Meet the Modules:
A Focus on Academic
Vocabulary
November 2012
Common Core Ambassadors www.engageNY.org

• Expeditionary Learning is a non-profit organization that partners with schools, districts, and states to continuously improve education for all students.
• Teachers and administrators from New
York large urban, suburban, and small public and charter schools helped us develop this work for you. www.engageNY.org
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• Cheryl Dobbertin, Suzanne Plaut, co-directors of this project.
• Several EL curriculum writers here with us – they will be leading grade level breakout sessions.
• Additional EL teachers and leaders are available to you at all times.
www.engageNY.org
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A Learning Journey www.engageNY.org
We consider ourselves
“lead learners” in this process.
We are grateful for the deep and thoughtful guidance of expert educators at Student
Achievement Partners and the New York State
Department of
Education.
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“The great thing about collecting words is that they are free; you can borrow them, trade them, or toss them out…Words are lightweight, unbreakable, and literally everywhere. You can even make them up.
Frebent, bezoncular, zurber .
Someone made up the word padiddle …I call gathering words this way creating a “word pool.”
-- From Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life With Words
By Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge www.engageNY.org
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Our Work Together these Two Days
• A deep focus on the sixth shift: Academic Vocabulary.
• Vocabulary deficiency is one of the primary causes of the achievement gap (Becker 1977, Baumann & Kameenui,
1991, Stanovich 1986).
• This shift requires “students constantly build the transferable vocabulary they need to access grade level complex texts.
This can be done effectively by spiraling like content in increasingly complex texts .”
• We will learn together about the importance of this shift and examine how students learn vocabulary in the 3-5 Modules.
• For those of you who haven’t been with us before, we will also help you get oriented to the modules – what’s in them, where do they live, what can you expect going forward?
www.engageNY.org
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Guiding Question:
How can an emphasis on effective vocabulary instruction close the achievement gap and support all students to meet the demands of the
Common Core Standards?
Learning Targets:
 I can explain how the effective vocabulary practices embedded Modules 1 and 2 can close the achievement gap and support all students to meet the demands of the CCSS.
 I can describe the key components of effective vocabulary instruction for all students.
 I can analyze effective instructional strategies that build students’ vocabulary.
 I can effectively navigate the modules, units and lessons to guide my implementation.
 I can locate key sections, practices and resources at the module, unit and lesson level.
 I can continuously analyze and enhance my own growth mindset, as well as those of my students and colleagues.
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Constructing Meaning Together
Norms of Collaboration www.engageNY.org
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• Please complete “specializing” survey.
• Name, role, first and second choice for grade level break out groups (3 rd , 4 th , or
5 th grade).
• Please give the survey to member of EL staff.
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• Next – Two Differentiated Groups
(experience with the modules vs. not)
• Lunch
• Grade Level Work:
• Research Teams work together to understand key ideas through reading and discussion.
• Then experiencing practices from the module.
• Back together for whole group synthesis and closing.
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• If you are not yet introduced to the modules, or need a refresher on the overall structure and scope of the modules, we have a session for you.
• If you have been implementing the modules or feel very comfortable with the structure and scope of them, we have another session for you.
www.engageNY.org
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Module = Appx. 8 Weeks of Linked Instruction
Culminating in a Performance Task
Guiding Questions: Big Ideas
Unit 1: Building
Background
Unit 2: Extended
Reading/Research
Unit 3: Extended
Writing
Daily
Lessons
Assessments www.engageNY.org
Performance
Task

• Curriculum PLAN – “at-a-glance” overview of each grade level’s topics and tasks.
• Curriculum MAP – more in depth, year-long overview specific to each grade level.
www.engageNY.org
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More Modules than You Can Use!
 The modules include a rich variety of texts, often pairing a primary source historical document with literature on the same topic.
 Module topics are based in part on what content many teachers also know, but also include additional authentic texts needed to craft a coherent learning progression. www.engageNY.org
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Pause for Reading and Thinking
 Which portions of the Tri-
State Rubric are addressed in this document?
 Which “shift” does this document most represent?
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Building Content Knowledge/Informational Text
 Note, however: these modules do not replace Science or Social
Studies instruction, which still need fuller treatment during other parts of the school day. Hopefully they often LINK TO and ENRICH that teaching.
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The Year-Long Curriculum Map: Reading and Thinking
• Multiple key portions of this
 LINGER HERE…
you to especially notice.
• Starting on page 3 – High-level overviews of each
Module.
• Please find the summary for Module 1 and read carefully
• Turn of couple of pages -- Standards addressed in each of the modules.
• Examine from left to right (across the year).
• Use the rubric and discuss with colleagues – which of the shifts/are addressed in this document?
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• The term comes from PARCC, the consortium that is designing our new NYS assessments. This is their recommended curriculum design.
(www.parcconline.org).
• A module is an extended, integrated model of curriculum design in which students read multiple texts, synthesize across texts, write routinely, and develop extended pieces of writing.
• In service of Shift 1: Building Knowledge in the
Content Areas, ours are often (but not always) about NYS social studies and science content.
www.engageNY.org

Module = Appx. 8 Weeks of Linked Instruction
Culminating in a Performance Task
Guiding Questions: Big Ideas
Unit 1: Building
Background
Unit 2: Extended
Reading/Research
Unit 3: Extended
Writing
Daily
Lessons
Assessments www.engageNY.org
Performance
Task

• 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 those used in the lessons.
• Alignment to standards is described in the “English
Language Arts Outcomes table.”
• Also notice the “Calendared Curriculum Map,” which provides a sense of pace (about 1 hour per day).
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• “Headlines” is discussion routine that helps the reader/thinker get to the “heart of the matter.”
• It’s based on the concept of a newspaper headline – catchy, pithy, yet complete and accurate.
1. If you were to write a headline for this module that captured the most important aspects that should be remembered, what would that headline be?
2. Write one headline for COLLEAGUES, then write one for KIDS.
Do this with kids!
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 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.
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 Linger on the assessments and performance task. Use the rubric to analyze.
 What do you notice about assessment in the module?
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• Each person at the table writes silently to synthesize a
“claim” about assessment in the module. (Assessment in the module is ___________________). Then add support for your claim, which is specific evidence from the texts. (One piece of evidence for my claim is
_____________. Any specific piece of evidence is_____). (2 minutes).
• Go ‘round the table. Each person has 1 minute to state their claim and evidence.
• Others may agree or disagree with the presenters claim, with evidence, for 2 minutes.
• Complete the cycle until all have participated.
Use this with kids!
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• A list of texts at much broader range of readability that those used for the lessons.
• Use for guided reading lessons, a classroom library, independent reading, read alouds.
• Send list home to parents with suggestions.
www.engageNY.org
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Module = Appx. 8 Weeks of Linked Instruction
Culminating in a Performance Task
Guiding Questions: Big Ideas
Unit 1: Building
Background
Unit 2: Extended
Reading/Research
Unit 3: Extended
Writing
Daily
Lessons
Assessments www.engageNY.org
Performance
Task

 Goes into depth about the scope of each unit.
 Helps you understand on a dayto-day basis the learning targets each lesson will address.
www.engageNY.org
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 The Calendared Curriculum
Map in the unit provides a day to day scope and sequence.
 The supporting targets are meant to be shared with kids
(more on this in the lessons).
www.engageNY.org
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• Carefully read the Unit Overview.
• In your notes, keep track of what you See-Think-
Wonder about your unit.
What do you see?
(Especially as it relates to the
Tri-State Rubric)
What do you think about what you see?
What do you wonder about what you see?
www.engageNY.org
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1 hour per day (the Modules)
• Common Core aligned reading, writing, listening and speaking
Whatever else you have
Common Core aligned language and reading foundations skills.
• Linked Informational Text/Fiction
• appropriate complexity
• focus on text-dependent questioning/evidence.
• Deep focus on vocabulary in context.
• Nearly daily “routine” writing.
• Extended writing aligned with core – less narrative, more informational and argument writing.
• Use assessment to determine what your students really need (vs. the list).
• More differentiated…think centers-like or work folders or use technology.
(www.noredink.com) www.engageNY.org
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Lesson Overview
The agenda shows the lesson “at a glance…
…and the teaching notes provide some coaching for teachers as they think about delivering the lesson.
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Lesson Overview
Each lesson calls out vocabulary that should be explicitly taught as well as other words that may arise in the course of teaching the content.
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Lesson Overview
Each lesson is broken down into sections:
Opening, Work Time, and Closing.
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Lesson Overview
Each lesson offers recommendations for supporting all learners.
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Myth #3
: www.engageNY.org
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Let the students take the lead..they will surprise you!
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Myth #4: Differentiation is dead.
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--
International Reading Association, “Literacy Implementation Guidance for the ELA Common Core State
Standards,” available: http://www.reading.org/Libraries/association-documents/ira_ccss_guidelines.pdf