Common Core Curriculum Solutions

Commomcorecurriculum.info Teachers’ Choice LibraryOver 50 common core units available

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The units available in the Teachers’ Choice Library require between 2-5 weeks of classroom instruction. They provide regular and targeted instruction based on grade level curriculum literary standards in reading comprehension, advanced vocabulary development, speaking and listening, research, and writing skills.

Program Overview

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Program Overview All activities and materials are included in

the common core unit as it is streamed by video directly into the classroom.

The teacher facilitates learning by using the streamed video for reviewing stimulating background information on the topic, helping students discuss essential questions, accessing hyperlinked sources via the powerpoint support material, and leading smaller groups in collaboration activities.

Unit Components

View, Read and Think Section

This part of the unit introduces stimulating background information on the topic and encourages class discussion throughout the presentation of main ideas and facts. Manyvisuals are used to hold student attention and clarify complex concepts.

View, Read, and Think Samples

In most classrooms, this section will take 30-45 minutes on 2-3 different instructional days. Many discussion questions will allow for an exchange of ideas and help build a basic framework of knowledge that will provide a springboard for the research activities that will follow. While this section is fairly lengthy, only a couple of examples will be included in this overview.

Sometimes the fury of nature comes from deep within the earth’s crust. Fissures of the crust, result in the upward movement of heat and molten rock under immense pressure. In this way, volcanoes are born rising from the ocean floor to become islands or erupting from the land to become mountains. Of course, when volcanoes erupt, they create prodigious quantities of smoke and ash that can block the sun for long periods of time and send damaging pollutants for hundreds of miles. Towns or villages nearby face permanent extinction.

The parent gamete cells divide into two identical cells with the same * chromosomes and genes. This process is called meiosis and occurs in multiple phases.

Nuclear warhead missiles were easily moved around and hidden making inspection and

verification difficult.

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Focus on Classroom Interaction

During this direct instruction portion of the unit, 8-12 class discussion questions are spread throughout the presentation to allow for in-depth exploration of ideas by the students and teacher. A few samples of these kinds of questions have been included in this overview.

Class Discussion

What are the ramifications of the rapidly increasing use of oil world wide?

How does the increased use of oil affect you?

Right Click to Pause

Class Discussion

Almost half of the oil we depend on comes from foreign countries in the Middle East and South America. What kind of problems might develop because we rely so much on imported oil?

Class Discussion

What kind of diseases can be related to eating an unhealthy diet?

Class Discussion

What do you know about the Boston Marathon attack?

How do you know that your information is reliable?

How do we know if our information sources are accurate?

Class Discussion

Why does it matter if some species become extinct? Don’t we already have too many wild creatures making it difficult for us to enjoy the forests.

What can we do to save endangered species?

Student Collaboration

Our common core units provide many opportunities for students to work in groups clarifying problems, reviewing claims, and examining arguments with supporting evidence.

Discuss and Brainstorm Ideas

As you begin your exploration of how to save our planet, you will meet in small groups to share ideas and solutions using brainstorming techniques.

Brainstorm and Discuss

How are we damaging the earth?

Where do toxic chemicals and plastics end up?

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Brainstorm and Discuss

How might terrorists try to attack the United States?

Who are the most likely terrorists, and why do they want to destroy the U.S.?

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Brainstorm and Discuss

Is it possible for people to communicate through mental telepathy?

Have you ever discovered that you and a friend were thinking about the same exact thing at the same time?

How do you explain these kinds of events?

Additional Group Activities

As the unit progresses, students present their research and practice challenging and defending specific claims about the topic.

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Bring your completed paper to the next class session.

The next step will be to present your ideas to your small group for review and analysis.

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Meet in small groups to cross examine potential solutions.

Analyze solutions and evidence presented by group members.

Ask challenging questions when group members present their positions. Look for evidence that is sufficient to support clear, logical arguments.

Ask group members to defend the credibility and reliability of their sources.

Share Your Ideas with the Group

During this evaluation phase, class members will share ideas, analyze arguments, and review the various paranormal psychic occurrences. Students will be prepared to participate by contributing their ideas and supporting evidence.

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Conducting Reseaerch

This section of the common core unit enables students to utilize the extensive sources available on the internet by gathering and evaluating information on the topic. Once a topic is defined for exploration, essential questions are posed to guide the research.

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Conduct Research on the Issue

Use technology and text sources to gather information about the Selective Service Act and the military draft. Research ideas on who should serve in the military and how they should be chosen. Consider fairness and the quality of personnel when evaluating potential ideas.

This will be a short research assignment and should generate two or three pages of notes. The notes will be used during the next class discussion to review ideas and solutions and to write a proposal. 27

Essential Questions to Guide Research

What factors contribute to terrorism?

Why is terrorism on the increase?

How do we deal with home grown terrorists?

What can be done to protect Americans from terrorist acts.

Essential Questions to Guide Research

1. How does the U.S. Constitution protect the “right” that your are researching?

2. What do Supreme Court decisions say about the issue?

3. What examples can you find that demonstrate how your position on this issue should supersede other positions on this issue?

4. What arguments can you find that demonstrate how this “right” you are supporting does not infringe on the constitutional rights of others?

Essential Questions to Guide Research

Can exercise reduce your risk of serious disease?

How often do most Americans exercise? According to research, how will longevity be

affected by exercise? How can employers, health institutions, or the

government help get people to exercise more? How will health costs be affected if Americans

continue to be inactive and overweight? Should television commercials be used to show

people the horrible diseases they may end up with from lack of exercise and obesity.

Quick Access to Sources

Most research topics provided in the Teachers’ Choice Library of units include from 12-30 vetted internet hyperlinked sources. In order to access these sources within seconds, the viewer needs to click off the video and click on the powerpoint companion next to it. This is a quick and simple process that faclitates seemless internet research with great sources.

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Facts: Volunteers or Draftees

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5793624_draft-vs_-volunteer-military.html

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The History of Military Draft and Voluntary Service

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/America+%26+the+draft%3A+a+200-year+debate%3A+the+U.S.+has+gone+back+and...-a0207323951

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Progress of Women’s Rights

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/report/2013/09/25/74836/the-state-of-women-in-america/

PBS Civil Rights for African Americans

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/timeline/civil_01.html

Practicing Reading Standards

When students begin using their source material, they are provided with a series of common core standard related reading questions. These questions can be used by the teacher to demonstrate how reading slills should be applied when reading complex, informational material. By using the streamed video on a large screen students receive direct instruction in these vital reading skills.36

Reading Assignment

The following questions are directly aligned to the common core reading standards for literacy in social studies/history.

Select some of the following hyperlinked sources or available text sources and answer the following questions.

5. Select two different sources/authors that present information about the same topic. Compare and contrast how the two authors treat a similar topic, and the way they emphasize or understand the importance of some details and events. Which author makes the most convincing arguments? Explain

6. Select source material that includes some type of quantitative analysis such as charts, graphs, or data and write a brief summary of what you learned from the display of information. Select a text source on a similar topic. How does the chart or graph information support or fail to support the text information?

Students Prepare to Write

Once students have completed their research and clarified issues in small groups, they are provided with a very specific step by step process for effectively writing their essay.

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Write a ProposalUse your notes to write a one or two page proposal to recommend which civil rights you believe are most important. Provide specific information to support your proposed ideas with clearly articulated arguments and sufficient evidence.

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Your Proposal Define the

issue/problem Outline the details of

your argument Cite supporting

research Project possible

roadblocks Specify contingency or

back up plans 43

Develop a Writing Plan

Determine what your main point will be, and write a topic sentence that provides focus for your essay.

Choose several main ideas that support your topic sentence.

Sort your information into supporting details with facts and examples.

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Peer Review and Evaluation

During the writing process, students engage in a structured peer review process to evaluate the successful implementation of common core writing skills.

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Peer Review of Listening and Speaking Skills

In addition to peer review of writing skills, students also help each other observe and evaluate successful implementation of the literary speaking and listening common core standards.

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Peer Review and Evaluation

Today, you will be assigned a writing skills partner. Your partner will either read or listen to you read your essay and will evaluate how well you demonstrate effective writing skills. In addition, after completing the peer review process, you will evaluate your own success in achieving the necessary writing skills by placing a checkmark in front of the item that you successfully demonstrated.

Vocabulary Enhancement

All common core units include highlighted, key vocabulary words during the intial Read, View. And Think section. The ELA units provide additional in-depth vocabulary activities that enable the teacher to provide direct vocabulary instruction with clarification of word meanings and use of context clues. Quick vocabulary assessments offer immediate student feedback.

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Vocabulary Practice

The following words were highlighted during the prior presentation. Use the Merriam-Webster.com online dictionary or regular dictionary, and write a definition for each of the following words. Review activities for these words will be included later in this unit.

ingest consumption excessive enhanced deprivation correlated incidence adequate inoculations longevity

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Vocabulary Check up and Review

Raise your green card if you believe the statement is true or your red card if you think it is

false.

True or False

Evolved means…to have developed and changed over a period of time.

True or False

Essential means…that something is helpful but not really necessary.

Determine if the following words are correctly used in the sentence.

If the vocabulary word is used correctly in the sentence, raise your green card for TRUE.

If the vocabulary word is used incorrectly in the sentence, raise your red card for FALSE.

True or False

The plan for the new park evolved over a period of time.

True or False

The automoblile picked up an essential nail in the rear tire.

Matching Vocabulary Test A

__ 1. evolve A. to sternly warn and discipline someone

____2. deemed B. to do something obviously and offensively ____3. incite C. very essential in building something strong____4. essential D. crude, lewd, and offensive behavior____5. castigate E. to develop gradually____6. blatant F. to have determined or believed something ___ 7. obscenity G. to get others to participate in a negative way ____8. cornerstone H. something that is very important to have

Application of Skills to a Real World Problem

At the conclusion of many of the common core units students participate in a real world problem solving class activity. The following problem is an example of such an activity. 57

Problem Solving

Apply your problem solving skills to the following real world problem.

Conduct a Paranormal Experiment

1. Meet in small groups of 4 to 5 students. 2. Decide upon four common symbols such as plus sign, minus

sign, question mark, and exclamation mark. 3. Create a deck of 16 small cards with an equal number of

each of the four symbols your group has selected 4. Select two group members to serve as subjects for your

mental telepathy experiment. 5. Require the two subjects to sit back to back(blindfold on one

student is optional)

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6. Select one subject to study each card carefully and attempt to communicate the image of the symbol to the other subject.

7. The other 2 or 3 students in your group will function as scientists who will control and observe the complete experiment.

8. The observing scientists will shuffle the cards so they are in random order. 9. The observing scientists will ensure that the subjects do not

use sounds, movements, or non verbal cues to communicate information to each other.

10. Ask the subject with the cards to randomly choose a card from the deck and concentrate on the visual symbol for 10 seconds.

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11. The receiving subject is given one set of cards with each of the four symbols to view during the experiment (this is an optional procedure).

12. The receiving subject is asked to concentrate for the same 10 seconds as the sender before volunteering an answer. The receiving subject names one of the symbols that the other subject is attempting to communicate through mental telepathy.

13. One of the science observers serves as the recorder of each response marking a plus or a minus in a column with 25 spots for responses.

14. After the subjects have attempted to communicate the visual symbols 25 times, the experiment is over.

15. At this point, the data needs to be tallied and carefully analyzed.

16. The three science observers need to determine if the results are statistically significant.

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Analyzing the Results of the Experiment

How do we know if our experiment proves anything? Since the subject had to choose one of four symbols, what would be

the expected probability of making correct choices? If you flip a coin 25 times, will you always have heads come up 25% of

the time? Would 25% be more likely if you flipped the coin 100 times? Convert the results of the experiment into a fraction and a percent. The higher the percent of responses that are correct, the more

significant your results.

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Report Back to Class

Share your small group’s experimental results. Combine the results of all treatment groups(all small groups that conducted experiments in the class). Did the experiments consistently exceed the expected probability of 25% correct? Do you think that the combined percent correct is large enough to demonstrate proof mental of telepathy? Would a sample size that is larger than 25 provide more significant results?

Common Core Standards

All units include an appendix at the end of the video unit that details all of the grade level standards taught by the unit.

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Common Core Curriculum Solutions

Commomcorecurriculum.info Teachers’ Choice LibraryOver 50 common core units available

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The Common Core Curriculum

By Dean Berry, Ed. D. Gregg Berry, B.A.