Pumping Up Your Science Language Usage

Just as a bodybuilder has a plan to pump up his or her body that takes extra time and effort, you can develop your language to communicate more effectively in writing. Use the last part of your lab report to consider how you are using language based on your English Language level.

In the following three sections below you can find some language goals that Ms. Birzu helped to develop for our Lab Report project. Find your EAL Level. If you are a native English speaker then your level is "Advanced." Consider how you are using language to communicate your thoughts on your findings.

Language Target 1:

We can describe the changes in particle motion, temperature or state of a substance orally or in writing using topic-related science vocabulary to teach others how thermal energy affects the speed of particles in a substance

Describe the changes in particle motion, temperature or state of a substance
Beginner (Levels 1-2)	Intermediate (Levels 3-4)	Advanced (Levels 5-6/Native)
The particles move fast in hot water. They move slowly in cool water. particles, substance, thermal energy, move, how much water/heat, temperature, warm, cold, experiment, cup, water	In the water with the highest temperature, the particles move faster, but in water with less thermal energy, they move more slowly. remove, add, substance, matter, temperature, did this experiment, evaporates, liquid	When a substance is heated, the motion of the particles increases as the particles become more energetic. If it is cooled, the motion of the particles decreases as they lose energy. increase, decrease, motion, amount of heat, affect, conducted this experiment, beaker, evaporates

Language Target 2:

We can compare and contrast the changes in substances when thermal energy is added or removed in writing using comparative and superlative adjectives, commonly used verbs, linking words/phrases, and topic-specific vocabulary to look for patterns in the data.

Compare and Contrast the changes in substances when thermal energy is added or removed
Beginner (Levels 1-2)	Intermediate (Levels 3-4)	Advanced (Levels 5-6/Native)
The particles in the hot water moved faster than the particles in the coldest water because they ….... faster than, hotter, the coldest	One similarity/difference between the speed of particles in the hottest water and the speed of particles in the warmest water was .... A difference/similarity between the mixing speeds of particles in the warmest water and the coldest water was…. but, different from, however, in contrast, compared to, whereas, similarly, for example	The speed of particles in the hottest water and the speed of particles in the cold water were similar/different  because ...... Whereas the speed of particles in the hottest water increased , the speed of particles in the coldest water decreased. differs from, alternatively, in contrast, whereas, on the one hand/on the other hand, for instance

Language Target 3: 

We can analyze the effects of adding or removing thermal energy in writing using cause and effect sentences in order to teach others about the impact of thermal energy on substances.

Analyze the effects using cause and effect sentences
Beginner (Levels 1-2)	Intermediate (Levels 3-4)	Advanced (Levels 5-6/Native)
…., so….. . The cause was…... and the effect was…. Because…….,..... The color in the cup (beaker) with the hot water mixed fast because the particles move faster in hot water than in cold water. because (of), so	That was a result of…. Because of.., .. . Therefore,... Finally,... When I put the colored dye in the beaker of hot water, the colored dye mixed/spread faster than in the beaker of cold water. That was a result of adding heat energy. because (the...), so, thus, as a result,	The.....had a significant influence on… ____ was a result of…... The change resulted in… When I added the food coloring in beaker of hot water, it was obvious that adding thermal energy had a significant influence on the speed at which particles moved in that substance. The food coloring mixed/spread throughout the water faster than in the beaker of cold water. Also, the molecules were a little farther apart in hot water. since, as a result of, for the purpose of, due to, as a consequence, therefore, in that case, accordingly,