Essential
Vocabulary
Essential
Skills
LEARNING
TARGET
Focus Area:
English
K–5
Essential
Knowledge
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Prepared for the Professional Learning Network of the
VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS
by Dan Mulligan, Ed. D., flexiblecreativity.com
February 2014
Hampton Road’s
Natural Law of School
Lots of snow days in
January and February
Last faculty meeting of
2013 -2014 in July!
Effective Instruction:
focus on essential knowledge, skills, processes, & vocabulary
Three types of curricula exist in any classroom:
The Intended Curriculum: content/skill specified by the
state, division, or school at a particular grade level.
The Implemented Curriculum: content/skill actually
delivered by the teacher.
The Attained Curriculum: content/skill actually learned
by the students.
Intended
Curriculum
Implemented
Curriculum
Attained
Curriculum
“Seven Survival Skills for the New Economy”
~Tony Wagner, The Global Achievement Gap
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence
Agility and Adaptability
Initiative and Entrepreneurialism
Effective Oral and Written Communication
Accessing and Analyzing Information
Curiosity and Imagination
“Rigor” is using academic knowledge to create new
knowledge/content and to solve real problems.
“Engagement” begins with the MIND, not with the HANDS (that
is a very loose paraphrase) — activities & action do not equal
“rigor”
Find a NEW friend in the room from a
different school and/or division.
Find 2 comfortable seats and relax.
*Please bring a pen(cil)!
instructional strategies
Please send a table
representative to pick-up a
resource for each team
member.
Work collaboratively
(e.g., construct viable
arguments, critique,
agree) to identify key
words that capture the
essential elements of
instructional
strategies with
fidelity.
Enjoy working with
your new best friend.
Good Instruction
(Keep it Simple…Keep it Real)
“We can, whenever and wherever we
choose, successfully teach all
children whose schooling is of
interest to us. We already know
more than we need to do that.
Whether or not we do it must finally
depend on how we feel about the
fact that we haven’t so far.”
~Ron Edmonds
If you want a
learner to truly
understand and
own essential
knowledge, expand
your exploration
from ‘what it is’ to
also ‘what it is
NOT’.
Work with your
partner to
prepare a
conceptual
example that can
be shared with
your staff.
IDid
justyou
love
bring
these
your
Dan
Mulligan with
handout
workshops!
you?
Introduce your partner to your table team members.
here we
are…
“A positive attitude may not solve all
of your problems, but it will annoy
enough people to make it worth it.”
-Maya Angelou
Essential Vocabulary
page
6
IDENTIFYING THE WORDS TO TEACH…
page
7
Find out which words are "your" words. Read the Curriculum Framework for
your grade level, highlighting the words you think your students won't know.
Then go back to each year prior to yours and highlight those words. Next,
create a pre-assessment for your students with these critical words and glue it
in their Interactive Notebook. A simple list of words followed by columns
marked "Yes" (I understand), "No" (I don't understand) and "Maybe" (I might
understand) is a start. Use this information and your professional judgment to
decide which words have not yet been mastered and require instruction.
Book A
page 2
Book A
page 4 & 5
Common Core and
College and Career Words
page
2
McREL researchers estimate 85% of achievement test scores
are based on the vocabulary of the standards. Students from
poverty, ELL students, and other at-risk students are
particularly in need of learning these words in ways that meet
their specific learning needs.
CRITICAL VERBS
NOUNS
Analyze
Articulate
Alliteration
Analogy
Comprehend
Contrast
Central
Idea
Conclusions
Describe
Connotative
LanguageDetermine
Details
Draw
Figurative
Language Evaluate
Illustrations
Infer
Integrate
Metaphor
Mood
Organize
Paraphrase
Rhetoric
Simile
Suggest
SupportTheme
Structures
Trace
Cite
Compare
Argument
Delineate
Demonstrate
Connections
DevelopEvidence
Distinguish
Explain Interaction
Identify
InterpretPoint ofLocate
View
Refer Stanza Retell
Summarize
Tone Synthesize
Sample
VA SOL
Item Stems
As many as thirteen of the critical words can be found in the VA SOL
kindergarten standards.
Extra for Experts
As many as thirteen of the critical words can be found in the ELA
kindergarten standards.
With a partner, create a set of five questions that involve the use of as
many critical words as appropriate to the standard.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Spin the Word
modified
VA SOL
Essential Nouns
and Verbs
• Remove the cards from the bag.
• Place the deck of cards face
down in the center of the table.
• Determine the order of playing
by each person rolling the die.
• Each card contains:
• Math vocabulary word, and
• Method of giving clues
• Remember:
• Each person has a turn,
• Each person has a lifeline!
• Enjoy!
Nouns
and
Verbs
nouns
Click on the arrow to
start and stop spinner.
WHAT EDUCATORS CAN DO TO
IMPROVE VOCABULARY?
page
7
A six-step process for teaching vocabulary:
1. The teacher provides a description, explanation, or example of the new
term.
2. Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in own
words.
3. Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the
term.
4. Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their
knowledge of the terms in their notebooks.
5. Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another.
6. Involve students periodically in games that allow them to play with the
terms.
page 30
Leslie Williams, Hampton City Schools!
Be an active reader!
Work with your partner to
annotate the text:
• Place a box around and
number each paragraph.
• After reading the passage
 Box each main idea;
 Underline supporting
details; and
 Cloud any word that
you think someone in
our class would
struggle to understand
its meaning.
 Use context clues or
root words to help you
understand the word.
• Have fun!
Answer the Questions…
Question the Answers…
Working with your partner –
• Refer to the boxed and
underlined information in the
passage to identify at least
five thinking questions from
the list.
• Discuss the value of each
question in developing essential
skills and processes for your
students.
• Enjoy!
Answer the Questions…
Question the Answers…
VOCABULARY REVIEW ACTIVITIES AND GAMES
Team A: Strategies 1 -4
• Form groups of four. Letter off as A,
B, C, and D.
• Form a temporary team of like letter
teams
• As an expert team, review the
activities/games (pages 8 - 20) and
record a summary of each strategy.
• Return to your home team to share
your focus activities/games.
• Identify the TOP
your staff.
3 to share with
Team B: Strategies 5 – 8
Team C: Strategies 9 – 12
Team D: Strategies 13 – 17
Extra Time…
Check out the bonus structures
on page 21 to 24!
1
What is a strategy students
experience in your school that
has proven effective in
deepening student’s
understanding of essential
vocabulary? Why is it
effective?
3 What is one effective
strategy teachers used in
your school to prepare
students for the SOL
assessment?
2 How do teacher(s) effectively
engage students in higherorder thinking as required by
Virginia’s revised SOL (and
beyond)? Does it involve
differentiation, technology,
project-based etc.?
1
3
What is a strategy students
experience in your school that
has proven effective in
deepening student’s
understanding of essential
vocabulary? Why is it
effective?
What is one effective
strategy teachers used in
your school to prepare
students for the the SOL
assessment?
2
How do teacher(s) effectively
engage students in higherorder thinking as required by
Virginia’s revised SOL (and
beyond)? Does it involve
differentiation, technology,
project-based etc.?
Premise of the Workshop
As the United States continues to compete
in a global economy that demands
innovation, the U.S. education system
must equip students with the four Cs:
1.
2.
3.
4.
critical thinking and problem solving,
communication,
collaboration, and
creativity and innovation.
Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition Model
The Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition Model offers a
method of seeing how computer technology might impact teaching and
learning. It also shows a progression that adopters of educational
technology often follow as they progress through teaching and learning with
technology.
While one might argue over whether an activity can be defined as one level
or another, the important concept to grasp here is the level of student
engagement. One might well measure progression along these levels by
looking at who is asking the important questions. As one moves along the
continuum, computer technology becomes more important in the classroom
but at the same time becomes more invisibly woven into the demands of
good teaching and learning.
SAMR model developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura
http://www.hippasus.com/
Page
3&4
Depth of Knowledge
(Thinking)
Level 1
Recall of a fact, information, or procedure
Level 2
Use information or conceptual knowledge, two or
more steps, etc.
Level 3
Requires reasoning, developing a plan or
sequence of steps, some complexity, more than
one possible answer
Level 4
Requires an investigation, time to think and
process multiple conditions of the problem
Digging Deeper:
Depth of
Knowledge and
Reading
Sharing a DOK Resource aligned to
the VA Curriculum Framework
page
17 - 18
Depth of Knowledge
Essential Understanding:
Unlike Bloom’s system, the
DOK levels are not a
taxonomical tool that uses
verbs to classify the level of
each cognitive demand. The
DOK level is determined by
the degree of mental
processing required by the
student to meet the
objectives of a particular
classroom activity. In the
case of assessment, DOK is
the cognitive demand
required to correctly answer
test questions.
page
36
A.23
Fiction Text
Nonfiction Text
Comprehension Strategy
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
Chapter 3 “The American Revolution”
Previewing
What is the story about?
What might I guess?
What do I know about stories like this?
What do I already know about the
American Revolution?
What can I learn from the headings and
subheadings?
Are there pictures with captions?
Self Questioning
Why is the Wolf telling the story?
Why did this war occur?
Making Connections
How does this pig story compare to
others I have heard?
How is the character of the wolf similar
or different to wolves in other books I
have read?
How does the information in this chapter
compare to the movie we saw? How
does it compare to the historical fiction I
read set at the same time period?
Visualizing
Is my mental picture of the wolf still
good? Should I change it?
What did an American soldier look like?
A British soldier? Could I draw a picture
for a friend who had not read the
chapter?
Knowing how words work
Does the word make sense in the
sentence?
Do I know chunks of the word?
What clues in the test can be used to
figure out the word? Can I find a prefix
or suffix that will help?
Monitoring
Does what I am reading make sense?
Do I need to go back and reread?
Does what I am reading make sense?
Did French soldiers fight in this war?
How can I find out?
Summarizing
What has happened so far?
What is the most important information
in the chapter?
Evaluating
Do I believe the Wolf’s story? Why?
How does this story rate to others I have
read?
How would my life be different if we had
not won this war?
DOK 3: Strategic Thinking & Reasoning
Nonfiction
Fiction
Advanced Organizers
Use Visuals
Advanced organizers help students
organize the information and retain 5
times more of the information.
Musical/Rhythmic
Sing it
Create a beat
Rap it
Make a cheer
Create a jingle
Hum it
Identify sounds
React to sounds
Listen to sounds
Connect to music
Write a poem
Verbal/Linguistic
Read it
Spell it
Write it
Listen to it
Tell it
Recall it
Use “you” words
Apply it
Chunk information
Say it
Use mnemonics
Logical/Mathematical
Make a pattern
Chart it
Sequence it
Create a mnemonic
Analyze it
Think abstractly
Think critically
Use numbers
Prove it
Interpret the data
Use the statistics
Body/Kinesthetic
Role play
Walkabout
Dance
Lip sync
Skits/charades/mimes
Construction
Math manipulatives
Sign language
Sports
Activity centers
Body language
Intrapersonal
Metacognition
Use self-talk
Work independently
Solve in your own way
Understand self
Journal it
Rehearse it
Use prior knowledge
Connect it
Have ownership
Interpersonal
Think-Pair-Share
Jigsaw
Cooperative grouping
Drama
Debates
Class meetings
Role play
Meeting of minds
Peer counseling
Tutors/buddies
Giving feedback
Shared Journals
Visual/Spatial
Mind maps
Graphic organizers
Video
Color code
Highlight
Shape a word
Interpret a graphic
Read a chart
Study illustrations
Visualize it
Make a chart
Create a poster
Naturalist
Label it
Categorize it
Identify it
Form a hypothesis
Do an experiment
Adapt it
Construct it
Classify it
Investigate it
Discern patterns
Name a noun.
Form a sentence.
Name a verb.
Name an adjective
How can you use the Where do I
belong? structure to support your
role as teacher/administrator?
?
?
A = bh
4 right
angles
Right
Triangle
3 sides
1 right
angle
4 sides
Opposite
sides equal
One side is
the longest
Rectangle
A = ½ bh
Responding to Nonfiction vs. Responding to Fiction
Framework for
Instructional Planning
McREL, 2012
1. Create an Environment for Learning
– Helping students know what is expected of them, providing
students with opportunities for regular feedback on progress,
assuring students they are capable of learning content and skills
2. Helping Students Develop Understanding
– Integrating prior knowledge with new knowledge
– Procedural knowledge: constructing a model of the steps required
of the process and practicing its variations; using the process or
skill fluently or without any conscious thought
3. Helping Students Extend and Apply Knowledge
– Moving beyond ‘right answer’ learning to an expanded
understanding and use of concepts and skills in
real-world contexts.
Hey…
This looks
familiar… Which
of the high yield
instructional
strategies do
you see in this
structure?
PAGE 7
Name a noun.
Form a sentence.
Name a verb.
Name an adjective
Thank you for your commitment
to children!
"It's your attitude, not
just your aptitude that
determines your
ultimate altitude."
--Zig Ziglar 
Dan
KEY QUESTION: Why are common
assessments so important?
WHY do we ASSESS:
1. INFORM INSTRUCTIONAL
DECISIONS
2.
ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO
TRY
“You can enhance or destroy students’ desire to succeed in
school more quickly and permanently through your use of
assessment than with any other tools you have at your
disposal.”
Rick Stiggins, Assessment Trainers
Introduce your partner to the other people
at your table.