Meeting the Text Complexity Demands of the Common Core

1. Christina Steinbacher-Reed Meeting the Text Complexity Demands of the Common Core

2. Collins Type 1 Writing • In five lines or more, write the things you know, think you know, and questions you have about the Common Core Writing Standards.

3. Where are you with Common Core Writing?

4. What questions are on your agenda? • Introduce yourself and your role • Share your Type 1 response • Generate questions on post-its to add to Question Chart

5. What/So What?

6. Gr. 6-12 ELA Common Core Literature Informational Foundational Skills (K-5 only)

7. Gr. 6-12 Content Standards Content Standards

8. Additional CC Documents • ELA Writing Standards • Appendix A – Types of Writing Defined • Appendix C – Examples of Writing • Revised Publishers’ Criteria

9. Common Core vs. PA Common Core • All inclusive, nationally accepted literacy standards • Includes CC that are included in eligible content and state assessments Common Core PA Common Core

10. Key Design Features • College and Career Anchor Standards (pg. 18,41,60) • Vertical Progression • Technology integrated • Literacy is shared responsibility in all content areas

11. What are the ‘big shifts’? • Balance of literary and informational texts • Knowledge in the disciplines • Staircase of text complexity • Text-based Answers • Writing from Sources • Academic Vocabulary

12. How do we meet the CC demands for writing? • What are the Common Core’s expectations for writing? • What are specific writing strategies for writing across the curriculum?

13. Seasonal Partners

14. What are the expectations for CC writing?

15. What are the CC’s expectation for writing? • Collins Type 1 - List your top three expectations for your students’ writing. Share with a partner. • Read “Note on Range and Content of Student Writing” and mark the text • How do your lists compare to the Common Core?

16. Shift 5: Writing From Sources • More time on informational writing, less on personal narratives • Opportunities to write from multiple sources on a single topic • Opportunities to analyze, synthesize ideas across many texts to draw an opinion or conclusion • Teach voice as drawing from powerful, meaningful evidence • Give permission to students to have their own reaction and draw their own connections

17. A Special Place for Argument • Read Appendix A regarding Argument • How is writing an argument different than writing persuasive writing? • From the CC perspective, why do we need to teach argument writing? In what ways do you agree or disagree with their perspective?

18. What is the difference between Persuasive Writing and Writing argument?

19. A Closer Look • K-5 – pg. 18 • Gr. 6-12 ELA - 41 • Gr. 6-12 Literacy Content - Page 60

20. Learning Progressions- CCR.W.1 • Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence

21. Revised Publisher’s Criteria Give one, get one What is CC’s stance towards: • Materials • Quality • Research

22. What/So What?

23. How are these similar to what you are already teaching? • How are these different? • How will this impact your future planning and teaching?

24. Appendix C - Student Writing • Select a Grade Level Range and Regroup • Read the sample and annotation • Share reactions • How does this compare to the current expectations? • What shifts need to happen to meet these expectations?

25. RAFT Note Pass Role – You are you Audience – A fellow participant Format – A note Topic – Identify which CC writing expectations stand out to you and describe the impact this has on your thinking and practice.

26. What/So What?

27. Let’s Take a Break!

28. Part 2 – A Shift in Instruction • The Common Core was designed as the “WHAT”, not the “HOW” • Common Core is NOT:

29. What are some strategies for meeting the writing demands of the Common Core? • Citing Textual Evidence • What did you notice? • Write around

30. What are specific writing strategies for writing across the curriculum? • John Collins Writing • RAFT Writing • Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) • Writing an Argument

31. What is Collins Writing? • Frequent and consistent structures for writing across the content-area • Opportunities to write in a variety of formats • Focused, consistent feedback • Contextual teaching of writing skills

32. Five Types of Writing • Type One: Capture Ideas • Type Two: Writing to Learn • Type Three: Focused Practice • Type Four: Finished Product • Type Five: Published Work

33. Type One • Gets ideas on paper-brainstorming • Timed and requires a minimum number of items or lines • Questions and/or guesses are permitted • Evaluate with a check (✓) or (-) • One draft

34. Examples of Type One • For activating prior knowledge: • For reflecting: • For brainstorming: • For predicting: • For making connections: • For creative thinking:

35. Purpose of Type 1 Writing • It is informal • Helps develop writing fluency • Increases academic engagement • Opportunity to engage all students • Writing is a way to focus attention • Encourages them to express what they might be hesitant to raise their hand and say in front of the class. • “no opt out” classroom culture

36. Your Turn! • Create a Type 1 writing prompt for your unit. • Share with an elbow partner

37. Type Two • Writer knows something about a topic • A correct answer to a specific question • May be graded • One draft

38. TYPE TWO • Can be used before, during, after • Check for understanding and accountability for learning • Formative assessment at its best • Format can mimic open response like questions • Graded as a quiz for content only • Don’t ask for “lines”….ask for “things”

39. Type 2 Writing • Explain two important differences between a Type 1 and a Type 2 writing. • Underline the key words or phrases that identify these two differences.

40. BLOOMS TAXONOMY Math: What are three distinguishing attributes of a three-dimensional figure? (Remembering) ELA: Describe two text features of a nonfiction introduction. (Understanding) Science: Explain two differences between volume and mass. (Analyzing) Social Studies: Describe two geographical facts about our town/city that have influenced its development. (Evaluating) Any: Give two reasons why this cannot be a correct answer for this problem (or question). (Analyzing)

41. Your Turn! • Create a Type 2 writing prompt for your unit. • Share with an elbow partner

42. Type 3 Writing • Has content • Meets three specific standards called Focus Correction Areas (FCAs) • Revision and editing are done on the original • One draft • Read out-loud by the writer to see if writing meets the FCA’s

43. Type 3 Writing • Compare and contrast the first three types of Collins Writing and give an example of each. • FCAs: • Begins with an introductory sentence that introduces the topic • Uses a clear compare/contrast text structure • Provides a strong conclusion statement

44. FCAs and Grammar!

45. Your Turn! • Create a Type 3 writing prompt for your unit • Share with an elbow partner

46. Share your writing prompts with your fall partner. What are the benefits and challenges of using Collins Writing?

47. What/So What?

48. RAFT Writing Role – Who am I? What is your viewpoint? Audience – Who is reading this? What is your purpose of the writing? Format – What is the format? Letter to the editor, news article, diary, contract, obituary Topic – What is the my focus?

49. RAFT Writing - History Topic: The reasons patriots felt that severing ties with England with England was necessary

50. RAFT Writing – Newton’s Laws of Motion