The Stanford Integrated Science and Language (SISL) project grew out of the NSF-funded project, Collaborative Research: Development of Language-Focused Three-Dimensional Science Instructional Materials to Support English Language Learners in Fifth Grade. A partner project between New York University and Stanford University, the undertaking had as its purpose developing 5th grade NGSS-aligned curricular materials that explicitly addressed the science learning and language development needs of linguistically diverse students. The Stanford (SISL) curricular materials presented here draw from the materials originally developed by the SAIL Project at New York University. They are, however, directly informed by the SISL Approach to language development in science and reflect the research conducted by the SISL team in California classrooms.

SISL and the SAIL Project

SISL curricular materials by Capitelli and Alvarez are based on the NGSS-informed units originally produced for a New York University and Stanford University NSF-funded project titled: Collaborative Research: Development of Language-Focused Three-Dimensional Science Instructional Materials to Support English Language Learners in Fifth Grade. The materials were subsequently modified extensively by the Stanford project team (Stanford Integrated Science and Language (SISL)) to provide language development affordances for linguistically diverse classrooms in California schools. Please refer to the SAIL Teacher Guide website for a more complete overview of the SAIL project and its work.