Writing from Sources Superintendent Day Conference May 2, 2013 12:00-3:00 Department of Social Studies Conversation about writing- what do you currently do regarding writing? Why is it important? (general conversation)

PM Agenda 12:00 Rationale/Research behind MOD 7 Overview of Shift 5 Writing from Sources 12:30 Review of Historical Research Papers/Rubric. (Review 8-Historical Steps PPT Slides) 1:00 “Unpack” Writing in History Standards

Common Core Writing Foundations Automaticity allows students to develop higher- level writing skills like planning, generating, revising, and the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources If you have the foundations mastered, you don’t have to devote brain power to basics and can concentrate on the more advanced aspects of writing

Writing Strand 6-8th Texts types and purposes WHST 1 Argument WHST 2 Expository WHST 3 Narrative Production and Distribution of Writing WHST 4 Development, organization aligned to task, purpose WHST 5 Planning, revising, editing WHST 6 Technology to produce and publish Research to Build and Present Knowledge WHST 7 Short and sustained research projects WHST 8 Multiple sources WHST 9 Evidence Range WHST 10 Write over time The writing strand relies depends on an understanding of certain basic concepts such as how to form letters, that all sentences are formed by a subject and predicate, etc. Expository- informative/explanatory The Writing Strand is organized into genres of writing, production or writing, and research skills Range is the last standard (how often and in how many genres a student writes) (Developing higher level writing skills) (all students will have the concept of writing but may not be fluent writers- fluency might hold a student back- scaffold with additional opportunities to write, type etc.)

Research Base Survey of post-secondary educators found that among the most important skills expected of incoming students were articulating a clear thesis; identifying, evaluating, and using evidence to support or challenge the thesis; Considering, incorporating counterarguments into writing. The ICASCCC, California State University, the University of California Surveys of college professors show that W.CCR.1 is extremely relevant to college level work

Research skills (Short Versions) Research to Build and Present Knowledge WHST. 7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question drawing on several sources. WHST. 8. Gather information from multiple print and digital sources WHST.9. Draw evidence from informational texts. There is also a strong emphasis on research skills in the CCLS.

Research genre for Social studies Expository Argument Research Research writing can take either form – expository (reports) and argument (thesis)- you’re not limited to one or the other- multiple sources- can be just a synopsis of the topic or prove a point in an argument

Help students analyze sources Talk to students about their sources: How does the information in this source align with or contradict other sources? What argument does this source make? How does this source support that argument? Where is this source most/least convincing? What is the author’s perspective on this topic? Working with Students Writing from Sources, Elizabeth Kleinfeld

Building Knowledge in the Disciplines Shared Responsibilities (Shift 2- Cross Content Areas) Research writing Argument/Expository writing Writing process Academic vocabulary Development, organization, style Use of technology Use of multiple sources, assessment of credibility, integration of information Standards are almost identical- consistency among departments- what method will the school use? Who is responsible for which parts? (ELA has grammar responsibility- Language- and narrative strand)

Shift 5: Writing from Sources Use evidence to inform or make an argument De-emphasize personal narratives and other forms of decontextualized prompts (not eliminated, though) Develop skills through written arguments that respond to the ideas, events, facts, and arguments presented in text Write from multiple sources about one topic Analyze, synthesize ideas across many texts to draw an opinion or conclusion Decontextualized, lacking a source or evidence.

Communicative Purposes 2011 Shifting emphasis Distribution NAEP Communicative Purposes 2011 Grade To Persuade Explain To Convey Experience 4 30% 35% 8 12 40% 20% The first three writing standards deal with texts types and purposes. On the NAEP (National assessment of Educational Progress) assessment, a continuing emphasis is placed on persuasion/argument and explanatory writing as students get older. The CCLS standards follow this alignment, though the CCLS distinguish between persuasion and argument. The CCLS downplay the role of narrative writing as students get older.

Shift 5: Writing from Sources EXAMPLE NON-EXAMPLE Read about the history of the Industrial Revolution Respond to prompt: Identify the three most important reasons for industrial growth during the 19th and 20th centuries and explain reasons for these choices (Langer and Applebee, 1987) Respond to prompt: Should students be allowed to bring cell phones to class? Choose a side in the debate and explain your reasoning. (There is nothing wrong the with the prompt, but it does not cause students to interact with text- persuasive essay) The first prompt requires the student to produce evidence from the text to answer the question The second prompt does not require the student to reference a particular text at all Does not mean you would stop assigning persuasive essays but you would do it less often

When will students write from sources? Historical Research papers Writing from sources When will students write from sources? Historical Research papers Informational/Expository essays Arguments DBQs Summaries multiple sources Constructed responses

Research base Why write about sources? “… provides students with a tool for visibly and permanently recording, connecting, analyzing, personalizing, and manipulating key ideas in text.” (Graham and Hebert, 2010) “Newer and better understandings of textual material are likely to occur when students write about text in extended ways involving analysis, interpretation, or personalization (Langer and Applebee, 1987).” Writing forces you to organize the information which helps to internalize the information

Research Base: Writing to Read Evidence for How Writing Can Improve Reading Major Findings of meta-analysis: Writing about a text they read enhances how well students comprehend it. Teaching writing improves student writing and enhances students’ ability to read a text accurately, fluently, and with comprehension. Graham and Hebert, Carnegie Corporation/ Alliance for Excellent Education What is a meta-analysis? A report summarizing research studies that meet an established standard Analyzes the effect size of the studies Used to determine the promise, consistency, strength of an instructional practice

Writing to Read In studies, writing about a text proved to be better than: just reading it reading and rereading it reading and studying it reading and discussing it receiving reading instruction Writing about it had more of an impact than discussing- doesn’t mean to eliminate the discussion Strategy- Stop and Write– while reading, for example in a first read, they write so that they’re prepared to discuss- also helps students to internalize the information

Writing to Read Meta-analysis – 93% positive outcome Evident in science, social studies as well as ELA Writing about sources was also an effective activity for lower-achieving students Did not have same effect when lower- achieving students were not taught explicitly how to write about sources- students had to be taught a method

(Note- patch working is not paraphrasing) Key understandings There are certain key understandings that enable students to conduct research. Some of these are note- taking, summarizing, paraphrasing, citing, and using quotations. (Note- patch working is not paraphrasing) Patch working- using synonyms to replace a few words

Discussion- Apply this to Historical research What skills should be taught in writing a historical research paper? – In a small group, create a list of the steps you currently use in teaching the research paper… Step 1: Read the sample Historical Research Paper. Step 2: Discuss with team, What aspects make a successful paper? Step 3: List aspects. Step 4: Review National History Day Rubric Step 5: Add additional aspects Step 6: Share out How to narrow a topic (How do events and institutions create war- students have to pick topic), identifying valid sources (criteria), bibliography and annotated bibliography, primary vs. secondary sources, paraphrasing, summarizing, parenthetical citation, when you should use a source/citation, quotations, note taking, outlining, thesis, determining counterclaims, format (MLA), writing process, etc. How do you scaffold this??

NHD 8-Step Process of Historical Research Getting Organized for Research Selecting a Topic Background Reading for Historical Context Narrowing Your Topic Gathering and Recording Information Analyzing and Interpreting Sources Developing a Thesis Statement Developing a Finished Project

Unit plan creation Each group will receive a different step of the process to create lesson plan units to introduce the process and skills used to create successful historical research papers, these lessons will be used to teach the process next year. Review assigned Historical Research process step. Discuss and brainstorm ideas lessons. (Focus on introduction and skill sets) Create 2-3 unit lessons for implementation. Link to the CCLS Writing/Literacy. Submit at closing.