The document provides an overview of a professional development session on the Common Core State Standards for literacy across all content areas. The purpose is to build understanding of the literacy standards and how teachers can apply them within their respective content areas. Teachers will learn about the emphasis on non-fiction texts, writing expectations, and literacy strategies like close reading to help students comprehend various texts.

1. 1
Common Core State Standards for
Literacy Across All Content Areas
November 16, 2011
Southern Vance High School
*Please sit with teachers of the
same content area as you.*

2. 2
Purpose
To build a common understanding of the
Common Core State Standards for literacy across
all content areas. Teachers will be able to apply
the literacy standards within their respective
Essential Standards and develop tasks that utilize
appropriate technology tools for reading, writing
and/or presenting.

3. 3
“…but I’m NOT an
English teacher”
As we look to prepare our students for college or
careers, it becomes every teacher’s responsibility
to support and instruct students in reading
informational text and to provide them with
sufficient opportunities to communicate ideas
through formal writing and speaking.

4. 4
Common Core Standards for Literacy
TeachingChannel.org
Things to think about
during the video:
•What do you think
about the shift to
non-fiction and
informational text in
reading? Shift to non-
narrative texts in
writing?
•How can ELA
teachers work with
other content area
teachers to integrate Approximately 15 mins.
literacy skills?

5. 5
What Are We Asking of Students?
Beyond simply understanding the words,
concepts embedded in content-area texts…
• We are asking students to adopt particular ways
of thinking about text in each of our
classrooms.
• We are asking them to adopt a
particular way of reading and
understanding texts.

6. 6
The READING Standards

7. 7
…the Buzz About INFORMATIONAL TEXTS
These expectations
are based on the
cumulative reading
experiences from
English/Language
Arts and content-
area courses.

8. 8
…the Buzz About INFORMATIONAL TEXTS
Informational text gives factual information on
a specific topic or event. It is designed primarily to
explain, argue or describe rather than to entertain.
-The Literacy Dictionary, IRA, 1995
Communicate information about
the world
Factual content
Timeless verb constructions Informational texts have many
Generic noun constructions or all of these features:
Technical vocabulary
Classificatory or definitional
material
Text structures (e.g., comparison,
causation, problem/solution)
Repetition of topical theme
Graphical elements (e.g.,
diagrams, maps, timelines, etc.)

9. 9
…the Buzz About INFORMATIONAL TEXTS
Take a few minutes to identify some
examples of informational texts that
could be used within your course(s).
Be sure to discuss:
•The accessibility of these texts
•Any prerequisite skills that students would need
to ensure their understanding of the text (i.e.
interpreting legends/keys of maps, navigating through an
academic journal report)

10. 10
Group Activity
The CODING System
 = I knew that.
Use the following Coding System X = This contradicts
as you read the selected my expectations.
informational text = This is important.
? = I have a question.
?? = I am confused.
Briefly share any comments ! = This is exciting or
and/or questions within your surprising to me.
colleagues L = I learned
something new.
(Harvey & Daniels, 2009, p. 93)

11. 11
Group Activity
• What information did the author want to convey?
• What are the major ideas of the selection?
• How are the supporting details for each main idea
presented?
• What aids (images, graphs, tables, etc.) does the author
use to convey meaning?
• What key vocabulary words are used to convey the major
ideas and/or supporting details?
Our students will need to be able to properly answer
questions as such in regards to ANY informational text

12. 12
…the Buzz About INFORMATIONAL TEXTS
Reading Strategies Create authentic
The Coding System purposes to read, discuss,
and write informational
text as it relates to you
content

13. 13
Reading for
Comprehension
To understand the
relationship between
comprehension, text, and
inquiry.
Comprehension

14. 14
“There are known What are some
knowns. There are things comprehension
strategies used to
we know that we know. understand this
There are known quote?
unknowns. That is to say,
Notice any
there are things that we patterns?
know we don’t know. But
there are also unknown
unknowns. There are What questions
emerged from
things we don’t know we reading this quote?
don’t know.”
D. Rumsfeld, Newsweek (2003, p. 113)

15. 15
CLOSE Reading
A reading technique that should be implemented in all classes for
careful, sustained reading tasks of a particular passage, or the
text as a whole.
Clasp your pencil
Line, label and list
Observe patterns
Seek similarities and differences
Effectively question

16. 16
Group Activity Perform a CLOSE Read on the
10 Common Core Reading
Standards for your appropriate
grade band.
Clasp your pencil
Be sure to note:
Line, label and list  Ways in which you’re already
doing some of these standards
Observe patterns  Examples of what some of these
standards would look like in
Seek similarities your course
and differences
Each content area will delegate
Effectively someone to share a few of their
question observations

17. 17
The WRITING Standards

18. 18
The Importance of Writing QUIZ
Take a short quiz to assess how much know about
the importance of writing for our students:
• Go to the 1:1 Professional
Development VCS Moodle
• Under today’s section, select
“What Do YOU Know
About Writing”
• Share your final score and any facts that you were
surprised by with your content area.

19. 19
Highlights from the CCSS Writing Standards
▫ Write arguments on discipline-
specific content and informative/
explanatory texts
No longer “Writing Across the Curriculum” -
teaching writing tasks specific to each
discipline.
▫ Make arguments or claims and
support those with the use of data,
evidence, and reason
▫ Apply domain-specific vocabulary
through writing exercises unique to
each discipline

20. 20
The literacy standards are not to be taught in
isolation and DO NOT replace the NC
Essential Standards.
They could be integrated into current content
standards now but the mandatory implementation
begins during the 2012-2013 school year.
Many of us are already doing this!!

21. 21
Aligning the Literacy Standards with NCES
Group Activity
• With your content area teachers, identify a few
Common Core Literacy Standards (reading or writing)
that could be aligned with your NC Essential
Standards.
• Try to come up with a few learning activities/tasks
that supports the integration
• Complete the CCSS Literacy Alignment chart
• Upload the finished chart to the section entitled
“Aligning the Literacy Standards with NCES”

22. 22
Locating YOUR Standards
• Go to the VCS Moodle site
• Click on Instructional Technology from the
Course Categories
• Locate your
content area
• Select the
document that
you wish to
view

23. 23
“I Used to Think…
Now I Think…”
•Jot down your responses to the following prompts
I Used to Think ___________ about teaching reading/writing in
my content area.
Now I Think ______________ about teaching reading/writing in
my content area.
•Share responses within content-area groups first,
then post you reflection under
CCSS Literacy: Reflection Question
on the Moodle page

24. 24
Before you GO…
To submit an evaluation on today’s
professional development session:
•Return to the 1:1 Professional
Development VCS Moodle
http://moodle.vcs.k12.nc/moodle
•Under the EVALUATION topic,
select
“Professional Development *Hard copies are
available for those
(Nov. 16, 2011) EVALUATION” without laptops/internet
connection