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Teaching the CCSS in History and Science Classrooms

Page history last edited by Bill 9 years, 6 months ago

Teaching the Common Core State Standards in History and Science Classrooms

 

Direct link to this resource collection:   http://bit.ly/r4CCSSWorkshop 

 

 Dropbox Folder with Workshop Materials: http://bit.ly/CCSSWorkshopMaterials

 

In 2010, the National Governor's Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers released a set of common standards designed to define what today's students need to know and be able to do in order to thrive in tomorrow's world.  Adopted by 45 states, these standards are designed to move classroom instruction away from a focus on the simple acquisition of basic facts and towards the more meaningful application of higher level cognitive skills.  While standards are clearly defined for Mathematics and English-Language Arts teachers, many social studies and science teachers at the middle and high school level have struggled to figure out just what the Common Core State Standards mean for them.  

 

In this workshop, full-time practicing sixth grade science teacher Bill Ferriter will introduce participants to several simple ways that the Common Core State Standards can be integrated into the work that social studies and science teachers are already doing with their students.

 

Participants will: 

 

    • Examine the Common Core State Standards, looking for overlap between the kinds of reading, writing, speaking and listening skills that they are currently teaching and the kinds of skills defined in the new standards.

    • Learn to use thinking skills like evaluation, analysis, comparing and contrasting and determining -- skills that have long played a role in social studies and science classrooms -- as a starting point for integrating Common Core standards into classroom practice.

    • Recognize the important role that social studies and science teachers can play in addressing the Speaking and Listening standards defined by the Common Core.

    • Explore simple reading, writing, speaking and listening strategies that can be integrated into daily instruction.  

    • Be introduced to digital tools that can help students to practice Common Core thinking skills.   

 

Recommended Audience:  This workshop is specifically designed for classroom teachers, professional developers and instructional resource teachers working in at the middle and high school level.

 


 

 

Handouts for Today's Workshop

Complete Workshop Material Collection (pdf)

 

This link connects to a PDF version of every handout that participants will explore during this workshop.  It is HIGHLY recommended that participants print a hard-copy of this file out to use during our time together.  While every handout is posted electronically in this session wiki, navigating the hard-copy can be easier than navigating the wiki for many participants.

 

 

Slides for Today's Workshop

Slides for CCSS Workshop

 

While session presenter Bill Ferriter doesn't spend a ton of time working through slides in his presentations, participants can download the slides for today's workshop by clicking on the link above.  

 

 

 

 

Introductory Activities

 

Knowledge Cafe - Defining Literacy

Handouts - Word Doc

Handouts - PDF

 

Most people would agree that a fundamental purpose of schools is to develop literate citizens – but what exactly does it mean to be literate?  How would you define literacy? Thinking through the lens of your subject area, what kinds of things should literate citizens be able to do?  Are there new skills that literate citizens need to master?  What are they?  How well do you think schools are doing at preparing students for this new reality?  To begin our workshop, we will engage in a Knowledge Cafe to develop a deeper understanding of just what literacy looks like in action. 

 

 

Reflecting on the Definition of Literacy

Handouts - Word Doc

Handouts - PDF

 

Once our Knowledge Cafe is over, participants will use this handout to (1). summarize their final thinking and (2). examine the kinds of literacy skills defined in the Common Core State Standards.  

 

 

 

Quick and Easy CCSS Speaking and Listening Strategies

 

In a world where acrimonious debate has nearly replaced reasoned dialogue between individuals with conflicting viewpoints, the Speaking and Listening standards defined by the Common Core are some of the most important standards for history and science teachers -- subjects often driven by controversy -- to integrate into their practice.  Recognizing that literacy depends on the willingness and ability of individuals to engage in an intellectual give-and-take with others, the Common Core expects that students will be able to build new understandings together through respectful academic discussions where positions are supported by evidence and argued persuasively.  

 

In this portion of the workshop, we will (1). discuss what "effective participation in respectful academic discussions" looks like in action, (2). develop a shared rubric that can be used to score student participation in academic conversations and (3). examine two tools that can be used to support student development of effective conversation behaviors.

 

Click here to view Session Resources

 

 

  

 

Quick and Easy CCSS Thinking Strategies

 

In How to Teach Thinking Skills Within the Common Core, James Bellanca, Robin Fogarty and Brian Pete make a surprisingly simple argument:  Integrating the Common Core State Standards into your classroom can be as easy as introducing students to a structured process for tackling the kinds of thinking skills that already play a major role in most social studies and science classrooms.  Because the new standards ask students to compare and contrast, analyze, determine and evaluate again and again, emphasizing these skills in the classroom can help your students to make progress towards mastering the new curriculum. 

 

In this portion of the workshop, we will (1). examine Bellanca, Fogarty & Pete's strategies for systematically teaching thinking skills, (2). practice applying one of Bellanca, Fogarty & Pete's strategies and (3). examine additional lessons that session presenter Bill Ferriter has developed based on Bellanca, Fogarty and Pete's work.

 

Click here to view Session Resources

 

 

 

 

Quick and Easy CCSS Reading Strategies

 

For many social studies and science teachers, the most intimidating part of integrating the Common Core State Standards into our instructional practice is figuring out how to support students as they learn to read increasingly complex nonfiction text.  The fact of the matter, however, is that the kinds of strategies students must master in order to understand the text-based content introduced in our classrooms are far from intimidating.  

 

In this portion of the workshop, we will (1). tackle a reading task that incorporates several skills that the Common Core expects students to be able to handle when working with nonfiction content and (2). examine two nonfiction reading strategies that session presenter Bill Ferriter uses in his classroom to support student learners.

 

Click here to view Session Resources

 

 

 

 

Quick and Easy CCSS Writing Strategies

 

For many social studies and science teachers, integrating Common Core Writing Standards can be pretty darn intimidating too!  While we are all generally comfortable asking our students to complete writing assignments in class, we are also generally uncomfortable developing student writers.  The good news is that there are specific steps that science and social studies teachers can take to integrate CCSS writing skills into their work with students.  

 

In this portion of the workshop, we will (1). review the writing expectations laid out by the CCSS and (2). examine two writing strategies that session presenter Bill Ferriter uses in his classroom to support student learners.

 

Click here to view Session Resources

 

 

 

 


Quick and Easy CCSS Technology Strategies

 

One of session presenter Bill Ferriter's passions is finding ways to give students opportunities to use digital tools to practice essential skills.  To that end, he's constantly developing tech-driven learning experiences centered around the Common Core.  In this portion of the workshop, we will examine the role that two free #edtech tools can play in introducing students to skills required by the Common Core.

 

Click here to view Session Resources

 

 

 

 

 

Final Reflections: SWOT Analysis on Integrating CCSS Skills into Instruction

Handouts - Word Doc

Handouts - PDF

 

 

Let’s take a few minutes to reflect on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that you will face when working to integrate Common Core skills and lessons into YOUR classroom practices and/or the classroom practices of the teachers that you are currently working with.  Use the template linked above to guide your thinking.  Then, work with partners to answer the following questions:

 

  • Did members of your reflective group identify any strengths and/or opportunities that you hadn't considered?  Are those strengths and/or opportunities available to you?  Are they strengths and/or opportunities that you can cultivate? 
  • Are there any common patterns in the weaknesses and/or threats that members of your reflective group anticipate facing as they work to integrate CCSS skills into their classroom practice?  Can you identify potential solutions to any of those weaknesses and/or threats?   
  • Whose support will you want and/or need in order to successfully move forward with your efforts to integrate CCSS skills into your classroom practice?  Are they already on board?  How will getting them on board make integrating CCSS skills into your classroom practice easier?

 

 

 

 

Related Common Core Resources

 

Participants in this two day workshop may find the following Common Core resources worthwhile.  Much of what session presenter Bill Ferriter knows about teaching the Common Core in History and Science classes comes from these sources.

 

Click here to view Related Resources

 

 

 

 

 

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