English Language Learners & Environmental
Education
Effective Teaching Strategies for the Outdoor
Classroom
1. Speak Slowly & Clearly
á
Slow down! Be aware of the speed at which you
talk.
á
Use simple
sentences. Avoid using run-ons.
á
Use small words (e.g. idea
instead of hypothesis)
2. Wait Time
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Give at least 45-90
seconds for all of your students to process your question before asking for
answers & responses.
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Be aware that it takes
time for your students to translate what youÕve just asked them.
3. Define the Vocabulary
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Access prior knowledge.
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If it is a complex word,
break it down into parts with them.
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Practice pronunciation.
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Create flashcards of key
words (e.g. ÒwatershedÓ, ÒadaptationÓ) that you can pull out during a lesson to
provide repetition & reinforcement.
4. Honor all Languages in Your Classroom
á
Show respect and
acknowledgement of your students own language history.
á
Try using the buddy
system (pairing an English-language proficient student with one who is new to
English).
5. KATV!
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Use multiple teaching
styles to reach the diverse learning needs of your students.
á
Try and use at least 2
of these (Kinesthetic, Auditory, Tactile & Visual) in each of your
activities.
á
Integrate rhythm and
movement to teach concepts/vocabulary.
6. Check for Understanding
á
Provide students with
constant and varying means of assessment.
o
Pair & share.
o
Thumbs up, thumbs
down.
o
Have them put what you
said in their own words.
Resources & Ideas for You and Your
Organization!
Websites &
Literature
Just a few resources to get
you goingÉ.
California Association of
Bilingual Educators offer educators
access to resources around bilingual education. They also put on an annual conference for teachers and
educators. Next yearÕs conference
will be in San Jose, CA. http://www.bilingualeducation.org/
English Language
Development Theory and Practices:
Background Information for ÒEEÓ Providers, provides
environmental educators with lots of background information and concrete
strategies to put into practice in the field. This is a project of the U.S. E.P.A.Õs Environmental
Education Training and Partnership (EETAP) Program in partnership with Project
Learning Tree, Project WILD, and Project WET in California. For more information, contact Kay
Antunez, California Project Learning Tree, California Department of Forestry
and Fire Protection, P.O. Box 944246, Sacramento, CA 94244-2460, or
916.653.7958.
English Language
Learners: Informing Our Practice, is
a volume of the California Journal of Science Education. This contains several different case studies and
essays written by teachers and researchers about ELLs in an indoor classroom
setting. It is helpful to read to
find out about how these students are learning in their primary classroom, to
better inform how to teach them when they come to the outdoor classroom.
Incorporating these
Ideas into Your Workplace
Buy a bilingual dictionary in
the languages your students speak.
Take language courses in the
languages your students speak.
Create bilingual teaching resources
for your site.
Create ELL-friendly teaching
resources for your site.
Consider purchasing (or
having donated) already existing bilingual resources from museums, science
centers, environmental education programs, etc.
AEOE > Conferences > Conference Resources > 2005: California's People and Places > ELL and EE