• There are two primary ways that OpenSciEd supports Emerging Multilingual Learners (EMLs):
  1. Through the curricular design and pedagogical routines that are at the heart of its instructional model, and
  2. Through educative boxes embedded in the teacher materials.
• The curricular design and routines of OpenSciEd grounds students’ learning experiences in real-world phenomena. For instance, a 6th grade unit on thermal energy is anchored in students figuring out – how can containers keep stuff from warming up or cooling down? In this approach to science learning, students are not just memorizing science ideas or “facts” about energy transfer, but instead are working with peers to figure out their own understanding of – and even designing their own solutions for – real problems that occur in our natural world. When the phenomena being explored are relevant and accessible, EMLs are better able to contribute and build from their previous understandings about the phenomena.
• Engaging in phenomena-driven science instruction also simultaneously supports EMLs’ science learning and language development. Furthermore, the various pedagogical routines embedded in the OpenSciEd instructional model – including, the Anchoring Phenomena Routine, Investigation Routine, Problematizing Routine, and Putting the Pieces Together Routine – encourage EMLs to use their multiple meaning-making resources, and provide students with numerous opportunities to make their ideas public through both linguistic and non-linguistic modes of communication.
• OpenSciEd teacher materials also include educative boxes focused on EMLs, often appearing as supplemental text on the margins of lesson plans. These educative boxes support teachers in considering whether particular learning moments might be spaces where they can leverage their EMLs’ assets and/or address potential challenges their students might encounter. These educative boxes help teachers provide additional in-time support and explain why these instructional moves are important for EMLs. They also range greatly, from suggesting particular ways to group students to unpacking the meaning of certain words in the context of science.
• Many strategies are discussed in the educative boxes (sidebar callout boxes) titled “Attending to Equity” and subheadings such as “Supporting Emerging Multilingual Learners” or “Supporting Universal Design for Learning.” Other callout boxes with strategies are found as “Additional Guidance”, “Alternate Activity,” and “Key Ideas” and various discussion callouts. Finally, each unit includes the development of a Word Wall as part of students’ routines to “earning” or “encountering” scientific language.

For more information on how OpenSciEd supports EML, check out Chapter K in the Teacher Handbook.