Choice Lit Topic: Common Core
Teachers and school leaders have a sense of urgency in understanding and implementing the Common Core. We share the experiences of teachers as they wrestle with new definitions of persuasive writing in the Common Core and build their nonfiction libraries. We include many resources from literacy coaches and school leaders as they bring together teachers to discuss and try out the Common Core in their classrooms. Whether it’s one teacher working with a few students, or a district looking to coordinate resources across hundreds of classrooms, we’ve got the materials you need to figure out how to integrate standards into your work while maintaining the integrity of your beliefs about literacy instruction.
Results
Common Core Conversations: Using Evidence From Text
"I suggest the crime was committed in the lounge by Mr. Green with the wrench." Can you prove the suggestion false? Ah-ha, you happen to have a Clue card representing...
Argumentative, Opinion, and Persuasive Writing in the Common Core
Change can be challenging, even scary. My daughter had a tough time getting back into the swing of things after winter break. We would be getting ready for the day...
Unpacking the Common Core Standards: First Grade Information Texts
The Common Core Standards have students working with complex nonfiction texts at all grade levels. For primary teachers, including more nonfiction texts may seem like a challenge. But students of...
Common Core Conversations: Vocabulary
What do you remember about vocabulary instruction and assessment as a student? We remember weekly lists of words and definitions, especially in high school. Sometimes we'd memorize 20 or even...
Perspective as a Component of Text Complexity: A Common Core Booklist
Text complexity has been a big topic of conversation since the Common Core Standards were released. Reading complex texts is an expectation for readers across grade levels. In Appendix A...
Previewing Nonfiction
Most of my own nonfiction reading is connected to my life as a teacher. My professional reading of books and magazines about literacy education takes up much of my nonfiction...
Mentor Texts for Nonfiction Writing
Beth Lawson and I met for the first time in mid-August at her school. She was organizing her classroom for teaching, and we talked about some of the changes she...
Georgia Heard on the Common Core (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Franki Sibberson chats with Georgia Heard about the surprising connections between the Common Core and poetry. Georgia is a poet and teaching consultant. Her latest books are...
Common Core Conversations: Reading in the Disciplines
The Common Core Standards demand that the building of knowledge through reading text plays a fundamental role in those disciplines. In history and social studies, the analysis of primary and...
Writing and the Common Core with Bud Hunt (PODCAST)
Franki Sibberson chats with Bud Hunt about writing and the Common Core. Bud is the author of the popular "Bud the Teacher" blog: http://budtheteacher.com/blog/ You can download a free copy...
Common Core Conversations: The Half ‘n’ Half Shift for Nonfiction Reading and Writing
As teacher leaders in a state that already has rigorous standards, the thought of transitioning from our district standards to new standards is daunting. We can just hear the cry...
Persuasive Pamphlets
My state and district standards require that seventh grade students should be able to write persuasively. Traditionally, teachers meet this standard by assigning a speech or a paper, and I...
Pamphlets on Books (Part 2 of the Persuasive Pamphlets Series)
I can never seem to make just a quick trip to a bookstore or library. I'm easily side-tracked from my initial purpose, and the thrill of discovery makes time seem...
Our Living Minute: Integrating Nonfiction Study into Morning Meetings
Last summer, Samantha Bennett's text That Workshop Book: New Systems and Structures for Classrooms That Read, Write, and Think helped me reconsider my work as a classroom teacher striving each day...
A Sponge is a Summary
When I'm working with a concept that I know may be difficult to grasp, I like to hook kids' attention with a metaphor or an analogy. While doing the dishes,...
Narrative Nonfiction in Fifth Grade, Part 1
In this lesson from a fifth-grade classroom, Aimee Buckner guides students in a notetaking process to help them understand the qualities of nonfiction narrative writing.
Common Core Conversations: Increasing Argumentative Writing
"Let's argue more often!" Does this exclamation bring up some feelings for you? Are they positive? Maybe . . . if you won debates in high school. Perhaps the word...
Prompting and Support: Understanding the Language of the Common Core in Kindergarten
Gradually releasing responsibility to children as they gain expertise, teaching a few strategies of great consequence in-depth over time, and giving children the gifts of time, choice, response, community, and...
