1. Leadership ELA Nonfiction
Standards Institute
Leadership ELA
Nonfiction

2. Standards Institute Approach
Conceptual
Practical
Foundations
Shifts & Tools
Texts & Fiction
Canon & Contemporary Application: Shifts 1&2
Modules and Units
Deconstructing Lessons: Shift 3
Inquiry
Research and Writing
Equity
Strategies & Assessment
Support
Access
Rigor
Relevance
July 13 - July 17 1
Today we are going to deep dive into a module, but before we do we have to get very clear around the glue that cements the text, instruction, and the standards together- which is how we ask questions, and what we ask in them

3. Today’s Sessions Session 1: Writing Text-Dependent Questions
Session 2: Shifting the Paradigm: Teaching Nonfiction in the Common Core
Session 3: Shifting the Paradigm: A Standards-based Approach to Fiction
Session 4: ACT, SAT, PARCC and CCSS for Leaders

4. Session 2: Shifting the Paradigm:
Teaching Nonfiction in the Common Core
Participants will be able to:
Evaluate an approach to teaching nonfiction in the CCSS aligned curriculum
Distinguish between traditional approaches to teaching nonfiction texts and a standards-based CCSS approach to these texts
1 minutes

5. This Session’s Agenda
Understanding the importance of nonfiction texts in an ELA classroom
Examining the module’s approach to teaching nonfiction texts by
Reading and experiencing excerpts from Sugar Changed the World
Experiencing lessons from Grade 9 Module 4
Understanding argument writing and lesson design
Observing a teacher in action
1 min

6. Focus Question for this Session
Why is nonfiction reading important in an ELA classroom? 1
Specifically with regards to Common Core, this question is important because of the major shift that is occurring and the focus on nonfiction texts. This question should be presented to the group but also serve as a focal point for the nonfiction section of the presentation.

7. Reviewing Instructional Shifts
Review the third ELA shift and discuss in groups:
What does this shift mean for classroom instruction and curriculum? 1
This should be briefly discussed but serve mostly as a reminder for participants. Our main focus in this presentation is going to be this shift and why they are made/why they are relevant to Common Core classrooms teaching nonfiction texts.

8. Why should we teach nonfiction?
To Examine Written History
Build background/historical knowledge and comprehension by reading, instead of instructing
Help students understand the significance and importance of writing throughout history
To Analyze Arguments
Understand how people make and have made arguments
As Modeling for (Argument) Writing
By understanding the nonfiction writing of others, students can craft their own arguments
Can also be used to teach a variety of nonfiction writing, such as literary nonfiction, research, and journalism. 3
Generally speaking, these are the three main reasons that the Core has shifted toward nonfiction. The first is very simple: so that students can learn about the world, both current and past. Ultimately, students do the majority of their background building through reading rather than instruction from the teacher. This first reason also shows the students the significance of writing (and “seminal US documents”) throughout history. The second reason goes beyond just learning about history and looking at writing, and into actually analyzing and understanding these texts. No matter the nonfiction text being studied, there is always a purpose or argument (a “central idea”) that needs to be understood by the students, and certain tools and discussions are provided throughout the module to support their understanding. The third reason is to aid students in their own writing. As participants will see in the Backward Design portion of the presentation, students will learn to delineate and evaluate other nonfiction texts so that they can better build their own arguments. Ultimately, these three reasons all lead to students understanding the importance of nonfiction writing so that they see value in their own writing and arguments both in and out of the classroom.

9. Module 9.4
Understanding and Evaluating Argument: Analyzing text to Write Arguments 2
The next 3 slides will introduce participants to Module 9.4 and the text, Sugar Changed the World. It should be made clear that the Module’s title-- “Analyzing Text to Write Arguments”-- is directly linked to that third reason on the previous slide (“Model for Argument Writing”). We’re understanding and evaluating the arguments of others to be able to write them ourselves.

10. Overview of Module 9.4: Texts
Central Text:
Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom and Science
Supplementary Texts:
“Globalization: The Growing Integration of Economies and Societies Around the World” (World Bank)
“How Your Addiction to Fast Fashion Kills” (law.fordham.edu)
“Where Sweatshops Are a Dream” (The New York Times)
“Bangladesh Factory Collapse: Who Really Pays for Our Cheap Clothes?” (CNN) 1
General overview of the texts in Module 9.4. Participants will be working directly with Sugar Changed the World and “How Your Addiction to Fast Fashion Kills,” and will also see student work that uses the other texts.

11. Sample ELA Nonfiction Text
Read the introduction and discuss (from ):
What are Marc and Marina’s personal connections to the history of sugar?
How might these connections shape their point of view in this text? 10
Participants will have these questions in the materials and should answer independently, then discuss. It should be noted that bullets two and three come directly from Module 9.4, Lesson 1, as questions that should be discussed with students. Also, questions are directly related to RI : Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
How do these questions shift classroom focus from a historical reading (Social Studies) to a literary one (ELA)?

12. ELA vs. Social Studies Classroom
Nonfiction texts like Sugar Changed the World blur the line between ELA and SS classrooms. We should embrace the opportunity for cross-content collaboration, and the opportunity to expand on our student’s knowledge base.
After viewing the images on pp of the “Sugar” book, complete the Image Analysis Tool, then discuss:
What makes the analysis of these images in this way different from how it would be done in a SS classroom?
What opportunities can you see for cross content-collaboration? 10
Reading texts like Sugar Changed the World encourages students to be concerned with things like the central idea, argument, analysis, point of view, and language of the text, rather than what they would see in a social studies classroom (facts, dates, people, etc). Although this blurs the line between classroom types, it also encourages both students and teachers to cross-collaborate. Participants will work with images from Sugar and fill out a Tool that is found in 9.4 Lesson 7

13. Examining Written History
CCSS Standards that address this:
RI : Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
RI : Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance, including how they address related themes and concepts. 1
Now we will revisit those “Three Reasons for Studying Nonfiction Texts” in more details, with a look at what standards are aligned to these three reasons. The first, again, is looking at written history, and these two standards address that idea.

14. Examining Written History: Building a Knowledge Base
Providing students with a text set for modules like 9.4 allows for the building of background knowledge and the examination of history from a literary perspective
Options for 9.4 Text Set:
US Declaration of Independence (1776)
Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)
“Bitterness in Sugar Workers’ Lives,” USA Today (2013) 5
Participants will be familiar with Text Sets because of previous sessions. This should touch again on the reason for Text Sets with regards to two things: 1) the idea of examining written history as a reason for studying nonfiction, and 2) how it addresses the Shift as well as building knowledge through reading, not instruction. It is important to note that these texts (on the right) are not actually in the 9.4 module, but are possible options. Students learn about the Haitian revolution and how the ideas of “life, liberty, and property/the pursuit of happiness” fueled that revolution as well as the US (Declaration of Independence) and the French (Declaration of the Rights of Man) Revolutions. In addition, teachers can use modern texts, articles, opinion pieces, and more (“Bitterness in Sugar Workers’ Lives”) to study that second standard (RI.6- point of view and purpose) and connect the Sugar texts and the seminal documents to present day and students’ lives.

15. Analyzing Arguments CCSS Standards that address this:
RI : Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. 1
Again, that second reason for studying nonfiction texts is to examine the arguments/central ideas that are found in both historical and present-day nonfiction texts. This standard directly address the idea of understanding what these nonfiction texts are trying to say

16. Analyzing Arguments: Unfolding Analysis Tool
Students in 9.4 are presented with multiple Unfolding Analysis Tools in order to aid in their literary understanding of the text
Independently read p of Sugar Changed the World
Complete the “Unfolding Analysis Tool: Connecting Ideas” from 9.4 Lesson 3 (p.4)
When you have finished, discuss the following:
How does this tool address standards RI ?
How will this tool help students better understand Sugar Changed the World? 15
Participants complete an Unfolding Analysis Tool from 9.4: Lesson 3. This will show them how the idea of “Analyzing Arguments” is 1) directly linked to the standards and 2) an important reason for studying nonfiction texts.

17. Model for Writing CCSS Standards that address this:
RI : Analyze in detail how an author's ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text
RI : Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning. 2
Discuss how the practice and mastery of standards RI and RI can aid students in their understanding and mastering of, in turn, W (writing an argument).

18. Model for Writing: Evaluating Argument Tool
Students in 9.4 are presented with multiple Evaluating Argument Tools, which allow them to read supplemental texts and delineate the authors’ arguments
These tools allow for students to not only better understand the supplemental texts, but also better understand argument writing so that they can begin crafting their own arguments 3
By understanding the arguments of other writers, students can model their own writing in a similar fashion to write more effective arguments. It should be made clear to participants that they will 1) be completing an Evaluating Argument Tool later in the session, and 2) have a copy of this screenshot in their materials and will be examining it as a Student Writing Sample later on.

19. Power of Writing
Studying nonfiction in a CCSS ELA classroom encourages students to:
Understand the power of writing as it has been and is used, throughout history
Model and craft their own arguments after and in response to historically significant texts
Value their own writing as a tool for their convictions to be heard both in and out of the classroom 2
It is here that participants should come full circle in their understanding of the way nonfiction is taught in the Modules. The three reasons for studying nonfiction (examining writing throughout history, understanding argument/purpose, and modeling for writing) all lead to one end goal: students will not only become better writers of nonfiction and argument writing, but they will also realize the value and importance of being able to write effectively. They will see that throughout history, writing strong documents and arguments has lead to change and allowed people’s voices to be heard. Similarly, students who learn to write effectively can use their writing to allow their voices to be heard both in and out of the classroom.

20. Crafting an Argument- p.
Central Claim: The main argument an author is making
Counterclaim: An argument made to disprove a previous claim
Supporting Claim: An evidence-based statement made in support of the central claim 3
This slide serves to help participants understand these three terms as they move into examining the actual activities found in 9.4- the evaluating arg. tool handout is an example of how to teach these terms that will be new to many students, and can also serve as a note catcher.

21. Visualizing the structure for students2
Sample of a classroom visualization of the parts or building blocks of a “Good Argument.”

22. Building an Argument
Independently, read “How Your Addiction to Fashion Kills” on p. to build an argument about how low cost fashion relies on harsh labor practices.
Annotate for the author’s claims and evidence
Use the Evaluating Argument Tool on p. to organize your planning for an individual response.
Prompt: “Who bears the most responsibility for ensuring that clothes are ethically manufactured?” 10
Participants will complete an Evaluating Argument Tool which is taken from 9.4 Lesson 10. This tool shows participants how arguments are the arguments of the supporting texts are delineated. Again, this serves two purposes: 1) to help students understand the supporting texts and 2) allow students to model their own arguments after those they have already delineated and examined.

23. Evaluating an Argument
With a partner, discuss your argument, sharing your Evaluating Argument Tool. Use the following questions to guide the conversation:
What arguments does the author make about who bears the most responsibility for ensuring clothes are ethically manufactured?
What claims does the author use to support the argument?
What possible counter-claims could challenge the author’s point of view? 5
After completing the tool in the previous slide, participants will discuss what they found. This is important to aid participants in the completion of the next slide

24. Video Observation Developing Evidence-based Argument
What evidence do you see of these Standards?
RH RH RH WH9-10.1a-e WH9-
Were the questions text-dependent?
35 minutes:
5 minute materials preview: Hand out lesson plan, text rationale and lesson materials.
15 minute video.
Using the lesson plan, text rationale, and lesson materials as references, observe Mr. Reisenfeld’s lesson from a unit on Imperialism.
12 minute discussion of Standards, TDQs (next slide)
3 minute summarizer

25. Video Observation Developing Evidence-based Argument
What evidence do you see of these Standards?
Were the questions text-dependent?
RH – Identification and use of textual evidence;
RH – Identification and analysis of central idea (of text); RH – Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (using multiple texts); WH9-10.1a-e – Development of introduction, substantiating claims with keys ideas, and making relevant and substantive conclusions;
WH – Gathering information from multiple print and digital texts sources
35 minutes:
5 minute materials preview: Hand out lesson plan, text rationale and lesson materials.
15 minute video.
Using the lesson plan, text rationale, and lesson materials as references, observe Mr. Reisenfeld’s lesson from a unit on Imperialism.
12 minute discussion of Standards, TDQs
3 minute summarizer

26. Reflect and Write
What is the gap between where you need to be and where you are?
What do you need to lead and support this work?
Systems and structures
People
Resources
Who needs to learn what by when?
You
Leadership Team
Staff