Common Ground

1. Common Ground Protocols for Working with the K-12 Writing Samples in In Common Student writing samples that can be used with these protocols can be found at www.achievethecore.org

2. Common Ground • A set of activities designed to help educators and students understand the elements of an effective piece of writing as defined by the Common Core Writing Standards. • Activities can be adapted to any writing type, grade level or cluster of grade levels. • Materials include: • A Professional Development Planning Page • A Protocol • A Recording Sheet

3. Today, we’ll explore In Common using four of them: • How Does Your Garden Grow? • Learning by Example • Colorful Language • What Can My Students Learn by Writing?

4. How Does Your Garden Grow?Professional Development Planning Page Purpose: To identify the core elements of each type of CCSS aligned writing (Opinion/Argument, Informative/Explanatory, Narrative). To refine and deepen understanding of grade level expectations in the CCSS . To trace a developmental progression in each type of writing required by the Common Core State Standards. Audience: K-12 educators, administrators, ELA and content area specialists Grouping: Groups of two or three, single or multiple grade levels Materials: Progression of student work from the On Demand collection in a single writing type (see criteria below). How Does Your Garden Grow? record sheet CCSS Writing Standards for the writing type and grade levels being addressed Approximate Time:30 minutes- 2 hours Time needed for this activity will vary based on the grade levels of the pieces being analyzed. Elementary pieces are shorter, and can generally be read and analyzed in less than an hour. Middle and high school pieces, because of their length and complexity, generally require much more time. Advance Preparation: 1. Use the In Common Collection to create a packet of student work for each participant: Go to the On Demand Writing section of In Common.

5. How Does Your Garden Grow? Overview: In this exercise, you will compare student pieces within a grade cluster and note the similarities and differences. The pieces in your packet have been written to a set of uniform prompts purposefully designed to produce student pieces in a single writing type, on the same topic, across a range of grade levels. Analyzing these pieces can help you distill the core elements of each writing type and gain a better understanding of expectations at each grade level. Purpose: To identify the core elements of one type of CCSS aligned writing (Opinion/Argument, Informative/Explanatory, Narrative). To refine and deepen understanding of grade level expectations in the CCSS . To trace a developmental progression in one type of writing required by the Common Core State Standards. Protocol: Note: This activity centers on observation, please do not use your copy of the Common Core Standards until the final step in the protocol. Read the first piece in the packet. What elements of effective writing are evident in this sample? Discuss your observations with a partner. Read the next piece. How is this piece similar to the previous piece? How is it different? Record your observations on the How Does Your Garden Grow? Record Sheet. Continue reading, analyzing and discussing each piece. Be sure to capture your thinking on the record sheet as you work. When you have finished, synthesize your observations by responding to the questions at the bottom of the recording sheet.

7. How Does Your Garden Grow? Based on your observations, what are some core descriptors that define this writing type? What patterns do you notice in the way expectations change over time? • Look at any one of the Common Core Writing Standards in the grade span and writing type you have just studied. Reflect: How might this exercise help educators to develop a deeper, more nuanced understanding of a particular writing standard?

9. Learning by Example • Protocol: • Choose a piece in the packet and locate the appropriate Common Core Writing Standard for Opinion/Argument W 1 • Annotate the student writing by finding and labeling examples of each descriptor in the standard. You may annotate by writing words and phrases in the margin or , where appropriate, by noting the lower case letter that appears before the descriptor in the standard. •  When you have finished, check your observations against the annotated version of the same piece. Be sure to note any questions you have.

10. GRADE 2 WRITING 1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.

11. Learning by Example Observations? Questions? • Participants can compare their observations to the annotated version of the piece (online or paper copy). • Particularly useful for highlighting the similarities/differences between current standards/practice and CCSS

13. Colorful Language • W3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. • Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. • Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations. • Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order. • Provide a sense of closure. Find and color code examples of each narrative technique in the piece below. Dialogue: redActions: blue Thoughts and Feelings: green The Family Who Traveled West Once upon a time there was a pioneer family that was moving west. They were moving west because they wanted to find more gold. They had to gather their livestock. They used horses. They packed pots and pans, food and drinks. The family was traviling from Massachusets to Oregon. They started to go. Anna their little girl said “I wish somthing would happen” and it did. They came upon Indians. The Indians were nice enough to let them go past. A few days later they came upon …

14. Colorful Language How did the writer use these techniques to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations?

15. What Can My Students Learn by Writing? Overview: The student writing in this packet has been chosen to provide some examples of the ways in which writing can be used to build deep understanding of key concepts in a variety of content areas. After reading each piece, you will be asked to identify the content or concepts the student has learned. You will also speculate about what may have happened in the classroom to build the knowledge and develop the writing skills needed to write each piece. Purpose: • To understand how reading and writing can be used to build a knowledge base in science, social studies, literature and other areas. • To demonstrate the role of deep understanding in effective writing. • To generate ideas about how CCSS aligned writing can be used to guide students in making sense of information and experiences. Protocol: • Begin by choosing a student piece that interests you. The pieces do not need to be read in order. • Read the piece, focusing on the content expressed as well as the way the piece was written. • With a partner, discuss each question on the What Can My Students Learn by Writing? Recording Sheet. Capture your thinking on the sheet as you work. • Jot any questions you have on the back of the sheet. • Repeat this process with another piece of your choice. • Be prepared to share your observations and questions with the larger group.

17. Presenters’ Names www.vermontwritingcollaborative.org For more information, contact: Diana Leddy Educational Consultant everywritevt@aol.com Joey Hawkins Educational Consultant joeylornell@gmail.com