Close Reading in History and Social Studies 6-8 A Professional Development Opportunity for Arkansas Educators

Common Core State Standards

Agenda: Understand why close reading instruction is important Observe modeling of a close reading lesson Understand how to teach close reading Reflect on current teaching practice

NAEP Reading Framework 4

“Read” The detective quickly reads the situation and decides upon an appropriate response. The park ranger is always careful to read the skies when escorting hikers into the mountains. The coach reads the opponents’ defense and immediately adjusts the next play. The child tries to read his mother’s reaction to see if he will be permitted to play with his friends. Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, Buehl, p.3

What is Reading? If we understand that reading is not just “receiving a message,” but actively building meaning upon prior knowledge using staged, strategic thinking, then we will teach differently. Subjects Matter, Daniels & Zemelman p.31

Reader Behaviors Readers develop moves, which are actions to help readers understand and remember. Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines, Buehl, p.224

Close Reading is… a careful, deliberate reading of a text. It requires paying close attention to what you are reading and focusing in on the details.

Close Reading is… close sustained reading of grade-level appropriate complex texts to examine their meaning thoroughly and methodically, ultimately arriving at an understanding of the text as a whole.

Close Reading is… reading to infer/interpret/draw conclusions. supporting arguments with evidence. resolving conflicting views encountered in source documents. solving complex problems with no obvious answer. Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Close Reading is NOT… Skimming for answers Surface processing Reading and forgetting Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, Buehl, p.4

Students can actively read textbooks without closely reading them. Close reading is not necessarily active reading and just finding main idea or just annotating. Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Going Into, Through, and Beyond Getting students “into” a text includes a range of activities that create interest, motivation, and receptivity. Students going “through” the text are annotating, highlighting, asking questions, and discussing. After reading, students go “beyond” the text to deepen their understanding, gain new insights, and apply their new knowledge. Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Towers of Literacy Literary MathHistoryPhysical Biology FictionScience Adapted from Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines, Buehl p. 15

What does this mean for my content?

CCSS for Literacy in History/Social Studies

Close Reading in CCSS focusing reading careful attention to specific passages read closely “read like a detective” attention to precise detail close, attentive reading wide, deep, and thoughtful engagement read purposefully work diligently to understand precisely ability to discern close sustained reading

Close Reading of a Complex text

Using Close Reading What did you do to “work” or make sense of the text? What makes this piece of text “complex?”

Unique Aspects of History/Social Studies Texts Text Features Parts/components of a book that are created to help a reader locate and learn information Examples headings, graphics, maps, captions, main idea boxes, table of contents, illustrations, colors and symbols, timelines, bolded words Text Structures Various patterns of how the text is written Examples Cause-Effect Compare-Contrast Problem-Solution Concept-Definition Goal-Action-Outcome

Establishing a Routine for Close Reading 1.Pre-teach the vocabulary and concepts. 2.Set a purpose for reading. 3.Model close reading. 4.Provide guided practice and check for understanding. 5.Provide independent practice. 6.Organize discussions and debates. 7.Have students write about the text. adapted from the Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Tools  S.O.A.P.S: Identifying speaker, occasion, audience, purpose, and subject  Self-Questioning Taxonomy  Identifying arguments and evidences  Identifying assumptions

Model of Close Reading “The Indians of the Six Nations to William & Mary College” Lexile: 1050 = 6-8 th grade Framework: G – Social Studies 6 th grade R.CCR.1 RH.6-8.1

Establishing a Routine for Close Reading Pre-teach vocabulary Set purpose for reading Model close reading Provide guided practice Provide independent practice Organize discussions Have students write about text Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Establishing a Routine for Close Reading Pre-teach vocabulary Set purpose for reading Model close reading Provide guided practice Provide independent practice Organize discussions Have students write about text Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Establishing a Routine for Close Reading Pre-teach vocabulary Set purpose for reading Model close reading using tools SOAPS Provide guided practice Provide independent practice Organize discussions Have students write about text Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Establishing a Routine for Close Reading Pre-teach vocabulary Set purpose for reading Model close reading using tools Self-Questioning Taxonomy Provide guided practice Provide independent practice Organize discussions Have students write about text Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Establishing a Routine for Close Reading Pre-teach vocabulary Set purpose for reading Model close reading using tools Arguments and Evidence Provide guided practice Provide independent practice Organize discussions Have students write about text Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Establishing a Routine for Close Reading Pre-teach vocabulary Set purpose for reading Model close reading using tools Assumptions Provide guided practice Provide independent practice Organize discussions Have students write about text Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Establishing a Routine for Close Reading Pre-teach vocabulary Set purpose for reading Model close reading using tools Provide guided practice Elvis Presley to President Richard M. Nixon Lexile: 970 = 6-8 th Grade C – Social Studies Framework K-8 R.CCR.1 Provide independent practice Organize discussions Have students write about text Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Establishing a Routine for Close Reading Pre-teach vocabulary Set purpose for reading Model close reading using tools Provide guided practice Provide independent practice Organize discussions Have students write about text Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

“I didn’t know what I knew until I talked about it.” -seventh-grade science student 32

Establishing a Routine for Close Reading Preteach vocabulary Set purpose for reading Model close reading using tools Provide guided practice Provide independent practice Organize discussions Have students write about text Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.

Writing in Response to text Example: What did I discover about this text or what was reinforced after I did my own close reading?

Reflection Which close reading skills do I most want my students to learn and practice? Which close reading tools will I model for my students and ask them to use? Which steps of the close reading routine will I utilize? Handout adapted from the Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, Inc.