Teaching with the ELA Shifts in Mind

Created by Jenny Conklin-Frank Adapted by Carol Bush Network Team Specialist Orleans/Niagara BOCES

Shift 1: PK-5 Balancing Informational and Literary Texts

According to this shift, students are expected to engage in an equal balance of informational and literary reading. It is expected that as students continue to grow and experience the world (science, social studies, fine arts etc.), they will do so through text. At least 50% of what elementary students read should be informational. This does not only include narrative forms of informational text (essays, biographies, memoirs, etc.), but forms of informational text that include unique text features as well (how-to manuals, maps, recipes, tables, charts, etc). Below you will find a list of various genres/forms of literary and informational text as well as text features that students should be familiar with. Genres Forms Text Features
(literary or thematic categories) Adventure Epic Fable Fairy tale Fantasy Folk tale Historical fiction Horror Humor and satire Legend Mystery Myth Poetry Realistic fiction Science fiction Autobiography Biography Memoir Diary or journal Travel book Atlas Textbook Reference text Technical text (physical forms and functions of the text) Narrative (informational or literary) such as: stories told in poetry, novels, short stories, picture books Recount (informational or literary) first-person accounts such as: diaries, journals, short stories, novels, memoirs Procedure such as: recipes, rule books, maps and directions, instruction manuals, how to books and posters, experiments Exposition such as: essays, position papers, articles, advertisements Explanation such as: textbooks in science, social studies, history, geography Report such as: magazine and newspaper reports, letters, editorials, critical reviews, essays, posters Electronic text such as: multimedia texts, e-mail, blogs, websites, broadcasts Functional text such as: lists, memos, pamphlets, notes, brochures, flyers, print advertisements, CD cover inserts, invitations, announcements, programs, business letters, scripts, minutes of a meeting (design or presentation of the text) Structural elements and navigation aids such as: Table of contents Index Title and topic Headings Preface or Foreword Epilogue Captions Footnotes and endnotes Glossary Bibliography Pull-down menus Hyperlinks Typographical or design elements such as: Font or type style Bold and italic print Color Layout Illustrations such as: Inlays and cross-sections Pull quotes Sidebars Photos Graphs and charts Timelines Maps

A Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction, Grades 4 to 6: A Multivolume Resource from the Ministry of Education (2006), 1:37.

Shift 1: Examining Text Features

What are text features? Text features are the physical features of the text that highlight the important content. Knowledge about text features enables students to use them to improve their comprehension of the text. According to Kinder and Bursuck (1991), physical text that is well presented facilitates reading comprehension. When students learn how to use text features, they are able to make better predictions, anticipate their learning, and comprehend the content being studied (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2010.).There are five broad categories of text features found in informational texts: 1) Text divisions identify how the text is organized and presented. Some examples are chapters, sections, introductions, summaries, and author information. 2) Organizational tools and sources of information help readers understand the information. Some examples are titles, table of contents, index, headings and subheadings, glossary, pronunciation guide, and references. 3) Graphics show information that is easier to understand because of its visual representation, or enhances what was written in the text. Some examples are diagrams, charts and tables, graphs, maps, labels, photographs, illustrations, paintings, cutaway views, timelines, and captions. 4) Font size or formatting style, such as boldface, italic, or a change in font signals the reader that these words are important. Layout includes aids such as insets, bullets, and numbers that point readers to important information. (adapted from Fountas and Pinnell, 2006) Why are text features important? The purpose of text features is to help readers focus on the important information in the text. The teaching of text features is important for a number of reasons: Using the visual features of the text creates opportunities for teachers to build background knowledge for students prior to reading the main text body (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2010). The headings and subheadings are often part of informational text, which alert the reader to focus on the topic they will be reading about. In addition, students can change the subtitles into questions, and thus set a purpose for reading the section. Text features present new material in meaningful chunks. In many cases, informational text is unknown material to the students and it is easier for them to process information in smaller chunks, such as the ones provided by the subheadings for each section. Also, indexes and tables of contents guide the reader to look up pertinent information in an efficient way. Many content informational texts provide a glossary so students can immediately understand the meaning of words and see how they are being used in context. How do you teach text features? 1.) Start by building the students knowledge about the text features strategy. Explain that we can use text features as a way to help us understand the content were reading about. 2.) Discuss when it would be appropriate to use the text features strategy. 3.) Model the strategy for students. 4.) Support students as they begin to implement the strategy. Gradually reduce the amount of support as students become more comfortable with the strategy. 5.) Students practice the text features strategy independently.

Shift 1: Read Around the Text Strategy

Shift 2: 6-12 Knowledge in the Disciplines

According to this shift, teachers outside of the ELA classroom are expected to incorporate literacy experiences in their planning and instruction. It is essential that students see reading as a way to gain information that pertains to the topic they are studying. As a result, ALL teachers must include a range of content-specific texts in their daily classroom practices. In addition, teachers should also be providing their students with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge they have gained through writing. Students should be expected to engage in reading and writing activities in every classroom they enter. Below is a quote from Heidi Hayes-Jacobs that sums up this shift in educational practice.

Language capacity is the root of all student performance. The success of a classroom learning experience rests on student language capacity. Whether it is listening to directions, reading a passage, writing a response, or discussing a point of view, the individual students ability to perform and grow in a classroom rests squarely on his or her corresponding language capacity. The reading, writing, speaking, and listening strategies necessary for student engagement cut across disciplines. In the world of formal education, these strategies are requisite at every level for Johnny, Maria, Abdul, and Rachel. The need to read, write, speak, and listen effectively is fundamental to every subject, in every grade, and in every class these learners will ever attend. - Heidi Hayes-Jacobs, Active Literacy

Shift #2: Literacy Strategies for ALL Content Areas

The following is a description of a variety of strategies that provide student engagement while focusing on student comprehension of content material. These strategies should move the learner toward academic literacy by providing multiple opportunities for them to engage in dialogue, read and write in a variety of situations, investigate relevant and meaningful concepts, and justify their thought processes. SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) is a study strategy that students may use throughout the reading process. Using this strategy, students first preview texts in order to make predictions and generate questions to help direct their reading. As students read, they actively search for answers to their questions, and, when they have finished reading, they summarize what they have read and review their notes, thus monitoring and evaluating their own comprehension. A KWL (Know, Want, Learn) was described by Ogle in 1986 as a framework that is used to connect a students prior knowledge to what they are actively learning. The student begins by thinking about what they already Know about the topic of study. Next, they think about what they Want to know, and finally, they actively Learn something new about the topic. The students can do this activity independently, with minimal guidance from the teacher, or it can be a teacher directed activity. The DRTA (Directed Reading Thinking Activity) is a versatile strategy that promotes active reading and greater comprehension. It involves three processes: predicting, reading, and proving. Think-Pair-Share is a discussion strategy that can be used as a pre-reading activity, problem-solving strategy, or as a follow-up activity. Each student becomes an active participant. Sticky notes are used to mark sections in a text that students would like to return to, difficult sections for which they require clarification, for instance, or powerful or clear passages they would like to share with others. These stopping places can be used to foster discussion and inspire writing. Think-Alouds help students understand the mental processes readers engage in when constructing meaning from texts. The teacher models this strategy as he or she reads a selection aloud, thus enabling students to observe what skilled readers think about while reading. In QAR (Question-Answer Relationships) two categories of questions are identified, In the Book and In My Head. These two categories are further broken-down into four types of questions, Right There, Think and Search, Author and You, and On My Own. This questioning taxonomy codifies an approach to reading texts and answering questions and helps students understand the need to consider both information in the text and information from their own background knowledge. QAR is the basis for three comprehension strategies, including (1) locating information, (2) determining text structures and how these structures may convey information, and (3) determining when an inference would be required or invited. Reciprocal teaching uses the skills of predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing to interact with challenging material. Through the use of these four skills, the students learn how to set purposes for reading, how to critically evaluate and monitor themselves, and how to find the main idea in the text. The teacher initially models the interactive dialogue, with the students following the teachers example and engaging in the same activities. As students become more proficient with this procedure, have them take turns being student teacher for small groups of 2 to 4 students. The Story Face is a graphic organizer that aids students comprehension of narrative text. It functions like a story map, allowing students to visualize the important components of a narrative text, including setting, main characters, problems, events, and a resolution.

Shift #2: Literacy Strategies for ALL Content Areas

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Two-column notes help students think critically about text. There are several variations. Questioning the Author is a comprehension strategy that enables students to construct meaning from texts. It is grounded in the fact that many textbooks lack coherence and explanation and assume unrealistic levels of background knowledge. This strategy asks readers to engage with text in a meaningful way. Anticipation Guides can be used to activate and assess students prior knowledge, to establish a purpose for reading, and to motivate students by stimulating their interest. They promote active reading and critical thinking. Graphic organizers represent information visually in a clear, logical manner. Not only do they represent content information, but also the relationships that link ideas together. Graphic organizers help students store and recall information that assists in understanding what is read. Word Splash is a before-reading strategy that introduces students to key vocabulary, allowing them to access prior knowledge of the topic. Students are asked to sort words into categories, justifying their placement based on prior knowledge. Students make predictions based on what they know from the introduced vocabulary words, which can be confirmed as the story or article is read. This strategy works especially well with nonfiction text. Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) uses a chart that compares the terminology of a subject by its features or characteristics. An SFA is a visual representation of how the terms students are studying are similar or different. An SFA can be used with any content subject area. Concept sorts are activities in categorization. Students can sort objects, pictures and/or words by concepts or meaning. This is an excellent way to link vocabulary instruction to what students already know and to expand their conceptual understanding of essential reading vocabulary. A Concept Definition Map is a graphic representation that helps students understand the essential attributes, qualities, or characteristics of a words meaning. It is also a strategy for teaching students the meaning of a key concept by having students describe the concept and cite examples of it. A grouping and labeling activities prior to reading helps students predict and clarify the meanings of words and the upcoming text. The teacher might list the words thought to be unfamiliar or ask the students to brainstorm about the topic and identify such words. The teacher might provide the labels, as in a closed sort, or ask the students to determine the categories, as in an open sort. This activity requires classification, deductive reasoning, inference, and prediction. A similar activity after reading can help students absorb and comprehend the vocabulary essential to the topic. Using the Content with Sticky Notes and Jot Chart. The use of context is vital for determining the meaning of unfamiliar words so that the reader does not have to break the flow of the text by stopping and using a reference tool. Students should be provided many opportunities to examine unfamiliar words in rich contexts that make use of synonym, definition, explanation, antonym, example, and inference types of clues. By using sticky notes to mark the unfamiliar words found during reading, students can return to these words after reading and determine their meanings if the meanings have not been revealed by subsequent context. The Hot Spots strategy is a tactile and interactive method to allow students to seek and receive clarification for unfamiliar ideas and words found while reading.

Shift #2: Literacy Strategies for ALL Content Areas

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Partner Reading. Fluency is the clear, easy expression of words or the freedom from word identification errors during reading. Students need to build fluency by rereading and practicing reading text aloud. In the Partner Reading strategy, students take turns reading with a partner or in a small group. Self-correction is encouraged. The Read-Pair-Share strategy, based on the work of Larson and Dansereau, is based on the idea that readers summarize and clarify more easily with peer support. Summarizing helps students demonstrate literal comprehension, and clarifying helps students ask and answer questions about text. The ReQuest strategy, based on the work of Manzo, stems from the idea that readers need to ask informed questions in order to comprehend. ReQuest is recommended for weaker readers because it involves a short portion of text, small groups, and supportive teacher modeling. The Written Conversation (WC) strategy was developed by Bintz and Shelton to capitalize on adolescents natural tendency to socialize. Students working in pairs have a silent conversation by talking on paper. Since the conversational process has been slowed down, the students will often listen to each others ideas more intensely than in spoken conversation. The Pattern Guide strategy, developed by Herber, demonstrates the predominant pattern the author used to construct the text. Pattern guides can help readers recognize causal relationships as well as patterns of organization. These guides, also called graphic organizers, should be chosen or created by the teacher to match the text to help students recognize the relationship between main ideas and details as well as to facilitate note taking while reading. Summarizing is difficult, and students need to be shown a variety of ways to perfect their skill at this. Rules, models, graphic organizers, and collaboration are all effective. The Summarizing Based on Rules strategy, based on the work of A. L. Brown and J. D. Day, allows students to follow a set of concrete guidelines while developing skill at summarizing. The About/Point strategy, developed by Morgan, Meeks, Schollaert, and Paul, is a versatile strategy for informational, persuasive, and expository text. With it, readers need to find the subject of the text and state it succinctly; they must enumerate the points made, as well. With such a chart, students can find and record the main idea as well as the supporting details. They can also recognize the authors viewpoint or bias. Teacher modeling is essential. The Cooperative Reading Activity (CRA), developed by Opitz, is based on the idea that students can effectively divide a reading, share ideas in a bulleted list, and report to the group. Individual reading is required, but discussion and decision about the importance of details relies on consensus among group members. Note taking is stressed. The Zooming In and Zooming Out (ZIZO) strategy was developed by Harmon and Hedrick primarily to enhance concept development in social studies texts, but in general, it works well with concept-laden informational texts. It involves a two-part framework one part for situating the concept in its larger picture (ZO) and the other for taking a close look (ZI). The ZI part contains three components: 1) identifying the concept, 2) ranking important information about the concept, and 3) listing unrelated or improbable expectations related to the concept (non-examples). The ZO part also contains three components: 1) identifying similar concepts, 2) identifying related concepts or events, and 3) summarizing.

Shift 3: Staircase of Complexity

In order for students to be ready for the complexity of college and career texts, it is essential that the complexity of the texts they encounter in school increases as they move throughout the system. Each grade level requires students to take a step of growth on the staircase of complexity. With this said, it is essential that teachers create more time and space in the curriculum for this close and careful reading of complex text and provide appropriate support and scaffolding for those students that are reading below grade level.

Shift 3: Understanding Text Complexity Expectations in the Common Core

The Common Core State Standards require students to read increasingly complex texts with increasing independence as they progress toward career and college readiness. A. Texts for each grade align with the complexity requirements outlined in the standards. Reading Standard 10 outlines the level of text complexity at which students need to demonstrate comprehension in each grade. (Appendix A in the Common Core State Standards gives further information on how text complexity can be measured.)1 Research makes clear that the complexity levels of the texts students are presently required to read are significantly below what is required to achieve college and career readiness. Far too often, students who have fallen behind are given only less complex texts rather than the support they need to read texts at the appropriate level of complexity. The Common Core State Standards hinge on students encountering appropriately complex texts at each grade level to develop the mature language skills and the conceptual knowledge they need for success in school and life. Instructional materials should also offer advanced texts to provide students at every grade with the opportunity to read texts beyond their current grade level to prepare them for the challenges of more complex text. B. All students, including those who are behind, have extensive opportunities to encounter and comprehend grade-level text as required by the standards. Materials aligned with the Common Core State Standards must provide extensive opportunities for all students to engage with sufficiently complex text, although some will need more scaffolding to do so. Curriculum developers and teachers have the flexibility to build progressions of more complex text within grade-level bands that overlap to a limited degree with earlier bands (e.g., grades 45 and grades 68). In addition to classroom work on texts at their own grade level, some students may need further instruction, which could include approaches such as instruction on grade level texts, fluency practice, vocabulary building, and additional practice with texts from the previous grade band. However, this additional work should not replace extensive classroom practice with texts at or above grade level, and all intervention programs should be designed to accelerate students rapidly toward independent reading of grade-level text. Some percentage of students will enter grade 3 or later grades without command of foundational reading skills such as decoding. For these students, it is essential that there are age appropriate materials to ensure that they have extensive training and practice in the foundational reading skills required to achieve fluency and comprehension. The K-2 publishers criteria more fully articulates the essential foundation skills all students need to decode in order to become fluent readers and comprehend text. C. Shorter, challenging texts that elicit close reading and re-reading are provided regularly at each grade. Thestudy of short texts is particularly useful to enable students at a wide range of reading levels to participate in the close analysis of more demanding text. The Common Core State Standards place a high priority on the close, sustained reading of complex text, beginning with Reading Standard 1. Such reading emphasizes the particular over the general and strives to focus on what lies within the four corners of the text. It often requires compact, short, self-contained texts that students can read and re-read deliberately and slowly to probe and ponder the meanings of individual words, the order in which sentences unfold, and the development of ideas over the course of the text. D. Novels, plays, and other extended readings are also provided with opportunities for close reading as well as research. Students should also be required to read several longer texts each year. Discussion of extended or longer texts should span the entire text while also creating a series of questions that demonstrate how careful attention to specific passages within the text provide opportunities for close reading. Students should also be required to demonstrate that they are able to read larger volumes of material and extract knowledge and insight.

Shift 3: Understanding Text Complexity Expectations in the Common Core

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E. Additional materials markedly increase the opportunity for regular independent reading of texts that appeal to students interests to develop both their knowledge and joy in reading. These materials should ensure that all students have daily opportunities to read texts of their choice on their own during and outside of the school day. Students should have access to a wide range of materials on a variety of topics and genres. These texts should enable students to read broadly and widely to build their knowledge and experience. Materials will need to include texts at students own reading level as well as texts with complexity levels that will challenge and motivate students. In alignment with the standards and to acknowledge the range of students interests, these materials should include informational texts and literary nonfiction as well as literature. A wide variety of formats can also engage a wider range of students, such as high-quality Excerpt from the Publishers Criteria, Common Core State Standards

Shift 3: Instructional Strategies Complex Text

Dont Wait Technique During Reading, the Dont Wait technique is employed by the teacher by asking questions frequently and throughout the selection rather than waiting until the end of a selection. Dont Wait questions are quick to maximize time actually spent reading. Heres how 1 or 2 quick questions during reading (30 second1 minute) Stop and jot opportunities (evidence-based quick writes) Get students back to reading Lower the Level Technique It is easy to assume that the goal is to get to the story level as quickly as possible and ask story-level questions. In fact, the lower levels of meaning are critical to ensuring this level of understanding. This is where teachers must spend more time developing readers, should they expect high-quality, evidence-based answers. As a prereading activity or during the first read, teachers ask questions about a text at all of the following levels of meaning: Word and phrase level Sentence level Passage level Story level It is important to pay particular attention to word, phrase and sentence level. These are often the root of larger misunderstandings and are easily over looked. For example: What does it mean that the lion turned on them? How is that different from turning around? The author says, It was the worst thing imaginable. Whats the it shes referring to there? Remember: Lower Level does not necessarily mean less rigorous! You arent going down the ladder on Blooms Taxonomy when you Lower the Level. Additional Examples of Lower the Level Questions Word/Phrase Level of Meaning The author says, It was the most challenging thing possible. Whats the it shes referring to? Who is he in that sentence? The author writes night fell. What does it mean that night fell? What does it mean that the dogs boiled out of the alley? Sentence Level of Meaning Can you take that sentence and put it in your own words? It says, whose names she didnt know. What does that tell us about her relationship with these girls? Passage Level of Meaning What parts of this paragraph tell you that Mohi is mean-spirited? Who can explain the most important event thats happened in the first page of this chapter? Story Level of Meaning Is Macbeth a tragic hero or a cruel butcher? What is the moral of the story The Lion and The Mouse? What are some possible themes that we already see emerge in the first few pages of our novel?

Shift 4: Text-Based Answers

According to this shift, teachers insist that classroom experiences stay deeply connected to the text on the page. They promote rich and rigorous conversations that are dependent on a common text and require students to use evidence from that text to support their arguments. Currently students may be deficient in any one of several areas: foundational reading skills, understanding of text structure, background knowledge, vocabulary attainment, and comprehension strategies. The idea behind this shift is to help students build a repertoire of reading strategies that support them in the deep comprehension of a text.

Shift 4: Evidence-Based Question Techniques

Teaching students how to unlock the full meaning of the texts they read is the single most powerful outcome a teacher can foster (Lemov, p. 249). Teachers can begin by helping students to remove barriers by teaching them strategies for understanding words and their meaning independently and in context, facilitating deep comprehension through questioning that leads to processing and analysis of text, and motivating readers to have authentic conversations about texts to share perspective and generate ideas. Evidence-Based Question (EBQ) Techniques Top reading teachers constantly emphasize groundedness in the text, even on subjective and opinion questions, by asking evidence-based questionsthat is, questions where students must make reference to a fact or event from the text. In this technique, teachers ask questions which require the students to make a direct reference to the text. It is important to observe that evidence-based questions need not be narrow or concrete. Questions can be used in two different ways, to induce or deduce, information. All that matters is that students are supporting their answers with evidence from the text.

Shift 5: Writing from Sources

According to this shift, students are expected to use evidence from multiple sources to inform or make an argument. Traditionally, there has been a heavy emphasis on personal narrative writing. Under this shift, narrative writing should be reduced to 30% of the writing by grade 8 and 20% of the writing by grade 12. The remaining percentage of writing should be equally split between informative and argumentative writing. The goal is to have students to develop strong skills through written argument that respond to the ideas, event, facts, and arguments presented in the texts they read.

Shift 5: Writing Across the Curriculum

Writing Across the Curriculum In response to the need of students to learn content using a variety of strategies and their need to practice writing in a variety of contexts, many teachers have adopted the strategies associated with WAC. The following principles underlie WAC: Writing promotes learning; Integration of writing and the writing process promotes student participation, a diversity of student voices, and engages students as critical thinkers while promoting their texts as important resources and thinking tools; Effective writing instruction integrates disciplines; The opportunity to write in every class develops good writers; Using writing as part of instruction can be used in every classroom; and Only by practicing the thinking and writing conventions of an academic discipline will students begin to communicate effectively within that discipline. Including writing in instruction has short and long-term benefits. In the short term, students and their teachers are better able to appraise how well they grasp information and where deeper elaboration of key concepts is needed. Students are able to take small pieces of content and analyze them looking for patterns and connections. In the long run, students who use writing as a technique to learn content have developed their skills as thinkers. The organization, summary, and analysis of content becomes easier for students, producing richer understandings for them. Students become more practiced at using writing to communicate their learning and thinking. Writing is used to initiate discussion, reinforce content, and model the method of inquiry common to the field. Writing can help students discover new knowledge as they sort through previous understandings, draw connections, and uncover new ideas as they write. Writing-to-learn fosters critical thinking, requiring analysis and application, and other higher level thinking skills. It is writing that uses impromptu, short or informal writing tasks designed by the teacher and included throughout the les- son to help students think through key concepts and ideas. Attention is focused on ideas rather than correctness of style, grammar or spelling. It is less structured than disciplinary writing. This approach frequently uses journals, logs, micro-themes, responses to written or oral questions, summaries, free writing, notes and other writing assignments that align to learning ideas and concepts. When writing-to-demonstrate-knowledge, students show what they have learned by synthesizing information and explaining their understanding of concepts and ideas. Students write for an audience with a specific purpose. Products may apply knowledge in new ways or use academic structures for research and/or formal writing. Examples include essays that deal with specific questions or problems, letters, projects, and more formal assignments or papers prepared over weeks or over a course. They adhere to format and style guidelines or standards typical of professional papers, such as reports, article reviews, and research papers and should be checked before submitted by the student for correctness of spelling, grammar, and transition word usage.

Shift 5: Writing-to Learn

Writing-to-Learn Strategies Cause - Effect Students observe or read about the interaction(s) between components of a natural or technological system. They record cause and effect relationships within that system on a graphic organizer. For more on cause and effect organizers please go to: http:// www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/GO/cause_effect.htm. Column Notes The double-entry journal is a two column graphic organizer. Students record important factual information from text and/or lecture in the left hand column. The right hand column is used by students to process and record personal responses to the information. A third column can be added if needed. For more on column notes go to: http://forpd.ucf.edu/strategies/stratCol.html. Compare and Contrast Students collect information about two or more scientific concepts, systems and/or examples. The key attributes are recorded on a graphic organizer in order to clarify similarities and differences. Concept Definition Map Students graphically represent how sub-concepts, vocabulary terms and examples are related to a main topic or central concept. Concept/Vocabulary Development Students use a variety of methods and modes (oral, visual, written) to develop a personal, in-depth understanding of key scientific con- cepts and terms. CRAFTS Context, Role, Audience, Format, Topic, and Strong Verb CRAFTS (Bellamy, 2005) is a strategy that extends the RAFT model (Buehl, D. 2001) to include context. Students demonstrate their un- derstanding of the targeted content by writing to an authentic audience and purpose.

Shift 5: Writing-to-Learn
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GIST (Generating Interactions Between Schemata and Text) GIST is a step-by-step process for summarizing text material. It is particularly valuable with students who have difficultly putting what they have read into their own words. Students restate main ideas from scientific text omitting specific examples and/or evidence used to support or illustrate the concept(s) (Cunningham, 1982). Journaling (Notebooks) A Notebook is a record of student inquiry learning experiences over a period of time. The notebook can be used exclusively for inquiry investigations or it can be used to include reflections from reading or class discussions. It is more than a collection of observations, data collected, facts learned. The notebook also documents student reflections, questions, predictions, and conclusions. Main Idea Students organize by relative importance. Main idea(s) and supporting examples and/or evidence are identified and represented on an appropriate graphic organizer. Marginal Notes Marginal notes are short written statements in which students record their interactions with text in the margins while they are reading. Metaphorical Thinking Metaphorical thinking is an associative process that makes connections between scientific concepts and things that, on the surface, seem dissimilar. Quick Write Quick Writing asks students to independently record everything they can think of in 3-5 minutes. The prompt students are given can be open ended or specific, depending on the teachers purpose. This strategy can be used before, during or after learning. It should not be a high risk, graded activity. Synthesizing Students identify main idea from information presented (text, lecture and/or experience). They then combine this information with their prior knowledge to create a new or revised personal understanding (schema) (See: Harvey & Goudvis, 2007). Time-Sequence Students use a graphic organizer to represent events in their natural world which happen in a specific order. The organizer must be appro- priate to the type of sequence (linear, cyclical, repetitive). Information represented can come from text, lecture and/or direct observation. Visualizing and Recording Mental Images Some students process ideas better visually than orally. This strategy encourages students to use images to describe complex scientific concepts and/or processes. Students may have their own unique way of representing ideas.

Shift 5: Writing-to-Demonstrate-Knowledge
Writing-to-Demonstrate-Knowledge Strategies Argumentation In argumentation a claim is developed and proven using logical reasoning and examples. The writer also rebuts arguments of the potential opposition to the claim. Adapted from Karbach, J. (1990). Using Toulmin's model of argumentation. Journal of Teaching Writing, 81-91. Essay Writing An essay is a non-fiction piece of writing, usually written from an author's point of view. It includes writing that uses thesis statements and support for them. Essays conform to all rules of grammar and punctuation. Informational Writing Informational writing imparts scientific knowledge or tells the reader how to do something. The text is nonfiction and must be factually accurate. Investigation Report In a Science Investigation Report, students are expected to take hands-on laboratory experiences and report on or process them through writing. Students report on and reflect on what they did in the lab activity to make sense of their results. Reports developed should be Type 5 Writing: publishable and for audiences outside the classroom (John Collins Five Types of Writing). I-Search Paper (coined by Ken Macrorie in The I-Search Paper, 1988) I-Search is an informal, inquiry genre for research. Students develop questions based upon their own interests or develop their own ques- tions related to the topic under study. They utilize a variety of science resources to find answers to their questions. Journalistic Reporting Students write a newspaper/magazine article explaining a topic in science based on the results of their investigation reporting. Narrative Writing Narrative writing tells a story. The basic format is beginning, middle, and end, using character, settings and plot. The goal of this type of writing in science is to apply and demonstrate knowledge learned about scientific concepts, science examples and/or famous scientists. Research Report A research report is an informational text produced to summarize a body of scientific work. The report must be based on documented, credible sources and should follow appropriate formats. Research reports use conventions of headings, subheadings, etc. (see Michigans Genre Project at www.michigan.gov/glce for more information related to specific characteristics of genre).

Shift 6: Academic Vocabulary

Academic vocabulary refers to the vocabulary words that dont fall into any given content area. Instead, they are words that span all disciplines and provide students with access to any complex text they encounter. Significance, theory, and principle are all examples of academic vocabulary words. According to this shift, teachers should spend more time focusing on this type of vocabulary as opposed to content-specific vocabulary. In doing so, we equip students with the words they need to be successful when reading complex texts. (NOTE: This shift does not indicate that teachers should stop teaching content-specific vocabulary, just that they should put an emphasis on the academic vocabulary.)

Shift 6: Vocabulary Instruction

Building Academic Vocabulary Teaching specific terms in a specific way is probably the strongest action a teacher can take to ensure that students have the academic background knowledge they need to understand the content they will encounter in school. When all the teachers in a school focus on the same academic vocabulary and teach it in the same way, the school has a powerful comprehensive approach. When all the teachers in a district embrace and use the approach, it becomes even more powerful. Eight Characteristics of Effective Direct Vocabulary Instruction 1. Effective vocabulary instruction does not rely on definitions. 2. Students must represent their knowledge of words in linguistic and nonlinguistic ways. 3. Effective vocabulary instruction involves the gradual shaping of word meanings through multiple exposures. 4. Teaching word parts enhances students understanding of terms. 5. Different types of words require different types of instruction. 6. Students should discuss the terms they are learning. 7. Students should play with words. 8. Instruction should focus on terms that have a high probability of enhancing academic success. A Six-Step Process for Effective Vocabulary Instruction Step 1: The teacher provides a description, explanation, or example of the new term. HOW: Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term. Looking up words in dictionaries is not useful for teaching vocab Provide a context for the term Introduce direct experiences that provide examples of the term Tell a story that integrates the term Use video as the stimulus for understanding information Ask students to investigate the term and present the information to the class (skit, pantomime, poster, etc.) Describe your own mental picture of the term Find or create pictures that explain the term Step 2: Students restate the explanation of the new term in their own words. HOW: Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. Monitor and correct misunderstandings Must be students original ideas, not parroting the teacher Discuss with a partner Student record (notebook or journal) Step 3: Students create a nonlinguistic representation of the term. HOW: Ask student to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the word. Model, model, model Provide examples of students drawings Play Pictionary Draw an example of your own Dramatize Create a comic book

Shift 6: Vocabulary Instruction

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Step 4: Periodically, students do activities that help them add to their knowledge of vocabulary terms. HOW: Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms in t heir notebooks. Highlight prefixes, suffixes, root words that will help them remember the meaning of the term Identify synonyms and antonyms for the term List related words Write brief cautions or reminders of common confusions Translate the term into another language for second language students Point out cognates to words in Spanish Write incomplete analogies for students to complete Allow students to write (or draw) their own analogies Sort or classify words Compare similarities and differences Step 5: Periodically, students are asked to discuss the terms with one another. HOW: Periodically ask student to discuss the terms with one another. Think-Pair-Share Compare their descriptions of the term Describe their pictures to one another Explain to each other any new information they have learned (ahas) Identify areas of disagreement or confusion and seek clarification Students can make revisions to their own work Step 6: Periodically, students are involved in games that allow them to play with the terms. Games are used to help and encourage many learners to sustain their interest and work and help the teacher to create context in which the vocabulary is useful and meaningful. The learners are requested to take part and in order to do so, they must understand what others are saying or have written, and they must speak or write in order to express their own point of view or give information. So, by this way, they are not only improving their vocabulary, but they are also improving their communication skills. Listen for misconceptions when learners are playing games/activities. Provides an opportunity for learners to work together. Gives in-context and out-of-context opportunities to apply, analyze, evaluate and synthesize new vocabulary. Reference: Building Academic Vocabulary, Teachers Manual by Robert J Marzano & Debra J. Pickering