MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES Some of the Answers to your Questions but were afraid to ask!

Questions about next Year? Please write any BURNING question that you have about next year. Please be specific!

WHAT IS COMING ON THE HORIZON? BRAND NEW SOCIAL STUDIES TEKS READINESS STANDARDS 8TH GRADE STAAR TEST WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM DIFFERENTIATION FOR ALL STUDENTS BUDGETARY CONCERNS

YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT? SERIOUSLY? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

And if that is not enough!

TEKS 2011-2012-HANDOUT READINESS TEKS (STANDARDS) They are essential for success in the current grade or course. They are important for preparedness for the next grade or course. They support college and career readiness. They necessitate in-depth instruction. They address broad and deep ideas EXAMPLE: History. The student understands the causes of exploration and colonization eras. The student is expected to (A) identify reasons for European exploration and colonization of North America; Readiness Standard (STAAR tested every time)

TEKS 2011-2012-CONTINUED SUPPORTING TEKS (STANDARD): Although introduced in the current grade or course, they may be emphasized in a subsequent year. Although reinforced in the current grade or course, they may be emphasized in a previous year. They play a role in preparing students for the next grade or course but not a central role. They address more narrowly defined ideas. EXAMPLE: History. The student understands the causes of exploration and colonization eras. The student is expected to (B) compare political, economic, religious, and social reasons for the establishment of the 13 English colonies. Supporting Standard supports Readiness standard;

Process Skills will be embedded in questions. Example: Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to: (A)  use social studies terminology correctly; (B)  use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and proper citation of sources; (C)  transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written or visual, using computer software as appropriate; and (D)  create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.

STAAR TEST FOR 8th GRADE!!!!! LONGER MORE RIGOUROUS UNTIMED PAPER AND PENCIL REPORTING CATAGORIES NOT OBJECTIVES SKILLS EMBEDDED IN QUESTIONS; NOT TESTED ALONE HIGHER “MEETS EXPECTATION” STANDARD WILL BEGIN “COUNTING” IN SPRING 2014!

Is This How you Feel?

CAMPUS FOLDERS Each campus will be given a folder that will have a hard copy of each of the templates that will be placed on online in the: P Drive-ETR FOLDER-MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES

Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Across the Curriculum! P Drive-ETR FOLDER-MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES Strategy: GIST Generating Interactions between Schemata and Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: Introducing a Famous Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: Learning Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: List-Group-Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: Micro-themes Writing Summaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: Cornell System - Note taking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: QAR - Question-Answer Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: Quick Writes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: RAFT – Role, Audience, Format, and Topic . . . . . . . Strategy: Reading Response Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: Skimming and Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: Strip Stories - Story Board Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: Summarizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: Thinking Maps to Outlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: Word Bank Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategy: Process Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Form/Format: Essay Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Strategy: Word Bank Writing from a word bank is a strategy used from the earliest grades. Students write a paragraph utilizing words that the teacher has pre-selected. How to implement: The teacher selects a set of related words. Then students use the word bank to create a paragraph which summarizes what they have learned and connects the words in a meaningful way. What does it do? Requires students to use the concepts and ideas around which the lesson was built. Using a defined set of words assists students to make connections while focusing on the vocabulary of the unit of study. elevation oxygen mountains altitude climate atmosphere The Andes adapt

MAKE A SENTENCE USING THE WORDS BELOW AND WRITE IT ON THE WALL. elevation oxygen mountains altitude climate atmosphere The Andes adapt

Strategy: List-Group-Label Using their texts or a selected reading, students list words important to a topic, then students group and label words. 2. Using their lists, students work in cooperative teams to group words together that have similar characteristics (e.g., revolutionary leaders). What does it do? 3. Each cooperative team then shares their groupings with the class by explaining their decisions. Assists students with moving from specifics to concepts or big ideas by looking for similarities in words on the word list and deciding where to place words. 4. Come back together as a class and put one group on the board with the title. The rest of the students add to and exhausts the list. How to implement: 1. Students generate a list of words important to a topic. This should be done as a class or in small cooperative teams.

Let’s Do It! 6th grade-Black Death 7th grade-Texas Oil Boom 8th grade-Slavery

How do you pull out all the stops to help kids learn? BRAINSTORM How do you pull out all the stops to help kids learn?

What do you know about and how much do you use Differentiation? One finger: “I know nothing. Never heard of it.” Two fingers: “I know a little something but never have done it.” Three fingers: “I throw it in every now and then when it works out.” Four fingers: : “I do it pretty often, but could use some ideas.” Five fingers: “I am an expert, I do it all the time, in fact sit down Linda and let me handle this.”

Differentiation Getting us all on the same page so we don’t expect all students to be on the same page at the same time!

Why do we differentiate? Access to learning Motivation for learning Efficiency of learning The expectation that ALL students will be successful 25%-37% of students learn in spite of us 15%-25% of students are identified as having some exceptionality and receive additional resources The largest group, 37%-50% learn because of the teacher’s skills and efforts and because appropriate instruction and assessment are aligned with targeted standards

So you do Make a Difference!

On a note card, collaborate with your group and write a group definition of Differentiation.

Differentiation is… a philosophy that enables teachers to plan strategically in order to reach the needs of the diverse learners in classrooms today. a way of teaching in which teachers proactively modify curriculum , teaching methods, resources, learning activities and student products to address the needs of individual students and/or small groups of students Students to maximize the learning opportunity for each student in the classroom. means starting where the students are! a way of thinking about teaching and learning that seeks to recognize, learn about, and address the particular learning needs of each student. To that end, teachers use varied approaches to curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

What Differentiation is NOT: Limiting instruction and content by teaching to the average or MIDDLE student. Focusing on student weaknesses and ignoring student strengths. Multiple activities that ALL students will be able to do Creating more work for the kids who get done early Just modifying grading systems and reducing work loads – more work for “good” students and less and different work for “poor” students

THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL! Write your group’s definition of differentiation on the wall! DIFFERENTIATION IS………………………

BREAK

Three general, guiding principles of differentiation: Respectful and fair tasks Flexible grouping Ongoing assessment and adjustment

Respectful Tasks The teacher ensures that students’ learning is respected by Assessing the readiness level Expecting and supporting continual growth in ALL students by providing challenging curriculum at an appropriate degree of difficulty. Offering students tasks that are equally interesting, important and engaging. Not assigning work so that everyone is busy and quiet.

Flexible Grouping The key word is FLEXIBLE – flex·i·ble (flks-bl) adj. Responsive to change; adaptable. Do not create tracking in your classroom. Students can be grouped for a variety of reasons – knowledge of a subject, ability to perform a task or skill, interests, etc. Use both homogenous and heterogeneous groupings.

Ongoing Assessment and Adjustment Throughout units, use assessments to adjust instruction. Assessments need not be formal “tests.”

Golf Activity! Creative Grouping

What does Golf have to do with my classroom?

Differentiate Content (input) Process Product (output)

Differentiate the Content Materials at different levels Based on readiness (Pretest?) Based on interest Based on learning profile Auditory, visual, kinesthetic Input method (On tape?) Reading buddies What goes in? How does it get there?

Differentiating Content When we differentiate content, we provide different content to meet the varying needs of students.

before modifying content, unless specified in an IEP. All students must meet the minimum standards of the TEKS before modifying content, unless specified in an IEP.

Differentiate the Process What will the students do? How will they process the information?

Differentiating Process When we refer to process, we mean the activities that help students make sense of, and come to own, the ideas and skills being taught.

Differentiating Process By varying instructional strategies and activities, more students learn content and develop necessary skills. Differentiate process by targeting diverse intelligences and learning styles – KNOW your students and their needs.

Differentiating Process Part of differentiating the process is considering a student’s Readiness Interests Learning profile P Drive-ETR FOLDER-MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES

Differentiating Process We can differentiate process through: Tiered assignments Learning centers Multiple intelligences assignments Graphic organizers Compacting Contracts P Drive-ETR FOLDER-MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES

Differentiating Process We can differentiate process through: Learning logs Cubing Think Dots Cooperative learning Adaptation for varied learning styles P Drive-ETR FOLDER-MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES

Differentiating Process We can differentiate process through: Independent study Inquiry Problem-based learning K-W-L-U Choice boards P Drive-ETR FOLDER-MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES

Differentiating Process We can differentiate process through: RAFT activities Simulation-Experiential Exercises Depth and Complexity P Drive-ETR FOLDER-MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES

Differentiate the Product What will students produce to prove they have learned the content? Do the product options offer students an appropriate way to show what they know? How might changing the product help meet student needs?

Differentiating Product When we refer to product, we mean the culminating projects that allow students to demonstrate and extend what they have learned. Not necessarily a formal test. Products reveal whether students can apply learning beyond the classroom to solve problems and take action.

Differentiating Product Provide various opportunities and choices for learners to show what they know – see product choices chart Not all tasks require a product.

Look at the person next to you. Identify who will be Partner A and who will be Partner B for this Think-Pair-Share.

One of the 3 main ways to Differentiate Content Process Product

Partner A will talk; B will listen . . . Think for 15 seconds. Then talk for 30 seconds about:

Partner A listens. Partner B, Think for 15 seconds. Then talk for 20 seconds about …

LUNCH 11:30 – 1:00

Feeling Overwhelmed? Pick one strategy and jump in.

JIGSAW ACTIVITY Using the folder on your table, open it and you will be assigned as a group a differentiation activity. Please prepare one of the following: an instructional skit Lecturette or mini lesson Poster Make sure explain how the activity can be used in social studies topic in your grade level.

SHOW TIME!

Differentiation Discussion

Climate Relationships, Respect, Safety, Responsibility, Voice, Engagement Teachers have to give up some of their ideas of “control” (everyone doing the same thing, being busy and quiet) – Differentiation is often a three-ring circus – organized, engaged chaos

Knowing the Learner P Drive-ETR FOLDER-MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES Multiple Intelligences Verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, visual/spatial, musical/rhythmic, bodily/ kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist Examine lesson plans for opportunities for students to use their various intelligences Learning Styles Auditory learners, visual learners, tactile learners, kinesthetic learners, tactile/kinesthetic learners Examine lesson plans for multiple ways of processing information P Drive-ETR FOLDER-MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES

A word about GT students  They should be offered different work, not additional work. Raise the rigor for ALL by using universal themes and generalizations. Use the “DIG –It” (P Drive) tool to differentiate your lessons for GT students. Try http://www.texaspsp.org for project ideas. Raise the rigor for ALL by adding depth and complexity (Kaplan’s model or components of it).

Depth and Complexity Model – The 11 Elements Language of the Discipline Details Patterns Unanswered Questions Rules Trends Ethics Big Ideas Complexity Across the Disciplines / Interdisciplinary Relationships Changes over Time Different Perspectives With your group choose a “fun” topic and work through the table of 11 elements.

Comal ISD Differentiation Template

P Drive – ETR Folder- Differentiated Learning Template Plan a lesson using the template for a Differentiated Lesson.

Final Thoughts The fact that students differ may be inconvenient, but it is inescapable. Adapting to that diversity is the inevitable price of productivity, high standards, and fairness to kids.” Theodore Sizer

Final Final Thoughts!