Module 3
Teaching the Common Core through
an Integrated Planning Approach
Objectives
• Become more familiar with the
CCSS Reading Standards for
Literature & Informational Texts
• Understand how the close
reading of informational text
supports deeper
comprehension
• Understand the skills a reader
needs to process informational
texts
• Become familiar with scaffolds
to further develop academic
conversations
Norms
Respect for all
perspectives
Active listening and
participation
Maintain a positive
outlook and attitude
Proactive problem
solving
Assumption of positive
intent
Whittier City School District’s Instructional Focus
Developing deep comprehension and interpretive skills
using literature and informational text, with an implicit
focus on informational text and expository writing
Instructional Shifts
Building knowledge through
content-rich nonfiction,
informational texts and
literature
Reading and writing
grounded in evidence
Rich and rigorous
conversations,
dependent on
common text
Instructional Strategies
Close Reading
Constructed
Response/Text
Dependent Questions
Text based discussions
Examining Standards
Sort the Reading Literature & Informational Text Standards
• Closed Sort: Resort the standards into two categories:
Reading Literature and Reading Informational
 Within each of the above categories, sort into clusters: Key
Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Integration of
Knowledge and Ideas, Range of Reading and Text
Complexity
Discussion: What stood out to you after examining the
Reading Informational Standards?
How do the Reading Literature Standards support the
Reading Information Standards?
Essentials of Reading
Instruction
Informational Reading
• Malcolm Gladwell, in Outliers, reminds us that one of
our jobs is to teach students to work hard—that is
the key to extraordinary success. So here, you’ll
begin by showing students how to approach a text
in a serious, intellectual manner.
Boxes and Bullets (informational)
Main Idea
• Detail
• Detail
Main Idea
• Detail
• Detail
Story Structure (Literature)
• Beginning, Middle and End
• Scenes and plots
Informational Text Tool
Informational Reading
Unit of Study
Before Reading Strategies
Previewing the Text
• What text features do I notice? (pictures, headings, charts, captions )
• What do they tell me?
• What do I think this text will be about?
Activating Background Knowledge & Setting a purpose
• What do I already know about the topic?
• What might I read to find out?
Activating Knowledge of Text Structure (Boxes and Bullets)
• What do I know about how informational texts are structured?
• How is this text organized?
Making a plan for reading
• Where will I start reading?
Informational Reading
Unit of Study
During Reading Strategies
Self-Monitoring for Meaning:
• Coding the text
• Summarizing
• What did I just read?
• Questioning
• What is confusing?
• What am I wondering?
• Envision
• What am I envisioning? (see, hear, touch, smell, feel)
• Main Idea/topic & Supporting Details:
• What is the main idea/topic?
• What details support the main idea/topic?
Informational Reading
Unit of Study
After Reading Strategies
• Determining Important Details (Throughout
Reading)
• What is this whole text mostly about?
• What is important to remember after reading this text?
• Synthesizing
• What do I think now after reading this text?
• I used to think ______ but now I think__________
• Do I agree with the author?
• What is the Big/Central Idea?
• How does this fit with other information on the same
topic?
Professional Reading
Points of Entry
By Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher
Interactive Structures
Interactive Structure Options
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Whip Around
Heads Together
Talking Stick/ Talking Chips
Think, Pair, Share
Think, Write, Pair, Share
Partner work
Quick Write
What structures have you used?
How have they increased student engagement and
allowed you to check for understanding?
Accountable Talk
Accountable Talk
Examine A Text
As a Team:
• Read the selection
• Summarize the selection
• What is the text mainly about?
• What are the main ideas?
First Read
The GOAL of the first read is for students
to have a general understanding of what
the text is about
Planning For The First Read
Decide what information must be frontloaded
• If informational text is not connected to prior learning,
provide limited background information
Decide what vocabulary needs to be clarified
• Informational text will have academic vocabulary that
students should be allowed to struggle through
Decide how the text will be read
• Read Aloud, Whisper Read, Choral Read, Partner
Read, Independent Read
*This will depend on the complexity of the text and time of year and
grade level.
Before First Read of
Informational Text
Preview the text
• Notice the headings, captions and pictures
• What do you think this text is about?
Set a Purpose for Reading
• Establish why they are reading the text
• What will I learn?
Students share
• This text will be about……
• I think I will learn about….
Practicing the First Read
Read the entire selection
Frontload information if necessary
Stop only to define key vocabulary words that
cannot be defined in context and may interfere
with meaning
Students Annotate: What was confusing? What
do you wonder about?
Students Summarize the text
• This text is mainly about….
Students share
• I’m confused about _______ because…..
• I wonder about …….
Planning For The First Read
Determine the Central Ideas after reading the
Text
• Kids can make a difference and take a
stand
• Laws and beliefs are different around other
parts of the world
• All kids deserve an education
Examining the Standards
What standards seem to be most suited for this
text?
Planning For Close Reading
Chunk the text into Pivotal Passages
What sections merit a second read?
• Important and interesting sections or parts
• Sections that include different ideas or information
• Complex information; various structures within a paragraph
• Lengthy and substantial information
Planning For Close Reading
Determine Understanding to be Developed
What do we want students to understand after reading
this section of the text?
What idea is essential for them to understand?
Test your Understanding to be developed
 Does it capture the main idea?
 Can it be supported with details from the Pivotal Passage?
 Does is support the Central Idea/s?
Understanding To Be Developed
Taliban is an oppressive group but Malala stood up to them
Planning For Close Reading
Develop Text Based Questions
• Draft questions that will help students get to
the understanding that needs to be
developed
• Ensure questions lead students back to the
text and support discussion
Pivotal Passage #1
Understanding To Be Developed:
Taliban is an oppressive group but Malala stood up to
them
Text Based Questions
• What are we learning about the Taliban?
• What are we learning about Malala?
• Why does the author write “see Who are the
Taliban?”
• What details from the text does the author use
to support the idea that the Taliban is an
oppressive group?
• Why does the author include a map? How does
it relate to what we read?
Planning For Close Reading
Develop an Enduring Question
• Are questions students could think about
and discuss while reading the text that help
them uncover the Central Idea
• This is the last question asked after each
pivotal passage to build up to the
culminating question
Practicing Close Reading
Enduring Question
• What does the author want us to know?
Let’s Practice
With your table partner:
• Read the second pivotal passage
• Script the understanding that you want students to
develop after reading this section
• Share with your table and share out to the group
Planning for Close Reading
Determine Understanding to be Developed
What do we want students to understand after reading
this section of the text?
What idea is essential for them to understand?
Test your Understanding to be developed
 Does it capture an idea that can be supported in the
whole section?
 Does is support the Central Idea/s
Determine Understanding to be Developed for Pivotal
Passage #2
Malala perseveres though this tragedy and continues to spread
the message of equal rights
Let’s Practice Close Reading
Understanding to be Developed for Pivotal Passage #2
Malala perseveres though this tragedy and continues to
spread the message of equal rights
Text Based Questions for Pivotal Passage #2
• How does Malala defy the Taliban?
• What happened as a result of her actions?
• What new information are we learning about the
Taliban?
• How does it connect to what we learned?
• What information does the photo and caption tell us?
• How does it add to our understanding?
• Why does Malala mean when she says,” Lets pick...?
• Why does the author include it at the end of the article?
Planning For Close Reading
Develop a culminating question for discussion
and constructed response
• This question will be asked to engage the class
in an extended discussion about the
Main/Central idea
• Students will also answer this question in writing
(constructed response)
Let’s Practice
• Culminating Question for discussion and
constructed response
The title of the article is Malala’s Dream why did the
author choose this title?
How to Answer a Constructed
Response Question
1. Read the question at least 2x
2. Start your sentence by answering the question
• What does the Author want reader’s to know about the Amazon
Frog?
• The author wants readers to know that Amazon Frogs are
dangerous predators.
3. Next add a few examples from the text to support your
sentence.
• Start by writing…..For example, an Amazon frog will try to eat just
about anything, it will even try eating animals that are bigger than
itself. The author also wrote that the tadpoles attack each other
and other tadpoles. Another idea the author wants readers to know
is that Amazon Frogs have horns that help them hide in the forest as
they wait for their prey.
4. Conclude with a final statement
• Overall, Amazon Frogs are fearless predators that you don’t want to
stand next to in the rainforest.
How to Answer a Constructed
Response Question
The author wants readers to know that
Amazon Frogs are dangerous predators.
For example, an Amazon frog will try to eat
just about anything, it will even try eating
animals that are bigger than itself. The
author also wrote that the tadpoles attack
each other and other tadpoles. Another
fact the auhor wants readers to know is
that Amazon Frogs have horns that help
them hide in the forest as they wait for their
prey…… Overall, Amazon Frogs are
fearless predators that you don’t want to
stand next to in the rainforest.
Examining The Common Core
Standards
• Which Writing standards are we addressing?
• Standard 1-3 (short constructed response)
• Standard 10 (short constructed response)
Constructed Response
Resource
http://mdk12.org/assessments/k_8/items/cr_grade3_r
eading.html
http://mdk12.org/assessments/k_8/items/cr_grade4_r
eading.html
http://mdk12.org/assessments/k_8/items/cr_grade5_r
eading.html
Examine Lessons
Using Collaborative
Learning to Foster
Discussion and
Writing
Examining The Common Core
Standards
Listening and Speaking Standards
• Look at Standard 1 Comprehension and
Collaboration
• What work have we done already to address this
standard?
• What are our next steps?
Teach the behaviors
partners demonstrate
Look at each other
Listen to each other
carefully
• Lean in closely
• Take turns
(A&B)(B&A)
•
•
Teach strategies
partners use
•
•
•
Lean in closely to hear
Ask a partner to speak
up when they cannot
hear
They say things like,
“Now it’s your turn.”
“What do you think?”
Ways to Listen & Grow Ideas
Clarifying
What do you mean by…?
Clarifying
What I’m trying to say is….
Elaborate
Can you say more about that?
Why is that important?
Elaborate
In the article it says….
I think it’s important because……
Supporting with Evidence
Can you show me evidence in the
text?
Can you show me where it says that?
Supporting with Evidence
The author wrote…..
In the text it says ….
Agree
I agree with what _____ said because….
You are right about that because……..
I thought about that also since……..
Disagree
I disagree with the idea that…. because…..
I see it another way because……
My idea is different from yours because……..
Adding on
I would like to add onto _____’s idea………
Another reason is…..
In addition to what ____ said……..
Rich and Rigorous
Conversations
What Is Our Ongoing Role In
Developing Student Partnerships?
Teach: Model or Fish-Bowl
Observe: Are students….
Coach: Try this…Say this..(whisper in )
Give Feedback: Today I saw…I
noticed…
Next Steps
• Schedule a time to teach the lessons and debrief the
process
• Teach Discussion Stems
• Review the grade level planning tool for close reading
with your team & try it out
• Bring artifacts (charts, student work samples, videos,
pictures, notes)
Thank you!