What Is It?
The words used to describe central concepts in various disciplines may differ substantially in meaning, depending upon the subject area context. Think about how the following terms carry different expectations across content areas: "research," "discussion," "graphic," "argument," "evidence," "problem solving," "conclusion". For example, "graphic" detail might apply to criteria for a short story whereas "clearly labeled graphic" may be part of the criteria for a science report. "Evidence" in terms of historical analysis refers to something qualitatively different than it does in a textual analysis. In both examples, understanding the meaning of the term in the context of the subject area is important to successful student performance.
Consider also the following subject-specific discourse conventions: debate, geometric proofs, historical reenactment, scientific hypotheses. Each is a literacy term that describes ways that a specific discipline reads about, writes about, speaks about, and listens to content in that subject area. These conventions of discourse use various language and formats to present, discuss, and judge the merits of subject-specific learning. The criteria for documentation, specificity, punctuation, format, and analysis are also important to know when reading, writing, or speaking in the context of a specific content area.
Teachers improve content area learning when they identify and make explicit the features of discourse that are central to understanding a particular subject area. Students benefit even more when teachers use and analyze these discourse features as an integral part of their teaching and learning.
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