Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/315828
Learning S o c i a l s t u d i e s / AV I D t e a c h e r A n a P a n t o j a a t B a d g e r S p r i n g s M i d d l e S c h o o l s ays s h e u s e s t h e following four Common Core strat- e g i e s i n h e r c l a s s ro o m : m a r k i n g and citing the text, primary source a n d s e c o n d a r y s o u r c e a n a l y s i s , w r i t i n g i n f o r m a t ive / ex p l a n a t o r y texts (summaries), and analysis of visual information. M a r k i n g t h e t e x t i s a n e x c e l - lent strategy for close reading of a complex text. A nonfiction arti- cle, primary or secondary source may be used. Some of the primary s o u rc e s s h e u s e s a re exc e r p t s o f the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, speeches and diaries. Students fol- low as the teacher models the expectations: Number the paragraphs; circle key terms, names of people, places and dates; underline an author's claims; and underline relevant information. P a n t o j a s a y s i t ' s i m p e r a t i v e f o r t h e c l o s e r e a d - i n g o f a n y t e x t t h a t a c r i t i c a l r e a d i n g p r o c e s s i s e m p l oye d : p r e - r e a d i n g , i n t e r a c t i n g w i t h t h e t ex t , and extending beyond the text, with students given a n o b j e c t i v e a n d e s s e n t i a l q u e s t i o n f o r f o c u s e d note-taking during the close reading. Students may b e g i v e n a s p e c i f i c w r i t i n g p r o m p t t o r e s p o n d t o u s i n g t h e t ex t , o r w r i t e s u m m a r i e s t h a t s t a t e w h a t Reading and writing in Danville by Mike Myslinski For reading and writing, Bay Area elementary school t e a c h e r D o n n a K e nyo n h a s e m b r a c e d t h e Te a c h - e r s C o l l e ge R e a d i n g a n d Wr i t i n g P r o j e c t m e t h o d (readingandwriting project.com). L i ke C o m m o n C o re m a n d a t e s , t h i s c r e a t i v e c u r r i c u l u m e m p h a s i z e s d e e p re a d i n g a n d a n a lys i s , a n d w r i t i n g a b o u t re a l - l i f e ex p e r i e n c e s . "It's important not to simply add this initiative to a host of others, but instead to harness the parts of the Common Core that will help you raise student achievement, so regardless of what happens at the state level, your school and district glean the best out of these standards." Sure, she admits, the new standards challenge her fifth-grade students at John Baldwin Elementary in the San R amon Valley Unified School District, where she has taught for a dozen years. The amount of informational text kids are expected to read throughout their day increased from 30 to 50 percent. "That's a big change for everybody," she says. But responsibility for students' literacy development is expected to be shared across all content areas, not just English language arts. "Yes, we could study and learn about specific characters in partic- ular books, such as K arana in Island of the Blue Dolphins. Instead, we teach strategies to learn about characters in general, so that our students can apply those strategies to all books." On any given day during a reader's workshop on campus, you will see students sitting in beanbag chairs, at their desks or on the carpet, all reading different books at their just-right level and working to apply newly learned reading strategies. In Danville, Kenyon sees the Common Core, and her reading and writing curriculum, as preparing kids to think critically, for a better future. " We t e a c h i n d e p e n d e n c e ," s h e s ay s . " We d o n ' t teach books." Literacy in Moreno Valley By Bill Guy The shifts in literacy in Common Core across all cur- ricula can prepare students to build knowledge and literacy in the disciplines, closely read complex text, provide text-based answers and evidence, write from sources and with evidence, and use academic vocab- ulary and digital literacy. Social studies teacher Ana Pantoja uses Common Core strategies to teach literacy. "We don't teach books," says Donna Kenyon in Danville. "We teach independence." Teaching ideas 46 M AY 2 0 1 4 Educator 05 May 2014 v1.6 int.indd 46 5/16/14 3:21 PM