How is Nelson Science and Technology Perspectives accessible to students at different learning stages?

Highly Able or Gifted Students

Highly able students require challenges that extend the depth, complexity, or scope of the curriculum. Teachers can challenge these students using Nelson Science and Technology Perspectives’ AwesomeScience, TechConnect, and ScienceWorks features. Teachers can also use the Extra Challenge suggestions provided in each section of the Teacher’s Resource.

Struggling Students

Students who struggle with scientific language and concepts often need extra time to complete tasks and require extra support for comprehension and response. The Assessment margin feature and Differentiating Instruction feature in the Teacher’s Resource provide clues that indicate when students misunderstand and suggest intervention strategies.

English Language Learners

Nelson Science and Technology Perspectives provides authentic ELL support, including graphics and illustrative photos to aid understanding. Specialized terminology is given special treatment in the Nelson Science and Technology Perspectives Student Book. Key terms are boldfaced and highlighted in yellow within the text. Terms are also defined in the phrase in which they appear, in the margin, and in the glossary. The glossary also provides a pronunciation guide for difficult words. The Teacher’s Resource can help science and technology teachers and ELL resource teachers work together to coordinate the teaching of both science and technology content and language so that instruction and assessment better meet the needs of ELL students.

Student Success Workbook

Students may be at risk due to socio-economic background, lack of family support, lack of academic English, reading difficulties, or lack of scientific background and confidence.
The Nelson Science and Technology Perspectives Student Success Workbook provides materials to help at-risk students experience success in science and technology. The Workbook uses carefully chosen vocabulary and language structure that are directly related to the textbook, along with visual clues, white space, and short line length, to help students understand science and technology concepts. The Workbook presents manageable, easy-to-use, alternative instruction to at-risk students, while respecting the time constraints of already-busy teachers. Students complete the same science and
technology as their peers, regardless of ability. The Workbook prepares at-risk students for the challenges of future science and technology courses.

Scaffolded activity worksheets provide extra support for understanding science concepts. These include:
• worked sample problems and supplemental practice problems.
• drawing and/or labelling diagram activities.
• vocabulary definition and matching.
• crossword puzzles and other vocabulary reinforcement activities.

The Student Success Workbook also contains “hint boxes” that provide extra support for terms or concepts that may be difficult for students.