1. Standards Institute 121 E
Day 3

2. Standards Institute Approach
Conceptual
Practical
Foundations
Shifts & Tools
Texts & Fiction
Canon & Contemporary Application: Shifts 1&2
Modules and Units
Deconstructing Lessons: Shift 3
Inquiry
Research and Writing
Equity
Strategies & Assessment
Support
Access
Rigor
Relevance
July 13 - July 17
Today we are going to deep dive into a module, but before we do we have to get very clear around the glue that cements the text, instruction, and the standards together- which is how we ask questions, and what we ask in them (or something)

3. Today’s Sessions Session 1: Text-Dependent Questions and Fiction
Session 2: Shifting the Paradigm: Teaching Nonfiction in the Common Core

4. Session 1: Writing Text-Dependent Questions
Participants will be able to:
Determine the differences between questions that are assessing a deep knowledge of the text and questions that rely on a surface level understanding
Identify the components of a vocabulary based TDQ and a Central Idea/Theme based question
Construct text dependent and multiple choice questions to suit the needs of their classroom
2 minutes

5. This Session’s Agenda
Understanding text-dependent questions and their importance to learning in the Common Core, including:
How to use these questions in your classroom
The different types of Text-Dependent Questions
Writing text-dependent questions that can be used for discussion and scaffolding for understanding texts
1 min

6. St Lucy’s Home For Girls Raised by Wolves
Read as an adult learner and annotate for:
initial reaction
complex elements of the story
key understandings and questions
Chart paper – they read and then transfer some of their answers on paper, and then gallery walk it, then conversation 45 min

7. Key Understandings and Questions: Teacher Hats
Standards
Key Understandings
Crafting Text Dependent Questions
Shift to what this looks like for the kids in the classroom: Setting them up for Success
What Standards does this best support
(10 minutes to look through standards and select standards you would use with the key understandings you want your student to have)

8. Text Dependent Questions and Pitfalls
Charting Our Understanding
What makes a good TDQ? How do they go wrong? (not clear)

9. Making Questioning Work for Your Classroom
Know the text well
Determine the important words, themes, ideas and sections of the text that will provide a deeper understanding of the text
Know the standards that are being assessed
Keep the Module, Unit, and/or Lesson focus standards in mind while writing questions
Use Question Stems (if necessary as a scaffold for your own learning)
Allow for consistency and can ensure alignment to standards
1 min
Designing/adapting questions to fit the needs of our students is an arduous, but incredibly worthy and purposeful task. Having a place to start (the text, the standards, and question stems) is about halfway through the design process. The real focus should be what do you want to know about your instruction- are the students understanding the material? Are they able to demonstrate proficiency on a specific skill that you’ve addressed? Don’t try to teach the whole text with a single question. When you do this, you have generally created an assessment question, rather than a question designed to scaffold student learning. Stick with small sections and go deep.

10. Text-Dependent Questions
Scaffold learning
Build vocabulary
Develop key ideas and details
Call to attention craft and structure
Integrate knowledge and ideas
1 min
Get very clear about the answer you want your question to elicit.
The better you understand this, the better you’re able to see the understanding you’re trying to help students develop. If you can articulate very clearly what a great answer would be, that can help you design a great question

11. Questions that Scaffold Learning

12. Vocabulary-Based TDQs
Possible Question Stems
What other words in this sentence help give meaning to...
Based on the context, what is the meaning of…
Looking at the examples provided in the preceding paragraphs, what does the word...
Which words should we look at for TDQs?
Essential to understanding the text
Likely to appear in future reading
More abstract words (as opposed to concrete words)
1 min
Academic vocabulary and determining which words need to be provided through direct instruction, which words can be determined from context, and which words need to be elaborated on because they are essential to the understanding of a text.
Lyncanthropic v culture shock –in terms of time on task, importance
Note: lycanthropic v culture shock

13. Central Idea/Theme-Based TDQs
Guide students toward the theme
Encourage students to look to the text to support their answers
Encourage students to examine the complex layers of a rigorous text
Support comprehension
Possible Question Stems
How does the author develop a central idea/theme…
This sentence (paragraph, detail, event) contributes to the central idea/theme by…?
What central idea/theme is unfolded in this section...
1 min
Note that this is where text complexity, particularly the qualitative elements, come into play. The kind of texts we want our HS students to read, understand and analyze have rich themes and central ideas. These kinds of questions go deeper than a gist understanding of a text such as in Of Mice and Men George and Lenny are friends during the depression.
Good litmus test for planning: If the text cannot support these kinds of questions, then the components of its qualitative complexity do not support R2.

14. KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS CRAFT AND STRUCTURE KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS
Guide students toward and through the important elements of the text
Consider the text beyond basic understanding

15. Before you start….
Use the questions in the instructional sequence as scaffolds.
The purpose of the types of text-dependent questions we’re talking about is not to assess whether students “got it,” it’s to help them get it.
Don’t write a text dependent question that you can’t answer yourself.
Be wary of writing a TDQ for which there is only one acceptable answer in your mind.
Shape your questions around the key understandings and the standards you are assessing or addressing
Keep assessments where they belong—as assessments of learningThis seems like an academic distinction, but it’s really not. Keep telling yourself that’s the purpose of the questions you’re writing, and your questions will be better.

16. Transfer your final product to chart paper
Bearing this in mind…..
With your group, craft 5-7 TDQs that align to the key understandings and standards you have identified as critical.
Transfer your final product to chart paper
Write them, chart them, post them,
15 minutes hard stop

17. Growth Mindset
Stoplight – red doesn’t work, yellow not sure, green excellent question (post by favorite question)
5 minutes -

18. Thoughts on Questioning
Don’t try to teach the whole text with a single question.
When you do this, you have generally created an assessment question, rather than a question designed to scaffold student learning. Stick with small sections and go deep.
Don't worry about writing perfect questions first.
Sometimes within bad questions are the ideas you find important in your text. Find the great ideas and wordsmith the questions.
“Head ’em off at the pass” questions are okay.
If there’s a very important and difficult section of text, it’s okay to ask a very basic question about it, such as: “What’s happening here?” or “What did X just do?”. Remember, it’s both and! (Guide thinking and support comprehension).
Kids-free labor

19. Knowing this about that…..
Write 3-5 questions to flesh out key understandings based in the standards for a close read of your selected excerpt
Write them, chart them, post them
20 mintes

20. Growth Mindset
Stoplight – red doesn’t work, yellow not sure, green excellent question series
(10 minutes)

21. The Paths Make your own (DIY) Using existing resources Combination
Great way to build capacity, culture, teacher teams, calibration – takes time
Saves time but you still have to unpack and get to know, requires PD,
Annotated text
HMH

22. St Lucy’s Unit Overview and Lesson Review
Navigate to Unit Overview and Read through lesson descriptions
Select a lesson and explore
How do your text dependent questions measure up? Provide evidence.
10 minutes

23. Shifting Focus
density

24. Shakespeare, Sophocles, and Others
How do we kill Shakespeare forever for students?
Where is your line in the sand?
How do we – 5 m
Attend to the standards
Not close read every scene

25. Shakespeare 4 Ways Unit Overview How does the learning progress?
How to the standards come into play in a meaningful way?
How are ancillary texts and media used?
Questions, Comments, Concerns
Be prepared to present to group
CHART THIS
Romeo and Juliet x 2
Hamlet
Macbeth
Vested Viewing discussion and focus on why we view

26. Closing Remarks on Fiction and TDQs