Finding Common Ground With

Common Core

Literacy Design Collaborative

What is Literacy Design Collaborative?o 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 jobo Combine curriculums into one unit: a way to work

together to meet objectives in all three areas. Our Unit

o Deforestation

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.

Common Core StandardsELA:

ELA7R1The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts.

ELA7R1.bFor 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.

WritingELA7W1.a-eThe 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.bThe 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.

ELA7W4The student consistently uses the writing process to develop, revise, and evaluate writing.

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 StandardsS7L4: 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.

Your Packet Pacing Guide for unit (on top) Handouts (numbered in order of

unit)1. The Lorax Movie Graphic Organizer2. Teacher Guide for Vocabulary

Activity3. Task and Rubric4. Explanation of Tap5. Outline for Essay6. Explanation of Annolighting 7. Copy of one of the articles8. Proofreading Graphic Organizer

Pacing Guide for Unit  Abbott (Science) Mazzotta (Social Studies) Gaither (Language Arts)

Day 01 Introduce “The Lorax”Pass out the graphic organizer that students

will use to list environmental issues

Discuss Africa and how deforestation is a growing problem, discuss vocab that students

may encounter (vocab activity)

Task Analysis: Introduce task and TAP, outline final product - organization

Day 02 Introduce Michael Fay as real-life Lorax, connect to science concepts

“The Lorax”- 2nd half of the movieDiscuss list of environmental issues

Citing Source Lesson – Model 1st article and pulling out important information

“Up in Smoke” 1320LLink on Galileo

Day 03 3rd article“Who’s to Blame?” 1210L

Link on Galileo

4th article“Missing the Forest for the Trees”1160L

Link on Galileo

2nd article“The Impact of Deforestation on Forest

Livelihoods in Ghana”Unknown L

http://www.africaportal.org/articles/2013/01/16/

impact-deforestation-forest-livelihoods-ghana

Day 04 Debate the most important causes and effects

Finish articles Start filling in outline (intro and conclusion)

Day 05 Fill in outline (all parts) and start draft Fill in outline (all parts) and start draft Fill in outline (all parts) and start draft

Day 06     Working on the final draft with the tablets

Day 07     Working on the final draft with the tablets

DAY ONE  Abbott (Science) Mazzotta (Social Studies) Gaither (Language Arts)

Day 01 Introduce “The Lorax”Pass out the graphic organizer that students will use to list environmental issues

Discuss Africa and how deforestation is a growing problem, discuss vocab that students may encounter

Task Analysis: Introduce task and TAP, outline final product - organization

"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 -

Day One – TAPPING OUT THE TASK - ELA

Vocabulary

DAY TWO  Abbott (Science) Mazzotta (Social

Studies)Gaither (Language

Arts)Day 02 Introduce Michael Fay as

real-life Lorax, connect to science concepts

“The Lorax”- 2nd half of the movieDiscuss list of environmental issues

Citing Source Lesson – Model 1st article and pulling out important information “Up in Smoke” 1320LLink on Galileo

AnnolightingWhat is annolighting?

DAY THREE  Abbott (Science) Mazzotta (Social Studies) Gaither (Language Arts)Day 03 3rd article

“Who’s to Blame?” 1210LLink on Galileo

4th article“Missing the Forest for the Trees”1160LLink on Galileo

2nd article“The Impact of Deforestation on Forest Livelihoods in Ghana”Unknown Lhttp://www.africaportal.org/articles/2013/01/16/impact-deforestation-forest-livelihoods-ghana

DAY FOUR  Abbott (Science) Mazzotta (Social

Studies)Gaither (Language

Arts)Day 04

Debate the most important causes and effects

Finish articles Start filling in outline (intro and conclusion)

DAYS FIVE, SIX, AND SEVEN

  Abbott (Science) Mazzotta (Social Studies)

Gaither (Language Arts)

Day 05

Fill in outline (all parts) and start draft

Fill in outline (all parts) and start draft

Fill in outline (all parts) and start draft

Day 06

    Working on the final draft with the tablets

Day 07

    Working on the final draft with the tablets

Pictures

Final Products

Final Products

Final Products

Final Products

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

Scheduling: What we did to make it easier

What we changed and the problems we ran in to…o Last year: The students were confused about the process used to

pull evidence from the articles. o 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.

o Last year: Three articles in each class was lot for the students even though we divided the students up into groups.

o 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.

o Last year: Gallery walk for students to use other posters to gather evidence. Students had a hard time with just the gallery walk.

o 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.

o Last year: Only one producto This year: Choice of product (article, essay or power point)

Moving from 2 classes to 3…..

Many positives!!o Students had a deeper understanding of deforestation and could apply their

knowledge to other contexts.o Incorporated more technologyo Distributed articles differently along with modeling how to pull out evidence

from the texto Increase in writing ability from the beginning of the yearo Well written papers

• Had time• Help of three teachers versus one• Three different teaching styles• Three teachers grading• Incorporate strategies from ELA teacher

o 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.

o Can see a positive effect between literacy and depth of understanding• Increase in subject area and writing scores

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Collaboration ProcessThe Collaboration Process

Any Questions???