Evaluating and Selecting Instructional Materials Through ... · Evaluating and Selecting...

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Evaluating and Selecting Instructional Materials Through the Lens of the Common Core State Standards

Transcript of Evaluating and Selecting Instructional Materials Through ... · Evaluating and Selecting...

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Evaluating and Selecting Instructional Materials

Through the Lens of the

Common Core State Standards

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Let’s get started…

If you were designing instructional materials aligned to the Common Core State Standards,

what would they include?

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Shifts found in the ELA CCSS

1. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction

2. Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational

3. Regular practice with complex text and its academic language

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Triangle of Text Complexity

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Features of Complex Text

• Subtle and/or frequent transitions • Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes • Density of information • Lack of repetition, overlap or similarity in words and sentences • Complex sentences • Uncommon vocabulary • Lack of words, sentences, or paragraphs that review or pull things together for the student • Longer paragraphs • Any text structure which is less narrative and/or mixes structures

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Text Complexity Activity

1. Read the text.

2. Using the list of text features at the bottom of the text , determine if the text is sufficiently complex.

3. Provide textual evidence to support your claim.

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High-Quality Text-Dependent Questions and Tasks

• A significant portion of the tasks and questions are text-dependent.

• High-quality sequences of text-dependent questions elicit sustained attention to the specifics of the text and their impact.

• Questions and tasks require the use of textual evidence.

• Instructional design cultivates student interest and engagement in reading rich texts carefully.

• Materials provide opportunities to build knowledge through texts.

• Questions and tasks attend to analyzing the arguments and information central to informational text.

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Non-Examples and Examples

Not Text Dependent

In “Casey at the Bat,” Casey strikes out. Describe a time when you failed at something. In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King discusses nonviolent protest. Discuss, in writing, a time when you wanted to fight against something that you felt was unfair. In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln says the nation is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Why is equality an important value to promote?

Text Dependent

What makes Casey’s experiences at bat

humorous?

What can you infer from King’s letter about

the letter he received?

“The Gettysburg Address” mentions the year 1776. According to Lincoln’s speech, why is this year significant to the events described in the speech?

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Text-Dependent or Not?

1. Take the entire first paragraph and restate it as a short sentence that tells what the news was.

2. The speaker says “Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings.” What had he been involved in and done that made him so famous?

3. The speaker offered a choice to the audience between greater polarization or understanding, compassion and love. Based on the word itself and its context (in paragraph 3), what does “polarization” mean?

1. Text-dependent. This is a good practice that compels readers to take account of any complex chunk of text. It also serves to signal to the teacher if students are understanding.

2. Not text-dependent. A reader would need to tap into background knowledge to know this information and respond successfully. This is a VERY common type of question!

3. Text-specific and dependent. Pushes readers to practice standard 4, assessing the meaning of vocabulary from its context.

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Academic Vocabulary

• Academic language is vocabulary plus syntax. More complex text contains fewer common words and longer sentences.

• Present across content areas (in contrast to domain-specific words)

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Three Tiers of Words

– Highly specialized, subject-specific; low occurrences in texts;

lacking generalization e.g., oligarchy, euphemism, hydraulic, neurotransmitters

–Abstract, general academic (across content areas);

encountered in written language; high utility across instructional areas e.g., principle, relative, innovation, function, potential, style

– Basic, concrete, encountered in conversation/ oral

vocabulary; words most student will know at a particular grade level e.g., injury, apologize, education, serious, nation

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Academic Vocabulary Engagement

• Read the selection “The Evolution of the Grocery Bag.”

• Identify any words you think are academic vocabulary or Tier 2 words. Circle, underline, or highlight those words.

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Time to Reflect…

What are our current practices regarding vocabulary instruction?

Are those practices aligned to the requirements of the CCSS?

Do our current practices support college and career readiness for all students?

Do they support access to complex text?

Do they support English language learners with vocabulary acquisition through complex text?

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Key Criteria for Writing to Sources and Research

Materials portray writing to sources as key tasks.

Materials focus on argumentative as well as explanatory/informational writing. In elementary school - 30% argumentative writing 35% explanatory/informational writing 35% narrative writing In middle school - 35% argumentative writing 35% explanatory/informational writing 30% narrative writing In high school - 40% argumentative writing 40% explanatory/informational writing 20% narrative writing

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Persuasion vs. Argumentation

Persuasion

Appeals to character or credentials of the writer Appeals to audience’s self-interest or emotion Can be based on personal opinion untethered to evidence

Argumentation

Convince because of perceived merit and reasonableness of the claims and proof

Supports claims with sound reasoning Demands relevant, sufficient evidence, statistics, or definitions for

support Something far beyond surface knowledge is required

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CCSS Mode of Argumentative Writing:

Draws evidence from a text in one of three ways:

• Students are provided with several texts that have evidence for

one or both sides of an issue and are asked to make a claim about the issue using evidence from the texts.

• Students are provided with a text(s) that makes a claim, and are then asked to argue whether the claim is well-supported by evidence in the text(s).

• Students are provided with a text, asked to make a claim about some aspect of it, and support the claim with evidence.

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Which prompt demands writing to sources?

1. After delivering the news of MLK’s death, Kennedy gives several reasons why the audience should choose peace and understanding in the face of violence against MLK. Write an essay in which you tell about an experience in which you or someone you know was faced with a similar challenge between choosing revenge or choosing compassion. Include reasons to justify the choices that were made.

2. After delivering the news of MLK’s death, Kennedy asks his audience to

dedicate themselves “to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.” Write an essay in which you argue whether or not you feel that is the right choice for those listening to him to make given the circumstances. Include reasons to support your argument.

3. After delivering the news of MLK’s death, Kennedy asks his audience to

dedicate themselves “to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world”? Write an essay in which you explain what this phrase means and how the argument in his speech arrives at this conclusion.

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When evaluating a writing prompt (for any type of writing) for alignment to the CCSS consider

the following:

Is the question worth asking?

Does the prompt ask students to include evidence from the text in their response?

Does the prompt provide clear guidance to students?

Does the prompt use the language of the standards where appropriate?

Does the prompt provide students with the criteria upon which they will be scored?

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What’s In and What’s Out?

1. Daily encounters w/complex texts

2. Texts worthy of close attention 3. Balance of literary and

informational texts 4. Coherent sequences of texts 5. Mostly text-dependent

questions 6. Mainly evidence-based analyses 7. Accent on academic vocabulary 8. Emphasis on reading and re-

reading 9. Reading strategies (as means) 10. Reading foundations

(central and integrated)

1. Leveled texts (only) 2. Reading any ‘ole text 3. Solely literature 4. Collections of unrelated texts 5. Mostly text-to-self questions 6. Mainly writing without sources 7. Accent on literary terminology 8. Emphasis on pre-reading 9. Reading strategies (as end goal) 10. Reading foundations

(peripheral and detached)

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Instructional Materials Rubric

WEAK STRONG

Complexity of Texts 1 2 3 4

Do the materials: Include shorter, challenging texts? Include a variety of selections? Elicit close reading?

Range of Texts 1 2 3 4

Do the materials: Contain substantially more informational text? Provide for a sequence of texts that build knowledge systematically?

Quality of Texts 1 2 3 4

Do the materials: Include selections that are representative of the best available writing? Enable students to develop content knowledge across the curriculum? Include informational texts that are not narrative in structure?

Text-Dependent and 1 2 3 4

Text-Specific Questions

Do the materials: Include questions that require the use of textual evidence? Include questions that assess the depth and analytical thinking required by the standards? Include questions that support students in acquiring academic vocabulary?

Scaffolding and Supports 1 2 3 4

Do the materials: Provide ALL students opportunities to encounter complex text? Provide for reading strategies that support comprehension and mastery?

Writing to Sources 1 2 3 4

Do the materials: Place an increased focus on argumentative and informative writing? Provide opportunities for short, focused research projects?

Speaking and Listening 1 2 3 4

Do the materials: Demand that students engage in effective conversations and collaboration? Encourage students to use academic vocabulary? Require students to cite textual evidence in oral presentations? Allow for students to develop active listening skills?

Language 1 2 3 4

Do the materials: Address grammar and language conventions? Provide for real-world application?

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Putting It All Together

• The five strands of ELA– reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language – are meant to be woven together. This is true for instructional materials as well as for curriculum mapping. • All three shifts are meant to be in play at once. • There is no either/or here. Quality materials need all of this. • Be wary of materials and approaches that seek to segregate the standards.

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It all boils down to. . .

Texts worth reading and questions worth answering!

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Time to Reflect…

Do the current reading selections used in our instructional settings align to the expectations

of the CCSS?

Who is engaged in conversations about text selection in our district? Is it really about text

selection or standards?

How are content area teachers engaged?

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• How would they look different from the materials used today?

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Contact Information

Cathy Jones Stork

Office of Instructional Practices and Evaluations

[email protected]

803.734.0790