1. Common Core Literacy in Social Studies, History, Science and Technology
Bristol Tennessee City Schools Professional Development | June 20, 2012
Kelly Vance English Teacher, English Core Curriculum Coach THS 1

3. Sometimes we can become overwhelmed by tasks that seem enormous.
Broken Escalator
Sometimes we can become overwhelmed by tasks that seem enormous.
The important thing is that we keep moving forward.
Sometimes we can become overwhelmed by tasks that seem enormous.
The important thing is that we keep moving forward.

4. Exxon Common Core Commercial
Exxon Common Core Commercials

5. We are moving from Snorkeling to…..

6. Scuba Diving

7. Common Core: English Language Arts Standards
CC Anchor Standards Worksheet
Timer

8. Text Complexity Qualitative evaluation of the text:
Levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands
Quantitative evaluation of the text:
Readability measures and other scores of text complexity
Matching reader to text and task:
Reader variables (such as motivation, knowledge, and experiences) and task variables (such as purpose and the complexity generated by the task assigned and the questions posed)
(Common Core State Standards Initiative 2010a, 57)
Online Clock Countdown 8

9. Why the need to increase the level of text complexity?
8th grade “school books” published after 1963 are equivalent (in terms of difficulty) to books used in the
5th grade from 9

10. The wording of 12th grade text published after 1963 was simpler than the 7th grade texts published prior to 1963. 10

11. Lexile Ranges Text Complexity Grade Band in the Standards
Old Lexile Ranges
Lexile Ranges Aligned to CCR Expectations
K–1
N/A
2–3
450–725
450–790
4–5
645–845
770–980
6–8
860–1010
955–1155
9–10
960–1115
1080–1305
11–CCR
1070–1220
1215–1355
(Common Core State Standards Initiative 2010b, 8)

13. Where can you find Lexile measures?
Lexile Look up
Accelerated Reader
Lexile Chart Handout

14. Lexile Literature
Discourse on the Method… The Scarlet Letter Brown vs. Board of Ed War and Peace Pride and Prejudice Black Beauty Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders
800 - The Adventures of Pinocchio
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery
A Baby Sister for Frances
The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth
Frog and Toad are Friends
300 - Clifford’s Manners
Materials: Workbook p. 37 and Lexile Framework handout
Reports: None
Key Concepts:
To experience the difference in reading difficulty resulting from syntactical and semantic complexity
Talking Points: None
Activity: Identify Range of Reading Materials (5 minutes)
Take out the Lexile Framework handout (foldout chart) now.
We’ll find two volunteers: one to read the excerpt at the bottom of the chart (from Clifford’s Manners), the other to read from the top of the chart (from Discourse on…).
Before the volunteers read, see if you notice any difference in the sentence structure or length between the two examples.
After listening to the two passages, what comments would you make on the impact of the sentence structure on understanding of the passage content?
Facilitator Notes: None
Climbing the Data Ladder
Revised 4/2008
© 2008 Northwest Evaluation Association

18. Why Lexile Alone Isn’t Enough
These books are typically taught in high school literature classes …
The Grapes of Wrath – 680 L – 4th grade
Fahrenheit 451 – 451 L – between 2nd & 3rd grade
Fallen Angels – 650 L – 4th grade
A Farewell to Arms – 730 L – between 4th & 5th grade
Lord of the Flies – 770 L – between 4th & 5th grade
Brave New World – 870 L – between 5th and 6th

19. Text Complexity Qualitative evaluation of the text:
Levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands
Quantitative evaluation of the text:
Readability measures and other scores of text complexity
Matching reader to text and task:
Reader variables (such as motivation, knowledge, and experiences) and task variables (such as purpose and the complexity generated by the task assigned and the questions posed)
# 7
(Common Core State Standards Initiative 2010a, 57)
Online Clock Countdown 19

20. Step 1: Quantitative Measures
Measures such as:
Word length
Word frequency
Word difficulty
Sentence length
Text length
Text cohesion

21. Step 2: Qualitative Measures
Measures such as:
Levels of meaning
Levels of purpose
Structure
Organization
Language conventionality
Language clarity
Prior knowledge demands

23. Step 3: Reader and Task Considerations such as: Motivation
Knowledge and experience
Purpose for reading
Complexity of task assigned regarding text
Complexity of questions asked regarding text

24. Appendix B Text Exemplars
Read across exemplars for your grade level span and identify specific examples that demonstrate complexity, quality, and range.
# 11

25. Literacy in Social Studies and History
Reading for Informational Text 6
English Language Arts
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
History/
Social Studies
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
Science and Technical Subjects
Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.
TIME: 20 minutes (CONTINUED for Slides 25 to 31)
___________________________________________________________________________________
With the CCSS, teachers across content areas are asked to share a common reading language as well as common reading goals. For example: Point of View and Purpose.
In Language Arts, students are taught to determine an author’s point of view or purpose in writing an informational text, and analyze how the particular author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
In History/Social Studies, students are taught to determine an author’s point of view or purpose – paying attention to loaded language and the inclusion or avoidance of particular facts.
In Science, students are taught to discern the author's purpose in providing explanations, descriptions of procedures, or the discussion of an experiment in a text.
2011 © CA County Superintendents Educational Services Association
California’s Common Core State Standards: Toolkit | Overview

26. Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects
Common Core Reading Standard for Informational Text Anchor Standard
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects
Grades 9-10
Grades 11-12
Integration of Knowledge & Ideas
7.Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.*
7.Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.
7.Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

27. Sample Best Practice Strategies
To Increase Reading Comprehension of Content Area Text
Pre-reading
Build background knowledge/Frontload
Survey the text
Make predictions/Ask questions
Complete vocabulary activity
Reading
Chunk the text
Use a graphic organizer
Post-reading
Write arguments
Summarize
TIME: 30 minutes (for Slides 54 to 56)
INTENT: To provide a review of ideas for the next activity
___________________________________________________________________________________
Quickly review these strategies participants may have used in the past. If participants are unfamiliar with any of these, quickly review the strategy.
Survey the text: Skim the text, list the important points, read the first sentence of each paragraph, and add any additional ideas. This is a pre-reading strategy to prepare to read. It will help students set a context for reading.
Make predictions/Ask questions: Students make predictions and confirm/deny those predictions as they read. Students may turn subheadings into questions to guide their reading.
Vocabulary activity: There are a lot of vocabulary activities. One to point out is the “concept definition map” we used earlier. Be sure to point out that giving students a list of vocabulary words and having them look them up in the dictionary is not a strong vocabulary activity.
Chunk the Text: Teach students to look at their overall reading assignment and divide, “chunk,” or breakdown the assignment into reasonable sections. After each chunk of reading, students should stop to think about what they have read. Processing can occur through partner sharing, completing a graphic organizer, or writing a short summary, among other strategies.
Use a Graphic Organizer: Remind participants about the graphic organizers used throughout this training.
California’s Common Core State Standards: Toolkit | Instruction, | ELA

28. Reading Comprehension
4/22/2017
Close Reading
Close, strategic reading is one of the most powerful and enjoyable ways to develop the ability to think critically and evaluate information—to literally become smart. Students should therefore have abundant daily opportunities to carefully read and reread texts for intellectual purposes—and with a pen in hand. 28

29. Page protectors, highlighting tape, post it pointers
Close Reading Interview
Page protectors, highlighting tape, post it pointers

30. Comprehension Strategies
Strategies for Developing an Accurate Representation of Text
Say what the text means.
Make ideas cohere.
Strengthen vocabulary.
Focus on purposeful reading through questioning.
Develop genre and text structure knowledge.
Use graphic organizers.
Strategies for Applying Relevant Knowledge
Think aloud
Discussion
Writing
# 17 30

31. Synthesis 3-5 What the text says: What I think about that:
Topic:_________________
What the text says:
What I think about that:
My opinion based on details from the text:

32. Synthesis 6-12 What does the text say? Literal What does it mean?
Topic:_________________
What does the text say?
Literal
What does it mean?
interpretive
What does it matter?
reflective

33. Demonstrating Comprehension
Similarities
Summarizing
Compare and contrast
Determining the meaning of words
Point of view
Literature Only
Focus on determining theme
Figurative language
Informational Text Only
Domain-specific words
Explain the relationships between concepts

35. Analytic Thinking Process
What are the assumptions the author(s) made in this information, issue, or source
What are the implications of this information?
What is the main point of view that is presented?
Paul,R. and Elder, L. (2003) Analytic Thinking Foundation for Critical Thinking Press (page 23)

36. Analytic Thinking Process
What is the purpose of this material?
What is a key question that is addressed or needs to be addressed?
What is the most important information?
What are the main inferences that can be made?
What are the key ideas or concepts?

37. Qualities of an Effective Performance Task
4/22/2017
Students should be active participants.
Intended outcomes should be clear and measure something important.
Students should engage in higher order thinking to complete the task.
Task should demonstrate mastery of knowledge. 37

38. Sample Performance Task
Students explain how Melvin Berger uses reasons and evidence in his book Discovering Mars: The Amazing Story of the Red Planet to support particular points regarding the topology of the planet.
What grade level is this?
(Common Core State Standards Initiative 2010c, 76)

39. Innovative English Language Arts Sample
(Dolan et al. 2011, 50)

40. Sample Item: Performance Event
(SBAC 2010, X-29) 40

41. Sample Item: Performance Event (continued)
(SBAC 2010, X-30) 41

42. Sample Item: Performance Event (continued)
(SBAC 2010, X-31) 42

43. Writing Writing types/purposes (standards 1−3)
Writing arguments (Instructional shift in elementary, increased focus in secondary)
Writing informative/explanatory texts
Writing narratives
Strong and growing across-the-curriculum emphasis on students writing arguments and informative/explanatory texts
Aligned with NAEP Writing framework
Students will be assessed through writing
Students learn to write by writing 43 43 43

44. Balance in the writing curriculum
In Elementary school – 30% argument, 35 % writing to inform/explain, and 35% narrative
In Middle school – 35% argument, 35 % writing to inform/explain, and 30% narrative
In High school – 40 % argument, 40% writing to inform/explain, and 20% narrative
These forms of writing are not strictly independent; for example, arguments and explanations often include narrative elements, and both informing and arguing rely on using information or evidence drawn from texts.

45. Writing Production and distribution of writing (standards 4−6)
Developing and strengthening writing
Using technology to produce and enhance writing
Research (standards 7−9)
Engaging in research and writing about sources (embedded in Writing standard – not an individual standard)
Range of writing (standard 10)
Writing routinely over various time frames 45 45 45

46. Example/ Science Technical
Sample Task A: Evaluating Evidence
Compare what the latest science tells us about Genetically Modified food against the arguments for and against Genetically Modified food. Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, conclusions of each side, and including determining the extent to which each side in the debate relied on the available science, argues from an economical perspective, or appeals to the political and emotional concerns. Verify the data and either support or challenge the conclusions with other sources of information.
CCSS RST.8
Source: Achieve

47. Example/ Science Technical
Sample B – Making a claim
Read and view different examples of case-making materials related to GM food. Take a position and cite specific textual evidence from your sources, attending to important distinctions each authors makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account. Defend your conclusion from counter-claims Create a presentation of your analysis that highlights key evidence and your strongest claims.
CCSS RST 1. and RST 9.
Source: Achieve

48. Building Analytic Thinking Skills
Word “analysis” appears 57 times in the CCSS with 77 mentions of associated analysis words such as “compare and contrast”
Analysis – precursor to high level thinking
Lin Kuzmich
Stretch Learning Handbook

49. 5 Things Every Teacher Should be Doing to Meet the Common Core State Standards
Lead High-Level, Text-Based Discussions
Focus on Process, Not Just Content
Create Assignments for Real Audiences and with Real Purpose
Teach Argument, Not Persuasion- Persuasion appeals to emotion- Argument appeals to logic
Increase Text Complexity

50. What are some resources beyond text books
What are some resources beyond text books? The Times and the Common Core Standards: Reading Strategies for 'Informational Text' - NYTimes.com

51. “The primary aim of education is not to enable students to do well in school, but to help them do well in the lives they lead outside of school.”
Source: International Center for Leadership in Education

52. Where will you place your post it now on the Common Core Continuum?
Review and Closing
Where will you place your post it now on the Common Core Continuum? 52