5: Traditional Vs. CCSS Approaches to Canonical Texts

New York State Common Core

5: Traditional vs. CCSS Approaches to Canonical Texts

Goals and Outcomes

Overarching Objectives of the November 2013 Network Team Institute

· Participants will be able to describe the structure and content of the Grade 9 NY instructional module.

· Participants will be able to implement the modules with fidelity, scaffolding all students to the rigor the curriculum requires.

· Participants will be able to adapt the curriculum module to meet the readiness and needs of different students.

High-Level Purpose of this Session

The purpose of this session is for participants to understand the distinction between traditional and CCSS approaches to teaching canonical texts and to consider how a CCSS approach impacts instruction.

Session Outcomes

What do we want participants to be able to do as a result of this session? / How will we know that they are able to do this?
· Distinguish between traditional approaches to canonical texts and a CCSS treatment of those texts
· Use NY ELA curriculum materials to approach canonical texts differently / Aligned survey question

Related Learning Experiences

· Session 2a/3a: Scaffolding to Rigor in High School English Language Arts: Supporting Student Access to Complex Texts

· Session 4a: Teaching Literary Non-Fiction

· Session 7a: Strategies for Adaptation: Providing Support to Diverse Learners

Key Points

· The NY Curriculum Modules take a standards-aligned approach to canonical texts.

· One of the biggest shifts in these units is the deliberate, slowed down pace that allows for students to delve deeply into the words on the page.

· Rather than focus on preconceived schema, background on the author, etc. the modules attempt to provide students with authentic text-based experiences that allow them to interpret and create their own meaning from the text.

Session Overview

Section / Time / Overview / Prepared Resources / Facilitator Preparation /
Introduction / 5 min / Introduce the Session. / Session PowerPoint
Surfacing Traditional and CCSS Approaches to Teaching Canonical Texts / 15 min / Participants surface traditional and CCSS approaches to teaching canonical texts. / · Session PowerPoint
· Module 9.1 Unit 3 Overview / Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.
Sampling the Curriculum / 30 min / Participants read and annotate an excerpt from Romeo and Juliet, answer text-dependent questions and discuss supports for students. / · Session PowerPoint
· 9.1 Unit 3 Lesson 1 / Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.
Sampling the Curriculum Part 2 / 30 min / Participants read Romeo and Juliet Act 3, Scene 2, lines 1–34 and experience an excerpt from Unit 3 Lesson 13. / · Session PowerPoint
· 9.1 Unit 3 Lesson 13
· “Romeo and Juliet Excerpt and Question Sampler” / Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.
Discussion and Reflection / 10 min / Participants reflect on learning and consider implications for practice / Session PowerPoint / Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.
90 mins / Total for this session

Session Roadmap

Section: Introduction
In this section, you will build an understanding of the purpose for this session. / Materials used include: Session PowerPoint
Slide / Time / Picture / Script/Activity directions /
1 / 0 min / Welcome participants to session.
2 / 2 min / Review purpose of this session.
Participants will be able to:
· Distinguish between traditional approaches to canonical texts and a CCSS treatment of those texts
· Use NY ELA curriculum materials to approach canonical texts differently
3 / 3 min / Provide overview of session.
Participants will:
· Surface traditional approaches to teaching canonical texts
· Understand the NY Curriculum Module’s approach to teaching canonical texts by:
o Reading and experiencing an excerpt from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
o Experiencing a 9.1 Unit 3 lesson
· Discuss instructional implications for this approach
Section: Surfacing Traditional and CCSS Approaches to Teaching Canonical Texts
In this section, you will surface traditional and CCSS approaches to teaching canonical texts. / Materials used include: Session PowerPoint, Module 9.1 Unit 3 Overview
Slide / Time / Picture / Script/Activity directions /
4 / 7 min / In pairs, participants surface traditional approaches to teaching canonical texts by answering the following questions:
· What are some of the ways you have taught or seen canonical texts taught traditionally?
In your table groups, discuss the following questions:
· What are the opportunities and potential pitfalls of teaching canonical texts?
· How can teachers’ preconceived schema impede students’ ability to experience texts?
Responses will vary, but key points may include:
· Traditional approaches to canonical texts may include: providing background knowledge or biographical information about the author; context around the work; information around when it was written or set.
· Canonical texts may traditionally be “covered” in their entirety, as opposed to closely reading key scenes in great detail.
· As ELA teachers, canonical texts can often be near and dear to our hearts! As such, teachers may occasionally bring preconceived schema or personal interpretation into the classroom that has the potential to impede students’ ability to experience, interpret, and create meaning from texts.
5 / 8 min / Read the module 9.1 Unit 3 Overview, focusing on the:
· Introduction
· Assessed Standards (indicated in bold)
· Unit Assessments (mid-unit and end of unit)
· Lesson Summaries
In your table groups, discuss the following:
· What do you notice about NY’s approach to teaching Romeo and Juliet?
· How does this approach differ from traditional approaches to teaching canonical texts?
Key Points:
· The NY Curriculum Modules take a standards-focused approach to texts.
· Like other units in the module, Unit 3 builds students’ skills related to close reading, annotation, using evidence, building vocabulary, and participating in structured discussion.
· The unit focuses on Shakespeare’s use of language to create meaning and build characters; students delve deeply into the text beyond plot and theme.
· The lessons do not focus on the works and background of Shakespeare, e.g., background on the poet, Globe Theater, etc.
· In order to create the time and space needed for close reading, key scenes are read and analyzed closely as opposed to “covering” the entire text but in less depth.
Total time: / 15 mins
Section: Sampling the Curriculum
In this section, you will read and annotate the prologue from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and experience Unit 1 Lesson 1. / Materials used include: Session PowerPoint, Romeo and Juliet Prologue, 9.1 Unit 3 Lesson 1
Slide / Time / Picture / Script/Activity directions /
6 / 10 min / Read the prologue from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (In Lesson 1).
As you read, annotate the text for questions, key understandings, and important lines.
In your table groups, discuss the text focusing on the following questions:
· What are core understandings in these 14 lines?
· What might be particularly challenging for your students?
Key points may include:
· The prologue sets up the primary conflict of the play by contrasting Romeo and Juliet’s love affair with their families’ age-old feud.
· Shakespearean language and vocabulary can be extremely difficult and may be new for students.
7 / 13 min / 1. Skim the lesson in its entirety to get familiar with the content and structure.
2. Closely Read page 1 and pages 5–10, paying attention to the Introduction, Vocabulary, Text Dependent Questions, Quick Write and Homework.
Discuss questions 1–5 and 9–14 in pairs.
8 / 7 min / Reflecting on Lesson 1:
· What do you notice about the TDQs, Homework or Quick Writes?
· How does the lesson address vocabulary?
· What skills does the lesson attempt to build?
· What other lesson features stand out to you?
Key Points:
· TDQs scaffold to the Quick Write (lesson assessment) while homework extends the day’s learning.
· Students spend considerable time building an understanding of Shakespearean language, considering multiple meanings and word nuance. For example, questions 1–5 focus on the use of civil; 9–14 analyze additional specific word choices and their impact on meaning and tone.
· The lesson attempts to build students’ close reading skills by having them cite textual evidence. Vocabulary-based questions ask students to determine the meanings of words and phrases as they are used in the text, as well as their cumulative impact on meaning and tone.
Total time: / 30 mins
Section: Sampling the Curriculum Part 2
In this section, you will read a second excerpt from Romeo and Juliet and experience an excerpt from Unit 3, Lesson 13. / Materials used include: Session PowerPoint, “Romeo and Juliet Excerpt and Question Sampler,” 9.1 Unit 3 Lesson 13
Slide / Time / Picture / Script/Activity directions /
9 / 10 min / Ask participants to read the excerpt from the Romeo and Juliet Question Sampler.
Then ask them to answer and discuss the questions on the handout provided.
· Romeo and Juliet Act 3, Scene 2, lines 1-31.
· Excerpt from Lesson 13
10 / 5 min / Ask participants to answer the additional questions for discussion:
· What does the audience know that Juliet does not yet know?
· What effect does Shakespeare create by ordering the events this way? Consider how your knowledge of what has just happened influences the way you understand this passage.
Look for participants to surface the following key points:
· The audience knows that Romeo has killed Tybalt and been banished by the Prince, but Juliet does not.
· The effect is one of tragedy or loss, because Juliet is so happy and impatient for the night to come, but the reader knows that what is coming is the knowledge that Romeo is banished. It makes the passage seem sad, even though the words are full of excitement. It is sad because the reader knows Juliet won’t get what she wants.
Remind participants that they have an additional excerpt (Act 3, Scene 1), as well as the complete Lesson 13 for reference.
11 / 9 min / Display the Chagall painting on the screen. Ask participants to look at the painting and answer questions 1–5 on the stylistic choices tool. Tell them to feel free to get up and get closer to the image if space permits. Tell participants that students will have been introduced to this tool earlier in the unit, so they will be familiar with it.
10 minutes
Have groups report out their discussion.
Ask participants to consider the last two questions in pairs. If space permits, form quads for this discussion. Lead a short debrief of this activity, asking:
· What was challenging about considering the play through this lens?
· What might students find difficult?
· What other “media” could support a lesson like this one?
Look for participants to surface the following key points:
· Considering the treatment of a text in another medium requires close and careful knowledge of the source text first.
· Students who do not have much experience analyzing art may have difficulty with this exercise.
· Film, music, modern adaptations, and other interpretations of this iconic story could all support a lesson like this one.
12 / 6 min / Ask participants to read the Unit Overview. As they read, notice:
· How does this treatment of Romeo and Juliet support the CCSS and the instructional shifts?
· What is comforting because you already do this?
· What is different in this approach?
Total time: / 30 mins
Section: Discussion and Reflection
In this section, you will reflect on NY Curriculum Modules’ approach to teaching canonical texts and consider implications for practice. / Materials used include: Session PowerPoint
Slide / Time / Picture / Script/Activity directions /
13 / 5 min / Give participants the chance to ask questions about teaching canonical texts and Unit 3.
14 / 5 min / In your table group, discuss the NY Curriculum Module’s treatment of Romeo and Juliet:
· What are the implications for teaching other canonical texts?
· What are the potential opportunities and challenges of teaching canonical texts this way?
· What suggestions do you have for overcoming these challenges?
Total time: / 10 min

Turnkey Materials Provided

· Session PowerPoint

· Module 9.1 Unit 3 Overview

· 9.1 Unit 3 Lesson 1

· 9.1 Unit 3 Lesson 13

· “Romeo and Juliet Excerpt and Question Samplers”