Serving Up “Novel” Ideas With a Dash of Common Core

1. Serving Up “Novel” Ideas With a Dash of Common Core Presented by: Audrey Anders and Mandy Perret Woodlawn Middle School

2. The Kill-a-Reader Casserole • Take one large novel. Dice into as many pieces as possible. • Douse with sticky notes • Remove book from oven every five minutes and insert worksheets • Add more sticky notes • Baste until novel is unrecognizable, fare beyond well done. • Serve in choppy, bite-size chunks From Kelly Gallageher, Readicide

3. Problems with teaching novels • Students focus on vocabulary instead of content • Teachers do not offer a variety of novels/activities at different levels • Teachers often inject their own view instead of allowing students to interpret stories on their own. • Making sure it is of high literary merit/rigor

4. Our Recipe • Start with choices of varied novels • Add a dash of excitement • Blend in motivation and discussion • Allow to simmer for a few days • Served with a side of comprehension and enjoyment • Allow for an exciting menu of tasks • Text-based questions to facilitate reading and responding practice

5. Activity One • Analyze text for rigor and relevance

6. Appetizers-Pre-Reading Activities • Booktalks • Storytelling • Short Story/Children’s Books • Graphic Novels • Informational text • Based on common core…deemphasize • Teacher should not be sherpa

7. Informational Text vs. Non-fiction • Often the terms “informational text” and “nonfiction” are used interchangeably. I believe that they are not the same. I believe informational text is a subcategory/genre of nonfiction. Nonfiction includes any text that is factual. Informational text differs from other types of nonfiction. Informational text is meant to “convey information about the natural or social world, typically from someone presumed to know that information to someone presumed not to, with particular linguistic features such as headings and technical vocabulary to help accomplish that purpose” (Duke & Bennett-Armistead).

8. In that sense, it explains how autobiographies/ biographies, recipes, how-to-do texts, and personal narratives are not informational texts but are non-fiction text. Informational text tends to be more general and less personal or changing over time. It seems to include facts that won’t change. Although both are expository texts there are still differences that classify them differently. Source: Duke, N. K., & Bennett-Armistead, V. S., with A. Huxley, D. McLurkin, E. M. Roberts, C. Rosen, & E. Vogel (2003). Reading and writing informational text in the primary grades: Research-based practices. New York: Scholastic.

9. What is a booktalk? • You want to give enough of the plot to interest the listeners but you are not giving a summary of the book. • You don't want to give away the ending or important parts. • You want to highlight the interesting points. • It is a great idea to include certain passages for your listeners to grab their interest and make them want to read the book. • It is great to end with a cliffhanger. • Booktalks are done for the whole class presented orally and with the book in hand.

10. How does it work? • Choose 3-4 books that fit into the genre/unit of study. • Present the books all on the same day • Have students pick the book that most interests them. • Break those groups into literature circles/book clubs/ or discussion buddies/groups

11. Storytelling • As a folk art, storytelling is accessible to all ages and abilities. • No special equipment beyond the imagination and the power of listening and speaking is needed to create artistic images. • As a learning tool, storytelling can encourage students to explore their unique expressiveness and can heighten a student's ability to communicate thoughts and feelings in an articulate, lucid manner. • These benefits transcend the art experience to support daily life skills. In our fast-paced, media-driven world, storytelling can be a nurturing way to remind children that their spoken words are powerful, that listening is important, and that clear communication between people is an art. • Guest speakers can do the talking for you. http://www.storyarts.org/classroom/index.html

12. Short Stories/Children’s Book/Graphic Novels • Great hook for novels! • Can relate to theme of the books • Allows all reading abilities to participate • Makes students more comfortable • Accessible to students of all levels

13. Main Course-During Reading Activities • Literature Circles/Book Groups • Focus Questions-Higher Order • Response Journals/Text Based Questions • Slow it down to include informational text • Discussion-whole class/individual • Reading/Writing Workshops • Visual Representations of Understanding-charts and graph

14. Reading Workshop • Richard Allington believes that effective elementary literacy instruction incorporates six common features.  He labels them as the Six Ts. • They are time, texts, teaching, talk, tasks, and testing.  • His many studies make it clear that students need lots of time to read. It's also important that the time spent reading is done in texts that are "just right" for the students. Explicit teaching of reading strategies and skills followed by meaningful tasks are at the heart of what he believes readers need. He also emphasizes the importance of providing time for readers to engage in authentic talk about their books. Finally, he believes testing should not be used to define students but rather to guide a teacher's instruction so that she can help her readers grow. 

15. Reading Workshop • I believe wholeheartedly in the philosophy of reading workshop because, if executed effectively, it allows teachers to seamlessly incorporate these Six Ts into their reading instruction on a daily basis. While it has taken me years to feel entirely comfortable with this reading workshop, I can't imagine another way of teaching reading that would as effectively meet the needs of my readers.

16. Writing Workshop • Mini-Lesson (5-15minutes1) A short lesson focused on a single topicthat students need help with. You don’t need to give a mini-lesson each day; 2-3 times a week is usually just fine. • 􏰣 Status of the Class (2-5minutes) A quick way of finding out what eachstudent is working on. • 􏰣 Writing Time (20-45minutes or more!) Students write. You can write and/or conference with individual students or small groups. • 􏰣 Sharing (5-15minutes).Writers read what they have written and seekfeedback from their audience. This does not have to be the final draft. You can share your writing, too

17. Great Site • http://www.ttms.org/PDFs/05%20Writers%20Workshop%20v001%20(Full).pdf

18. Literature Circles • A Literature Circle is a reading activity that can be used at any grade level. Each group usually consists of 4 to 6 members who meet periodically to discuss the book using an assigned role which helps guide the group in a discussion of the title they are all reading. Roles can vary. Literature Circles provide an opportunity for students to control their own learning; to share thoughts, concerns and their understanding of the events of the novel.

19. Response Journals • These can be student made or store bought composition books • Students are assigned a certain amount of pages or chapters to read. • The student documents their opinions, feelings, confusions, connections to other literature or to their life, and any thing else they want to include onto a journal sheet. • This is collected at the end of the novel

20. Difference between theme and motifs • Theme is an overall idea… usually expressed in phrase form. • Cliché phrases make great themes • Motifs- a recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature. A motif may also be two contrasting elements in a work, such as good and evil.

21. CCSS (lets take a look) • http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf

22. Example Thematic Arrangement for an ELA class • 4th Nine Weeks • Theme: Respect is harder earned than lost • Writing Workshop: Free Choice/Response to literature • Other Writings: Speech • Novels, Stories, Poems, Drama Covered: • Ruby Bridges by Ruby Bridges • Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry • Political Cartoons • “Letters from Birmingham Jail” Martin L. King, Jr. • “Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln • Other speeches-listening using YouTube and LPB • “Oh, Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman • “I too, sing America” by Langston Hughes • “The Railway Train” by Emily Dickenson • The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton

23. Fosters Independence • NO more we can’t/they can’t • Set high limits/they will get it • I can/I will • No more handholding • Keep Scaffolding up/never take it down • Facilitator not the answer provider

24. Desserts-After Reading Activities • Task Menu • Tic-Tac-Toe/100’s chart-more rigor and relevance • Body Biography • Debate • ABC Summary with Text Based Evidence • Reader’s Theatre/Radio Show (ties in goals of CCSS on speaking and listening.

25. Theme is important • The students will be reading such a variety of text; it is imperative that they are connect in some way. We should not be tied to genre. Emphasize theme based text to relate items. • Fiction needs to still be available but informational text helps support it.

26. Body Biography

27. Motivation Techniques • Choice • Text variety • Cross-Curricular/Thematic Learning • SSR-Reading Program • 60% of classroom time is class discussion per CCSS instead

28. Suggested Websites for Great Booklists • Reluctant Readers • http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/quickpicks/qphome.cfm • On Grade Level Readers • http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklistsbook.cfm • Gifted Readers • http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/271807/bestloved_books_a_unique_reading_list_pg2.html?cat=4

29. Gallery Walk

30. Questions • If you have questions after you leave the presentation please email us at • mperret1@ebrschools.org -Mandy Perret • aanders@ebrschools.org -Audrey Anders

31. Bon Appétit!