Teaching Strategies for The Common Core Close Reading & Socratic Seminar Hansen School District Fall 2013 Pat Hubert ESA2

Goals Introduce participants to the Socratic Circle/Seminar strategy to help teach CCSS Close Reading Socratic Circles/Seminars Learn about it, see it, try it

Close Reading In order to participate in a Socratic Seminar…you gotta be able to really read a complex text……

Essential Questions What is close reading? Why is close reading important? What strategies are used with close reading?

Anchor Standards… 1. Reading closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently

So….what is Close Reading?

Close reading of a text involves an investigation of a short piece of text. Through text-based questions and discussion, students are guided to deeply analyze and appreciate various aspects of the text, such as - Key vocabulary - Attention to form, tone, imagery or rhetorical devices - Word choice or syntax - Different levels of meaning through multiple readings Pearson & Gallagher, 1983 as cited in Brown and Kappes, 2012

Teacher Goal…  To gradually release responsibility to students  Moving from teacher modeling strategies  To students independently using strategies as they read on their own Pearson & Gallagher, 1983 as cited in Brown & Kappes, 2012

Additional Considerations  It can be an effective strategy for deepening content knowledge and learning to read like an expert in all academic disciplines  It demands teachers have substantive knowledge and understanding of text complexity and text-dependent questions – what they are and how they are used in teaching Close Reading  It is used judiciously and employed for specific learning outcomes  It builds skill and motivation in the reader Pearson & Gallagher, 1983 as cited in Brown & Kappes, 2012

Close reading is as much a way of thinking and processing text that is emphasized through the Common Core as it is about a way of reading a singular piece of text.  Close reading can not be reserved for students who are already strong readers; it should be a vehicle through which all students grapple with advanced concepts and participate in engaging discussions regardless of their independent reading skills. It builds skill and motivation in the reader

Annotating A Text

Marking the Text Read your text and annotate it as you go. Keeping in mind CURISOITY Vocabulary Authors intent other….

Before the Seminar…. “Text Dependent Questions” can only be answered by referring explicitly back to the text in front of them 80 to 90 percent of the Reading Standards in each grade require text dependent analysis Aligned curriculum materials should have a similar percentage of text dependent questions Achievethecore.org

Close Reading Resources Engage New York Website  with-informational-text-by-expeditionary-learning with-informational-text-by-expeditionary-learning Fisher and Frey channel on YouTube 

7 Close Reading Strategies 1. Number the paragraphs To help with citing and referencing the text ask students to number each paragraph, section or stanza in the left hand margin. When students refer to the text, ask them to state the # to avoid confusion 2. Chunk the text. To avoid being overwhelmed as students to “chunk” Students do this by drawing a horizontal line between paragraphs to divide the page into smaller sections. Number paragraphs and teach them how to group/organize them…Let them begin to group on their own

7 Close Reading Strategies 3. Underline any questions to ask. Telling students to simply underline “the important stuff” is too vague. Direct students to underline and circle very specific things. Think about what information you want students to take 4. Left margin: What is the author SAYING? It isn’t enough to ask students to “write in the margins”. We must be very specific and give students a game plan for what they will write. This is where the chunking comes into play. In the left margin, you could ask students to summarize each chunk. (specify what you mean by “summaries” i.e. “write summaries in 10-words or less”. The chunking allows the students to look at the text in smaller segments, and summarize what the author is saying in just that small, specific chunk.

5. Right margin: Dig deeper into the text In the right-hand margin, direct students to complete a specific task for each chunk. This may include: ·Use a power verb to describe what the author is DOING. (For example: Describing, illustrating, arguing, etc..) Note: It isn’t enough for students to write “Comparing” and be done. What is the author comparing? A better answer might be: “Comparing the character of Montag to Captain Beatty”. 6. Represent the information with a picture. This is a good way for students to be creative to visually represent the chunk with a drawing. 7. Develop questions. This may be a struggle for many students, as they often say they don’t have questions 7 Close Reading Strategies

Others… SOAPS T3’s SCOUT SOAPSTONE

Socratic Seminar also requires a good sequence of text dependent questions

General Understandings Overall view Sequence of information Story arc Main claim and evidence Gist of passage

Key Details Search for nuances in meaning Determine the importance of ideas Find supporting details that support main ideas Answers who, what, when, where, why, how much, or how many

Author’s Purpose Genre: Entertain? Explain? Inform? Persuade? Point of View: First-person, third-person, limited, omniscient, unreliable narrator Critical Literacy: Who’s story is not represented?

Inferences… Probe each argument in persuasive text, each idea in informational text, each key detail in literary text, and observe how these build to a whole.

Opinions, Arguments and Intertextual Connections  Author’s opinion and reasoning (K-5)  Claims  Evidence  Counterclaims  Ethos, Pathos, Logos  Rhetoric  Links to other texts throughout the grades

“Every text has a skeleton hidden between its covers. You job as an analytic reader is to find it.” ~ Adler and Van Doren, 1940/1972

Often, textbook writers have frontloaded all necessary information to spoil any chance for intellectual discovery on the part of the students. The CCSS wants students to have the opportunities to grapple with difficult text. ~ David Coleman

Socratic Seminars Socratic Seminar on the article

Overview Speaking & Listening Standard 1 Language Standard 6 Connections to : ELA Shift 4 Danielson Domain 2 & 3 Getting started: video Seminars&uid=5c9a17a fe0ee9d #

Why Is Talk Important In Classrooms? Because participation in well-orchestrated discussions improves text comprehension: Helps students read critically and interpretively, Prepares students to write about texts, Supports vocabulary acquisition, Develops students’ abilities to build text-based arguments and Explicate (explain in a detailed and formal way) their reasoning.

Speaking & Listening Anchor Standard 1 Comprehension and Collaboration (K-8) Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, Building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Pre-K Speaking and Listening Standard 1 Comprehension and Collaboration 1. With guidance and support, participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about pre- kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and large groups. A. Engage in agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). B. Engage in extended conversations. C. Communicate with individuals from different cultural backgrounds

Language Anchor Standard 6  Vocabulary Acquisition and Use (K-8) Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient For reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate ○ independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to ○ comprehension or expression

Pre-K Language Standard 6 With prompting and support, use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.

Too Much Teacher Talk? In one study of 1,151 classroom discussions occurring in over 200 eighth and ninth grade classrooms: 93.31% (1074 discussions) were completely monologic (teacher-centered) in nature Of the 6.69% (77) that included “dialogic episodes” (moments when students directed the conversation), those episodes lasted for an average of 15 seconds (Nystrand et al., 2003)

Why Talk is Important In Classrooms…. The opportunity to access a conversation, serves to scaffold the understanding Vygotsky, 1978; Edwards & Mercer, 1987; Edwards & Westgate, 1994; Mercer, 1995; Nystrand, 1997; McNaughton, 2002

Video Clip 20Seminars&uid=5c9a17a fe0ee9d #

High 5 – 3 Musketeers After watching the video…. A’s - Summarize the teachers role B’s - Summarize the student role C’s - What will be challenges with each? talktalk

Teacher Standards To Be Addressed Domain 2: The Classroom Environment  Creating an environment of Respect and Rapport  Establishing a Culture for Learning  Managing Classroom Procedures  Managing Student Behavior  Organizing Physical Space Domain 3:Instruction  Communicating with Students  Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques  Engaging Students in Learning  Using Assessment in Instruction  Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness

How do we prepare for a Socratic Seminar?  Prior to the seminar give a Socratic Seminar prep sheet. Walk thru steps 1 – 4 for homework assignment.  Reading the text and preparation with important questions and quotations is critical.

What type of questions should I ask during the seminar?  There are three levels of questions.  You should come up with a minimum of 1 question per level.

Level 1 (Knowledge Questions): Knowledge means being able to show understanding by talking, writing, signing, drawing. Please use the following stems in creating your Knowledge Questions:  Can you state, in your own words?  Can you describe?  Can you defend your position?  Can you summarize the information?

Level II (Application Questions): Application means supporting your ideas with evidence. Please use the following stems in creating your Application Questions:  Explain how …  Explain why …  Interpret the reasons …  Compare and contrast …  Connect and explain …

Level III (Synthesis Questions): Synthesis means combining or connecting two different elements. In terms of the Socratic Seminar you will be connecting two texts with each other OR connecting a text to the outside world.

What will the seminar look like?  Full Seminar:  Concentric circles  Micro seminar  Serialized questioning

What ’ s the deal with partners? If I am in Seminar B, I will be sitting in the outside circle taking notes for my partner who is in the inner circle participating in the Seminar A. Then we will switch. I will participate in the seminar and my partner will take notes for me. We will be switching notes at the end of each seminar to be used for Step 5 of the Socratic Seminar Prep Sheet.

How does the discussion work in a seminar? The seminar is to serve as a discussion, not a lecture. Just like in a casual conversation, no one begins the conversation, a conversation begins naturally.

Seminar Guidelines Please listen and look at each other when you speak. One person speaks at a time. Each person will have a chance to ask a question. Respond to the person who asks the question. Use evidence from the text to support yourself. Always treat each other with mutual respect.

Micro Seminars Elementary MS/HS ELA MS/HS Math

Video Seminar – Concentric Circles Number off 1-2 1’s outside 2’s inside All watch, take notes, consider: Questions Content Big idea Supporting details Use your handout 1’s to assess/coach

Resource Check….

Work time! Think about … how will you plan to use this…. How will you assess?

Next Time… Credit Lesson planning Coaching Practicing

Thanks! pathubert.wikispaces.com