Common Core – Just Another Set of Hoops?

Common Core Purposes

Common Core Purposes

To Provide:o Academic expectations of studentso Direction for teachers and parents to assist

studentso Robust and relevant curriculum application to the

real worldo Students with knowledge and skills necessary for

success in college and careers.o Preparations for students to excel in the future, to

compete successfully in the global economy.

Common Core Standards Criteria

• Aligned with college and work expectations• Include rigorous content and application of

knowledge through high-order skills• Build upon strengths and lessons of current

state standards• Informed by top-performing countries, to

prepare all students to succeed in our global economy and society

• Evidence and/or researched-based

College and Career Readiness

Anchor Standards1-Reading

2-Writing

3-Speaking and Listening

4-Language

Anchor Standard #1Reading

Key Ideas and DetailsCraft and StructureIntegration of Knowledge and Ideas

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

ReadingLiterature and informational textAnalyze Text/Reading Skills: identify important info,

visualize, ask questions, make predictions, draw conclusions, make connections to self, text, and world, summarize

Text patterns within text:English-storyline/plot mapMath-problem/solutionHistory-ChronologyScience-Scientific Method

Remember? We used reading skills…

“More than 100 students were suspended last month at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, Conn. They weren’t bullies. They weren’t cheating. They weren’t caught smoking in the bathrooms.

“They had cell phones…”

Anchor Standard #2Writing

Text Types and PurposesProduction and Distribution of Writing

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Range of Writing

ArgumentWho is Toulmin and What Is His Method?

HOW WHY

Argument: a series of statements or propositions that support an overall conclusion.

“What’s the point of looking at your side of the argument when it’s wrong?”

Argument: A series of statements or propositions that support an overall conclusion.

Claim: The overall thesis the writer will argue for.(Types: fact, value, policy)

Reasons/Warrants (Bridge): Explanation of why or how the data supports the claim, connects your data to your claim.

Evidence: Supports the claim. (Facts, comparisons, statistics, anecdotes, examples, etc.)

Concessions (Counterclaims & Rebuttals): A claim that disagrees with or negates the claim.

Drawing Conclusions: Overall statement about effectiveness of the claim.

Elements of a Good “Toulmin” Argument

ExampleClaim

Data/Evidence 1Warrant 1

Data/Evidence 2Warrant 2

Data/Evidence 3Warrant 3

Counterclaim /Rebuttal of Counterclaim

Conclusion: Confirm your claim and call to action

Claim: Hybrid cars are an effective strategy to fight pollution.

Data/Evidence 1: Driving a private car is a typical citizen's most air polluting activity.

Warrant 1: Because cars are the largest source of private, as opposed to industry produced, air pollution switching to hybrid cars should have an impact on fighting pollution.

Data/Evidence 2: Each vehicle produced is going to stay on the road for roughly 12 to 15 years.

Warrant 2: Cars generally have a long lifespan, meaning that a decision to switch to a hybrid car will make a long-term impact on pollution levels.

Data/Evidence 3: Hybrid cars combine a gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor.

Warrant 3: This combination of technologies means that less pollution is produced. According to ineedtoknow.org, “The hybrid engine of the Prius, made by Toyota, produces 90 percent fewer harmful emissions than a comparable gasoline engine."

Counterclaim: Instead of focusing on cars, which still encourages a culture of driving even if it cuts down on pollution, the nation should focus on building and encouraging use of mass transit systems.

Conclusion: Confirm your claim (“Hybrid cars are an effective strategy to fight pollution.”)

Call to action (“You should buy a Prius.”)

Good websites: www.ProCon.orgwww.FactCheck.orgwww.FactCheckED.org

Comprehension and Collaboration

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

Anchor Standard #3Speaking and Listening

Speaking & Listening

• Extension of reading and writing–Debate – physical argument

–Presentations in class

Conventions of Standard English

Knowledge of LanguageVocabulary Acquisition and Use

Anchor Standard #4Language

Language

Tier 1 – Student SpeakTier 2 – School-wide Academic WordsTier 3 – Departments

Tier 1

• “Student Speak”• (8,000 basic words)• Basic, casual,

everyday language• Words: peace, love,

happiness

School-wide Academic Words (7,000 words)• High Frequency/Multiple Meaning• Found in various subjects• Important for direct instruction & reading

comprehension• Good indicators of a student’s progress through school

Examples: Integrate adapt distinguish interpret evaluate analyze argument evidence premise validity

Tier 2

“Words, Words, Words”

~ William Shakespeare

• BHS Departments (400,000 words – and yes, there’ll be a quiz)

• Content Specific• Low frequency of use• Learned when a specific need arises

Examples: isotope, equilateral, onomatopoeia, pulmonary, anti-Semitic

Tier 3

College and Career Readiness

Anchor Standards1-Reading

2-Writing

3-Speaking and Listening

4-Language

• Common core - Applying itRead-write-speak/listen, language

• Walkaways - What do your students know?What is an isotope? What is the process of mitosis? What makes a source reliable? Argumentative writing?

• Benchmarks - How much have your students progressed over the year? Over the last 3 years?

• Data-driven curriculum – How do you use student test scores to improve your teaching ?

www.corestandards.org