Monday, January 7, 2013

Common Core Resources

One of the BIG parts of my job this year is supporting our teachers in implementing the common core standards. In Grades K/1 we are in full implementation and are making shifts in our instruction in Grades 2-5 towards implementation in the next two years. In all grades, we are considering the following 3 shifts in our instruction: 

1) Increase informational text reading
 2) Considering Text Complexity
 3) Close Reading of text with text dependent question. 

 I've found some "jackpot" websites over the past few weeks and I had to share them with you. You need to register for them, but it is FREE and worth it.
 1) Learn Zillion This website had teacher developed lessons for ELA and Math for each common core standard and incorporate technology.  There resources right now are for Grades 3 and up, but K-2 will be added soon.
2.) Edmodo  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this website. Its like "facebook for teachers" Once you register for  FREE search for the Basil Alignment Project.  This site has taken many text from major reading series and have created text dependent questions to use with the text. What an awesome way to take your current resource and align it with common core.  Use this code to join the group "etuyrm" 

I hope you find these sites helpful. Please leave me a comment if you visited them or if you have any additional sites you have found helpful.  

I just finished writing two Close Reading lessons with performance tasks for Kindergarten and 1st grade.  These lessons include a close reading of text and a written response with a scoring rubric. One of the lessons uses the L20 "So Many Penguins" book from the Grade 1 Treasures series and the other uses an excerpt from "Fire! Fire!" by Gail Gibbons from the CCSS Text Exemplar list. I would LOVE it if a few of you wanted to try out the lessons.  "Fire! Fire!" was written for Kindergarten and "So Many Penguins" for 1st grade. If you have the book and want to give the lesson a try, please comment below and I will email it to you.  They will go into my TN store in a week or so.  

Don't forget to visit Crystal at Ms. Jone's Junction to enter her 200 follower give away!

That's it for now. Happy Monday!

4 comments:

  1. Hi Stacy! I am so happy to see this post. I have really started working on close reads in my science class this year. I'm going to head over and try out Edmodo. I cringe to think how much my county just spent on our reading series that seems inadequate for the rigor of the common core. I've made text dependent questions for sections of our social studies text and that worked really well. Only short sections- the book isn't great for Georgia Standards. I wish I could try your lessons, but I'm up on 3rd! It's nice to know I'm not the only one building my close read and text complexity knowledge! Thanks for posting!
    Tab
    Stop and Smell the... Children

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    1. We are right now reviewing new reading series and have some of the same concerns. I'm working on a 3rd grade close read. Check back, I will post about it. You will enjoy Edmodo! Let me know what you think.

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  2. I would love to try the lesson on Fire Fire my email address is sking@sandi.net

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  3. Stacy, I am very interested in learning more about Close Reading. I have been doing some research on my own but would love to take a look at your lessons. I have both books. Thank you for sharing.
    Carrie
    cfischer@hazelwoodschools.org

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