The Common Core’s Redefinition of LiteracyPARCC, and DDMs

Writing to Text

The Rationale for the SIXCommon Core Standards Shifts in ELA

6 Shifts in ELA Literacy1. Balancing

Informational and

Literary Text

2. Building Literacy in the

Disciplines

3. Staircase of Complexity

4. Text-based Questions

5. Writing types redefined

6. Academic Vocabulary

1 College and Life require more informational texts. (CCR)

2 How to read informational texts is not often taught in all content areas. (ELA teachers still teach literature.)

3 The research shows that students have been reading less and less challenging texts since 1962. Students need to “struggle” to learn and increase readability level. (The average 8th grader’s RL? graduate’s RL?)

4 This is familiar to most of us. Open response questions required text-based answers; the new challenge is that students will be grappling with multiple texts.

5 The argument addresses multiple sources plus the writer’s perspective on the sources. CCR

6 Academic vocabulary is often lacking since there is about a 4-year gap between HS RL and college expectations.

Research Basis

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5

MAIN SHIFT—”The Struggle”›We need to provide students with

opportunities to grapple with complex texts, sources and

problems.

› e.g., Was the Black Death deadly because of genetics or were the plagues precipitated by the

conditions in the environment? (MA DESE)

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8

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The MA High Risk students have “flatlined” in our MCAS as well

10Close Reading of Multiple Texts

MCAS MCAS PARCC PARCC ELA ELA

PBL

   PARCC ELA Assessment

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o   On computer grades 6-11; grades 3-5 will be pencil and paper tests

o   Performance based: 2-day research simulation:

• Students read a “suite” of texts including an “anchor” text, for example, a speech by a

prominent historical figure. (Lincoln’s Second Inaugural)

• Write an essay that will cite evidence from the texts:

•  Students(Grades 3-5) would engage with literature

• Students (Grades 6-11) would conduct literary analysis using a combination of

shorter and longer texts

o   End-of-Year Exam (50%of the points) would have 6 literary and informational texts with multiple

choice questions, some of which require comparison and synthesis of the reading

Writing and Academic VocabularyShifts in definition of “text types”› Persuasive essay is

mainly gone and replaced with

› Academic Argument› Narrative is redefined

from the personal narrative

From Simple Tasks to Complex Tasks

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/high-school-literature-lesson-plan

The Structure of 2011 MA Frameworks for Writing› Standards 1-3: Writing types/purposes

– Argumentation/Opinion Writing– Informational/Explanatory Writing– Narrative Writing

› Standards 4-6: Production and Distribution of Writing– Developing and strengthening Writing– Using technology to produce or enhance writing

› Standards 7-9: Research– Engaging in research and writing about sources

› Standard 10: Range of writing– Write routinely over various time frames for various purposes

Appendix A—Research basis

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› Appendix A– Defines text complexity– Research on reading– Research on college readiness (the gap)

› Appendix B– Tasks for all disciplines K-12– Align with the CC– Lincoln’s second inaugural, for example

› Appendix C– Student writing in a variety of genres and using the new– “Text Types”

› New Narrative› No Persuasive Essay› Argument Essay for all Disciplines› Informational texts

Resources

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Close Examination of Text Point of View: Read dialogue as Wilbur or Charlotte

With partner: Read again; How does Wilbur see Charlotte?How does Charlotte see Wilbur? How does she see the world?

What is deep reading?

Multiple points of view in a HS English Class: A Pinwheel” conversationClassroom Sample—Teaching Channel Pinwheel https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/high-school-literature-lesson-plan

BloomDaggett

Hess

Rigor and Alignment

1. MCAS2. MCAS (some)3. PARCC/CC4. PARCC/CC5. PBL/CC

Standards Based Lesson Common Core AlignedHow Great is Gatsby Academic Essay, Debate, and VoteAfter reading the novel and discussing it as a class, Rate Gatsby’s greatness or lack thereof on a

1 to 10 scale Find three passages that support your

opinion Using a “Living Likert Scale” arrange

yourselves from 1 to 10. 10=Greatest With those with the same number, discuss

your passages and rational Break line at 5 and line up 1/5,

2/6, 3/7, 4/8, 5/9-10. Discuss your position with your opposites; listen carefully to the position of your partner and his/her citations

Write a collaborative essay with argument/counterargument and at least 5 citations.

Peer critique at least two papers, one who agreed with you, one who disagreed.

Debate—Who won? Secret ballot.

How Great is Gatsby, Rotten Tomatoes Essay 

After reading the novel and discussing it as a class, o Based on one of the 5 perspectives (the four

movies and the novel), view all four movie renditions of the Great Gatsby(1925) from 1926, 1949, 1974, 2013

o What were the aspects of Gatsby’s greatness that were emphasized or de-emphasized. Provide at least 4 images, passages, or scenes from each movie.

o Do Living Likert Scale for each rendition of Gatsby and collect evidence from other students whose ranking agrees or disagrees radically from yours.

o Work in groups, each of whom represents a “Gatsby” movie or novel as the best.

o Read some reviews of TGG movies and the novel.

o Write a review for Rotten Tomatoes that compares the interpretations of Gatsby, relates them to the historical era of the film, and that selects the “Gatsby” that most accurate portrayal of Fitzgerald’s intentions.

 

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

ReadingStandard 7

• Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

WritingStandard 6

• Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

WritingStandard 8

• Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.

Speaking &ListeningStandard 2

• Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

Speaking & Listening

Standard 5

Literacy includes technological literacy

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Literary Analysis Task (Grade 10):Ovid’s “Daedalus and Icarus” and

Sexton’s “To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph”

Question:Use what you have learned from reading “Daedalus and Icarus” by Ovid and “To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph” by Anne Sexton to write an essay that provides an analysis of how Sexton transforms Daedalus and Icarus.As a starting point, you may want to consider what is emphasized, absent, or different in the two texts, but feel free to develop your own focus for analysis.

Develop your essay by providing textual evidence from both texts. Be sure to follow the conventions of standard English.

Writing to TextPurpose› Align your curriculum to the 2011 MA Frameworks

– Text type shifts– Complex Reading shifts– Multiple text responses

› Prepare your students for the PARCC exam› At the same time, you will be developing the

required “writing to text” assessment required by DESE for all high schools this year

› The social construction of learning (Vygotsky)– Collaboration (Get the Gist; jigsaws; Socratic Seminars;

“Pinwheel”– Group work with accountability

› Graphic organizers› Feedback and conferencing› Rubrics› Interactive Notebooks/Note taking/Post-it Notes› Technology apps—Showme, Explain Everything, Subtext› Technology literacy is part of the CC

Scaffolding students’ learning