tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84983721626678782252024-03-12T22:01:41.356-07:00Curriculum SpecialistsCurriculum developers specializing in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228932882174569983noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8498372162667878225.post-30102843483780347142015-01-25T14:31:00.004-08:002015-01-25T14:31:40.545-08:00We've Moved!!Please visit us at <a href="http://curriculumspecialists.weebly.com/">curriculumspecialists.weebly.com</a> to check out all of our new guides.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228932882174569983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8498372162667878225.post-7251837816772913282013-11-20T16:39:00.002-08:002013-11-21T07:51:12.454-08:00Anchor Texts: What are they? How can my book be one?As an author, you might be either a) tired of hearing about the Common Core or b) still thinking, "What is it and what should I be doing about it?"<br />
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Well, you're not alone. <br />
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I'm both a middle school teacher AND a middle grade author. Nothing haunts me right now like the CCSS.<br />
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But as an author--especially if you write picture books, nonfiction, or middle grade fiction--the Common Core can be an opening for you. First of all, teachers are LOOKING for new resources. And for the first time in years, there are funds to buy them.<br />
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One of the buzzwords associated with the Common Core Language Arts standards is the concept of "anchor texts." An <b>anchor text</b> is a rich piece of literature or an engaging piece of text that a teacher can use as the centerpiece for bringing in other related resources (called <b>text sets</b>), which students then read, analyze or synthesize to create something else: a piece of writing, a debate speech, a Socratic discussion, a PowerPoint presentation.The number of texts in a set can vary; what's most important is that the texts are related in a meaningful way so that students can build a body of knowledge around a
topic.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me throw out an example: we just read <i>Moon Over Manifest</i> by Clare Vanderpool. This became our "anchor text" for a post-novel study we did on Depression-era train-hopping, Jungles, and railroad "bulls." We looked at an informational article, a poem, an image from the Library of Congress, and an interview from a "hobo." Then, students wrote a journal entry that had to incorporate information from all of those sources while telling about an experience as one of these train-hopping hobos.<br />
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Anchor texts can be novels. But they can also be poems, short stories, really engaging nonfiction articles and books . . .pretty much anything. The challenge for teachers is hunting down related sources that can then lead to a writing assignment or project. It's a daunting, time-consuming task in an already daunting time of challenge and change.<br />
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So . . . help teachers out. If you think you have a book that could be an anchor text, do some research. What themes or subjects relate to your book? What other resources can you pull in? Publish those links or suggestions on your website. Better yet, create a Teacher's Guide with an assignment ready to go.<br />
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And if you need help, email us, and we'll check your book out and tell you if it's feasible. This is what we DO. <br />
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For a sample of a Performance Task that involves the book CHAINS (by Laurie Halse Anderson) check out our Sample Guides page. Click on CHAINS and scroll to the end of the our Teacher's Guide where you'll find that Performance Task. You'll see how we incorporated the novel, as well as some other primary sources to give students the basis to write a persuasive essay.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228932882174569983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8498372162667878225.post-68861171644923037862013-10-12T15:52:00.003-07:002013-10-12T15:52:40.376-07:00A Good Teacher's Guide is Like a Road Map<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln29lLKPXjHsMRxMgm-glNCb_JD-GidYFTz8dWlhI8OJCQZpnQ6OXl4WIEQNXDvfn3Ddl-qnMdRUj4s4TnRGvFxAdyfgJ_Y2K0PsZcTVLo5NjkOTLgzmIPgC1-nQ1OWV5p_a2bzgCV1YU/s1600/moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln29lLKPXjHsMRxMgm-glNCb_JD-GidYFTz8dWlhI8OJCQZpnQ6OXl4WIEQNXDvfn3Ddl-qnMdRUj4s4TnRGvFxAdyfgJ_Y2K0PsZcTVLo5NjkOTLgzmIPgC1-nQ1OWV5p_a2bzgCV1YU/s320/moon.jpg" width="218" /></a>I love teaching novels. Probably because I love reading novels. So there is nothing more rewarding than exposing my students to good literature and being a part of the magic that happens when a whole room full of kids exhales after a tense scene or laughs or groans when we end a chapter and I say that's it for the day.<br />
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But preparing to teach a novel? It's a ton of work.<br />
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I begged my principal a few months ago to let me teach this amazing book called MOON OVER MANIFEST. It won the Newbery a year or two ago and quite simply, it's brilliant. Because I have a great administrator, he dug up a few hundred bucks somehow and I got a class set.<br />
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Then, the work began. <br />
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First, I had to cull through that puppy and find all the words that kids in sixth grade may or may not know. Then, I had to write good, solid, context clues-type activities for those words, because that's what our standards call for.<br />
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Then, I had to decide how to introduce the novel. And since it takes place in Kansas during the Great Depression, but there are numerous flashbacks and references to 1918 and World War I, my challenge was two-fold. I found some great images (thank you, Library of Congress), concocted a few short scenarios that forced my kids to think about how they might handle situations similar to what MOON's characters would be facing, and then wrote up some short history blurbs to give some background on the setting.<br />
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I was several hours in, but nowhere near done.<br />
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The new Common Core standards ask our students to really be text-savvy as they read. So I had to develop questions that would force my students to analyze characters' motives and dissect plot and explain point of view. I had to find ways to incorporate grammar, as well, by pulling out examples of how the author used intensive pronouns and figurative language and punctuation.<br />
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And then, I had to create a final Performance Task that requires my students to synthesize what they've read with information from new texts and sources and write something--in this case a first-person narrative.<br />
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It was a long arduous process, but well worth it. <br />
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This week, we started our journey through this book. And by page ten, I had thirty-five noses buried in books in a hushed classroom. When we ended, they cried out in frustration--which was my hope all along. We'll have wonderful, thoughtful discussions throughout the next weeks, and moments where our hearts ache for these characters.<br />
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That's what literature does. And a good Teacher's Guide should be the GPS system that guides everyone through it.<br />
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To check out the Teacher's Guide to MOON OVER MANIFEST, see our Sample Guides page.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228932882174569983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8498372162667878225.post-70839154226420664942013-04-14T15:50:00.000-07:002013-04-16T15:55:06.359-07:00Teaching Dare to Dream . . . Change the WorldA few weeks ago, I hit that time of year in my sixth grade classroom I usually dread. Poetry. I've never been a big fan of poetry myself. Teaching poetry to sixth graders usually feels to me like trying to make a trip to the dentist sound fun. They don't buy it. So we slog through two weeks of rhyming couplets, dubious metaphors, and allusive symbolism before we all breathe a huge sigh of relief.<br />
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This year I wised up. Wrote a grant that got me a class set of <em>Dare to Dream . . . Change the World</em> books. This collection of poems edited by Jill Corcoran features writing by some of today's top KidLit writers and poets. Each spread couples a biography of someone who has made an impact in some way with two poems that relate to that person.<br />
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Nicole and I (well, mostly Nicole) had the pleasure of putting together a Teacher's Guide for Jill. We honed in on as many of the Common Core Standards for grades 6 through 8 as we could and then tried to create engaging activities and diverse writing assignments.<br />
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Then, I got to teach it.<br />
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And the results were . . . in a word . . . magic.<br />
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Never before had I had kids asking me, as they came through the door, who the poems would be about for the day. Never before had I had my students making observations about mood and tone and meaning that were unsolicited! Yes, you read that right. We would read a poem, and they would INTERRUPT me to say, "Mrs. Fry, I think the poet is trying to show us that the narrator is angry at the cows because the cows are free and he isn't. That's why he's cussing at them. It makes sense now." Yeah, for real.<br />
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And their writing was truly inspiring and inspired. Kids who had struggled all year to put thoughts on paper were suddenly writing with abandon, and finding voices that had seemingly been buried. <br />
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One of my favorite days was when we did Nicholas Cobb. Nicole's brilliant lesson starts with kids being introduced to Nicholas Cobb who was a young kid who raised a lot of money for homeless people. We then read the poems on those pages. Next, we examined a large image of a homeless camp under a bridge, listened to sounds of traffic overhead, got under our desks to simulate being under a bridge, and wrote sensory descriptions of what that would feel like. Finally, we turned those descriptions into some wonderful poetry.<br />
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The two weeks went way too quickly. I will extend it next year and incorporate ALL of the poems, since they are too rich to skip. And my students will benefit from the standards-based, but interactive curriculum that goes with it.<br />
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If you want to check out that curriculum, click here: <a href="http://static.squarespace.com/static/500e3767e4b052f1454334cb/t/50b508b4e4b0c8f829492b3e/1354041524699/DARE%20TO%20DREAM%20Curriculum%20Guide%20Final.pdf" target="_blank">Dare to Dream Teacher's Guide</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228932882174569983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8498372162667878225.post-68387514602520339242013-01-16T17:10:00.000-08:002013-01-16T17:11:56.728-08:00Creating Your CCSS-Aligned Curriculum Guide <span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Where do I begin?</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Your Common Core State
Standards (CCSS) document—get to know the standards for your target age group.
Note that the standards range from basic understanding to deep analysis
(purposely reflecting Bloom's Taxonomy). Pick 5-8 standards that you
think you can cover in your curriculum guide - you don't need to touch on ALL
the standards as students have the entire year to meet their grade-level CCSS.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Get organized!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Figure out what sections to
include in your curriculum guide. As a teacher, here's what is most
useful:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">- <b>a <i>Prior
Knowledge</i> section</b> with discussion or writing prompts that students
complete BEFORE they begin reading. A good prompt relates students' prior
experiences to themes in the book, and gets them excited and motivated to read.
For <i>Dare to Dream . . . Change the World, </i>a poetry anthology, we
have students find examples of poetry in commercials, songs, greeting cards,
and nursery rhymes so they realize poetry is all around them! [Check out the curriculum on our Sample Curriculum page!]</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">- <b>a <i>Vocabulary </i>section</b>
that includes a list, with definitions, of grade-level vocabulary
students will encounter in the novel. In addition, it is really helpful
to have a handout where students decipher new words in context (using phrases
from the novel). <span class="apple-style-span"> Here's an example from
a "Context Clue" handout for<i> Losing It</i> that teachers
are loving: <i>“You have to drink when you run, Bennett. No wonder
your head hurts! Most headaches are caused by <b><u>dehydration</u></b>,
you know.” Dehydration might mean . . .</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">- <b><i>Chapter Questions</i></b>
that help students process important themes, while hitting key Common Core
Standards. A good set of questions spiral from basic understanding to analysis,
and vary in what they ask the student to do. For instance, students might draw
a response, complete a graphic organizer, or write a mini-dialogue from the
perspective of a character. Here is a sample prompt for Laurie Halse
Anderson’s CHAINS: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i>Create simple sketches for
Elihu Lockton, Curzon, and Isabel. Add a large speech bubble to each character.
Write the words, “The real meaning of liberty is . . .” at the top of each
speech bubble. Then, do the following:</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Finish the opening sentence from the perspective of the
character.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Support your claim with examples or evidence from the
text.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Provide a concluding statement that summarizes your
position. </span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>- a <i>Pulling It All
Together</i> section</b> where students
take what they've learned from your book and do something with it. It can
be a writing assignment, a project, a debate etc. Given the push for
informational text in the CCSS, this is an ideal place to include some
nonfiction reading to supplement your book. For <i>Losing It</i>, we
researched and wrote our own text about bullying and then guided students
through a debate about what should be done with bullies in schools.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Get Writing!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It takes some time to create
a good curriculum guide, but it's well worth it if you want teachers to be able
to simply pick up your book and teach it! Books that are chosen by
teachers for their classrooms have longevity, as well, since teachers tend to
use them year after year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicole and Erin, both
teachers and curriculum developers, can help! You can contact us as </span><a href="mailto:commoncorespecialists@gmail.com"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">commoncorespecialists@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
if you have questions or would like us to create a curriculum guide for your
book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228932882174569983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8498372162667878225.post-73619554218302862012012-12-13T10:24:00.000-08:002013-01-05T17:27:03.989-08:00Your Book and the CCSS<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The adoption <span class="apple-style-span">of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) by all but
four states presents an unprecedented opportunity for publishers and authors. For
the first time, teachers across the nation are teaching the same English
standards. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What are the Common Core State
Standards? </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The CCSS are specific benchmarks, divided by
grade level, that students should master by the end of each year in a certain
subject. At this point, there are only standards for Language Arts and Math.
The L.A. standards are divided into Reading, Writing, Speaking and
Listening, and Language. They are pretty specific. For instance,
one of the Reading Standards for 8th grade reads:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span class="apple-tab-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <em> </em></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>3. Determine a theme or
central idea of a text and </em><span class="apple-style-span"><em>analyze its
development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the
characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the
text.</em> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">How do you align a book to
the CCSS?</span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
Provide teachers with a comprehensive curriculum guide that includes context
vocabulary, spiraled chapter questions, short</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">but</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">engaging</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">writing prompts, and related informational
text. A good portion of what is in the curriculum guide should reflect
the CCSS. An aligned curriculum guide is more than a few pages (ours are
30 + ) and provides the handouts, activity prompts, and</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">specific lessons</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">that teachers NEED to teach a novel.
For examples, check out the guide for Jill Corcoran’s <a href="http://static.squarespace.com/static/500e3767e4b052f1454334cb/t/50b508b4e4b0c8f829492b3e/1354041524699/DARE%20TO%20DREAM%20Curriculum%20Guide%20Final.pdf" target="_blank">Dare to Dream . . . Change the World</a> or Erin Fry’s <a href="http://erinmfry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Curriculum-Guide-for-6th-and-7th-grades.pdf" target="_blank">Losing It</a>.</span></span><br />
<br />
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</div>
<span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Why should publishers and
authors provide a curriculum guide to teachers? </span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">School districts,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">librarians,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and teachers will be more apt to buy
classroom sets of new books if they have the materials to teach them. Teachers
love teaching new novels but they rarely do, because it takes many hours of
preparation. If publishers or authors lift this burden from teachers,
especially now with the adoption of the CCSS,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">those books are more likely to make their way
into the hands of students and classrooms.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Don’t publishers already
create curriculum guides? </span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Not really. Sometimes a publisher or author
provides a page of discussion questions or</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">general suggestions of things to do with
students while reading a book. While these can be good starting points for
teachers, they aren't usually standards-based, nor are they as valuable as a
well-written curriculum guide that truly guides teachers through a book or
novel. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In future posts, we’ll look
more closely at what exactly curriculum guide looks like and the steps it takes
to create one. A really good CG, like any solid curriculum, takes time to
develop—as well as a working knowledge of the standards, how teachers teach,
and how students learn.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Nicole and Erin feel
passionately that standards-based curriculum can be teacher-friendly, engage
students, AND be pedagogically sound. Stick with us as we show you what that
looks like.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228932882174569983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8498372162667878225.post-64425253169106288852012-12-04T09:36:00.002-08:002012-12-09T17:09:17.218-08:00Have No Fear . . . Common Core and Writers
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Fiction writers have viewed the adoption of the
Common Core standards with skepticism. And maybe with good reason. These new
standards require teachers to focus much more time on Informational text. Staff
lounges and department meetings across the country are also abuzz right now
with what this means for curricula.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">In actuality, the document and its standards are well organized,
well-written, and a realistic interpretation of what we want kids to know and
do at the end of each school year. For us, curriculum writers and teachers, the
CCSS are refreshing. The adoption of the CCSS by all but 5 states is merely an
outgrowth of a decades long push to incorporate standards-based teaching into
schools. There were (and actually still are) 50 distinct state standards for
major subject areas. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Now, we have ONE set of standards for math and English for most of
the country. Finally, we in the education world can talk the same talk and
collaborate on promoting best practices. </span><span style="color: black;">But what does this mean for the Kid Lit writer?
Should we all polish up our research skills and make the leap to nonfiction?
Will kids even be reading literature in the classrooms anymore? </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">This is a wonderful opportunity for writers to
create standards-based curriculum for their books that applies to a wide number
of classrooms. Before the CCSS, it was kind of a toss-up whether to align to
California or New York or maybe Texas or Massachusetts. Now, it's a one-size
fits all deal.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">In January, we'll take a “tour” of the CCSS
through a series of blog posts. We’ll walk you through the main components of
the document and point out ways that you can tie them into your novels. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Transition is always hard and always scary.
Usually something is gained and lost as well. We won't really know until we
have all officially transitioned, which is still a year away. But we don't
think it's something we need to fear. We think it's something we need to
embrace. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228932882174569983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8498372162667878225.post-86941990183406769802012-11-24T09:22:00.004-08:002012-11-26T15:10:10.536-08:00The Common Core and Children's AuthorsWith the adoption and transition to the common core standards, teachers across
the country are going to be looking for new ways to cover these more detailed
student learning objectives. This is an opportune time for authors to get their
books in teachers' hands, which equates to greater sales, more opportunities for
speaking engagements, and longevity. Having a curriculum guide that accompanies
your book sweetens the deal for most teachers.<br />
<b><br /></b><b>What is a
curriculum guide?</b> A solid curriculum guide includes all the necessary
components for teaching a novel in an engaging way, while still reflecting the
Common Core Standards. The most useful guides are those that are explicitly
tied to the standards; pull out key, grade-appropriate vocabulary; offer a wide
assortment of engaging activities for students to be involved in; contain
thoughtful and spiraled discussion questions; and have at least one writing
prompt. What's most helpful to a teacher--who is juggling so much already--is
to give them handouts and activities they can plug directly into their
curriculum.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Why is it important for an author?</b> Teachers love
teaching new novels, but any new work requires hours of preparation on the part
of the teacher. A teacher has to divide up the reading of the chapters, create
engaging chapter questions, uncover examples of various literary techniques, and
develop at least one in depth, holistic assignment with a solid assessment.
All of this work needs to reflect the standards (in most cases the Common Core
Standards) and fit into a certain time period. Needless to say, teachers simply
don't have the time to teach new novels too often. <br />
<br />
<b>How do I create
one for my book?</b> Starting in January 2013, Nicole and Erin will be doing a blog series where they will talk about the importance of the
CCSS, and the basics of curriculum guides. You can check out some of their
samples and model your guide after theirs. Or you can contact them and let them
help you out.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07228932882174569983noreply@blogger.com0