TEACHING and LEARNING CYCLE – teaching for explicit language learning

Genre: Scientific Procedure Year level: 4

ACARA Curriculum links:

SETTING THE CONTEXT

What is the purpose, what do they know? Build field of Assessment for
knowledge or vocabulary of the specific topic. learning
What is a procedure? What types of procedures do we use? Collect sample text.
Aim to answer these two questions. Students can inquire into
the meaning of the word ‘procedure’. They can come back
with their own definition and some samples they have
researched of the types of procedures.

Create a T chart with the questions what is a procedure and

why types of procedures do we use at the top. Have students
sticky note their ideas from their research.

Conduct the Fizz Inflator experiment or another simple

experiment. Ask students to create a scientific procedure on
the experiment. This will give us their prior knowledge and
understanding.

Structure: Using a model text based on the Fizz Inflator

experiment read through and draw attention to the structural
elements and explore the structural elements further.

Have students cut up and put back together the sample text
into the correct sequence and headings based on what they
learn from the model text.

Add to the word wall the vocab of the scientific procedure.

This can be done through sticky notes or creating a word web.

MODELLING & DECONSTRUCTION Assessment for

Small group work, experimenting with language related learning
to a specific language feature. Explicitly teach the
language features of the genre.

Verb Tense Variations (past, present, future)- Look at each

section of the scientific procedure and highlight all the verb
tense words. Draw attention to the verb tense used in each
section and how they differ in terms of past, present and
future tense. Why is the aim and hypothesis written in future
tense? Why is the method in present tense? (over multiple
lessons)
Practice activity identifying words in each of the three tenses
with a partner.
Tense organisation- organise words found in the sample text
into their tense groups of past, present and future. Determine
where different tense is used against the structure of scientific
procedure.

Verb groups- doing, sensing and relating- Using a sample text

highlight the words that show action is occurring. Highlight
the words that show the use of our senses (hear, smell, taste,
touch etc). Look at relating verbs such as ‘are’ or ‘is’ ‘am’ ‘was’
‘were’ ‘be’ etc.
Draw attention to where these might occur in the text
structure and their purpose.
Create a chart of the verb groups using the students’
knowledge and words discovered in the sample text.

Adverbs: when and how

Using the sample text, cut up the variety of when adverbs.
Have students sequence them in order of time best suited to a
list of steps. Chart the when adverbs as an anchor point. This
can also be done on the smartboard.
Using a sample text without when adverbs in the method,
begin together putting these adverbs in place to improve
upon the sample text.

Model conducting an experiment. Ask students to think about

‘how’ I am going about the action. Record those words on
sticky notes as the experiment is being conducted and place
on the whiteboard behind. Discuss the words students came
up with and determine that these are how adverbs. What
other words can we think of that show ‘how’ we complete an
action e.g. carefully, slowly, etc
Using a sample text without how adverbs in the method,
begin together putting these adverbs in place to improve
upon the sample text.
Create an anchor point of both how and when adverbs for
students to refer to during their own writing.

Sentence openers-
Method: numbered steps
Results: specific participants, passive voice
Time: dependent clauses

JOINT COMPOSITION Assessment for

learning
Practise composing texts with teacher and peers. Ideal to
assess how they are going with writing parts of text in
groups or with teacher support.

Verb Tense Variations (past, present, future)- Using

whiteboards, have a go at writing an aim and hypothesis in
future tense and the method in present tense (over multiple
lessons)

Verb groups- doing, sensing and relating-

Practice writing with a partner and underlining the verbs used
for the following (multiple mini lessons):
 Aim
 Hypothesis
 Method
 Discussion of results
Underline the verbs used in green. Group the words based on
doing, sensing or relating.

Sentence openers-
Method: numbered steps, adverbs of when, how and where
Results: specific participants, passive voice
Time: dependent clauses
INDEPENDENT COMPOSITION Assessment for
Create text independently according to given criteria. learning

Every Monday, students will conduct their own mini Use literacy
experiment. progressions to
determine next steps
Students use a planning proforma to plan out their and progress.
writing at the completion of the experiment.
Formative and student
Students to create their scientific procedural text, then friendly rubric for
independently edit and then publish a good copy. week to week writing.

Each week they will need to try an incorporate the Summative curriculum
learning from the writer’s workshop lesson that based rubric of AC
teaches the language features. descriptors. Located in
English Units Folder.
Anchor charts displayed for all language features and
the structure of a scientific procedure from previous
learning to give students a reference point while
independently constructing their text.