Curriculum Revision
MCAS Open Responses: "clear, complete, and accurate"
Reading a text several times will help you read accurately.
Using a graphic organizer and generating several topics with support will help you be clear.
Writing 200 words will help you be complete.
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I will work with Kathleen Hanna and Jennifer Wright on the curriculum in March.
timesheet needs to be sent to Kathy McCarthy and Karen Bodachian (sp?)
We could apply for an LEF grant around working together over the summer putting together curriculum for the next year.
Prioritizing writing, connecting it with the Mass Frameworks. Writing fluency. Word strategy on the fly.
Strategies that work for many levels, K-12.
Being ready for 2014's MCAS, which is connected with the Common Core.
Add to "Tears in Heaven" to discuss Anne Frank's reactions to her visions of Lies/Hanneli.
Having a powerful conference with students to help move them from a 3 to a 4.
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Tuesday, May 8 – presentation to the School Committee.
Teachers going to NYC – 4:30 departure at LHS
9:00 keynote 5 rounds of workshops closing keynote address
take off one of the workshops to have lunch
May 2 -- next meeting of the Curriculum Review Committee.
Before April vacation, summaries due to Kathy McCarthy
Days in June: 25-29 putting in curriculum;
up to July 1 there is money that can be spent.
RTI training / lecture / summit on 21st and 22nd.
Columbia (Teacher’s College) in early July; mostly for elementary school, but we can get a few spots.
What does reading look like at the middle school?
Can do extra (paid) work for Carol Pilarski with curriculum with other teachers across several afternoons. Len Swanson and Kathy McCarthy planning summer PD.
Language and word study
Writing – different categories/genres.
Reading – from multiple sources and summarizes.
Using technology to publish writing.
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On 3/7, we worked to connect the ideal with the real, mapping out our priority standards and connecting them with texts and thinking about when we teach them through the year.
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Identify the questions, Concerns,
Priority Standards – we have a good rough draft list
Feedback to use today
Putting in units that we teach; standards laid out
Which priority standards should be repeated, with multiple opportunities
Tight and timely connection between reading and writing
The amount of time devoted to the unit is more important than exactly when in the year it’s studied.
The calendar tells me what I need to teach during the year; there will be flexibility and the doc will be in flux and should foster discussions about why we need to spend a particular amount of time on a given unit. These discussions will drive improvement.
Goal of moving towards a standards calendar; goal of having a two or three named units organized around standards; rough draft placement in the year.
Don’t try to instruct more than four standards at a time;
some standards could continue on as secondary standards.
Focus on a standard needs to have a point of emphasis; should be emphasized with grades.
Teaching of a standard should be a matter of instruction, not just student activity. Diagnose them early on; have a few rounds of formative assessment, give them feedback; return to test.
"Implementation gap" -- while earlier grades adapt to the standards.
Next year, adjustments might mean that the unit will take less time, some aspects won't be emphasized (more basic aspects of elements of a short story), weaving the elements of a story together more, such as "what themes become evident and relevant in the climax?" " how does setting influence character?"
Don't let parts of speech become a unit; it's more of a review. Parts of speech should be automatic, like multiplication tables.
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Dane’s presentation on the whiteboard:
September -- -- June
R1 --
R1 --
W1 – if hard to master, start early and repeat many times through the year
W4 (if not as hard) -- start in Jan., through April
Memoir starts in Sept.
Analytical writing
But it will be a unit calendar, and separately a standards calendar; they should align.
The unit calendar
Be aware of when standards are introduced; match units to standards
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Units or readings that Diamond and Clarke share:
Short stories review of elements of short story (earlier grades teach these well) -->
introduction of theme, irony, foreshadowing,
Of Mice and Men setting and influence on character;
Animal Farm manipulating with language
reading for inference
Midsummer Night’s Dream speaking and listening standards
To Kill a Mockingbird emerging characterization of Atticus and Boo
characterization of Mayella vs. Tom (testimony)
setting influence; themes of justice, racism
MCAS preparation main idea vs. relevant supportive detail
topic organization
Units or readings that Diamond and Clarke do not share:
Diary of a Young Girl memoir (her Diary as a mentor text)
Johnny Tremain active reading question focus
Outsiders characterization and tension
Raisin in the Sun characterization; dreams;
relate themes to other poems by Langston Hughes
Persuasive writing unit --
Memoir writing –
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Thoughtful, close, insightful reading: Short story / Elements of fiction unit: Time of year: September
Quick diagnostic review of elements from previous years. Keep parts of speech as a review.
RL1, RL2, theme, indirect characterization, device of irony, inferences, suspense and mood
4 high interest short stories -- "Flowers for Algernon," "Tell-Tale Heart," Stephen King's "Man in Black Suit,"
"The Necklace," "Scarlet Ibis" (common assessment).
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Reading Literature:
RL1 -- selecting and citing strong textual evidence and detail; students can do this, needs refining, not a focus during any unit, but needs emphasis early on, but is a supporting standard after; September focus, support level afterward
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
√ √ √ √ √
Matched to units: short stories (Poe, etc., Mice and Men, Animal Farm, TKAM
(should be a supporting standard at other times)
applies to understanding characterization; indirect characterization; applying
STEAL -- say, think, effects on others, actions, look (physical)
RL2 -- determine themes in a text, show characterization
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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Matched to units: throughout,
but perhaps especially Mice and Men, "The Moustache," Outsiders, Animal Farm, TKAM
RL3 -- analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop story elements, incidents propelling action,
especially in his situations drive the plot
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
√ √ -- especially with Dream
(secondary focus through the year)
Matched to units: throughout, but especially Dream and Mice and Men
(examples: why Shakespeare has Theseus take the other men out of the room, leaving Lysander able to talk with Hermia, allowing them to plan to leave Athens; this drives the plot; why they need to be able to see Helena before they leave Athens; why the mechanicals need to practice in the forest
RL4 -- determine meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including fig and conn meanings, allusions and analogies
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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Matched to units: Animal Farm
Used when discussing the manipulative uses of language, including propaganda, relating to Animal Farm especially.
RL8 -- Identify and analyze irony and ...effects on the reader.
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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Matched to units: Animal Farm, Gary Soto's short story "The Clown"
Used when discussing the manipulative uses of language, relating to Animal Farm especially. "Surely, you don't want Mr. Jones to come back?"
RL10 -- what are we doing for students who are struggling readers?
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
……………………………………………………………………………...
Reading Informational Text Standards
RI8 -- this is calling for a nonfiction unit to be put in there; short pieces work well with informational text; use Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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RI9 -- analyze a case in which two or more texts provide contrasting points of view and claims; as well as contrasting pairs of editorials; we can have students delineate the arguments; could use Fox News vs. MSN/NBC as a media version;
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
……………………………………………………………………………... (undecided)
RI10 --
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
……………………………………………………………………………... (undecided)
Writing Standards
W1 -- write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence; introduce; support; transitional statements; formal style, add a concluding statement
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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W2 -- analytical of relevant content, compelling evidence
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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Matched to units: research involved with Tell-Tale Heart (is the narrator reliable? -- show compelling evidence)
W8 -- research standard;
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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Matched to units: research involved with Anne Frank, Animal Farm, Dream
W3 -- narrative writing; memoir related to Stephen King’s short story “The Man in the Black Suit”; summer poem related to a series of published poems, and nature writing with a narrative flow
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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Speaking and Listening Standards
SL1 -- engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; Socratic Dialogue; group work; class discussions; allegory project while reading Animal Farm;
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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Matched to units: all but especially Animal Farm, Dream (students acting out scenes)
SL2 -- analyze purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats; (often is part of studying Animal Farm, such as presenting posters that show examples of propaganda)
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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Matched to units: Animal Farm
Language Standards
L1 -- grammar: verbals, active and passive voice; verbs, mood; (studying participles and their forms and related phrases takes time and practice; a goal is to have student writing improve by having them use a variety of phrase patterns) secondary objective through the year
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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L4 -- determine unknown words through context, use of dictionaries; prefixes and suffixes sheet and applications; secondary objective through the year
Sep. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
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