Supporting Literacy in the Content Areas: Science, Math, & Social Studies

The 90/ 90/ 90 Schools: A Case Study More than 90 percent of the students are eligible for free and reduced lunch More than 90 percent of the students are eligible for free and reduced lunch More than 90 percent of the students are from ethnic minorities More than 90 percent of the students are from ethnic minorities More than 90 percent of the students met or achieved high academic standards More than 90 percent of the students met or achieved high academic standards

Five Characteristics common to all 90/90/90 Schools A focus on academic achievement A focus on academic achievement Clear curriculum choices Clear curriculum choices Frequent assessment of student progress and multiple opportunities for improvement Frequent assessment of student progress and multiple opportunities for improvement An emphasis on non-fiction writing An emphasis on non-fiction writing Collaborative scoring of student work Collaborative scoring of student work

Writing in the content areas: Writing focuses on challenging students with the kind of writing they will be required to do in the real world. Writing focuses on challenging students with the kind of writing they will be required to do in the real world. Provides a way to assess student understanding and recognize misconceptions. Provides a way to assess student understanding and recognize misconceptions. Allows students to discover or recognize their own thought processes through their writing Allows students to discover or recognize their own thought processes through their writing Is a way to move toward higher- order thinking in the subject areas Is a way to move toward higher- order thinking in the subject areas

Content area writing Science: hypotheses, procedures to answer questions, research findings, conclusions, next steps all summarized in lab reports, T-charts (graphic organizers), labeling diagrams Science: hypotheses, procedures to answer questions, research findings, conclusions, next steps all summarized in lab reports, T-charts (graphic organizers), labeling diagrams Math: tables, story problems, graphs, descriptions of patterns and problem solving techniques, writing new problems, graphic organizers Math: tables, story problems, graphs, descriptions of patterns and problem solving techniques, writing new problems, graphic organizers Social Studies: descriptions of primary sources (photos, journals, newspapers, maps, documents, photographs, etc), generating first person accounts, research findings, arguments for deliberations Social Studies: descriptions of primary sources (photos, journals, newspapers, maps, documents, photographs, etc), generating first person accounts, research findings, arguments for deliberations

Moving toward cross-curricular “higher-order thinking” with writing tasks Remembering—Retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term memory Remembering—Retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term memory Understanding—Constructing meaning from instructional messages, including oral, written, and graphic communications Understanding—Constructing meaning from instructional messages, including oral, written, and graphic communications Applying—Carrying out or using a procedure in a given situation Applying—Carrying out or using a procedure in a given situation Analyzing—Breaking material into its constituent parts and determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose Analyzing—Breaking material into its constituent parts and determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose Evaluating—Making judgments based on criteria and standards Evaluating—Making judgments based on criteria and standards Creating—Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole, reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure (p. 31) Creating—Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole, reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure (p. 31) Being metacognitive—Being aware of one's own comprehension and being able and willing to repair comprehension breakdowns when they occur Being metacognitive—Being aware of one's own comprehension and being able and willing to repair comprehension breakdowns when they occur

Model “understanding performances” with writing tasks 3-week nutrition unit for 4 th -graders 3-week nutrition unit for 4 th -graders Performances ~ students demonstrate: Performances ~ students demonstrate: Understanding of 6 types of food in the food pyramid by classifying food from commercials in pyramid schematic (science/math/writing) Understanding of 6 types of food in the food pyramid by classifying food from commercials in pyramid schematic (science/math/writing) Understanding of food labeling by making tables out of food information (math) Understanding of food labeling by making tables out of food information (math) Practical understanding of nutrition by developing nutritious menus (writing) Practical understanding of nutrition by developing nutritious menus (writing) Journaling food intake (science/writing/math with caloric tabulations) Journaling food intake (science/writing/math with caloric tabulations) Writing letters to consumers (writing/social studies) Writing letters to consumers (writing/social studies) Dramatizing grocery store experiences (arts/writing) Dramatizing grocery store experiences (arts/writing) Writing commercials focusing on nutritional values Writing commercials focusing on nutritional values

Writing in the Middle School Writing Rubric Writing Rubric Student-Teacher Conference Worksheet Student-Teacher Conference Worksheet Writing Prompts Writing Prompts The Writing Process The Writing Process

WRITING TO IMPROVE THINKING Students have to process what they know, in any given subject, on any given topic; no matter what the subject of writing. Students have to process what they know, in any given subject, on any given topic; no matter what the subject of writing. Purpose at the High School is to improve thinking in every subject- inevitably yielding better results for all students in all subjects and on written performance assessments. Purpose at the High School is to improve thinking in every subject- inevitably yielding better results for all students in all subjects and on written performance assessments.  Writing prompts are developed by content area teachers in collaboration with English teachers.  Writing Day!- One hour writing delay schedule.  Drafts submitted to content area teachers to edit for content, improve thinking and encourage students to expand ideas.

High School continued… Students develop final copies based on the VC K-12 rubric and comments specific to rubric areas. Students develop final copies based on the VC K-12 rubric and comments specific to rubric areas. Final copies, along with rough drafts, are handed in to English/ Social Studies teachers for evaluation in improvement of ideas and expanded thinking. Final copies, along with rough drafts, are handed in to English/ Social Studies teachers for evaluation in improvement of ideas and expanded thinking. Writing counts as 10% of English/ Social Studies grade. Writing counts as 10% of English/ Social Studies grade. Our goal at the High School is to develop a community of thinkers and writers, as well as to promote conversations about writing among students, faculty and administrators. Our goal at the High School is to develop a community of thinkers and writers, as well as to promote conversations about writing among students, faculty and administrators.

Incorporating Writing Into Content Area Instruction Topic: __________________ Topic: __________________ Examples of Writing Assignments: __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ Examples of Writing Assignments: __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________

What Are Rubrics? According to Heidi Goodrich Andrade: A rubric is a scoring tool that lists the criteria for a piece of work. According to Heidi Goodrich Andrade: A rubric is a scoring tool that lists the criteria for a piece of work. It determines what counts within a piece of writing. It determines what counts within a piece of writing. Furthermore, it conveys the degree of quality for each specified criterion from excellent to poor. Furthermore, it conveys the degree of quality for each specified criterion from excellent to poor. Andrade, H. “Understanding Rubrics.” Educational Leadership (1997): 54(4). Andrade, H. “Understanding Rubrics.” Educational Leadership (1997): 54(4).

Why Use Rubrics? Rubrics can be powerful tools for both teaching and assessment. Rubrics can be powerful tools for both teaching and assessment. Rubrics help students become more thoughtful judges of quality writing. Rubrics help students become more thoughtful judges of quality writing. Rubrics reduce the amount of time teachers spend evaluating work. Rubrics reduce the amount of time teachers spend evaluating work. Rubrics help teachers accommodate different learning abilities. Rubrics help teachers accommodate different learning abilities. Rubrics can be easy to use and explain to students if the correct approach and vernacular is used. Rubrics can be easy to use and explain to students if the correct approach and vernacular is used.

VCSD Rubric

How Is The Rubric Incorporated Within Each Grade Level? Grading – refer to color codes rubrics Grading – refer to color codes rubrics Grade Level Tasks – see handout Grade Level Tasks – see handout

Questions