Resources - Safety Info

Safety Articles from Crucible Magazines

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From September 1995 issue of ‘Crucible’ Volume 27.1

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With the diversity of a multicultural society, comes the myriad of language differences as well as variations in cultural experiences. This does not preclude a wide scope of student abilities in the unstreamed grade-nine science classroom.

There are two major influences on learning in the ESL science classroom. The first factor concerns the language spoken at home which most certainly is not English. The presence of an older sibling with a good facility in English is indeed an asset in reinforcing lesson concepts and assisting with homework assignments.

The second influence on learning is the past experiences students have encountered, particularly with respect to the learning environment from which they came. For example, the classroom relationship between the student and teacher may be one of a more dictatorial nature in their homeland, thereby causing the orientation period for students to become more confusing when placed in an unfamiliar learning atmosphere.

One might ask, why use science to promote the development of English language skills? Hands-on experiences through laboratory activity provide concrete opportunities to maximize student involvement, enhance student motivation, and develop students’ oral and writing skills. A by-product of improved English skill development is increased vocabulary, including not only concrete scientific terminology, but also comprehension of abstract terms such as "interpret" or "inference".

The very nature of scientific inquiry provides a natural venue for developing problem-solving skills. The scientific method should not be thought of by students as merely a lab write-up having set sections such as problem, hypothesis, method, observation and conclusion, but rather as a thorough process by which a problem is logically and sequentially reasoned out towards a possible solution.

Language is an integral part of explaining scientific concepts that are developed through concrete laboratory activities. Such activities also nurture peer mentorship in which lab partners having varying degrees of language skills provide mutual support in building self-esteem among the members of the group.

Barriers To Science Instruction

At times, ESL students, when faced with a confusing and foreign situation, will speak to other students who came from a similar cultural background in their native language, particularly outside of the classroom. Students may expect to learn in the same manner as they did in their homeland, and have difficulty adjusting to the type of teacher-student relationship that exists in a classroom where a teacher-directed, text-dominated curriculum is no longer predominant.

In order to acclimatize students more readily into the science classroom, the science teacher may involve the assistance of ESL/TESL specialists in their school and/or Board to incorporate the principles of teaching ESL into the science lab.

Scientific literacy is appropriate for children from all cultures. Language skill development must be a deliberate and integral component in every lesson.

Benefits For The ESL Students

Students improve their problem-solving skills using the scientific method as a vehicle to do so.
Students learn scientific concepts through everyday experiences.
Students improve their basic language skill development through listening, speaking, reading and writing activities.
Increased student involvement in the learning process occurs, building self-esteem and self-confidence.

Teaching Suggestions

To better understand the difficulty facing ESL students in the science classroom, read the phrase below and identify a) the verb, b) the subject, c) an adjective, and d) an adverb.

"Kloop the barpic gleetory until it is impormable".

As it reads, this statement should have little if any meaning to you in the English language. For those of you who wish an identification of the items, the verb is kloop, the noun to be klooped is gleetory, the adjective indicating a special gleetory is barpic, and the adverb is impormable referring to no longer pormable.

Such an exercise demonstrates well the experience facing ESL students in your classroom. The remaining portion of this article provides teaching strategies for ESL science classrooms with a particular focus on science safety instruction.

It is with great regard that I thank the many ESL teachers who assisted in gathering this material and providing their expertise and insights to improve scientific literacy through language skill development.

Laboratory - Safety Suggestions For ESL/Transitional Science Classes

Begin lab activities as teacher demonstrations to illustrate proper technique.
Use lab designs in print format.
The procedure should be written in single simple sentences in a step-by-step sequence.
Display safety symbols (WHMIS) and safe lab procedures on bulletin boards and refer to them repeatedly.
Slowly read aloud all safety procedures and demonstrate the technique afterwards as a reinforcement.
If students are still unclear as to specific words, rephrase or get assistance from another student who has stronger English skills and can translate. Reinforce again by teacher demonstration.
Place safety symbols on all lab sheets where appropriate. Be consistent with the text.
Have students read aloud each step in the lab procedure and define key words.
Don’t be overly protective. Begin with activities involving non-hazardous chemicals.
Use hot plates instead of Bunsen burners.
Circulate around the lab, observing lab partners working, and correct when necessary by demonstration.
The lab write-up should be in an organized form using the "Keep it simple" approach. (See example below)
Use crossword puzzles to reinforce key concepts and words.
Use diagrams to illustrate poor safety procedures and write out the proper technique in English.
Do not rely on translation as the sole means of imparting safety information.
Repeat all instructions slowly and quietly.
Encourage students to use dictionaries to discover the definition of a word.
Patience and positive reinforcement are essential.
Use an anecdotal or checklist method to evaluate student skills and method of operation in he lab.

Example:Lab Title

key words:	definition:
safety items:
hypothesis:
method:
observations:	chart: time vs. qualitative data graph: time vs. quantitative
conclusions:

Teaching Strategies For The ESL/Transitional Science Classroom

Teaching approach - work with the ESL teachers to incorporate ESL strategies in the science curriculum.
Use concrete hands-on examples to illustrate scientific principles.
Encourage students to speak English to increase their vocabulary, and reinforce this by reading the text material aloud.
Emphasize the problem-solving aspect of the scientific method. It can be applied to all life’s experiences.
Select a depth of material and a presentation style appropriate to students’ abilities.
Keep in mind students’ past experiences in language and science.
Use peer mentors to improve the role of language skill development and student self-image.
Slowly read instructions aloud to the group and reinforce by teacher demonstrations.
Students will try to imitate the teacher role model.
Use the board or overhead frequently and print key words and concepts.
Don’t worry about content; balance the learning of science with language skill development.
Use pictures, video, and magazines with brief captions to supplement text paragraphs.
Don’t pressure students to speak in English; they will try when they are ready.
Speak in a calm tone of voice. Volume does not improve comprehension.
Do not allow students to ridicule the student who is speaking.
Many scientific terms are used internationally. It is the non-technical terms that create difficulty. This may be influenced by the student’s cultural background.
Use a variety of activities to develop both language and science safety.
- dialogues: 4-5 brief sentences
- close exercises: fill-in-the-blank
- crossword puzzles: definitions and spelling
- group activities: projects, posters and research skills.