Common Core State Standards Professional Learning Series

1. English Language Arts: Informational Text — Reading Common Core State Standards Professional Learning Series Unit I:Examining the CCSS for Reading Literature and Informational Text September 2012

2. Module Overview This module introduces the major features and instructional implications of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy for History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects for Reading Informational Text (CCSS for ELA/Literacy). 

3. Module Outline • Unit 1: Examining the CCSS for Reading Literature and Informational Text • Unit 2: Dimensions of Text Complexity • Unit 3: Supporting Student Comprehension of Informational Text

4. Pre-Assessment Let’s take a moment to take the pre-assessment found in your participant packet to gauge your current knowledge regarding the CCSS for ELA/Literacy.

5. Unit 1 Objectives • Examine the relationship among the standards for reading • Learn about the importance of informational texts • Identify different types of informational text • Understand the importance of balancing literature and informational texts

6. Examining the CCSS for ELA/Literacy Video, “Education Update: The Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy,” discusses the structure and emphasis of the standards. https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/common-core-standards-ela While watching the video: • Pay particular attention to: • The role of the College and Career Readiness (CCR) Anchor Standards • The emphasis of the Reading Standards • The balance between the literary and informational texts • The role of content-area teachers

7. “Education Update”Questions 1. What is the relationship of the CCR Anchor Standards to the specific grade-level standards? 2. What do the CCR Anchor Standards for Reading emphasize? 3. Which content-areas are responsible for implementing the CCSS standards?

8. CCR Anchor Standards

9. Key Shifts The CCSS for ELA/Literacy emphasize the following key shifts: • building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction • reading, writing, and speaking grounded in text-based evidence • regular practice with complex text and its academic language. Source: Student Achievement Partners http://www.achievethecore.org/steal-these-tools

10. Reading Standards for Informational Text K–2

11. Reading Standards for Informational Text 3–5

12. Table Group Discussion How do you think these standards will affect your teaching? Discuss with a partner in your table group.

13. Comparing Standards for Literature and for Informational Text The numbers used to identify a standard correspond across the CCR Anchor Standards, the  standards for literature, those for Informational text, and those for literacy in the content-areas. While Standard 1, about citing evidence, is very similar across these reading standards, Standard 9 varies the most CCR ANCHOR STANDARD FOR READING STANDARD 9 “Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. “

14. Comparing Standards for Literature and for Informational Text (Cont.) READING STANDARDS FOR LITERATURE GRADE 6 9. Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and stories. READING STANDARDS FOR INFORMATIONAL TEXT GRADE 6 9. Compare and contrast one author's presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person). READING STANDARDS FOR LITERACY IN HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES GRADES 6–8 9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic. READING STANDARDS FOR LITERACY IN SCIENCE AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS GRADES 6–8 9. Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, videos, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

15. Examining a Standard Across Grade Levels Turning our attention directly to the informational text reading standards, it is extremely helpful to examine a single standard’s progression from Kindergarten through Grade 12 and the relationship to the CCR Anchor Standard. Begin by looking at CCR Anchor Standard for Reading 1.

16. Examining a Standard Across Grade Levels (Cont.) Turning our attention directly to the informational text reading standards, it is extremely helpful to: • examine a single standard’s progression from kindergarten to Grade 12 • the relationship to the CCR Anchor Standard.

17. Examining a Standard Across Grade Levels (Cont.) CCR Anchor Standard for Reading 1 “Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking To support conclusions drawn from the text.”

18. Examining a Standard Across Grade Levels (Cont.) Now use the CCR Anchor Standard for Reading 1 handout to examine how the standard progresses across the grades. Pay close attention to how it changes from grade to grade. Also consider the benefits of examining a standard progression across the grades. 

19. 21st Century Skills: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking Today’s students are moving beyond the basics and embracing the 4Cs – “Super Skills” for the 21st Century!

20. What are the 4C’s? Communication: Sharing thoughts, questions, ideas, and solutions Collaboration: Working together to reach a goal, putting talent, expertise, and smarts to work Critical Thinking: Looking at problems in a new way, linking and learning across subjects and disciplines Creativity: Trying new approaches to get things done equals innovation and invention

21. What are the 4C’s (Cont.)? Of the 21st Century skills and activities shown in the video, which will you be most likely to try in your classroom? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OTIBDR4Dn2g

22. 21st Century Skills for English Learners and Underperforming Students English learners and underperforming students must have access to informational text to develop the 21st Century Skills of Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, and Critical Thinking they need for college and career success.

23. 21st Century Skills for English Learners: New ELD Standards The State Board of Education adopted new English Language Development (ELD) Standards in the fall of 2012. “The ELD Standards are designed to correspond with the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History. Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (the Common Core Standards) and are designed to apply to English language and literacy skills across all academic content areas, in addition to classes specifically designed for English language development.”

24. Application of the CCSS for ELA/Literacy for English Learners English Learners (ELs)“…are a heterogeneous group with differences in ethnic background, first language, socioeconomic status, quality of prior schooling, and levels of English language proficiency. Effectively educating these students requires diagnosing each student instructionally, adjusting instruction accordingly, and closely monitoring student progress.” Source: “Application of The Standards of English Language Learners” by the Common Core State Standards Initiative (page 1)

25. Meeting the Needs of English Learners

26. 21st Century Skills for Underperforming Students The CCSS Initiative document “Application to Students with Disabilities” examines the need for these students to be supported in accessing the core curriculum in the classroom: “Students with disabilities students eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) must be challenged to excel within the general curriculum and be prepared for success in their post school lives, including college and/or careers. These common standards provide an historic opportunity to improve access to rigorous academic content standards for students with disabilities.”

27. Meeting the Needs of Students With Disabilities

28. Importance of Informational Text “Nonfiction, a carefully crafted genre, provides ideas, facts, and principles organized around main ideas, using both verbal and visual texts. The purposes of using informational texts are to inform, instruct, and enlighten. Therefore, nonfiction texts must be accurate and current and include essential information.” Source: Pike, Kathy, and G. Jean Mumper. Making Nonfiction and Other Informational Texts Come Alive: A Practical Approach to Reading, Writing, and Using Nonfiction and Other Informational Texts Across the Curriculum. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2003

29. Importance of Informational Text (Cont.) “Nonfiction texts include all books about the sciences (natural, social, and physical), history, sports, crafts, the arts, how-tos, newspapers, articles, the World Wide Web, and so on, that discuss factual information About a topic, as well as biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Informational texts Include nonfiction materials and informational storybooks, which present both an engaging story, as well as pertinent facts.” Source: Pike, Kathy, and G. Jean Mumper. Making Nonfiction and Other Informational Texts Come Alive: A Practical Approach to Reading, Writing, and Using Nonfiction and Other Informational Texts Across the Curriculum. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2003

30. Interdisciplinary Approach to Literacy Research shows that currently students: • Are not reading enough informational text • Are not understanding challenging and complex informational text Educators must meet the challenges of preparing students for college and career by: • Implementing effective reading comprehension strategies that support students in reading and understanding complex informational text • Supplementing classroom texts with rigorous and complex informational text Source: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects p.4.

31. Balancing Informational Text & Literature in the Classroom These videos feature discussions between New York State Commissioner of Education John B. King Jr., David Coleman, and Kate Gersonabout balancing informational text and literature in the classroom. Grades PK through 5: http://myboe.org/cognoti/content/file/content/repository/306592/dc/dcd74d98/dcd74d983b097b63518d4f1ffecb6c7c5a226e58//popups//p5video.html Grades 6-12: http://myboe.org/cognoti/content/file/content/repository/306592/dc/dcd74d98/dcd74d983b097b63518d4f1ffecb6c7c5a226e58//popups//612video.html

32. Text Type Examples

33. Text Type Examples (Cont.)

34. Conclusion of Unit 1 In this module we examined the following objectives: • the relationship among the standards for reading • the importance of informational texts • the different types of informational text • the importance of balancing literature and informational texts