Disciplinary Literacy Comparative Inquiry Project

Working with a partner or two, across two to three disciplines, compare and contrast elements of and approaches to disciplinary literacy designed to advance reading comprehension and to build conceptual knowledge. As preservice teachers immersed in different disciplines (mathematics, ELA, science or social studies) discuss the elements of and approaches to disciplinary literacy that you will incorporate into your lessons. Compare and contrast how these elements and approaches will be used between and across your disciplines. Throughout your discussion, create and discuss examples, as lesson sketches that include one or more elements and approaches to disciplinary literacy integrated as learning activities. For each element or approach, explain your reasoning in your own words but consult with course readings and other sources.

Deliverables |

For each element or approach to disciplinary literacy discussed, please include:

  • Visual, such as a Venn diagram, representing your comparison
  • One page comparative discussion with references (~250 words)
  • Lesson sketch describing how you might integrate this element or approach in a lesson or unit of study

Please know three things: 1. This final project is due at the time of the exam, 2. There is an option to work individually or with a partner or two. 3. Because I am traveling overseas on 13 May, I will need a printed copy of your project.

In the last couple of weeks, your classmates advocated for a collaborative project. The individual option is also possible. If you do the individual project, focus on one discipline. For example, if you are an ELA major, ELA will be your focus. If you choose to work with a partner or two (each must be from different disciplines) then your project becomes comparative and includes the Venn diagrams.

The elements (of disciplinary literacy) and approaches (to teaching informed by disciplinary literacy) are what we have been studying and engaging with all semester. There are too many to name. A learning activity will be a discipline-based (for example ELA) illustration or example of the element or activity.

If the learning activities that you are sketching, based on these elements and approaches, are described by the same background information, then you can use the same lesson sketch template. Note, you only need to make lesson sketches for your discipline.  Lesson Sketch Template | Use this template so that your lesson examples are consistent. (updated 4/12/23)

In the one page essay about each element and approach to disciplinary literacy, please compare and contrast across the disciplines based on the Venn diagram and associated discussions you shared with your partners. However, if you are working individually, your project isn’t comparative and therefore, the one page essay would be about the learning activity and disciplinary literacy.