%0 Journal Article
%T COMMUNITY AND CLASSROOM CONTEXTS FOR UNDERSTANDING NATURE AND NATURALLY OCCURRING EVENTS IN RURAL SCHOOLS IN MEXICO
%A LYNN A. BRYAN
%A MARTHA ALLEXSAHT-SNIDER
%J L1 Educational Studies in Language and Literature
%D 2008
%I IAIMTE
%X In this study, we develop a portrait of how teachers in two, rural Mexican, multi-age classrooms (grades 1-6) deliberately situate science instruction within the local community and teach social discourse practices to mediate their students¡¯ transitions between science, school, and community settings. One important means of social mediation was the teachers¡¯ commitment to constructing authentic contexts for instruction. In addition, both teachers facilitated the learning of three sets of social discourse practices that are integral to science teaching and learning: responsibility and autonomy, cross-age interaction and collaboration, and public performance. The social discourse practices that we observed in these class-rooms can be seen as potential foundations for engaging in culturally responsive, inquiry-based, science instruction grounded in the ways of learning science that many Mexican immigrant students are likely to have encountered.
%K elementary science
%K social discourse practices
%K rural Mexican schools
%U http://l1.publication-archive.com/public?fn=enter&repository=1&article=215