support and structured routines.

II. Differentiation Support Requirement

  • Require publishers to include:

    • ELL adaptations (sentence frames, visual glossaries, etc.)

    • Leveled reading passages or e-book companions

    • Multilingual supplemental tools

III. Multicultural Content Inclusion

  • Mandate at least 25% of visual and content examples reflect:

    • Racial/ethnic diversity

    • Global perspectives

    • Local cultural relevance (e.g., regional science examples)

IV. Student Voice & Feedback

  • Pilot chapters with diverse student groups before full adoption.

  • Collect and review student reflections on readability and cultural relevance.

Critique of Current Practice

Currently, non-textbook selections are often made by general education teams without cross-department collaboration. They are typically driven by budget and curriculum pacing, not student linguistic or cultural needs. This often results in the use of texts that:

  • Are inaccessible to ELLs without extra teacher prep.

  • Lack diverse representation.

  • Do not offer structured opportunities for student talk or response.

Proposed Changes

  • Require all curriculum adoptions to include an ELL Accessibility Review.

  • Require pilot implementation in inclusive classrooms with feedback surveys.

  • Provide training for teachers on using adopted texts with ELL scaffolds.