Middle Level Curriculum

Do Now  Take the Article “Building on the Common Core”  Jigsaw Activity Everyone reads Intro, Overview, Developing Cognition, and How the standards support College and Career Readiness. Danielle, Mahlah, Gabe, Michelle, Jonathan and Mike read Key Cognitive Strategies Vin, Dave, Tara, Karina, Melissa, and Rose read the Novice- Expert Continuum and Making the standards work Take notes, you are now the expert on your passage, you will be sharing the info you have learned with the other group.

Agenda  Core Curriculum  Summarizing  Note taking  Exploratory  We Are All Teachers of Reading  Integrated/interdisciplinary practice  Homework  Practice  Unit Planning Time

Criteria for identifying excellent standards  Academic standards should be... concerned with the essential ideas.... useful and clear.... rigorous, accurate, and sound.... brief.... feasible, taken together.... accessible.... developmental.... selected and modified or supplemented by consensus.... adaptable and flexible. Source: From Turning Points 2000 by A. W. Jackson and G. A. Davis 2000, New York: Teachers College Press.

Core Curriculum  English Language Arts  Mathematics  Science  Social Studies  Related Domains  Information Literacy

Criteria for the Common Core  Fewer, clearer, and higher  Aligned with college and work expectations  Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills  Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards  Internationally benchmarked, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society  Based on evidence and research

Overview of Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts  Contains an “Introduction” with clarifications and guidance  Standards are organized by grade-level (K-8) and grade-band (9-10; 11-12)  Standards are divided into Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Language strands  Is aligned to the NGA/CCSSO College- and Career- Readiness Standards released in September 2009

Overview of Common Core K-12 Standards (con’t)  The Standards comprise three main sections: a comprehensive K-5 section and two content area- specific sections for grades 6-11, one in English language arts and one in history/social studies and science  Contains appendices with research supporting the standards, examples of illustrative texts, and samples of student writing

Overview of Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (added 3/10/10)  Organized as Core Standards-what students should understand and be able to do  Includes Eight Mathematical Practices that are to be woven throughout the curriculum and taught in conjunction with content and procedures  Grade level standards for grades K-8 organized by domains (large groups of related standards) and clusters (smaller groups of related standards)  Bands of progressions in grades K-8 organized by domains and clusters

Overview of Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (con’t) (added 3/10/10)  Grades 9-12 organized in conceptual categories or modules/progressions under the headings of Number and Quantity, Algebra, Functions, Geometry, Statistics and Probability, and Modeling  Appendices include grades 9-12 model course descriptions based on the conceptual categories  Glossary of terms

 Rules for Summarizing  Delete trivial material  Delete redundant material  Substitute superordinate terms for lists (e.g. “flowers” for daises)  Select a topic sentence, invent one if necessary Examples on page 33 Different frames pgs Summarizing

Note Taking  Classroom Practice for Note Taking  Verbatim note taking is the least effective  Notes are a work in progress (revise as needed)  The more notes taken, the better  Notes should be used as study guides  Teacher prepared notes give a clear picture of what the teacher considers important

Exploratory  Exploratory  Reinforce core curriculum  Students investigate areas of interest  Art  Music  Careers  Technology

Service Learning Service learning projects may lead to students who:  Apply academic, social, and personal skills to improve the community  Make decisions with real results  Grow as individuals, gain respect for peers, and increase civic participation  Experience success no matter what their ability level  Gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their community, and society  Develop as leaders who take initiative, solve problems, work as a team, and demonstrate their abilities while and through helping others

Strategies for Encouraging Reading  Know your students’ reading habits.  Provide a variety of reading opportunities.  Explicitly teach students how to read for a variety of purposes.  Establish a classroom library.  Consistently incorporate Sustained Silent Reading (SSR)

Integrated/interdisciplinary Curriculum  Instruction addresses cognitive, physical and psychosocial development  Student/teacher identified issues become the driving force  Read the case study 5-1 on page 118  With your 4 O'clock appointment answer question # 1.

Homework  The amount of homework should be different from elementary to middle to high school.  Parent involvement in homework should be kept to a minimum. They should not solve content problems for students, but act as a facilitator.  The purpose should be identified and articulated for two purposes:  Practice  Preparation for elaboration If Homework is assigned, it should be graded and commented on.  Graded (Effect gain.28 to.78)  Graded and commented (Effect gain.28 to.83)

Homework and Practice  Classroom Practice in Assigning Homework Establish and communicate a Homework Policy Design assignments that clearly articulate purpose and outcome. Vary the approaches when providing homework.  Research And Theory Related to Practice Mastering a skill requires a fair amount of focused practice. It is not until students have practiced 24 times that they reach 80% competency. While practicing, students should adapt and shape what they have learned.