An Introduction to ELA Units
and Math Task Arcs
Webinar
September 12, 2013
Tennessee Department of Education
Division of Curriculum and Instruction
English Language Arts Units
Overview of ELA/Literacy units
Subject
Grades/bands
Round 1 timeline
Round 2 timeline
Reading
•K-1
•2-3
August
Winter
ELA
•4
•5
•6
•7
•8
•9-10
•11-12
August
December
Science
•6-8
•9-12
Late September
Winter
Social Studies
•6-8
•9-12
Late fall
Spring
(except for grade 8 in
early fall)
Red=currently available
2
What are the ELA 4-12 units?
Units are…
Units are not…
Optional resources for district/educator use
Mandated
Sequence of lessons focused on a handful of
specific, discrete skills
Full curriculum
Detailed instructional guides
Scripts covering the entirety of instruction
Flexibly structured
Fully scheduled timelines
Aligned to:
•The Common Core State Standards for
English Language Arts
•The three instructional shifts
•Summer training materials
Aligned to every strand/standard for a given
grade
3
Unit components
Unit
outline/
map
Overarching
questions
4
Unit components
Unit texts
Task
(1.2=text #1,
task #2)
5
Unit components
Culminating
assessment
6
Tncore.org unit resources
•www.tncore.org
•All Reading/ELA units can be found at:
http://tncore.org/english_language_arts/curricular_resources.aspx
(click on appropriate grade band)
•An examination of the 9-10 unit
7
Vertical progression of the standards
Culminating assessments for three informational text/argument units:
• Grade 5: Write an opinion piece in which you analyze the costs and benefits of an aspect
of space exploration based on information from at least three of the unit sources (texts
and video). Develop your point of view by stating your opinion on whether the costs
outweigh the benefits or the benefits outweigh the costs.
• Grade 6: Write an essay that argues for which author best supports his or her argument
through the use of reasons and evidence from credible sources. Be sure to address why
the other three authors provided less effective arguments for their readers (audience).
• Grades 9-10: Write an argument in which you argue for which speaker makes the
strongest argument to promote racial equality? Develop your argument with claims and
counterclaims that are grounded in evidence from across the unit texts.
8
Integrating units with curriculum and TDOE
resources
•User’s guides provide guidance on placement based on educator
judgment and PARCC Model Content Frameworks
•Teachers can take out smaller pieces of units, such as a “column”
(text and accompanying tasks)
•Units support students in preparing for TCAP WA and PARCC writing
with:
– Support for comprehension of complex texts
– Close reading tasks based on reading standards (especially main idea, purpose, and
argument)
– Expository/argument writing prompts (especially culminating assessment)
9
Mathematics Task Arcs
What are the Math Task Arcs?
Task arcs are…
Task arcs are not…
Optional resources for district/educator use
Mandated
Sequence of lessons focused on a small
number of standards
Full curriculum
Detailed instructional guides
Scripts covering the entirety of instruction
Flexibly structured
Fully scheduled timelines
Aligned to:
•TNCore Focus Clusters from the Common
Core State Standards for Mathematics
•The three instructional shifts
•Summer training materials
Aligned to every cluster/standard for a given
grade
11
What are the Math Task Arcs?
•A task arc is a set of related lessons consisting of eight tasks and
their associated lesson guides.
•The lessons are focused on a small number of Common Core State
Standards, typically from one domain.
•Each task arc contains:
o Overview of the Task Arc
o Identified Common Core State Standards (Content and Practice)
and Essential Understandings
o Alignment Chart
o Lesson Progression Chart
12
Lesson Progression Chart
Task and Task Type
How tasks flow
through changes in
content, strategy,
representations
13
What are the Math Task Arcs?
The guides for each lesson include a rationale for the lesson, the
task and associated standards, and essential understandings.
Several pathways for solving through each task are given, along with
example assessing and advancing questions.
There are whole-class discussion questions that target the essential
understandings, connect solution paths, and press for mathematical
reasoning through specific teacher moves (e.g. marking, re-voicing,
challenging).
Typically, there are ideas for quick-writes, application problems,
lesson summary, and supports for EL students.
14
What are the Math Task Arcs?
•There are two main task types:
o developing understanding tasks
o solidifying understanding tasks
• Each lesson is designed around the set-up, explore, share-discussanalyze structure.
15
Phases of the Lessons
In the set-up phase of the lesson, the teacher introduces the task
to the students. The purpose of this phase is to make the task
accessible to students. The teacher should be careful not to hint at
entry points or ways to solve the task.
16
Phases of the Lessons
In the explore
phase, students can
work independently
and then in groups.
Ideas for assessing
and advancing their
learning through
questions are given
aligned to different
pathways for solving
the task.
17
Phases of the Lessons
Questions that
press for
reasoning and
target the
essential
understanding
s are given.
18
How should the task arcs be used?
•The task arcs are designed to be implemented in their entirety and
in order.
•Teachers and districts should work together to find the best way to
implement the task arcs as an optional resource given district
pacing guides, benchmark assessments, etc.
•Teachers should plan how to best implement the task arcs with
other teachers. For example, they can work through the tasks to
identify additional solution paths, identify which questions are
associated with certain mathematical practices, write additional
assessing and advancing questions.
19
Outcomes of Students using Task Arcs
•Students will be engaged with tasks with a high level of cognitive
demand which supports higher levels of mathematical thinking and
reasoning.
•Students will gain deep understanding by focusing on few
standards.
•Students will make use of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
•Students will learn some of the content assessed on the CRA.
20
Task Arc Resources
•www.tncore.org
•All task arcs can be found at:
http://tncore.org/math/curricular_resources.aspx
(click on appropriate grade band, then appropriate grade level
folder)
•There is a User’s Guide to support understanding of the task arcs
located in each grade level folder.
21
Thank you!
David Williams
Coordinator of Math Content and
Resources
Tennessee Department of Education
david.s.williams@tn.gov
Lior Klirs
Coordinator of English Language Arts
Content and Resources
Tennessee Department of Education
lior.klirs@tn.gov