Express 9.03 - What the Mind Needs to Do to Read Nonfiction. What the Mind Needs to Do to Read Nonfiction Nancy Akhavan Many children are not strategic readers of nonfiction text; they dive into reading nonfiction the same way they approach a story or a novel. But if students are to become literate readers in a world filled with an abundance of information, they need to be good readers and strategic readers. Strategic readers establish goals for reading; select reading strategies appropriate for the text they are reading; monitor their reading to determine if they are comprehending or not; and have a positive attitude toward reading. When we bring nonfiction text and content in our classrooms, we are giving our students an invitation to know things deeply. 1.
Students are likely to encounter three broad categories of informational texts: texts that are common in their day-to-day lives, texts that can be found in the general classroom, and texts that are found only in content area-specific classrooms. 2. Descriptive. 3. 4. 5. References Nagy, W. Opinion: We're living '1984' today. Lewis Beale: We live in age where authorities, companies collect information about usHe says after Snowden spying revelations, sales of George Orwell's "1984" spikedHe says elements like "doublethink" and "endless war" have parallels todayBeale: In a modern surveillance state, we're all suspects Editor's note: Lewis Beale writes about culture and film for the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and other publications.
(CNN) -- It appears that the police now have a device that can read license plates and check if a car is unregistered, uninsured or stolen. We already know that the National Security Agency can dip into your Facebook page and Google searches. And it seems that almost every store we go into these days wants your home phone number and ZIP code as part of any transaction. So when Edward Snowden -- now cooling his heels in Russia -- revealed the extent to which the NSA is spying on Americans, collecting data on phone calls we make, it's not as if we should have been surprised. Bush vs. Blog-a-thon Post 1: What #CloseReading Isn’t (Or At Least Shouldn’t Be) Welcome to the first post in our 7-week blog-a-thon on #closereading.
We invite YOU to join in! Find more on how-to here. Several selected posts will be linked to on the Contributors page. Let’s closely read the practice of close reading together! Close Reading Isn’t Just Anything Just as I suddenly–and against my will–have now heard hundreds of people use the term “twerking” in near constant use, from the VMAs to news anchors to walking into the grocery store… and I don’t think everyone is using it correctly (if you don’t know the definition, please do not hold me accountable for what you google)…, it seems that once a term comes in vogue everyone uses it to define everything. The term “close reading” seems to be experiencing a similar misapplied overuse: What were once called “textbook questions” are now being called close reading.Excuse me, is that classroom of students independently reading? Close Reading Is… We find Patricia Kain’s work from the Writing Center at Harvard instructive. Expository Text Structures: Book Reviews (Problem/Solutions)
Expository Text Structures: Book Reviews (Cause and Effect) Fairy Tales - Little Red Riding Hood.
Writing to text. Annotating for Argumentation. I spent the summer presenting at different conferences, edcamps, and unconferences on the value of using digital texts and tools to model, teach, and assess text annotation. I have also discussed the focus on argumentative writing with many district and school leaders. I always stress though that these methods can be be done just as easily with pencils as with pixels. Thus In this post I wanted to share my initial framework for annotating for argumentation regardless of the tool used.
Annotation: What is it? At it simplest form, mark-ups on a text. A reading strategy as old as texts themselves. Yet at its most useful annotation is more purposeful coding rather than mark-ups dotting a page (Fisher and Frey, 2011). Purposeful Coding Purposeful coding is the act of developing an evolving system to mark-up a text to help support your understanding. Most important, annotation must help support your understanding of the text.This requires a purpose for both reading and for annotating. 'I Stand Here Ironing' lesson plans. The best writer's resources on the web - Writer's Knowledge Base. Teaching writing is wrong… | Lessons of Passion. Teaching and using writing to explore, to expand, and to explain is what we do; how to use writing is what we teach. With this in mind, “writing is best understood as a complex intellectual activity that requires students to stretch their minds, sharpen their analytical capabilities, and make valid and accurate distinctions” (National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges, 2003, p.13).
Thus, I no longer say I teach writing; I teach with writing. As both a student and a teacher, I have lived through numerous trends and theories of writing instruction. As a high school student in the early seventies, I methodically wrote the assigned five-paragraph essays about literature; then in college, used the same basic format to approach the longer papers assigned. One of the most important lessons I learned from Rae Jean is that students need a reason for writing, that writing is a response to some stimulus, a means to an end rather than the end. References: Williams, J., (2003). Birth of a Musical - West Side Story: Birth of a Classic | Exhibitions. The Broadway musical is a commercial art form that often aspires to, and occasionally attains, high art.
It is also a collaborative medium, in which the librettist, composer, lyricist, director, and choreographer determine together the details of plot and action, the style and tone of the production, and how music, movement, and language will be used to best convey the story they wish to tell. The collaboration also involves dozens of people who play key roles, including the designers of the set, lighting, and costumes, the orchestrators and musicians, and ultimately the performers who must embody not only the characters they play, but also must be able to sing and dance—in the case of West Side Story—this most demanding music and choreography.
The items on display in this section come from the Library’s Leonard Bernstein Collection and provide a rare window into this complex process. Bernstein's Annotated copy of Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet. Romeo Synopsis. Teach Content-Rich Nonfiction and Informational Texts. 306-5640762527695645795-10.1_CCSS_Instructional_Practice_Guide_for_Planning_Over_the_Year_Grades_6_12. Awesome Stories. Visual of 6-traits across the curriculum. Pixar's 20+ Rules on Storytelling for Teachers and Students. A week ago I posted here in Educational Technology and Mobile Learning a poster made by Pixar in which they featured 22 rules on storytelling and it was really so informative reading all the feedback you sent me , however, today I woke up to an email from a colleague of mine teaching in the State in which he shared with me the graphic below. I was really surprised because at the time I published the first poster on Pixar rules of storytelling I did not know that such a graphic exists and going through it I found it way better than the one I initially posted earlier .
I mean better in terms of layout and organization of its content. Have a look at it below and let us know what you think of it. Enjoy. A Non-Freaked Out, Focused Approach to the Common Core -- Part 1. CCSS Implementation Tip: When folks start to freak out about the CCSS, go to the Grand Canyon. (That’s me on the left.) When I set out in June 2012 to blog through the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), I was, as long-time readers know, a diehard standards avoider. To me, standards were nothing more than codified wish lists created by committee. They were useful for getting good grades on School of Ed lesson plans, and that was the extent of their value. But as I worked my way through each standard during Summer 2012, I began to sense that, even though there are only 32 “anchor” standards in the entire CCSS Literacy document, there are actually way fewer that need to be taught in an in-depth fashion.
So I started to explore these questions: What if there was a way to teach the Common Core effectively without a 100% throwing out of any non-CCSS curricula? A refusal to freak I love these people. However, among these calm folks, there are some who merely advocate ignoring the standards. 1. 10 Tips for Teaching Grammar According to the Common Core. Persuasion Map. 10 Ways to Develop Expository Writing Skills With The New York Times. Have you been knocking your head against the proverbial wall trying to teach – or learn – expository writing skills? New York Times models can help writers learn how to write an expository essay that is compelling, convincing and authoritative as well as engaging to read – not to mention authentic. Try a fresh approach with these 10 tips. 1. Ditch the five-paragraph essay and embrace authentic essay structure.
New York Times news and feature articles are excellent models for structure, including transitions and organization. Classic news stories like this one about conflicts over rebuilding ground zero and this one on how the case of the Russian spies is being resolved are written in the “inverted pyramid” format, starting with the most important information – the first paragraph or two answers the questions “Who?” Feature stories pull the reader in with an engaging introduction and develop from there to explain a topic, issue or trend. 2. Looking for more inspiration? 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 5 Tools Students Can Use to Create Alternative Book Reports. This afternoon someone emailed me asking for some suggestions for tools for creating book trailer videos. It has been two years since I last wrote about the topic so I created a new list of tools for creating book trailers.
Book trailers are short videos designed to spark a viewer's interest in a book. Having students create book trailers is an excellent alternative to traditional book report projects. A great place to find examples of book trailers is Book Trailers for Readers . Animoto makes it possible to quickly create a video using still images, music, video clips, and text. WeVideo is a collaborative online video creation tool. Pixntell is an iPad app for quickly creating simple narrated photostories. Narrable is a neat service for creating short narrated slideshows. School in a Small World | Technology changes everything. Writer's Workshop poetry lesson with the iPad. Common Core Online. Website Credibility Evaluation. Google Poetics | Google Poetics how-to.
How to find a good poem? Google autocomplete suggestions differ greatly between local Google versions (google.com, google.co.uk, google.it…). Your results also vary depending on whether you are logged in to your Google account or not.Remember that Google updates the suggestions constantly - no poem is set in stone. If you manage to catch an awesome poem, make sure to take a screenshot right away.Aim for poetic results. Avoid common, trite phrases such as ones including the word “lyrics”.How to submit your poem? Our email address for submissions is english@googlepoetics.com.
Our aim is to publish all the poems that we like. Please, send screenshots only - it is difficult to reproduce your poem. General screenshot instructions: thanks,Sampsa and Raisa. Kid And Parent Friendly Common Core Standards For Middle School and High School | Connecting 21st Century Learning, Technology, and Common Core Standards. 21st century learning and technology integration are part of the Common Core design. 21st century skills include: c ommunication and c ollaboration c reative thinking and innovation c uration : research and informational fluency c ritical thinking, problem solving, and decision making digital c itizenship c omputing skills: using technology to learn, communicate, consume, c ontribute, design, and produce In the introduction of the Common Core , those skills are referenced, and specifically outlined as a key design consideration , and placed in a portrait of a student who is college and career ready.
They are also interwoven in the anchor standards , which can be viewed by specific grade levels . Academic conversations Academic conversations are part of 21st century learning and the Common Core Standards. Constructivism in learning, building meaning based on prior understanding, occurs in academic conversations (speaking and listening face-to-face and digitally, as well as in writing). Common Core Practice | Pigs, Cicadas and Wrestling. As you know if you’ve been reading these posts, Jonathan Olsen and Sarah Gross have made reading and writing with The Times a focus in their ninth-grade humanities classes since September. The first thing their classes do every day is read the paper (in print) and write about an article the teachers have chosen, matched with a prompt they’ve devised early that morning. Each prompt addresses either the argumentative, narrative or informative writing standards of the Common Core.
After they write, their students volunteer to read their writing aloud to their classmates, who offer what the teachers say is “mostly praise, with the occasional criticism.” To date, these students have written over 120 essays each based on Times articles. Before the school year ends Mrs. Gross and Mr. Olsen will write a fuller reflection for us, but this week they post a short student sample after each prompt to show readers what they call the “astounding gains” they have seen as a result.
A mystery was born. Using Google Drive for Online Discussions of Primary Sources. This same information is included at the end of my slideshow on Teaching With Technology and Primary Sources , but I wanted to share it as a separate post as well just in case people had trouble accessing the linked document at the end of the slideshow. One of my favorite ways to use the commenting feature in Google Documents is to host online discussions around a shared article.
Doing this isn’t a radical departure from having a classroom discussion about an article that you’ve printed and distributed to your students, but there are some advantages to hosting your discussion in Google Documents. The first advantage is that your students can participate in the discussion from anywhere at any time they are connected to the Internet. Students absent from your classroom can still participate and can read others’ comments. The second advantage is that your students can have a digital archive of the ideas shared by you and their classmates. 2. 3. 4. Common Core Instruction: Making a Claim Using Two Texts with Similar Themes. Teaching Students to Dig Deeper. Image credit: iStockphoto A backwoodsman went to a home improvement store and purchased a chainsaw to replace an old, worn-out saw. After a month, the backwoodsman returned the saw to the store, complaining, "It doesn't work worth a darn! I could hardly cut half the wood I normally do.
" The salesman, looking at the chainsaw and seeing nothing wrong with it, pulled the cord. The chainsaw started easily with a roar. Sometimes this happens when we try to help students to think deeper. Going Deep I am including an excerpt from my new book, Teaching Students to Dig Deeper: The Common Core in Action, that explains the differences in cognitive activities we commonly call higher-order thinking: Analytical thinking, and critical thinking are often lumped together with that other higher-order thinking skill (HOTS) known as problem-solving. Let me clarify. Analysis Vs. Suggested Strategies. Writer's Notebook Bingo Card Set: Now there's an August Card! - Writing Lesson of the Month Network. The Great Gatsby: Book Versus Movie. 9 Ways to Give (More Effective) Writing Feedback. Narrative Writing. Antigone Would Bury Boston Bomber. Building Background Knowledge: Harnessing the Power of the Internet.
cOlbert's Book Club | cOlbert's Book Club - "The Great Gatsby" | ColbertNation.com | Comedy Central. The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald Teaching Resources. Bringing Web Tools to Gatsby's Party: A Digital Path into a Jazz Age Classic. The Great Gatsby - review | Film. Dostoevsky. Blog. James Franco: “I really felt I was in conversation with Faulkner” Common Core: Assessments. Infographic: 5 Tips for Teaching Close Reading (and 5 Things to Watch Out For!) Show me examples. Tasks, Units & Student Work - Common Core Library.
Videos, lesson plans America Achieves CC. A Step-by-Step Guide to the Best Projects. Gatsby ShowMe. 10 Ideas for Classroom Video Projects. Mapping Media to the Common Core / Curriculum. ELA Learning Targets IA. ELA CC Aligned Modules (secondary mainly) Pacing guide ELA 7-12 CC. A guide to help view your instructional plans from a #commoncore point of view #edchat #ccchat | Common Core Online. Top 10 Picture Books for the Secondary Classroom. Cybrary Man's resources. Presentation Validity & Reliability. Emerging America · The Common Core Can Boost History Education. NoodleTools : MLA, APA, and Chicago/Turabian Bibliography Composer, Online Notecards.
APA Formatting and Style Guide. Kate Hart: Citing Sources: A Quick and Graphic Guide. Handout_whatwillyouclicknext.docx. Gatsby and Show Me App. Kate Hart: Citing Sources: A Quick and Graphic Guide. Helping Students Navigate Informational Texts. Common-Core Writers Craft Curriculum Criteria. Literary Analysis Using Evidence And Analysis For Students. Argument, Persasive writing. Writing response groups Roberts' research based method. Teaching Channel: Argument: Birmingham Jail, Soc. Sem, Writing. Dr. Z - EIT Wikibook. Best Practices For Writing For Online Readers. A 13-Year-Old's Slavery Analogy Raises Some Uncomfortable Truths in School - Education.
1. Writers use narrative, informative, and opinion modes of writing across genres. « TWO WRITING TEACHERS. Genre Awareness, Acad Argument Transferability across Disciplines. Multigenre - Tom Romano. Teaching Genre Awareness Amy Devitt. 8 Resources for Preventing and Detecting Plagiarism. 1. Nonfiction Narrative and the Yellow Test. Sentence Fluency | WriteToLearn.
Video: Pinwheel Discussions: Texts in Conversation < Teaching Channel. Writing from sources for the CC.