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Common Core State Standards for Literacy Across All Content Areas

November 16, 2011Southern Vance High School

*Please sit with teachers of the same content area as

you.*

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PurposeTo build a common understanding of the

Common Core State Standards for literacy across all content areas. Teachers will be able to apply the literacy standards within their respective Essential Standards and

develop tasks that utilize appropriate technology tools for reading, writing and/or

presenting. 

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“…but I’m NOT an English teacher”

As we look to prepare our students for college or careers, it becomes every

teacher’s responsibility to support and instruct students in reading informational

text and to provide them with sufficient opportunities to communicate ideas

through formal writing and speaking.

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Common Core Standards for LiteracyTeachingChannel.org

Things to think about during the

video:

•What do you think about the shift to non-fiction and

informational text in reading? Shift to non-narrative texts in writing?

• How can ELA teachers work

with other content area teachers to integrate literacy

skills?

Approximately 15 mins.

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What Are We Asking of Students?

Beyond simply understanding the words, concepts embedded in content-area texts…

•We are asking students to adopt particular ways of thinking about text in each of our classrooms.

•We are asking them to adopt a particular way of reading and understanding texts.

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The READING Standards

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…the Buzz About INFORMATIONAL TEXTS

These expectations are

based on the cumulative

reading experiences from English/Languag

e Arts and content-area

courses.

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…the Buzz About INFORMATIONAL TEXTS

Communicate information about the world

Factual contentTimeless verb constructionsGeneric noun constructionsTechnical vocabulary

Classificatory or definitional material

Text structures (e.g., comparison, causation, problem/solution)

Repetition of topical themeGraphical elements (e.g.,

diagrams, maps, timelines, etc.)

Informational texts have many or all of these

features:

Informational text gives factual information on a specific topic or event. It is designed primarily to explain, argue or describe rather than to entertain.

-The Literacy Dictionary, IRA, 1995

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…the Buzz About INFORMATIONAL TEXTS

Take a few minutes to identify some examples of informational texts that

could be used within your course(s).

Be sure to discuss:•The accessibility of these texts

•Any prerequisite skills that students would need to ensure their understanding of the text (i.e. interpreting legends/keys of maps, navigating through an academic journal report)

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The CODING System = I knew that.X = This contradicts

my expectations. = This is important.? = I have a question.?? = I am confused.! = This is exciting or

surprising to me.L = I learned

something new.

Group Activity

Use the following Coding System as you read the selected informational text

Briefly share any comments and/or questions within your colleagues

(Harvey & Daniels, 2009, p. 93)

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• What information did the author want to convey?

• What are the major ideas of the selection?

• How are the supporting details for each main idea presented?

• What aids (images, graphs, tables, etc.) does the author use to convey meaning?

• What key vocabulary words are used to convey the major ideas and/or supporting details?

Group Activity

Our students will need to be able to properly answer questions as such in regards to ANY

informational text

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…the Buzz About INFORMATIONAL TEXTS

What YOU Can Do

Reading StrategiesThe Coding System

Create authentic purposes to read, discuss, and write

informational text as it relates to you

content

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Reading for Comprehension

To understand the relationship between comprehension, text,

and inquiry.

Comprehension

Inquiry

Text

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“There are known knowns. There are things we know that we know.

There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are

things we don’t know we don’t know.”

D. Rumsfeld, Newsweek (2003, p. 113)

What are some comprehension strategies used

to understand this quote?

Notice any patterns?

What questions emerged from reading this

quote?

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CLOSE Reading

Clasp your pencil

Line, label and list

Observe patterns

Seek similarities and differences

Effectively question

A reading technique that should be implemented in all classes for careful, sustained reading tasks of a particular

passage, or the text as a whole.

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Clasp your pencil

Line, label and list

Observe patterns

Seek similarities and differences

Effectively question

Group Activity Perform a CLOSE Read on the 10 Common Core Reading Standards for your appropriate grade band.

Be sure to note: Ways in which you’re

already doing some of these standards

Examples of what some of these standards would look like in your course

Each content area will delegate someone to share a few of their observations

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The WRITING Standards

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The Importance of Writing QUIZTake a short quiz to assess how much know

about the importance of writing for our students:

• Go to the 1:1 Professional Development VCS Moodle

• Under today’s section, select “What Do YOU Know About Writing”

•Share your final score and any facts that you were surprised by with your content area.

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Highlights from the CCSS Writing Standards▫Write arguments on discipline-

specific content and informative/ explanatory textsNo longer “Writing Across the Curriculum” - teaching writing tasks specific to each discipline.

▫Make arguments or claims and support those with the use of data, evidence, and reason

▫Apply domain-specific vocabulary through writing exercises unique to each discipline

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The literacy standards are not to be taught in isolation and DO NOT replace the NC

Essential Standards. They could be integrated into current content

standards now but the mandatory implementation begins during the 2012-2013

school year.

Many of us are already doing this!!

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Aligning the Literacy Standards with NCESGroup Activity

•With your content area teachers, identify a few Common Core Literacy Standards (reading or writing) that could be aligned with your NC Essential Standards.

•Try to come up with a few learning activities/tasks that supports the integration

•Complete the CCSS Literacy Alignment chart

•Upload the finished chart to the section entitled “Aligning the Literacy Standards with NCES”

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Locating YOUR Standards•Go to the VCS Moodle site

•Click on Instructional Technology from the Course Categories

•Locate your content area

•Select the document

that you wish to view

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“I Used to Think…Now I Think…”

•Jot down your responses to the following prompts

I Used to Think ___________ about teaching reading/writing in my content area.

Now I Think ______________ about teaching reading/writing in my content area.

•Share responses within content-area groups first, then post you reflection under CCSS Literacy: Reflection Questionon the Moodle page

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Before you GO…

To submit an evaluation on today’s professional

development session:

• Return to the 1:1 Professional Development

VCS Moodle http://moodle.vcs.k12.nc/moodle

•Under the EVALUATION topic, select

“Professional Development (Nov. 16, 2011) EVALUATION”

*Hard copies are available for those

without laptops/internet

connection