How to do a Close Read of the Standards

Why Close Read? Develop shared vocabulary/language and understanding of the standards Develop common expectations for students Ask and answer questions in collaborative teams Reach consensus as to what the expectations will look like in the classroom Identify key vocabulary (content-specific and academic)

How to do a Close Read – Part 1 (Independent) Read each standard with a pen, pencil, or highlighter in hand. Circle key verbs Underline key nouns Highlight ambiguous terms of vocabulary Acknowledge patterns and note questions

How to do a Close Read – Part 2 (Group) With you partner or department, review nouns & verbs; define ambiguous terms; discuss what this would or might look like in your classroom Discuss what learning target(s) might look like for each standard. What are the pre-requisite skills for this standard? Are these skills a gap or a got it (based on what we are currently practicing)?

How to Unpack the Standards

Why Unpack the Standards? Although the new standards are fewer & stronger, there’s a lot going on in each of the expectations. To make certain you address all of the enumerated skills and elements, you should take time to unpack or unwrap them.

Unpacking Review your close read. How many verbs did you identify? The number of verbs will give you an idea of how many skills can be pulled out to create objectives or learning targets. Re-write the skills-based objectives/targets with appropriate nouns. Do NOT change the language of the standards. Discuss and determine where these skills will go during the course of your school year.*

Unpacking the Standards 6.G.1 Find the area of a right triangle, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.

Unpacking the Standards 6.G.1 Find the area of a right triangle, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.

Unpacking the Standards 6.G.1 Find the area of a right triangle, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems. Find the area of right triangles by composing it into a rectangle Find the area of non-right triangles by composing them into rectangles. Find the area of special quadrilaterals and other polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes. Solve problems involving finding the areas of triangles, special quadrilaterals, and other polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes.

Your Turn! Unpack the Standards Select a standard to unpack. Use the graphic organizer to unpack the standard.