SCS Common CoreLeadership Course ELA #2

Agenda

Session

Shift #2 Citing Evidence

Close Reading Lesson Exemplar

Video: Getting Ready to Write: Citing Evidence

Feedback on Student Writing

PARCC Assessment

TN Writing Assessment

Instructional Practice Guidelines

Bridge to Practice/Closing

Objectives

1. To better understand daily practice citing evidence in conversation, writing, and/or research

2. To review the structure of a Close Reading Lesson

3. To recognize quality feedback on student writing

4. To understand the alignment of classroom writing, the Tennessee Writing Assessment, and the PARCC Assessment

Turn and tell a partner how this year’s writing assessment will be different from last year’s assessment.

2013 2014

Activity 1

Instructional Shifts1. Building knowledge through content-

rich nonfiction

2. Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational

3. Regular practice with complex text and its academic language

Transitioning to Common Core requires specific instructional shifts with action:

Text-dependent questionsThe best way to accomplish shift #2 is through

the practice of citing evidence in reading, writing, and speaking.

“Text-dependent questioning” is an easily observable quick example for Common Core-aligned instruction, e.g. a close reading lesson in grades 3 and above.

“Close reading” and “text-dependent questions”

Close Reading, from Shanahan on Literacy (Tim Shanahan’s blog, March 13, 2013):

“Close reading is an outcome. You want students to be able to read texts—without a lot of external information from teachers or publishers—getting what the text says, how it works, and what it means…since we want our kids to be close readers, it makes sense that in some of our reading lessons we would have students engage in such practices; if you never do it, how will you get good at it? The idea is to engage students in such practices so that they will carry the practices forward.”

http://www.shanahanonliteracy.com/

Close Reading Technique

Anatomy of a Close Reading Lesson

1. Selecting an appropriately complex text

2. Reading and rereading the complex text

3. Devising text dependent questions4. Encouraging rich student

discussions5. Informal, routine writing6. Assigning a formal writing task

A Close Reading of The Great Fire

1. Selecting an appropriately complex text

This informational text is sufficiently complex for 6th grade

A Close Reading of The Great Fire

2. Read and rereading the complex text

The lesson plan calls for students to read and reread the excerpt

Part of rereading is annotation: underlining key ideas, circling unknown words, putting a question mark by things they don’t understand.

A Close Reading of The Great Fire

3. Devising text dependent questions

Students are asked a series of increasingly higher-level text dependent questions throughout the lesson.

Text-Dependent Question?

Questions that can only be answered with evidence from the text

Can be literal but can also involve inference, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation

Focus on word, sentence, and paragraph as well as larger ideas, themes, or events

Focus on difficult portions of text in order to enhance reading proficiency

There is no one right way to have students work with text dependent questions.

Providing for the differing needs of students means providing scaffolds differentially - not asking easier questions or substituting simpler text

Guide for Creating Text-Dependent Questions – www.achievethecore.org

Text-dependent questions

In paragraphs 1-3, what details does the author use to help the reader build a personal connection to the historical figures in the story? (p. 9)

Sullivan has to shout, “FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!” From this detail, what can the reader infer about the technology in Chicago at the time? (p. 9)

“Sullivan knew the O’Learys had several animals in the barn. Which of them was he able to rescue from the fire? Which were lost? (p. 10)

1. Do you know anyone whose home has burned?

2. In your neighborhood what sounds might you hear to let you know that there was a fire nearby?

3. If you came upon a fire in a barn, which animal would you want to save first?

A Close Reading of The Great Fire

4. Encouraging rich student discussions

Teacher asks the class to discuss a series of text-dependent questions, with answers in the form of notes, annotations to the text, or more formal responses, based on student learning needs.

A Close Reading of The Great Fire

5. Informal, routine writing

At the end of day, the students could do a quick write, such as a journal entry of one of the text dependent questions.

A Close Reading of The Great Fire

6. Assigning a formal writing task

After several days of reading, rereading, and discussing the text students are assigned an argumentative writing assignment

For other resources for Text Dependent Questions and Close Reading can be found at www.achievethecore.org

A few concluding thoughts about Close Reading….

• Listening and speaking should be built into any sequence of activities along with reading and writing.

• There should be one Close Reading lesson at least every three weeks.

• Close Reading lessons may span from 1 to 5 days.

• The CCSS require ALL students to read and engage with grade appropriate complex text regularly. This requires new ways of working in our classrooms.

• Students must: “Re-read it, think it, talk it, write it”

18

Activity 2Take out your Writing Samples

What do you notice?What areas did the teacher focus on?What are the most common pitfalls you are seeing

in your teachers’ grading?How would you talk to your teachers about this?Why is it important to provide students with regular

feedback on their writing?

Quality FeedbackAlign comments to the expectations of the rubric.

Feedback should be grade-appropriate.

Be specific.

Emphasize content.

Balance feedback positive reinforcement and suggestions for improvement.

Don’t give them the answers.

Transition from Reading to WritingTeaching Channel Video

Getting Ready to Write: Citing Textual Evidence Grades 6-8, ELA, Child Labor

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-about-textual-evidence

PARCC will have two summative components

Performance Based

Assessment(75%)

End of Year/ End of Course

(90%)

PARCC ASSESSMENT

PARCC Summary ELA

3 Parts Literacy on PBAResearch SimulationLiterary analysisNarrative writing

2 Parts Literacy on EOY4-5 texts (literary and

informational including social science, scientific, and technical texts at grades 6-11)

Short-answer comprehension and vocabulary questions

What are the differences between PARCC and TCAP?

Understanding the Research Simulation Task

• Students begin by reading an anchor text that introduces the topic.

• Evidence Based Selected Response (EBSR) and Technology Enhanced Constructed Response (TECR) items ask students to gather key details about the passage to support their understanding.

• Students read two additional sources and answer a few questions about each text to learn more about the topic, so they are ready to write the final essay and to show their reading comprehension.

• Finally, students mirror the research process by synthesizing their understandings into a writing that uses textual evidence from the sources.

Prompt:Based on the information in the text “Biography of Amelia Earhart,” write an essay that summarizes and explains the challenges Earhart faced throughout her life.

Remember to use textual evidence to support your ideas.

Research Simulation Task Part 1: Analytic SUMMARY

2014 TN Writing Assessment Sample Grade 7

Research Simulation Task Part 2: Analytic ESSAY

PROMPT:You have read three texts describing Amelia Earhart. All three include the claim that Earhart was a brave, courageous person. The three texts are:

•“Biography of Amelia Earhart”•“Earhart's Final Resting Place Believed Found”•“Amelia Earhart’s Life and Disappearance”

Consider the argument each author uses to demonstrate Earhart’s bravery.

Write an essay that analyzes the strength of the arguments about Earhart’s bravery in at least two of the texts. Remember to use textual evidence to support your ideas.

2014 TN Writing Assessment Sample Grade 7

What is anAnalytic Summary?

An analytic summary is a condensed work of an article, chapter, essay, story, or other work. It is written in the writers own words and includes certain information essential to the major idea/ideas of the text.

State the author’s name, the title of the text being summarized, and the main idea of the work.

State the supporting details of the work used to build the argument. (To develop the argument, find relationships among the points given within the supporting details.)

Finish with a concluding sentence; a restatement of the author’s main idea (thesis).

Present tense should be used for this type of writing.

Write in third person

When finished, does the writer effectively represent the key ideas of the original article, essay, research, etc. The writer does not offer an opinion of the text. The writer summarizes the text that was read.

Recommended Literacy Strategies: Double Entry Notes: T-Charts or Cornell Notes; the outline,

What is anAnalytic Essay?

In general, an analytic essay is a short piece of writing about a specified subject or matter written with a beginning, middle, and end.  This type of essay must show a clear connection of the evidence to the central idea.   The writer demonstrates the ability to take a subject, break it into parts, and then examine the parts.  The analytical essay is adaptable to most any topic or writing direction and can be contracted or expanded to fit various time frames.  Components of the analytical essay:

1. Thesis – the “what” and the “how”.  The thesis states the main ideas addressed in the paper.

2. Explanation of the significance of the posed problem or question.

3. A strong introduction

4. Evidence to orient the readers to the problem or to the argument.

5. Essay Structure (e.g., compare/contrast)

6. A firm conclusion that sums up the points made in the paper.

The number of paragraphs will correlate to the component parts being discussed throughout the paper.

2014 TN Writing AssessmentEach writing assessment will consist of two

complex texts (stimulus passages) and two items (essay prompts).

Texts will cover social studies or science topics in order to demonstrate the range of informational reading possible in a Common Core curriculum

Students will write two essays:One essay about the first text. The essay will be an analytical summary (informational/explanatory).

One analytical essay about both texts. The essay will be information/explanatory or opinion/argument

2014 TN Writing AssessmentThe assessment will have a time limit of 2.5 hours.

The assessment in all grades will be scored centrally at Measurement Incorporated.

The administration window for all districts:February 3-13: required grades 5, 8, 11

February 18-21: grades 3, 6, 9

February 24-28: grades 4, 7, 10

The 2014 TCAP Writing Assessment will continue to have no impact upon district or school level accountability.

Prepare for the2014 TN Writing Assessment

Students’ writing summaries and essays in response to a text they have read closely is the best preparation for the February assessment.

Shelby County Schools has suggested writing calendars to guide writing in January.

Some of the guidance comes from the TNCore Literacy Portal.

Turn and tell a partner how this year’s writing assessment will be different from last year’s assessment?

Activity 1

2013 2014

• 1 Text• 1 Prompt• 1 Essay• Paper and Pencil

Option

• 2 Pieces of Text• 2 Prompts• 2 Essays• No paper and pencil

option/all online

ReflectionAre students receiving daily practice citing evidence in conversation, writing and/or research?

What is the impact if the answer is ‘no?’

Do I have the information to answer this question for my building (or district)? What would I need to collect or learn in order to

answer this question?

What actions can I take or have I taken as a leader that would move us toward answer ‘yes?’

CCSS Instructional Practice Guides

Bridge to Practice Through the Eyes of A child.

This bridge to practice assignment is designed to give you a snapshot of the student experience of a day and to specifically provide evidence to reflect on how often students are engaging in reading and citing evidence across a day.

Step One: Collection Ask students to document their day. “Please take these sheets to every class today. I would like you to describe your activities and work in each class. Not just page numbers of what you work on but a brief description of what the in class activities are, what objectives of the lesson is, and any homework that is assigned. Please make a copy of any text us use in the class or worksheets you are given.”

Bridge to Practice (cont.) Also send an e-mail to teachers explaining that

students may be bringing this template to class to complete and to assist you in making copies of texts or giving you an extra copy of any materials you use.

Collect student responses across multiple grades and experiences. The purpose of this exercise is not evaluative in any way- it is purely to capture trends in the experience a student is having in a given day to be used for reflection.