The Curriculum Corner
Where curriculum, instruction, and assessment meet!
STRATEGY STREET
Integrate Writing Across the Curriculum
Jaclyn Wells with the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides an introduction into the 'Writing Across the Curriculum' movement.
Writing across the curriculum is a pedagogical movement that began in the 1980s. Generally, writing across the curriculum programs share the philosophy that writing instruction should happen across the academic community and throughout a student's undergraduate education. Writing across the curriculum programs also value writing as a method of learning. Finally, writing across the curriculum acknowledges the differences in writing conventions across the disciplines, and believes that students can best learn to write in their areas by practicing those discipline-specific writing conventions. WAC-designated courses tend to apply one or both of the following approaches.
Writing to Learn (WTL)
This pedagogical approach values writing as a method of learning. When students write reactions to information received in class or in reading, they often comprehend and retain the information better. Writing can also help students work through confusing new ideas and apply what they learn to their own lives and interests. Also, because students write more frequently, they become more comfortable with writing and are able to maintain or even improve upon their writing skills. WTL assignments are typically short and informal and can be performed either in or out of class. Examples include writing and reading journals, summaries, response papers, learning logs, problem analyses, and more.
Writing in the Disciplines (WID)
This approach recognizes that each discipline has its own unique language conventions, format, and structure. In other words, the style, organization, and format that is acceptable in one discipline may not be at all acceptable in another. WID believes that to participate successfully in the academic discourse of their community, students must be taught discipline-specific conventions and should practice using these conventions. Some common WID assignments are reports, literature reviews, project proposals, and lab reports. WID assignments can also be combined with WTL activities to help students think through key concepts, ideas, and language of in their disciplines.
LITERACY LANE
Writing in ELA - Using Metaphor Writing to Deepen Student Understanding in the Content Areas
Thanks to Mimi Herman, writer, teaching artist, and consultant. for visiting the district last week and working with teachers regarding how to best use metaphor to teach science through poetry and extended metaphor. Mimi's process is not complicated. After teaching students what a metaphor is and how they can help us make connections and shape understanding, have students brainstorm a topic that they know well (for example, household items). Then, have students brainstorm what they have learned or think they know about a science concept (or past or current event). Students begin making connections between the two concepts by way of metaphors.
Examples include:
A tornado is a vacuum cleaner.
The water cycle is a dishwasher.
Respiration is an air conditioner.
Our nervous system is the wiring.
A wetland is a sponge.
Students are then asked to extend the metaphor into a piece of writing, perhaps even poetry. Of course with any writing, we reinforce the writing process and allow for collaboration and conversation.
**Thanks to the Kennedy Center Partnership for bringing Mimi to SMSD.
Other Metaphor teaching resources:
Mathematics Highway
Writing in Math - Start Small, Finish Big
The Standards of Mathematical Practice provide avenues for writing in the math classroom. Explaining, justifying a solution, and critiquing the reasoning of others can be done as written exercises. Consider these tips from Edutopia to encourage writing during math:
Tip #1: Start Small
If you currently do no writing in the math class, start with just one sentence. When you ask a question, rather than just having students raise hands and you picking one volunteer, have every student in the class write a sentence. This way, students can be active and can get the feel of writing about math.
Tip #2: Read in Math Class
Have students read articles about math. When students get a feel for what writing about math can look like, they will be able to do it better themselves. Checkout Newsela's Math Text Set for math articles.
Tip #3: Have Students Keep a Math Journal
In their math journals, students can write about things they are having trouble with or things that they've figured out. Putting these thoughts into words can help students get a more concrete handle on the logic of their ideas.
Tip #4: Do Some of Your Own Writing
To understand the writing process, teachers have to write also. Start by writing about your family or yourself. Get "uncomfortable" as you try to make your writing efficient and interesting. Just as students are uncomfortable doing unfamiliar math, teachers should experience that same feeling of being out of their comfort zone, and writing is a good way to do that.
Science Boulevard
Writing in Science - Quick Write to New Heights
4-2-1 Free Write
1. After a reading, lecture, or other learning experience, ask students to generate the four most important ideas.
2. Have students meet in pairs to share their ideas and agree on the two most important ideas from their lists.
3. Pair up the pairs into groups of four. Each group must agree on the single most important idea. Depending on students’ facility with this process, you may choose to survey students’ ideas, record them on the board, and then identify (or refine) the most important idea with the class.
4. Ask all students to free-write about the big idea for three to five minutes, explaining what they know well enough that someone who has never heard of the idea could understand it. Students may not stop writing at any point during the allotted time. If they get stuck, they should write about why they are stuck.
5. Students return to their groups, listen to one another’s responses, and participate in a class discussion of the big idea.
Jot Thoughts on Phenomena
To hook students at the beginning of a unit, select an image of phenomena (find images at: Phenomena for NGSS). Share the image with students and provide each child with several sticky notes, scraps of paper, white board, etc. The teacher will start out by naming a topic, setting a time limit, and will provide THINK TIME before students start writing. For example, by observing the picture below, what conclusions can you come up with? Students write and announce as many ideas as they can in the time given. One idea per slip of paper. Each slip of paper is placed in the center of the table. Students will attempt to cover the table with all slips, but none of them overlap each other.
Social Studies Parkway
Writing in Social Studies: Getting on the Bus of Justice
https://www.nwp.org/cs/public/download/nwp_file/10525/moment_of_understanding.pdf?x-r=pcfile_d
Also, if you are looking for Kansas Day resources. Check out this presentation created by our very own Kristy Nerstheimer which is also published on the Kansas Historical Society's website. http://www.kshs.org/educate/pdfs/2017_kansas_day_story.pdf
Tips to Support our English Language Learners
ELL Instructional Tips:
- Lookout for Confusing Terms. Be aware of concepts or vocabulary in a lesson that may be confusing or unfamiliar so you can provide additional support. Terms like before, after, more than, choose the one that is not the answer can all be difficult for your ELL students. If we can anticipate problem areas before we come to them and be prepared to clarify as we teach it saves so much time that we would need to spend re-teaching or clarifying later.
- Use Visual Scaffolding. The language used in instruction is made more understandable by the display of drawings or photographs that allow students to hear English words and connect them to visual images. Think: identifying vocabulary, collecting visuals, reproducing and organizing visuals, engaging students, and building files.
Teacher-Directed Professional Development Opportunities
WATCH!
Apple Classroom Tutorial presented by Abby Howe, iCoach at Sunflower & McAuliffe
READ!
The Core Six: Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence with the Common Core
by Harvey Silver, Matthew J. Perini, and R. Thomas Dewing
ATTEND!
Blended Learning with Redbird Math
January 25 at the CAA
Register through the Staff Development webpage under Catalogue Courses
Assessing and Grading English Language Learners
January 29 at the CAA
Register through the Staff Development webpage under Catalogue Courses
News & Events
R&D Forum
Please consider joining us for the 55th annual Shawnee Mission Research and Development Forum, an event held each spring. The Research & Development (R&D) Forum has five defined areas that students in grades 4-12 may enter. R&D Forum entries may receive one of several types of awards, including trophies, scholarships, and/or ribbons based on the level of the awards. Please feel free to encourage and support students who are interested in submitting projects. Online registration opens on March 5.
When and where is the 2018 R&D Forum held?
The R&D Forum is open to the public. It will be held at Shawnee Mission West High School, located at 8800 West 85th Street, Shawnee Mission, KS 66212 on Saturday May 5.
Friday, May 4
Project Drop Off (Times TBD)
6:00-8:00 PM Project Judging
Saturday, May 5
8:00-4:00 Open to the Public
4:00pm Awards Ceremony and Project Pick-up at SM West High School
More information is available on the R&D web page - http://www.smsd.org/parents/pages/rd-forum.aspx
Please watch for additional details and updates in January.
About Us
Website: http://curriculum.smsd.org/elem/Pages/default.aspx
Location: Center for Academic Acievement
Phone: 913-993-8653