Building Literacy in
Elementary Social Studies
Focusing on the The Shifts
Introductions
Summary
This module focuses on the development,
purpose, and structure of shifts in ELA and
Social Studies and how they relate to the
Core.
As a result of this session, participants will
be able to:
●Identify the key shifts in ELA related to
Social Studies.
●Identify shift connections between the
curricular areas.
●Reflect on critical components of ELA Shifts
and where/how they fit into Social Studies.
ELA Shifts Continuum Arrow
I am very
familiar with
the ELA Core
Literacy shifts.
5
I am not very
familiar with the
ELA Core
Literacy shifts.
4
2
3
1
Connections to C3
Shifts:
C3 Dimensions:
*Balancing Literature &
Expository
*Buildinging Knowledge in
the Disciplines
*Staircase of Complexity
*Academic Vocabulary
*Text-Based Answers
Writing From Sources
D1: Developing Questions
Texts & Planning Inquiries
D2: Applying Disciplinary
Concepts and Tools
D3: Evaluating Sources and
Using Evidence
D4: Communicating
Conclusions and Taking
Informed Action
Multiple Choice
What percentage of text should you be using
in your classroom for literary and non fiction?
A 30% informational & 70% literary
B 50% informational & 50% literary
C 70% informational & 30% literary
D 40% informational & 60% literary
Shift 1: Balancing Literature & Expository
Distribution of Literacy and Informational Passages by Grade Level Bands on
the 2009 NAEP Reading Framework
Grade
Literacy
Informational
K-5
50%
50%
6-8
45%
55%
9-12
30%
70%
Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Retrieved
from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf
Informational text
IS
●
●
●
●
biographies and autobiographies
books about history, social
studies, and the arts
technical texts:
-including directions
-forms
-information in graphs, charts, or
maps, and digital sources on a
range of topics
images and artifacts
IS NOT
● a synonym for non-fiction
Shift 2: Building Knowledge in the Disciplines
Primary sources
Secondary Sources
Primary sources provide first-hand
testimony or direct evidence concerning
a topic under investigation. They are
created by witnesses who experienced
the events or conditions being
documented.
Materials that interpret, assign value to,
conjecture upon, and draw conclusions
about the events reported in primary
sources.
Connect
Primary vs. Secondary Sources Sort
Image Analysis
United States
Date: 1830
Artist unknown
Library of Congress photo collection
Graphic Organizers:
●
Comparing Images SOCC Analysis Guide
Jackson, Mississippi
Date: 1937
Photographer: Dorothea Lange
Library of Congress photo
collection
What does that look like in the classroom?
Image Analysis while Sourcing, Observing, Contextualizing, and Corroborating
Shift 3: Staircase of Complexity
What does text complexity mean?
What does that look like in the elementary
setting?
What is text complexity?
Explore
What impact will
this have on your
teaching and your
students’ learning?
Annotating Texts
Interacting with the text:
? = question or unsure of
meaning
* = important
[ ] = quotable
# = info or statistic
___ = new vocabulary
Tech tools for annotating
Diigo (www.diigo.com)
Google docs
Question Stems for Text Dependent Questions
Did you use evidence from the text to support your answers?
Where is your proof? What passage number supports your thinking?
Did you quote the text?
What specific word or phrase can you use form the text to support
your opinion?
Where did the author give you a clue for your inference?
How do you know that what part of the text helped you?
What text features helped you understand the text?
What do you think the word ------- means?
Shift 5:Academic Vocabulary
Why is vocabulary important?
How does knowing the true meaning of a word
affect you as a learner?
Number of Terms Per Grade Level in Social
Studies
Subject
Level 1
(K-2)
Level 2
(3-5)
Level 3
(6-8)
Level 4
(9-12)
Total
% of
Total
History
162
959
743
715
2579
32.6%
Geography
89
212
258
300
859
10.8%
Civics
45
145
210
213
613
7.7%
Economics
29
68
89
155
341
4.3%
What does that Look Like in the Classroom?
3 Rs: Revolution, Reaction, and Reform
Shift 6: Writing From Sources
Is this an expository, opinion or persuasive
piece of writing?
A
B
C
expository
opinion
persuasive
Expository, Opinion, or Persuasive?
Planner for writing piece
Balance of Student Writing
Expository/Informational Writing
Opinion/Persuasive Writing
Implications for Social Studies
EXAMPLES:
NY Toolkit: Open sourced
RESOURCES:
Article: Literacy As the Link
Article: Using Primary Sources At the Heart of State Core Standards
Site: Docs Teach
Site: Teaching Like A Historian
Site: C3 Teachers (NY Toolkit Resources)
Site:Teaching History
STRATEGIES/Short Video Clips:
Third Grade Photo Analysis Using Source, Observe, Contextualize, Corroborate
Analyzing Segregation Images
Close Reading Strategy with Non-Fiction Text (Whole Class)
Close Reading While Determining the Main Idea (Partners)
Determining Where an Image Should Placed on the Classroom Timeline
Connections
What connections do you see with the ELA and
Social Studies in moving your practice
forward?
ELA
SOCIAL
STUDIES
Questions?