The Integration of English Language Development and Science Instruction in Elementary Classroom written by Susan Gomez Zweip, William Straits, Kristen Stone, Delores Beltran, and Leena Furtado is an article that examined the significance of blending Science with ELD classes. .
During the early 2000's we were hit with the No Child Left Behind Act, which ironically left ELL students behind, because states now had the right to set its own policies regarding ELL students. This meant that ELL students would not only have to test in a language they were not fluent in, but also be proficient in the subjects of math and English. Schools put the focus on teaching math and English to the ELL students in hope that their test scores would go up. This meant that Science content was at the bottom of the totem pole. If the students were low performing they would shamefully get little to no Science instruction and the students that were meeting their performance goals would be able to have access to Science instruction. With that being said an under-performing district with a high ELL population created a blend of both science and ELD, developing students' English skills with science as the context for that learning. This endeavor holds science equal with ELD. Thus, although one of the goals is improved English skills, the work also focuses on providing inquiry-based science that offers complex content and demands high-level thinking. To help successfully develop and implement this program the school district assembled a professional development team consisting of district personnel, faculty from local universities, ELD and science educators, and professional development experts from a national, nonprofit education research and service agency. Together this team endeavored to provide ELD and science professional development to teachers and administrators of three elementary schools within the district.
