1. Overview of the 3-8 ELA Curriculum Modules
Session 1A, November 2013 NTI
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2. Who We Are
Expeditionary Learning (EL) is a non-profit network of practitioners, with 165 schools in 30 states, 4,000 teachers and 40,000 students.
We have been working with schools and teachers for 20 years to create rigorous classrooms in which develop strong literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking skills.
We have a proud history of working in New York State and have engaged teams of teachers from high-performing classrooms throughout the state to help develop our curriculum modules.
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3. A Deep Partnership
We have always viewed every teacher - regardless of subject area, grade or specialization - as a teacher of readers, writers, and content. This was a natural connection for us.
Via intensive collaboration with Student Achievement Partners (SAP) and with the input of teachers from across the country, we have created a curriculum that engages students and supports teachers in building students’ capacity to read, think, talk, and write about complex texts.

4. The Norms for Collaboration
We ask you to process thinking with each other often and hope that you will be thoughtful about your own development of relational trust with your NTI colleagues.
Use the Norms Inventory to think about the strengths you will bring to collaborative discussions and places where you might need to be more conscious of being your best self.
(p. 4-7)
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5. Big Ideas that Guide Our Work
Guiding Questions:
What elements are present in classrooms where students effectively talk about texts, tasks, and each others’ thinking?
What does it look like when professionals are collaboratively engaged in substantive change?
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6. Learning Targets – In Your Participants’ Notebook
Overall Learning Objectives of this November 2013 Network Team Institute
New Participants Only:
I can describe the structure and content of the 3-8 ELA Modules.
Teacher Targets:
I can describe collaborative, change-focused professional cultures.
I can describe the relationship between students’ speaking and listening practices and vocabulary development, reading and writing.
I can effectively use protocols and the other collaborative classroom structures in the 3-8 Modules to develop students’ knowledge along with their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
I can evaluate the Common Core Standards related to Speaking and Listening of students’ thinking and talk and provide feedback to help them improve.
I can give and receive constructive feedback that supports quality module adaptation.
Leader/NTI Targets
I can provide focused feedback to support teachers in building collaborative classrooms.
I can support the development of a collaborative, change-focused culture schoolwide, including ways to manage counterculture behavior.
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7. Learning Target
I can describe the structure and content of the 3-8 ELA Modules.
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8. Structure of the EL Curriculum Modules
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
8/9 weeks
16/19 weeks
24/26 weeks
32/34 weeks
Each module is approximately 8 weeks of linked instruction, comprised of 3 units. 6 modules will be provided so that teachers can make choices.
Teaching four modules results in deep teaching and assessment of all of the RL, RI, and W standards in 3-5 and all of the standards in their entirety in 6-8.
Each module is anchored around one or more central text – books from a variety of publishers, chosen to be the best for the subject and standards. These books are complemented by rigorous, authentic informational text embedded within the curriculum itself.
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9. Extended Reading and Research Building Background Knowledge
Each Module Contains Three Units
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Extended Writing
(2-2.5 weeks)
Extended Reading and Research
(2-2.5 weeks)
Building Background Knowledge
(2-2.5 weeks)
In addition to instruction linked to the central text(s), each unit includes a text list of suggested classroom resources at all levels, which can be used with students at other times of the day.
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10. On-demand and Performance Assessment
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Mid-Unit Assessments
Mid-Unit Assessments
Mid-Unit Assessments
Mid-Unit Assessments
End of Unit Assessments
End of Unit Assessments
End of Unit Assessments
End of Unit Assessments
Culminating Performance Task
Culminating Performance Task
Culminating Performance Task
Culminating Performance Task
Incorporates multiple modes, or types, of writing (e.g., argument, informative / explanatory text, and narrative)
Always involves writing from sources and citing evidence
Requires research to build and present knowledge
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11. Back to Back and Face to Face
What is one key piece of learning for you that you just heard in the “structure” of the modules?
What is a wondering that you have about the modules?
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12. Curriculum Plan Please note this has been UPDATED.
The “B” modules (not shown on this plan) are still being finalized, although 2B will be released very soon.
Please check that your school is using this most recent version – October 2013.
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13. Curriculum Map
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14. A look at the curriculum
While looking at Curriculum Maps and the Curriculum Plan capture some key notices or thoughts and write those thoughts on sticky notes or index cards.
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15. GoGoMo
Give one, Get one and Move on!
(p )
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16. Key Document: The Module Overview
The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the entire Module (8 weeks of instruction). It helps you understand how the texts and activities progress toward the final performance task.
Module overviews describe what students will read and write and the assessments that teachers will use to measure their progress.
Central texts are the texts that lessons are specifically designed around.
Alignment to CC Standards is described in the “English Language Arts Outcomes table.”

17. Key Document: Unit Overviews
Each one goes into depth about the scope of each unit.
Helps you understand on a day-to-day basis the learning targets each lesson will address.

18. Key Document: Module Assessments
There are assessments embedded in each unit (mid and end).
Excellent potential for grade level conversation, professional collaboration.
Students are practicing assessment all year long.

19. Key Documents: Lesson Plans
The agenda shows the lesson “at a glance…
…and the teaching notes provide some coaching for teachers as they think about delivering the lesson.
-Respect teachers as professionals
-View this curriculum as PD, “show” CCLS-aligned instruction at granular level
-Dual purpose of each lesson: building skills and building knowledge
-Title conveys this dual purpose: literacy: content
-Long-term target again
-Supporting target: the “bite” out of the standard that we will take today

20. Universal Terms
Each lesson is broken down into sections: Opening, Work Time, and Closing.
-Lesson details there for those who need it
-Honor teachers’ existing schema, how they use time
-Need to engage, support, hold students accountable
-Opening: activate prior knowledge, set purpose, get them curious
-Work time: actively reading and writing, with teacher modeling and support
-Closing: synthesize, reflect, next steps

21. Very Important that You Adapt Lessons to Meet Students’ Needs
Each lesson offers recommendations for supporting all learners. Use your professional judgment to incorporate these and many more “moves” to match these lessons to your students’ needs.
-Equity issue: reach all students
-Multiple means (UDL)
-ELL specific, but many generalizable
-Struggle and stretch
-Hope this segment has begun to give you a sense of how you might apply this work in your own district, school or classroom

22. Some time to look
Look through your module sampler and talk at your tables regarding your notices and wonderings
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23. Synthesize
Synthesize your learning about the modules by quietly writing your responses to these questions:
“What would you say if someone back at school asked you to describe the modules in 90 seconds?”
AND
“How did participating in discussion protocols (Back to Back and Face to Face and Give one, Get one and Move on!) enhance your learning experience today?”
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24. Turn and Talk
How could you use these types of protocols back at school?
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25. In Your Notebooks
How have you progressed on this learning target: I can describe the structure and content of the 3-8 ELA curriculum modules?
Note: Reflecting on progress toward targets is something that we recommend and have built into the modules.
(p. 23)
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