Supporting Literacy in Supporting Literacy in the Content Areas:the Content Areas:

Science, Math, & Social StudiesScience, Math, & Social Studies

Five Characteristics common Five Characteristics common to all 90/90/90 Schoolsto all 90/90/90 Schools

A focus on academic achievementA focus on academic achievement Clear curriculum choicesClear curriculum choices Frequent assessment of student Frequent assessment of student

progress and multiple opportunities progress and multiple opportunities for improvementfor improvement

An emphasis on non-fiction An emphasis on non-fiction writingwriting

Collaborative scoring of student workCollaborative scoring of student work

Writing in the content areas:Writing in the content areas: Writing focuses on challenging Writing focuses on challenging

students with the kind of writing they students with the kind of writing they will be required to do in the real will be required to do in the real world.world.

Provides a way to assess student Provides a way to assess student understanding and recognize understanding and recognize misconceptions.misconceptions.

Allows students to discover or Allows students to discover or recognize their own thought recognize their own thought processes through their writing processes through their writing

Is a way to move toward higher-Is a way to move toward higher-order thinking in the subject areasorder thinking in the subject areas

Content area writingContent area writing Science: hypotheses, procedures to Science: hypotheses, procedures to

answer questions, research findings, answer questions, research findings, conclusions, next steps all summarized in conclusions, next steps all summarized in lab reports, T-charts (graphic organizers), lab reports, T-charts (graphic organizers), labeling diagramslabeling diagrams

Math: tables, story problems, graphs, Math: tables, story problems, graphs, descriptions of patterns and problem descriptions of patterns and problem solving techniques, writing new problems, solving techniques, writing new problems, graphic organizersgraphic organizers

Social Studies: descriptions of primary Social Studies: descriptions of primary sources (photos, journals, newspapers, sources (photos, journals, newspapers, maps, documents, photographs, etc), maps, documents, photographs, etc), generating first person accounts, research generating first person accounts, research findings, arguments for deliberations findings, arguments for deliberations

Moving toward cross-curricular Moving toward cross-curricular “higher-order thinking” with writing “higher-order thinking” with writing taskstasks RememberingRemembering—Retrieving relevant knowledge from —Retrieving relevant knowledge from

long-term memory long-term memory UnderstandingUnderstanding—Constructing meaning from instructional —Constructing meaning from instructional

messages, including oral, written, and graphic messages, including oral, written, and graphic communications communications

ApplyingApplying—Carrying out or using a procedure in a given —Carrying out or using a procedure in a given situation situation

AnalyzingAnalyzing—Breaking material into its constituent parts —Breaking material into its constituent parts and determining how the parts relate to one another and and determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose to an overall structure or purpose

EvaluatingEvaluating—Making judgments based on criteria and —Making judgments based on criteria and standards standards

CreatingCreating—Putting elements together to form a coherent —Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole, reorganizing elements into a new or functional whole, reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure (p. 31) pattern or structure (p. 31)

Being metacognitiveBeing metacognitive—Being aware of one's own —Being aware of one's own comprehension and being able and willing to repair comprehension and being able and willing to repair comprehension breakdowns when they occur comprehension breakdowns when they occur

Model “understanding Model “understanding performances” with writing tasksperformances” with writing tasks 3-week nutrition unit for 43-week nutrition unit for 4thth-graders-graders Performances ~ students demonstrate:Performances ~ students demonstrate:

Understanding of 6 types of food in the food pyramid Understanding of 6 types of food in the food pyramid by classifying food from commercials in pyramid by classifying food from commercials in pyramid schematic (science/math/writing)schematic (science/math/writing)

Understanding of food labeling by making tables out Understanding of food labeling by making tables out of food information (math)of food information (math)

Practical understanding of nutrition by developing Practical understanding of nutrition by developing nutritious menus (writing)nutritious menus (writing)

Journaling food intake (science/writing/math with Journaling food intake (science/writing/math with caloric tabulations)caloric tabulations)

Writing letters to consumers (writing/social studies)Writing letters to consumers (writing/social studies) Dramatizing grocery store experiences (arts/writing)Dramatizing grocery store experiences (arts/writing) Writing commercials focusing on nutritional valuesWriting commercials focusing on nutritional values

Writing in the Middle SchoolWriting in the Middle School

Writing RubricWriting Rubric Student-Teacher Conference Student-Teacher Conference

WorksheetWorksheet Writing PromptsWriting Prompts The Writing ProcessThe Writing Process

WRITING TO IMPROVE THINKINGWRITING TO IMPROVE THINKING

Students have to process what they know, in any Students have to process what they know, in any given subject, on any given topic; no matter what given subject, on any given topic; no matter what the subject of writing.the subject of writing.

Purpose at the High School is to improve thinking Purpose at the High School is to improve thinking in every subject- inevitably yielding better results in every subject- inevitably yielding better results for all students in all subjects and on written for all students in all subjects and on written performance assessments.performance assessments.

Writing prompts are developed by content area Writing prompts are developed by content area teachers in collaboration with English teachers.teachers in collaboration with English teachers.

Writing Day!- One hour writing delay schedule.Writing Day!- One hour writing delay schedule. Drafts submitted to content area teachers to edit for Drafts submitted to content area teachers to edit for

content, improve thinking and encourage students content, improve thinking and encourage students to expand ideas.to expand ideas.

High School continued…High School continued…

Students develop final copies based on the Students develop final copies based on the VC K-12 rubric and comments specific to VC K-12 rubric and comments specific to rubric areas.rubric areas.

Final copies, along with rough drafts, are Final copies, along with rough drafts, are handed in to English/ Social Studies handed in to English/ Social Studies teachers for evaluation in improvement of teachers for evaluation in improvement of ideas and expanded thinking.ideas and expanded thinking.

Writing counts as 10% of English/ Social Writing counts as 10% of English/ Social Studies grade.Studies grade.

Our goal at the High School is to develop a Our goal at the High School is to develop a community of thinkers and writers, as well community of thinkers and writers, as well as to promote conversations about writing as to promote conversations about writing among students, faculty and among students, faculty and administrators.administrators.

Incorporating Writing Into Incorporating Writing Into Content Area InstructionContent Area Instruction

Topic: __________________Topic: __________________

Examples of Writing Assignments:Examples of Writing Assignments: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Are Rubrics?What Are Rubrics?

According to Heidi Goodrich According to Heidi Goodrich Andrade: A rubric is a scoring tool Andrade: A rubric is a scoring tool that lists the criteria for a piece of that lists the criteria for a piece of

work. work. It determines what counts within a It determines what counts within a

piece of writing. piece of writing. Furthermore, it conveys the degree Furthermore, it conveys the degree

of quality for each specified criterion of quality for each specified criterion from excellent to poor.from excellent to poor.

Andrade, H. “Understanding Rubrics.” Educational Leadership (1997): Andrade, H. “Understanding Rubrics.” Educational Leadership (1997): 54(4).54(4).

Why Use Rubrics?Why Use Rubrics?

Rubrics can be powerful tools for Rubrics can be powerful tools for both teaching and assessment.both teaching and assessment.

Rubrics help students become more Rubrics help students become more thoughtful judges of quality writing.thoughtful judges of quality writing.

Rubrics reduce the amount of time Rubrics reduce the amount of time teachers spend evaluating work.teachers spend evaluating work.

Rubrics help teachers accommodate Rubrics help teachers accommodate different learning abilities.different learning abilities.

Rubrics can be easy to use and Rubrics can be easy to use and explain to students if the correct explain to students if the correct approach and vernacular is used.approach and vernacular is used.

VCSD RubricVCSD Rubric

How Is The Rubric Incorporated How Is The Rubric Incorporated Within Each Grade Level?Within Each Grade Level?

Grading – refer to color codes Grading – refer to color codes rubricsrubrics

Grade Level Tasks – see Grade Level Tasks – see handouthandout

QuestionsQuestions