1. Reminders about the CCSS  Knowledge and skills needed for success after high school in our global and social economy.  Rigorous content  Application of higher-order thinking skills 1

2. 2  High Level Text-Based Discussions  Focus on Text Complexity  Focus on Process  Create assignments for real audiences (with real purpose)  Argument vs. Persuasion

3. Session Goals Understand the Common Core Shifts that emphasize: Text Complexity Lead High Level, Text-Based Discussions Understand the Common Core Shifts that emphasize: Text Complexity Lead High Level, Text-Based Discussions

4. 4  Two content area–specific sections for grades 6-12  One set of standards for ELA teachers  One set of standards for history/social studies, science, and technical subject teachers complement rather than supplant  The literacy standards in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects are meant to complement rather than supplant content standards in those disciplines

5. 1. Building knowledge through content- rich nonfiction 2. Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational 3. Regular practice with complex text and its academic language 1. Building knowledge through content- rich nonfiction 2. Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational 3. Regular practice with complex text and its academic language 5 The CCSS Requires Three Shifts in ELA/Literacy

6. What is Text Complexity? 6 A numeric quantity that represents Lexile or grade level readability. It is usually based on word frequency and sentence length. An evaluation of text based upon consideration of purpose or meaning, text structure, language, and knowledge demands. An evaluation that considers the student in terms of their knowledge and motivation with the demands of the text or task.

7. 600 800 1000 1400 1600 1200 Text Lexile Measure (L) High School Lit. College Lit. High School Texts College Texts Military Personal Use Entry- Level Occupa- tions SAT 1, ACT, AP* * Source of National Test Data: MetaMetrics 7 Lexile Framework ® for Reading Study Summary of Text Lexile Measures Summary of Text Lexile Measures

8. Quantitative Measures  uses factors such as: sentence length word length frequency of unfamiliar words to calculate the difficulty of the text and assign a single measure (grade level, Lexile, etc).

9. Qualitative Measures  an informed judgment on the difficulty by considering a range of factors: purpose levels of meaning structure language conventionality and clarity knowledge demands

10. Reader and Task  The third measure looks at what the student brings to the text and the tasks assigned.  Teachers need to use their knowledge of their students and texts to match texts to particular students and tasks.

11. Some Considerations (see handout for others):  Do readers at this grade level possess the necessary inferencing skills, visualization skills, questioning skills, and comprehension strategies necessary for future reading endeavors?  Will the readers at this grade level understand the purpose—which might shift over the course of the reading experience—for reading the text (i.e., skimming, studying to retain content, close reading, etc.)?

12. Appendix Reminders  Appendix A contains more research on text complexity. Appendix A  Appendix B provides examples of exemplar texts. These are not mean to be the new curriculum, but rather, as it states, strong examples. Appendix B  Appendix A contains more research on text complexity. Appendix A  Appendix B provides examples of exemplar texts. These are not mean to be the new curriculum, but rather, as it states, strong examples. Appendix B

13. Teachers will Lead High Level, Text-Based Discussions The goal is for students to become skilled at holding high-level discussions on their own.

14. The primary element of art used in the sky in Van Gogh’s Starry Night is _____________________, as shown through the ______________________.

15. Basic Steps for Text Based Discussions  Students should read before expressing their opinions or personal reactions.  Students should refer to the text for their responses.  Explicitly teach speaking and listening skills before discussion. Consider the “time in” the text.

16. Some Practical Reasons for Engaging Students in Text Based Discussions  The Literacy standards are redundant across the strands.  How you “read” connects directly with how you “speak and listen,” which directly connects to what and how you “write.”  We often say “Don’t write how you talk,” but our students have no verbal academic model to check their writing against.  The full sentence language approach or Format Matters (Teach Like a Champion) reinforces academic language.  The end product is dependent upon the process of reading.  In Performance Tasks, students will synthesize informational text from across disciplines.  In Selected Choice assessments, students will, for example, selected the text that supports an author’s claim.

17. Students should:

18. 18 California StandardCommon Core Standard for California Reading 2.4 Make warranted and reasonable assertions about the author’s arguments by using elements of the text to defend and clarify interpretations. Reading Standards for Informational Text (ELA) 1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole. Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.

19. Two Suggestions to Engage Text  Annotation  https://www.teachingchannel.org/v ideos/student-annotated-reading- strategy https://www.teachingchannel.org/v ideos/student-annotated-reading- strategy  Evidence Based Claims Graphic Organizer  See Handout - Forming Evidence- Based Claims

20. Examples of Annotations

21. The Thinking Notes Annotation Technique

22. A Few Guidelines to Developing an Annotation Guide/Strategy for your Department It is imperative that students have an initial independent read of text. The following is a list of basic steps that can be used to annotate texts.  Number the paragraphs.  Read for unfamiliar terms, then define them.  Underline the author’s claims.  Indicate the examples/relevant information of the claim.  Circle key terms and essential words.

23. Text-Dependent Questions (TDQ’s) are not…  Low-level, literal, or recall questions  Focused on comprehension strategies 23

24.  In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King discusses nonviolent protest. Discuss, in writing, a time when you wanted to fight against something that you felt was unfair.  In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln says the nation is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Why is equality an important value to promote? What can you infer from King’s letter about the letter that he received? “The Gettysburg Address” mentions the year 1776. According to Lincoln’s speech, why is this year significant to the events described in the speech? Not Text-DependentText-Dependent

25. Creating Text-Dependent Questions Step One: Identify the core understandings and key ideas of the text. Step Two: Start small to build confidence. Step Three: Target vocabulary and text structure. Step Four: Tackle tough sections head-on. Step Five: Create coherent sequences of text- dependent questions. Step Six: Identify the standards that are being addressed. Step Seven: Create the Culminating Assessment

26.  Analyze paragraphs on a sentence by sentence basis and sentences on a word by word basis to determine the role played by individual paragraphs, sentences, phrases, or words  Investigate how meaning can be altered by changing key words and why an author may have chosen one word over another  Probe each argument in persuasive text, each idea in informational text, each key detail in literary text, and observe how these build to a whole  Examine how shifts in the direction of an argument or explanation are achieved and the impact of those shifts  Question why authors choose to begin and end when they do  Note and assess patterns of writing and what they achieve  Consider what the text leaves uncertain or unstated

27. Examples of Text Dependent Questions  Describe the problem in this text and how it is solved. Use information from the article/passage to support your answer.  Describe the process of ______using information from the text.  What is the author’s purpose of structuring the paragraphs in this way? Use details from the passage to support your answer.  Describe the problem in this text and how it is solved. Use information from the article/passage to support your answer.  Describe the process of ______using information from the text.  What is the author’s purpose of structuring the paragraphs in this way? Use details from the passage to support your answer.

28. Creating a Text Based Question  Model - The American Dream Example  Reading the article reveals that the author argues that the definition of the American Dream has shifted over time and may be less attainable.  A question might be: According to Adam’s essay, how has the American Dream changed over time from the ideals of the Declaration of Independence? What different interpretations have people had over time?  Structured Practice –  What important aspect of this article do we need to address? (Step 1)  What text/information supports that?  Create a question that results in students engaging that text.

29. Small Group Work  Please find two to three people that share your text.  Create a text based question with them.  Share out with the whole group.