Finding Common Ground With Common Core

1. Finding Common Ground With Common Core

2. Literacy Design Collaborative • What is Literacy Design Collaborative? • LDC a method of embedding Common Core Literacy standards into content-area (Science, SS, and CTAE) lessons.  By using LDC tools students can meet the requirements of the literacy standards while also meeting demands of the content at high rigorous levels of performance.  LDC tools  include teaching tasks, reading and writing instructional activities and computer based templates.  All tasks and activities are rigorous and at high DOK levels. (Jan Powell) • Our job • Combine curriculums into one unit: a way to work together to meet objectives in all three areas. • Our Unit • Deforestation

3. Why collaborate? • Less work for us and the students, one product instead of three. • Three sets of eyes looking and grading instead of one • Powerful for the students to see the overlap between the three disciplines • Wanted to build the connection that students can use skills from one class for skills in another • Tied in with our goal of holding students accountable for writing and the same standards from class to class • Had to find overlap in our standards • Looked through Science and Social Studies and found a common link associated with environmental issues…deforestation in Africa. Then, we were able to use writing standards for the final product.

4. Common Core Standards ELA: ELA7R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts. ELA7R1.b For informational texts, the student reads and comprehends in order to develop understanding and expertise and produces evidence of reading that: a. Analyzes common textual features to obtain information (e.g., paragraphs, topic sentences, concluding sentences, introduction, conclusion, footnotes, index, bibliography). b. Identifies and uses knowledge of common graphic features to draw conclusions and make judgments (e.g., graphic organizers, diagrams, captions, illustrations). c. Applies knowledge of common organizational structures and patterns (i.e., logical order, cause and effect relationships, comparison and contrast, transitions). d. Recognizes and traces the development of the author’s argument for and against an issue. e. Identifies evidence used to support an argument. f. Understands and explains the use of a simple device by following technical directions. Writing ELA7W1.a-e The student: a. Selects a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view based on purpose, genre expectations, audience, length, and format requirements. b. Writes texts of a length appropriate to address the topic or tell the story. c. Uses traditional structures for conveying information (e.g., chronological order, cause and effect, similarity and difference, and posing and answering a question). d. Uses appropriate structures to ensure coherence (e.g., transition elements). e. Supports statements and claims with anecdotes, descriptions, facts and statistics, and specific examples. ELA7W2.b The student produces writing (multi-paragraph expository composition such as description, explanation, comparison and contrast, or problem and solution) that: a. Engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a speaker’s voice, and otherwise developing reader interest. b. Develops a controlling idea that conveys a perspective on the subject. c. Creates an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context. d. Develops the topic with supporting details. e. Excludes extraneous and inappropriate information. f. Follows an organizational pattern appropriate to the type of composition. g. Concludes with a detailed summary linked to the purpose of the composition. ELA7W4 The student consistently uses the writing process to develop, revise, and evaluate writing.

5. Common Core Standards Science: Characteristics of Science S7CS1: Students will explore the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science and will exhibit these traits in their own efforts to understand how the world works. S7CS6: Students will communicate scientific ideas and activities clearly. S7CS10: Students will enhance reading in all curriculum areas. Life Science Content Standards S7L4: Students will examine the dependence of organisms on one another and their environments. S7L4.c.: Recognize that changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of both individuals and entire species. Social Studies: Social Studies Geographic Understandings SS7G2: The student will discuss environmental issues across the continent of Africa. SS7G2.b: Explain the relationship between poor soil and deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa. SS7G2.c: Explain the impact of desertification on the environment of Africa from the Sahel to the rainforest. SS7G3: The student will explain the impact of location, climate, and physical characteristics on population distribution in Africa. SS7G3.a : Explain how the characteristics in the Sahara, Sahel, savanna, and tropical rain forest affect where people live, the type of work they do, and how they travel.

6. Your Packet • Pacing Guide for unit (on top) • Handouts (numbered in order of unit) • The LoraxMovie Graphic Organizer • Teacher Guide for Vocabulary Activity • Task and Rubric • Explanation of Tap • Outline for Essay • Explanation of Annolighting • Copy of one of the articles • Proofreading Graphic Organizer

7. Pacing Guide for Unit

8. DAY ONE

9. Day One – TAPPING OUT THE TASK - ELA "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not." After reading   selected articles and viewing The Lorax by Dr. Seuss  on  the causes and effects of deforestation, write  a newspaper article addressing the African Environmental Research and Consulting Group (AERCG)  that examines the causes of  deforestation  and explains the effect(s)   on the African environment as well as possible solutions for limiting its impact . What conclusions or implications can you draw? Support your discussion with evidence from the text(s). T - A - P -

10. Vocabulary

11. DAY TWO

12. Annolighting What is annolighting?

13. DAY THREE

14. DAY FOUR

15. DAYS FIVE, SIX, AND SEVEN

16. Pictures

17. Final Products

18. Final Products

19. Final Products

20. Final Products

21. Scheduling: What we did to make it easier • We taught students at different times of the day; they did not travel together. • Folder- kept all materials in and brought to the different classes • Tried to link activities so that the order didn’t matter

22. Moving from 2 classes to 3….. • What we changed and the problems we ran in to… • Last year: The students were confused about the process used to pull evidence from the articles. • This year: Added the annolighting with the ELA teacher modeling, instead of a graphic organizer to gather facts. Students had a copy of each of the articles. • Last year: Three articles in each class was lot for the students even though we divided the students up into groups. • This year: Everyone in the class had the same article. We were still able to cover 4 articles, but it was less confusing for the students. • Last year: Gallery walk for students to use other posters to gather evidence. Students had a hard time with just the gallery walk. • This year: Students chose their evidence from the articles that they had annolighted and were able to plug it into the outline that the ELA teacher provided. • Last year: Only one product • This year: Choice of product (article, essay or power point)

23. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly • Many positives!! • Students had a deeper understanding of deforestation and could apply their knowledge to other contexts. • Incorporated more technology • Distributed articles differently along with modeling how to pull out evidence from the text • Increase in writing ability from the beginning of the year • Well written papers • Had time • Help of three teachers versus one • Three different teaching styles • Three teachers grading • Incorporate strategies from ELA teacher • We don’t know if the students saw the connection between the three disciplines, but it helped connect ideas and provide continuity. We would see more results had we done this earlier in the year. • Can see a positive effect between literacy and depth of understanding • Increase in subject area and writing scores

24. Any Questions??? The Collaboration Process The Collaboration Process