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To design the text set, each person thought about a theme in the anchor text to explore. In this way, different people designed different text sets around a common anchor text. Next, each preservice teacher began to put a text set together. These requirements framed the assignment: The text set needed to include 6-8 texts, including the anchor text. The text set had to include both narrative and informational genres. The text set had to include both print and digital texts. The text set needed to include texts of varying complexity.

The authors inspired us to include both narrative and informational texts. The goals of this assignment were to help preservice teachers (1) understand what a text set is and (2) experience putting a text set together. Although the task seemed daunting at first, most preservice teachers were satisfied with their outcomes. The challenges we ran into included: Selecting an anchor text; Deciding on a theme in the anchor text to explore through the text set; Making informed choices about other texts to include.

These standards can seem daunting to preservice teachers. A text set assignment like the one described here is one way  teacher educators can help prepare our university students to plan curriculum and instruction that helps students make deeper connections.

A recent post focused on connecting the trait of Ideas with the Common Core. This time around, we’ll look at Organization: ordering ideas to make them both clear and interesting. We’ll define the trait, link it to the CCSS for writing, and suggest favorite books to use as mentor texts in teaching important elements of Organization—including leads, endings, and transitions.

*Standards - what we teach *Text Complexity - what we teach with *Focus on comprehension Scaffolds - how we teach *The Task - how we measure what we teach Comprehension Standards - What's new? NOT the same cake with different frosting

Key ideas and details - what is author saying Standard 1Standard 2Standard 3 Craft and Structure - How is the author saying itStandard 4Standard 5Standard 6 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas - Why is the author saying itStandard 7Standard 8Standard 9 Text Complexity and RangeStandard 10

NEW ADDITIONS to think about when thinking about the CCSS 1. More on character development (characters who change from beginning to end) 2. Summary includes theme 3. Paraphrasing 4. Vocabulary: tier2, tier3, figurative language (simile, personification, idioms), TONE (where did the character have a bad attitude,  a good attitude, change attitude) 5. Genre, text structure 6. Text to text connections 7. Broader definition of text (digital, live, video) 8.Illustrations part of message (picture shows mood of character) 9. Point of view / perspectives (values and belief systems) NO LONGER TEACHING in CCSS: text to self connections because it takes students away from the texts Creative thinking

What is informational text? Common Core uses “informational text” as another term for “nonfiction text.”  This category includes historical, scientific, and technical texts that provide students with factual information about the world. Typically, they employ structures such as cause and effect, compare and contrast, and problem and solution. They also contain text features like headlines and boldface vocabulary words.  Because of their narrative structures, biographies and autobiographies do not look like other nonfiction texts. In fact, they are often classified as literary nonfiction. But the Common Core considers them to be informational text as well.  Another category of informational texts includes directions, forms, and information contained in charts, graphs, maps, and digital resources. Simply put, if students are reading it for the information it contains, it’s informational text. 

Putting It Into Practice  With an understanding of what the standards are calling for, it’s time to start thinking about what instruction in informational text could look like in your classroom. Here are a few ideas.

. The phrase “academic and domain-specific vocabulary,” which appears several times, refers to words readers often encounter in textbooks across all subject areas.

Lesson Objective Plan a lesson about identifying main ideas and developing arguments Length 6 min Questions to Consider How does Mr. Hanify integrate the different Common Core standards into this lesson? Notice the varied opportunities for student discussion throughout the lesson. How does Mr. Hanify design activities that scaffold student learning? Common Core Standards ELA.RI.9-10.2, ELA.W.9-10.6, ELA.SL.9-10.1a

Creating Text-Dependent Questions for Close Reading Step One: Identify the core understandings and key ideas of the text Step Two: Start small to build confidence Step Three: Target vocabulary and text structure Step Four: Tackle tough sections head‐on Step Five: Create coherent sequences of text-dependent questions Step Six: Identify the standards that are being addressed Question Stems for Close Reading of Informational Texts (Adapted from Race to the Top/Strategies for Close Reading) What clues show you … Point to the evidence … How does the author describe X in paragraph X? What are the exact words? What reasons does the book give for X? Where are they? Share a sentence that (tells you what the text is about, or describes X, or gives a different point of view) What is the purpose of paragraph X? What are the clues that tell you this? What does the author think about X? Why do you think so — what is your evidence? What do you predict will happen next? What are the clues that make you think so?

Examples of Text-Dependent Questions Could people live on Earth if there were no Sun? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. Explain why conditions on a distant planet like Neptune are so different than those on Earth. In the end, our task is unwavering: create questions that provide opportunities to teach strategies to our kids so they feel successful when they search for evidence and key words to answer text-dependent questions. Don't allow our students to answer a question without evidence and proof. Hold our students to high expectations, and constantly use those magic words, "Tell me more.""

argument writing must present a strong claim and support that claim with “sufficient evidence” and relevant “valid reasoning.”

First, select a high interest topic.

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