Goals & Purpose
Session 1 – Introduction to the ELA/Literacy Standards
- Understand why the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were developed
- Learn how the English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy Standards are structured
- Identify the major instructional shifts represented by the Standards
- Take stock of current level of comfort with and understanding of the CCSS in ELA/Literacy
- Watch videos, hear from the authors of the CCSS, and read about their development
- Reflect on current practices in ELA/Literacy
Session 2 – Building Strong Content Knowledge
- Understand the rationale for the shift towards increased informational text
- Identify specific standards that support the shift
- Learn how students benefit from learning how to read informational texts
- Recognize the use of comprehension strategies for reading informational text
- Read about and reflect on the shift towards rich, informational texts
- Unpack and apply a reading anchor standard
- Explore resources for teaching with informational text
Session 3 – Valuing Evidence
- Recognize the importance of reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text
- Learn how this instructional shift connects to the ELA/literacy Anchor Standards in reading, writing, and speaking
- Learn what classrooms look like when students demonstrate evidence-based literacy skills
- Observe and analyze teacher instruction and student learning of text-based evidence
- Explore the connection between Anchor Standards and grade-level skills
- Apply text-dependent questions to a text that is taught
Session 4 – Demonstrating Independence with Complex Text
- Understand the rationale for the shift towards increased practice with reading complex text
- Learn how to measure text complexity
- Identify the role of academic vocabulary in text complexity
- Learn how to recognize academic and discipline-specific vocabulary in content area texts
- Observe classroom instruction of students reading complex texts and the scaffolds available to them
- Apply knowledge of academic vocabulary and text complexity to a text from class
Session 5 – Pulling It All Together
- Review information and/or activities completed in earlier sessions
- Reflect on strategies for supporting students in meeting the ELA/Literacy Standards
- Take stock of what has been learned about the standards and shifts and the comfort level with implementing them in the classroom