Writing+Scaffolds

=Writing Scaffolds=

A //scaffold// is a temporary support provided by a teacher, curriculum, or other tool that allows a student to accomplish a practice that he or she could not do independently (Bransford et al., 2000). Writing scaffolds for scientific explanations are sentence starters, questions, or other prompts that provide students with hints about what to include in their scientific explanations. //Sentence starters,// or sentence frames, can be an effective strategy for supporting English language learners, because the students do not have to focus on how to formulate the beginning of the sentence (Nelson, 2010). Instead, they can focus on the key science ideas they want to include in their writing. Writing scaffolds can be directly typed on students’ data recording sheets or they can be displayed on a board or with a projector for students to use as they are writing in their science journals. When we design writing scaffolds, there are four characteristics that we consider: (1) general and content support, (2) detail and length, (3) fading, and (4) structure.

=**5th Grade Writing Scaffold Example - Introductory **=

**Oobleck – Written Explanation** 1. Conclusion - Write an argument that answers the question: Is Oobleck a liquid or solid?

2. Claim: Write a statement stating whether Oobleck is solid or liquid.

3. Evidence: Provide data to support your claim. Include the test and and observation of Oobleck under the test conditions.

4. Reasoning: Explain why your evidence supports your claim. Is one test more conclusive than another. Why? Are you able to eliminate any tests? Why? Are you able to make a definitive conclusion about whether Oobleck is a solid or a liquid? Why or Why not?