The Advanced Reader

1. The Advanced Reader Traveling to New Horizons in Reading 2010-2011

2. In Appreciation… Curriculum Writers Tracey Bauer, ELMS Kathy Biscardi, HCMS Jennifer Bortz, FQMS Brice Dawson, EMMS Damisha Drakes,WLMS Kathy Gadziala, WLMS Cecilia Haley, HMS Tanya Johnson, BBMS Steve Lewis, MVMS Catherine Mundy, LKMS Kathleen Quinn, OMMS Sasha Rickard, CMS Susan Ryan, FQMS Michelle Toth, BMMS Emily Warner, WLMS Kirsten Willging, FQMS Jennifer Wilson, PMS

3. The Advanced Reader The Offices of Secondary Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Gifted and Talented Programs collaborated to develop The Advanced Reader course. Its goal is to engage above-level readers in high-level thinking and writing skills. Activities include inquiry based learning, novel study, and making real-world applications to science and history.

4. Advanced Readers routinely accomplish one or more of the following… Earn ABOVE level in reading on report cards Score ADVANCED on the MSA (Maryland School Assessment) Score 70% or better in reading on the local assessments Score of 7, 8, or 9 stanine on DRP Achieve at high levels in content classes.

5. The Advanced ReaderUnits Trimester Format- Unit 1: August to November Grade 6 Science (Big6™) Grade 7 & 8 Shared Inquiry Unit 2: December to February Grade 6 Shared Inquiry Grade 7 & 8 Science (Big6™) Unit 3: March to June All grades Humanities (Social Studies) Career Studies are a part of the science units through investigations of scientists who contributed to the field.

6. The Advanced ReaderUnits • Shared Inquiry-Connecting to Literature • Critical Reading, Writing, and Discussion • Short Stories, Nonfiction, and Poetry Great Book Roundtablehttp://www.greatbooks.org/programs-for-all-ages/junior/jgbseries/grades-6-8.html

7. The Advanced ReaderUnits-Grade 6 Science • Grade 6: Exploring Scientific Concepts Through the Study of Informational and Literary Text • Focus: Human Impact on Naturally Occurring Change • Titles include: • Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

8. The Advanced ReaderUnits-Grade 7 Science • Grade 7: Exploring Scientific Concepts Through the Study of Informational and Literary Text • Focus: Human Body Systems • Titles include: • Fantastic Voyage by Issac Asimov

9. The Advanced ReaderUnits-Grade 8 Science • Grade 8: Exploring Scientific Concepts Through the Study of Informational and Literary Text • Focus: Force and Motion • Titles include: • October Sky (Rocket Boys) by Horace Hickman Jr.

10. The Advanced ReaderUnits-Grade 6 Humanities • Grade 6: Humanities Connecting the Past to the Present- Reading as a Social Scientist • Focus: Chinese, Korean, Indian cultures • Titles include: • Dragonwings and Related Readings by Lawrence Yep • Nextext: Asian Writers • A Multicultural Reader: Collection One

11. The Advanced ReaderUnits-Grade 7 Humanities • Grade 7: Humanities Connecting the Past to the Present- Reading as a Social Scientist • Focus: Immigration and the Hispanic Experience • Titles include: • Nextext: Latino Writers in the U.S. • A Multicultural Reader: Collection One

12. The Advanced ReaderUnits-Grade 8 Humanities • Grade 8: Humanities Connecting the Past to the Present- Reading as a Historian • Focus: The American Spirit -1803-1870 • Industrial Revolution, Westward Expansion, Civil War • Titles include: • The Glory Field and Related Readings by Walter Dean Myer • Lyddie by Katherine Paterson

13. Assessing Student Progress • DRP from end of year Grade 6 or Grade 7--June 2010 • MSA Reading Scores for end of Grade 6 or Grade 7-June 2010 • Q1 Embedded Reading Items-Nov. 2010 • Q2 Embedded Reading Items-Jan. 2011 • DRP end of year Grade 7 and Grade 8-April 2011 • MSA Reading for end of Grade 7 and Grade 8- June 2011 • Teacher/Staff/Parent Survey on Pilot-Sept. 2010 and June 2011 • Tentatively, no local reading assessments for this group. This decision is subject to change.

14. The Advanced ReaderPreview for 2011-2012 Year Long Programs Options- Piloted at Mount View and Wilde Lake Middle Schools 2010-2011 Grade 6: The Advanced Reader: All students Grade 7 & 8: Advanced Inquiry and Innovation Pilot Option 1- The Advanced Reader Option 2- Advanced Inquiry and Innovation 2 Science and 2 Humanities Modules Option 3- Research Investigation and Creative Production

15. Summer Curriculum Writing • Advanced Reader Resource Guide • Social Studies Connection, 6, 7, 8 • Science Connection, 6, 7, 8 • Format by Unit and Goal and Objective

16. Questions

17. The Advanced Reader Grade 6 Kirsten Willging FQMS Michelle Toth BMMS Steve Lewis MVMS Cathy Mundy LKMS

18. Change Is HARD!! But... the Advanced Reader Curriculum... • Includes the literary study that we love to do (Junior Great Books, 2 novel units) • Incorporates past Challenge Reading objectives with new higher level objectives • Allows students to easily see the reading-to-content connections • Uses readily available and up-to-date resources with an emphasis on technology • Addresses meaningful and current issues • Begins with the "Reading as a Scientist" unit in order to give our incoming 6th graders critical skills in reading non-fiction text • Uses a Humanities Approach • Previews science issuesand content

19. 2009 Survey on Student Engagement 66% bored every day 81% material not interesting 42% material lacks relevance 33% work is not challenging

20. What is "Human Impact on the Environment?" Let's brainstorm some of the ways that we impact our environment: (this is also our GUIDING QUESTION FOR THE ENTIRE UNIT) • Water Bottle Polution • Deforestation • Acidification of Lakes • Loss of Coral Reefs • Erosion • Ozone Depletion • Disposal of electronic waste

21. Getting Started... Introduce "Human Impact on the Environment" • allow students to brainstorm what ways people impact the environment (oil spills, pollution, beach erosion, deforestation, carbon emissions...) • create a class list and save for the trimester Set Up BIG 6 Introduction with media specialist - use the class brainstorm to develop topics for articles to find Introduce the Shared Inquiry Process • Jr. Great Books - "Gaston" • Jr. Great Books - "Introduction to Poetry” • Jr. Great Books - “Rattlesnakes” Begin the novel unit Out of the Dust

22. Samples of the Resources for Goal 2 Maps Article

23. Web-Based Primary Sources!

24. Multi Media

25. Unit 1: Goals 3 and 4 Once you have completed the novel and used the non-fiction resources/databases, students will have the skills and the knowledge and the skills to use those resources on their own to complete research (via BIG 6) on independently. Within the research topic that the student selects, at least one sub-question must relate to the role or impact of a person with a career in that field (scientist, environmentalist, naturalist, conservationist, politician). The question may include educational background, influences, training, etc...

26. Including Career Ideas… • Environmentalists • Scientists • Conservationists • Naturalists • Politicians

27. Unit 3: Connecting the Past to the Present Major Goals • focus on the history, cluture and geography of three distinct regions in Asia - China, India and Korea • analyze the impact of modernization on Asian culture • develop a student product which could be research-based, and ties to the cultural connections

28. Get Started First, provide students with the chance to gain background knowledge about Korea, China and India • use databases (SIRS, SRC, World Book Online) to find articles about the history, geography and culture of the countries • Students can also use social studies texts/resources (History Alive: The Ancient World, Discovery Educationor social studies textbook) • Students should practice note-taking strategies • Arrange for guest speakers Next, focus on China with the novel unit Dragonwings by Lawrence Yep in order to compare the accuracy of historical fiction to the background knowledge

29. Resources Available

30. Unit 3: Goals 2 and 3 Students will demonstrate mastery and independence with the information literacy skills (BIG 6) they were taught in Unit 1 and applied in their content area classes throughout the school year. Teacher or student can select among the topics of the impact of moderniztion on Asian culture (Cultural Identity, Government, Generational Change, Gender Roles, Education or Technology) in order to synthesize the information found Teacher or Student choice as to the type of product created (oral, written, visual, technology-based, group) in order to display the information

31. Let’s Review “The Bonuses” • Students are exposed to non-fiction reading strategies at the very beginning of the school year • Students are taught to use the databases that are currently underutilized (SIRS, Student Resources Center, World Book Online, Culturegrams) • Students are USING the databases and finding their OWN resources to use (the teacher is not providing the resources) • The media specialist/tech person is willing to help and will be thrilled that you are bringing kids in to learn how to use the resources right away • Students (plus you) enjoy a novel and have an analytical/comparative base to judge the accuracy of a historical/environmental issue • Students can take new-found knowledge and apply it to the world today • MOST IMPORTANTLY…YOUR students will see the RELEVANCE of what they are learning!

32. Thank you. Other Questions?