Session 3A Facilitator’s Guide: The Power of the Recommended Text Lists (grades 6-8)
Sequence of Sessions
Overall Learning Objectives of this February 2014 Network Team InstituteNew Participants Only
- I can describe the structure and content of the 3-8 ELA Modules.
- I can analyze and problem solve systemic issues related to meeting students’ reading foundation and other skill needs.
- I can adapt module lessons to meet students’ specific needs.
- I can adapt or design assessments for use within the context of the modules while still maintaining their alignment to module targets.
- I can analyze current research regarding reading foundations in the elementary grades and the use of recommended text lists in the middle grades and determine the impact on my classroom practice.
- I can analyze the Foundational Reading and Language Standards Supplemental Materials Strand to determine the impact on my classroom practice.
- I can describe the relationship between improved literacy performance and instructional focus on reading foundations skills.
- I can analyze the use of recommended texts to support literacy instruction to determine the impact on my classroom practice.
- I can effectively use the Recommended Text List to support and enhance ELA instruction.
- I can analyze and problem solve systemic issues related to meeting students’ reading foundation and other skill needs
- I can strengthen my walkthrough practices to ensure my school’s alignment to the Common Core Standards and shifts.
- I can develop a comprehensive professional development plan to support Common Core implementation in the 2014-15 school year
- I can analyze current research regarding reading foundations in the elementary grades and the use of recommended text lists in the middle grades and determine the impact on my practice
- I can analyze staffing practices to ensure that all students are maximizing literacy instructional time.
- I can create a set of action steps to refine my staffing practices.
High-Level Purpose of this Session
- This session will guide participants through looking at supporting the 45 minutes of grades 6-8 module instruction with additional literacy instructional time. This will include looking at opportunities for accountable independent reading, modeled fluent reading, and fluency practice .This session will provide strategies for how to use the Recommended Text List to support or extend module instruction. A portion of this session will include a model lesson experience .
Related Learning Experiences
- Session 3A will link directly to the research that participants read in Session 2.
Key Points
- Using the Recommended Text List to support and enhance module instruction.
- Two portions of this session will be model lessons for participants.
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?●I can analyze the use of recommended texts to support literacy instruction to determine the impact on my classroom practice.
●I can effectively use the Recommended Text List to support and enhance ELA instruction. / ●Observation of conversations
●Chart creation and gallery walk
●Synthesis: Fold the Line observation
Session Overview
Section / Time / Overview / Prepared Resources / Facilitator PreparationCreating a Purpose for Learning / 27 minutes / Participants will introduce at tables, create a human bar graph and establish learning targets for this session. /
- volumeofreading.pdf
Review PPT and Facilitator Guide
Curriculum in Action: Model Lessons / 68 minutes / Participants will experience model lessons and consider how their learning experiences will impact their practice. /
- Creating a Rubric_Session 3A_022014 NTI
- Secondary Excerpt 2_Session 3a_022014_NTI
- Secondary Reading Excerpt 1_Session 3A_022014_NTI
- Vocabulary_WordSort_Session 3A
- Review word sort
- Read Excerpt 1 & 2
BREAK / 15 minutes
Application of Learning / 62minutes / Participants will examine a variety of resources to support their thinking about using the Recommended Text List to support and enhance literacy instruction. /
- Task Card_Session 3A_022014_NTI
- EL_G6M3A_Recommended_Texts_120813.doc
- EL_G7M3A_Recommended_Texts_111213.doc
- EL_G8M3A_Recommended_Texts_120813.doc
- Notice and Wonder.pdf
- Fluency Guidelines for Middle School Students_022014_NTI
- independentreading6-8_pages 12-14.pdf
- Review Task Card for Session 3A
- Read the Recommended Text Lists
- Read Fluency Guidelines for Middle School
- Read Independent Reading Excerpt
- Review “Fold the Line” steps
Closure / 8 minutes
Session Roadmap
Section: Creating a Purpose for Learning / Time: 1:30-1:57[27minutes] In this section, participants will be introduced to one another at tables. The learning targets for this session will be established and there will be activation of background knowledge. / Materials used include:
- volumeofreading.pdf
Time / Slide #/ Pic of Slide / Script/ Activity directions / GROUP
- Facilitation note: Principal walk throughs will be happening from 2:00-2:15 and again from 2:45-3:00. They will be walking through the session and collecting evidence during the model lessons so you must be modeling lessons during this time.
1 min / /
- Introduce learning targets for this session:
- I can analyze the use of recommended texts to support literacy instruction to determine the impact on my classroom practice.
- I can effectively use the Recommended Text List to support and enhance ELA instruction.
10 min / /
- Participants will create a human bar graph to check for current understanding of using the recommended text lists to support and enhance literacy instruction.
- The facilitator will ask several questions and ask participants to move themselves into lines based on their current understanding or expertise (beginning, developing, accomplished). (1) What is your familiarity with the recommended text list that is provided with the ELA modules? (2) Have you used the recommended text list in a lesson or supported the planning of a lesson that uses the recommended text list? (3) How comfortable are you in explaining how the recommended texts lists can be used to differentiate instruction? (4) What is your current expertise level in using the recommended text lists for fluency? for vocabulary or word study?
5min / /
- Quick whip around the table and introduce: name, role and work location
10 min / /
- Participants will read “The Importance of Increasing Students Volume of Reading” and text code as follows: !I already do this. ? I have questions about this. (7 min)
- Turn and talk with a partner at your table about the reading. In particular share text and item that you text coded. (3 min)
1 min /
- Tell participants that through out this session we will be thinking about ways to support middle school students (grades 6,7,8) with increasing volume of reading, additional fluency practice and vocabulary instruction. In particular, we will be thinking about how to use the Recommended Text Lists that are included with modules to support and enhance student learning.
Section:Curriculum in Action: Model Lessons / Time: 1:57-3:05
[68minutes] In this section, participants will analyze materials and resources, including the Recommended Text Lists, to enhance and extend module lessons / Materials used include:
- Creating a Rubric_Session 3A_022014 NTI
- Secondary Excerpt 2_Session 3a_022014_NTI
- Secondary Reading Excerpt 1_Session 3A_022014_NTI
- Vocabulary_WordSort_Session 3A
Time / Slide #/ Pic of Slide / Script/ Activity directions / GROUP
- Facilitation “to do”: Put numbered table tents on the tables for a portion of the model lesson.
- Facilitation note: Principal walk throughs will be happening from 2:00-2:15 and again from 2:45-3:00. They will be walking through the session and collecting evidence during the model lessons
1 min / /
- Prepare the participants for the model lesson experience. The facilitator will tell them that they are going to be in student mode and while we want them to be thinking of all the teacher questions that they have, we want them to hold those questions until the end of the model lessons.
1 min / /
- BEGIN MODEL LESSON
- Introduce the following student learning target: I can give and receive feedback on quality indicators of fluency.
1 min / /
- Have participants locate the “Creating a Rubric” handout and remind them that you have been talking about the quality indicators of public speaking and fluent reading. Tell them that public speaking and fluent reading are necessary skills.
2 min /
- Remind participants that they have already been working on creating this rubric together, so most of the rubric is filled in at this point. Ask participants to quickly turn and talk about the indicators.
- Next, have participants call out the Quality Indicators that we agreed to as a class. (Accuracy, Expression and Volume, Rate and Flow and Phrasing and Punctuation) These are listed on their Creating a Rubric Handout.)
3 min / /
- Have participants look at “Accuracy” quickly to remind themselves what makes a 4 or a 3 score.
- Next, have participants look at the “Expression and Volume” criteria for “meeting” or scoring a 3 and exceeding or scoring a 4. What differentiates a score of 3 from a score of 4? (You are looking for students to notice that the 3 category says “sometimes” and the 4 category does not).
5 min / /
- Next have participants look at the remaining blank criteria in Rate/Flow and in Phrasing/Punctuation. Using the models that are already on their rubric, participants will work in small groups to come up with the remaining criteria for “meeting” and “approaching” in these categories.
- Participants are just beginning to think about the rate, flow, phrasing and punctuation.
5 min / /
- Conduct a whole group share and tell participants to jot down some more of their thinking on their rubric based upon what they hear about rate, flow, phrasing and punctuation.
4 min / /
- Tell participants that you will read and they will rate you on the rubric. (Facilitation note, this first read you will read very quickly. You are deliberately modeling in a way that will allow students to notice your error)
- Facilitator will read from Many Thousand Gone African Americans from Slavery to FreedomBy Virginia Hamilton (1993). Students have a copy of this in their participant notebook.
- Read for approximately 1 minute.
- Stop and ask participants to rate you on the four categories using their fingers to show you a 4,3,2, or 1 in each category. (students should score you low in rate/flow)
2 min / /
- Listen to the feedback and read again making changes (read the same passage for approximately 1 minute). This time you are going to read and respond to their corrections. Ask them how you did on your rate/flow this time? Have them show you a 4,3,2, or 1 on their fingers.
5 min / /
- Now have participants practice their reading with on their own. Tell them that you are going to set a timer for two minutes. They can whisper read or read silently. (2 minutes)
- Now participants will practice reading to a classmate. Remind them that when we practice reading out loud with one another we are kind and helpful to our classmates.
- Tell them that one partner will practice reading while the other rates them on the rubric. Be the master time keeper for them.
- They should stop reading and then switch roles.
1 min / /
- Feedback: Each partner takes 30 seconds to offer thoughts on how their partner did with Accuracy and Expression/Volume as those are the two quality indicators that we are assessing today.
1 min /
- Tell participants that they will work together to continue to refine the criteria on the rubric.
- Also tell them that they practicing public speaking is hard work and you are glad that they were kind and helpful to one another during their practice.
4min / /
- Participants will quietly journal about the first portion of the model lesson experience. At this point, participants will not ask their “teacher” questions out loud to the group. Think about this question: What are your thoughts about how this lesson experience could impact your current classroom practice? What are some thoughts or questions you want to capture right now before moving on in this model lesson experience?
1 min / /
- Welcome participants back to class.
- Introduce them to the student learning targets for this lesson:
- (1) I can collaborate with 7th grade classmates to determine word meanings.
- (2) I can write a gist statement for a chunk of text.
7 min / /
- Tell participants that right now they are working on target 1- I can collaborate with 7th grade classmates to determine word meanings.
- Remind participants that knowing the meaning of more words and being able to say them correctly will make them more fluent as readers. (This is a direct link to the previous model lesson)
- Participants will work together to sort the words into categories. KNOWN, ACQUAINTED and UNKNOWN. Tell students that KNOWN means that they could teach the word to someone else, ACQUANITED means that they have heard it and have an idea of what the word means, UNKNOWN means that they do not know the word.
- They should work with the group and feel free to help each other and really talk about the words in the envelope.
- (Facilitation note: while participants are working on this activity, you should circulate to assess what is in the UNKNOWN category at tables)
3 minutes / /
- Next have participants turn to the list of words that is in their notebook. These are the same words that they just worked with in the sort. There is a list of words and definitions. In particular, they should look at words that were unknown to them.
6 minutes / /
- Participants will work independently to fill in the blanks on the “Vocabulary: The Slave Trade and Abolition” from Grade 7:Mocule 3a, unit 1, lesson 2, sheet that is provided. (5 minutes on their own)
- 2 minutes to turn and talk and compare answers with a partner.
1 min /
- Tell participants that these words come from The Life of Fredrick Douglas as well as an informational text that they will read in lesson 3 “The Slave Trade” text from Freedom: a History of the U.S.(Grade 7, Module 3a, Unit 1, Lesson 3).
- Tell them that they will now do some reading from their independent text that they have selected (for the purpose of this lesson, however they are reading from one of two excerpts provided: From Many Thousand Gone African Americans from Slavery to FreedomBy Virginia Hamilton or From: My America: Freedom’s Wings: Corey’s Diary Kentucky to Ohio, 1857By :Sharon Dennis Wyeth (2001)
1 min / /
- Have them locate the excerpts in their participant notebook. Participants at odd number tables read excerpt 1 and participants at even number tables read excerpt 2
10 minutes /
/
- Now participants are working on learning target 2 : I can write a gist statement for a chunk of text.
- Remind participants of what a gist statement is “what the text is mostly about- building towards a main idea.”
- First, read for the flow.
- Second reading: read and circle unknown words.
- Third, read and write a gist statement at the bottom of your paper to synthesize what you read.
1 min /
- Tell participants that you will be collecting this paper, however you will not collect this paper today
4 min / /
- Quietly journal about this portion of the model lesson experience. Think about these questions: What do you want to argue with or question about what you experienced? What do you agree will support students in improved literacy development?
Break 15 minutes 3:05-3:20
Section: Application of Learning / Time: 3:20-4:22[62 minutes] In this section, participants will examine a variety of resources to support their thinking about using the Recommended Text List to support and enhance literacy instruction.They will collaborate to create charts that will be displayed around the room. Participants will also work to answer questions that arise in this application of learning. / Materials used include:
- Task Card_Session 3A_022014_NTI
- EL_G6M3A_Recommended_Texts_120813.doc
- EL_G7M3A_Recommended_Texts_111213.doc
- EL_G8M3A_Recommended_Texts_120813.doc
- Notice and Wonder.pdf
- Fluency Guidelines for Middle School Students_022014_NTI
- independentreading6-8_pages 12-14.pdf
Time / Slide #/ Pic of Slide / Script/ Activity directions / GROUP
5 minutes /
- Spend the first 5 minutes fielding questions, notices and wonders about the model lesson experience. Let them know that they will continue to work through ways to work with fluency, independent reading and vocabulary instruction, as well as ways to use the Recommended Text List.
39 min /
/
- First, participants should locate the “notice and Wonder” notcatcher and the sample Recommended Text Lists from grades 6,7,8. Participants will work in triads to look at examples of Recommended Text Lists. Each person should make notices and wonders about the text lists. (6 minutes)
- Next, each member of the group will look at and record notices and wonders about “Launching Independent Reading for Grades 6-8” pages 12,13,14 and read and make notices and wonders“ Fluency Guidelines for Middle School Students” (this document is from - Participants will read about the fluency guidelines but not see the entire fluency packet that is available for download) (10 minutes)
- Next, triads will discuss their notices and wonders about the items that they read in steps 1 and 2. 3 minutes per member of the triad. (9 minutes)
- Triads will work together to brainstorm how to use the texts on the recommended text lists in their schools or districts. Remind participants that they had model lessons today and they read about increasing the volume of reading of students. They have now looked at other supporting documents that can be used when planning . All these items should help them as they think about how to use the recommended text(s). Also, there are many “experts” in the room that are using the modules, so they may have things to offer that they are currently doing in their schools/districts.
10 min / /
- Participants will travel around the room with sticky notes or markers and leave answers to the “questions” that are on the posted charts.
8 min / /
- Fold the line activity: Have participants line up on a continuum according to this prompt: How confident are you about using the recommended text list in your class/school? If you feel that you are all set and ready to go you are at one end of the continuum and if you are still not ready at all go to the other end of the continuum. To fold the line, you ask the participant at one end of the continuum to circle back around to the participants at the opposite end of the continuum. As they circle, the line of participants follows until the line is folded in half and every participant is facing a partner.
- Facilitator asks the following questions:
- Today I learned the following about the Recommended Text list that I did not know…
- Now I know that I can support literacy instruction by…
- The model lessons made me have the following ah-ha about my practice…
- I feel better able to support ALL students in improved literacy because…
- I still wonder how…
Section: Synthesizing Learning and Session Closure / Time: 4:22-4:30
[8 minutes] In this section, participants will synthesize their learning from this session. / Materials used include:
Time / Slide #/ Pic of Slide / Script/ Activity directions / GROUP
4min / / Quiet Synthesis Options:
(1) Participants will write independently to synthesize their learning from this session and self assess progress on learning targets.
(2) Participants will quietly walk around the room and take notes on the charts posted around the room.
(3) A combination of 1 and 2 / Whole group
4 min / / Closure for the day
Turnkey Materials Provided