ELA Weekly:
May 2 - May 6
Curriculum Manager Announcements
Summer Reading Webinar
ELA 6/7/11/12
- Facilitator: Colleen Stearns
- BlueJeans Link: https://bluejeans.com/2872300923/browser
ELA 8/9/10
- Facilitor: George D. Galindo
- BlueJeans Link: https://bluejeans.com/1026849362/browser
Summer Reading Program
PART I: Independent Reading Philosophy
As a district, we know that a student’s ability to effectively read, engage with, and analyze a text is key to ensuring their life-long success in academics and beyond. According to Nancie Atwell, author of In the Middle and The Reading Zone, and winner of the Varkey Foundation’s inaugural Global Teacher Prize, it is “frequent, voluminous book reading that makes readers. [Students who read frequently] build fluency, stamina, vocabulary, confidence, critical abilities, habits, tastes, and comprehension” (Atwell, 2010). A key tenant of Independent Reading is student choice. Rather than the district choosing one book for all students to read, students will choose a book that interests them, at their reading level, from a list of approximately forty different works. This is a departure from previous years because we know that students are more motivated to read when they have choice, and campuses sometimes do not agree with the district-chosen book.
PART II: Summer Reading Program Booklist
Please refer to the attached excel document which outlines the approved independent reading books per grade level. The books were chosen from a list of books referenced on the AP Literature & Composition exam, as well as lists published annually for educators as guides to works of literary merit. Each grade level represents a wide range of Lexile levels and interests (both fiction and nonfiction).
Note: Each grade level has appropriately 40 books of literary merit from which students can choose for their independent reading. Lexile level, maturity, and cultural relevance were factors taken into consideration when selecting titles for each grade level.
PART III: Required Informational Webinar
There will be a required informational webinar for all ELA teachers and it is strongly recommended that campus leaders attend as well.
The information for the webinars is provided below:
Objective: Teachers and campus leaders will understand the overall vision for Independent Reading for the 2016-17 school year. Teachers and campus leaders will understand how Summer Reading fits into the overall Independent Reading program, and will understand how students will be assessed on their summer reading novel.
Date: Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Time: 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm
ELA 6/7/11/12
Facilitator: Colleen Stearns
BlueJeans Link: https://bluejeans.com/2872300923/browser
ELA 8/9/10
Facilitator: George D. Galindo
BlueJeans Link: https://bluejeans.com/1026849362/browser
Part IV: Ordering Books
How campuses choose to order texts is specific to their budget and department. However, we strongly recommend providing students with choice from the provided list.
Some suggestions for this first year include:
The ELA teacher chooses approximately 10 titles from the approved list. He/she then provides this list to students, and students choose their book for Summer Reading. The campus then orders the books chosen.
The ELA teacher chooses approximately 10 titles from the approved list and orders 10-12 copies of each title. Students then choose their novel from the books ordered.
PART V: Summer Reading Assessment
The Summer Reading Assessment is designed to assess any work from the approved list. Students will complete a Lighthouse Log with key text components during the first days of school, and then students will write a literary analysis essay over one of the components of the Log. The webinar on May 4th will provide specific details about the assignment and the essay, as well as the plan to train teachers on both of these assessments.
6th Grade ELA
Content: Students will continue reviewing all reading skills during the STAAR Success Unit. Teachers will use IA3 data, BWA data, and the Reading STAAR Success Guide to develop daily lessons to review for the Reading STAAR. Teachers received additional strategies and lesson resources at Course Collaboration 4B. Also, Lead4Ward Relevant Review materials have been placed on the Hub for all teachers to access:
ELA_6th Grade_STAAR Success_Relevant Review Materials
We have a shared folder on the Hub as well, within the STAAR Success folder, with all of the lessons that were created at Course Collaboration 4. Each of the lessons has been organized according to genre, and there are a lot to choose from! Teachers should use the STAAR Success Guide as a roadmap for what students will need to be able to do on the STAAR. There are also some great resources provided on the Guide that provide additional classroom instructional support.
Assessments: The STAAR Success Unit Bi-Weekly Assessment has been posted to the Hub and teachers may administer it at any time during the 3-week STAAR Success Unit. The assessment is a paired passage; students will read a fiction passage and an expository passage, and answer questions over each passage individually, and then answer questions that require students to make text connections (Fig 19F). This assessment is significantly longer than previous BWAs, so teachers may opt to administer it over the course of a few class periods. The administration date and format is a campus decision.
Webinar: The next 6th grade ELA Webinar will be on Wednesday, May 4th. Teachers and campus leaders will receive an overview of ELA Initiatives for 2016-17, with a specific focus on Summer Reading expectations.
Archived Webinars: Please visit the links below to view previous webinars.
- April 20th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9vR9/
- April 6th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9qzx/
- February 24th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9clM/
- February 10th: https://bluejeans.com/s/97i0/
- January 27th: https://bluejeans.com/s/92s@/
- January 13th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8@hm/
- December 2nd: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Thh/
- November 11th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Okg/
- October 28th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Kvp/
- September 30th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8E2z/
- September 16th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8AMZ/
7th Grade ELA
Content: Students will continue reviewing all reading skills during the STAAR Success Unit. Teachers will use IA3 data, BWA data, and the Reading STAAR Success Guide to develop daily lessons to review for the Reading STAAR. Teachers received additional strategies and lesson resources at Course Collaboration 4B. Also, Lead4Ward Relevant Review materials have been placed on the Hub for all teachers to access:
ELA_7th Grade_STAAR Success_Relevant Review Materials
We have a shared folder on the Hub as well, within the STAAR Success folder, with all of the lessons that were created at Course Collaboration 4. Each of the lessons has been organized according to genre, and there are a lot to choose from! Teachers should use the STAAR Success Guide as a roadmap for what students will need to be able to do on the STAAR. There are also some great resources provided on the Guide that provide additional classroom instructional support.
Assessments: The STAAR Success Unit Bi-Weekly Assessment has been posted to the Hub and teachers may administer it at any time during the 3-week STAAR Success Unit. The assessment is a paired passage; students will read a poem and an expository passage, and answer questions over each passage individually, and then answer questions that require students to make text connections (Fig 19F). This assessment is significantly longer than previous BWAs, so teachers may opt to administer it over the course of a few class periods. The administration date and format is a campus decision.
Webinar: The next 7th grade ELA Webinar will be on Wednesday, May 4th. Teachers and campus leaders will receive an overview of ELA Initiatives for 2016-17, with a specific focus on Summer Reading expectations.
Archived Webinars:
April 20th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9vR3/
April 6th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9qzH/
February 24th: no webinar
February 10th: https://bluejeans.com/s/97hY/
January 27th: https://bluejeans.com/s/92t2/
January 13th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8@hA/
December 2nd: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Thi/
November 11th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Okf/
October 28th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Kw6/
September 30th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8E2D/
September 16th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8AN7/
September 2nd: https://bluejeans.com/s/8zrR/
- August 19th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8zrU/
8th Grade ELA
Plans for Re-teaching Resource:
- A one-pager has been created that outlines five key strategies/suggestions when preparing your approach to re-teach content to students who did not meet the Level II passing standard on the March STAAR ELA administration.
- Please review the document and apply to your plan as you see fit.
Summer Reading Program: Please refer to the Summer Reading Overview (PDF) and Summer Reading Booklist (Excel Spreadsheet) sent to your email last week, and/or re-read the Curriculum Manager Announcement section at the top of the ELA Weekly. We are looking forward to our new and exciting approach and know it is going to bring a new face to independent reading at IDEA Public Schools!
Content: Constructing the MLA research paper in sections, receiving feedback, and unpacking the IOP Rubric are key actions this week.
- The Unit Road Map outlines the specific objectives that should be covered on each particular day.
- Last week, students constructed their outline and begin writing their MLA paper. This week, students will complete their MLA paper and receive feedback from teachers and peers.
- Note: When using peer-to-peer editing, set up clear expectations on what each student should be looking for within their partner's work. Sending them off without modeling the process for the class is guaranteeing only minor changes to be done to their work. As the teacher, model what this looks like for students before sending them off to complete their revisions.
- Tip: As the teacher, you can either select groups and set time limits for each rotation, or set up stations that each student will visit. At each station, their is an action that must take place. For example, Station 1 (Content Check), Station 2 (MLA Format), Station 3 (Capitalization), etc. You as the teacher have the autonomy to decide what this will look like in your classroom.
- IOP: This week, you will also unpack the IOP Rubric for students. This process is similar to the "Unpacking the Assessment" process; however, you are using the content of the IOP rubric. Please make it clear to students, in order to receive a high score, their must be full audience participation in the presentation section.
- A quick overview is provided below: 3 sections, each worth 10 points, a total possible score of 30 points.
- Resources Available: Refer to the MLA Resources tab on the Hub for a step-by-step criteria for MLA formatting as well as an MLA student exemplar. In addition to the MLA resources, their is an IOP tab which provides the rubric and an additional guide to help students as they unpack and create their presentations.
Assessments: Please note, there will not be any Bi-Weekly or Interim Assessments for Quarter 4.
- Rationale: The focus for this quarter is the MLA research paper and IOP. As a curriculum team, we wanted to place emphasis on these two critical components and did not want to add additional stress or take time from the scope and sequence. If you have any specific questions regarding assessments for Quarter 4, please contact George D. Galindo.
Webinar: The next ELA Webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, May 4 from 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm. This webinar will be lead by George D. Galindo and will cover all components of the Summer Reading Program. All ELA 8-10 will be on the following BlueJeans Link:
Archived Webinars: Please visit the links below to view previous webinars:
- April 6th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9r2h/
- March 9th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9jBq/
- February 24th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9b5j/
- January 27th: https://bluejeans.com/s/93au/
- January 13th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8_9A/
- December 16th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Xoz/
- November 11th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Oln/
- October 28th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Kvb/
- October 14th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Kva/
- September 30th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8D_S/
English I Pre-AP
Summer Reading Program: Please refer to the Summer Reading Overview (PDF) and Summer Reading Booklist (Excel Spreadsheet) sent to your email last week, and/or re-read the Curriculum Manager Announcement section at the top of the ELA Weekly. We are looking forward to our new and exciting approach and know it is going to bring a new face to independent reading at IDEA Public Schools!
Content: Constructing the MLA research paper in sections, receiving feedback, and unpacking the IOP Rubric are key actions this week.
- The Unit Road Map outlines the specific objectives that should be covered on each particular day.
- Last week, students constructed their outline and begin writing their MLA paper. This week, students will complete their MLA paper and receive feedback from teachers and peers.
- Note: When using peer-to-peer editing, set up clear expectations on what each student should be looking for within their partner's work. Sending them off without modeling the process for the class is guaranteeing only minor changes to be done to their work. As the teacher, model what this looks like for students before sending them off to complete their revisions.
- Tip: As the teacher, you can either select groups and set time limits for each rotation, or set up stations that each student will visit. At each station, their is an action that must take place. For example, Station 1 (Content Check), Station 2 (MLA Format), Station 3 (Capitalization), etc. You as the teacher have the autonomy to decide what this will look like in your classroom.
- IOP: This week, you will also unpack the IOP Rubric for students. This process is similar to the "Unpacking the Assessment" process; however, you are using the content of the IOP rubric. Please make it clear to students, in order to receive a high score, their must be full audience participation in the presentation section.
- A quick overview is provided below: 3 sections, each worth 10 points, a total possible score of 30 points.
- Resources Available: Refer to the MLA Resources tab on the Hub for a step-by-step criteria for MLA formatting as well as an MLA student exemplar. In addition to the MLA resources, their is an IOP tab which provides the rubric and an additional guide to help students as they unpack and create their presentations.
Assessments: Please note, there will not be any Bi-Weekly or Interim Assessments for Quarter 4.
- Rationale: The focus for this quarter is the MLA research paper and IOP. As a curriculum team, we wanted to place emphasis on these two critical components and did not want to add additional stress or take time from the scope and sequence. If you have any specific questions regarding assessments for Quarter 4, please contact George D. Galindo.
Webinar: The next ELA Webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, May 4 from 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm. This webinar will be lead by George D. Galindo and will cover all components of the Summer Reading Program. All ELA 8-10 will be on the following BlueJeans Link:
Archived Webinars: Please visit the links below to view previous webinars.
- February 24th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9b5j/
- January 13th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8_9A/
- December 16th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Xoz/
- November 11th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Oln/
- October 28th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Kvb/
- October 14th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Kva/
- September 30th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8D_U/
- September 16th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Av6/
- September 2nd: https://bluejeans.com/s/8D_V/
English II Pre-AP
Summer Reading Program: Please refer to the Summer Reading Overview (PDF) and Summer Reading Booklist (Excel Spreadsheet) sent to your email last week, and/or re-read the Curriculum Manager Announcement section at the top of the ELA Weekly. We are looking forward to our new and exciting approach and know it is going to bring a new face to independent reading at IDEA Public Schools!
Content: Constructing the MLA research paper in sections, receiving feedback, and unpacking the IOP Rubric are key actions this week.
- The Unit Road Map outlines the specific objectives that should be covered on each particular day.
- Last week, students constructed their outline and begin writing their MLA paper. This week, students will complete their MLA paper and receive feedback from teachers and peers.
- Note: When using peer-to-peer editing, set up clear expectations on what each student should be looking for within their partner's work. Sending them off without modeling the process for the class is guaranteeing only minor changes to be done to their work. As the teacher, model what this looks like for students before sending them off to complete their revisions.
- Tip: As the teacher, you can either select groups and set time limits for each rotation, or set up stations that each student will visit. At each station, their is an action that must take place. For example, Station 1 (Content Check), Station 2 (MLA Format), Station 3 (Capitalization), etc. You as the teacher have the autonomy to decide what this will look like in your classroom.
- IOP: This week, you will also unpack the IOP Rubric for students. This process is similar to the "Unpacking the Assessment" process; however, you are using the content of the IOP rubric. Please make it clear to students, in order to receive a high score, their must be full audience participation in the presentation section.
- A quick overview is provided below: 3 sections, each worth 10 points, a total possible score of 30 points.
- Resources Available: Refer to the MLA Resources tab on the Hub for a step-by-step criteria for MLA formatting as well as an MLA student exemplar. In addition to the MLA resources, their is an IOP tab which provides the rubric and an additional guide to help students as they unpack and create their presentations.
Assessments: Please note, there will not be any Bi-Weekly or Interim Assessments for Quarter 4.
- Rationale: The focus for this quarter is the MLA research paper and IOP. As a curriculum team, we wanted to place emphasis on these two critical components and did not want to add additional stress or take time from the scope and sequence. If you have any specific questions regarding assessments for Quarter 4, please contact George D. Galindo.
Webinar: The next ELA Webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, May 4 from 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm. This webinar will be lead by George D. Galindo and will cover all components of the Summer Reading Program. All ELA 8-10 will be on the following BlueJeans Link:
Archived Webinars: Please visit the links below to view previous webinars.
- February 24th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9b5j/
- January 13th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8_9A/
- December 16th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Xoz/
- November 11th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Oln/
- October 28th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Kvb/
- October 14th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Kva/
- September 30th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8D_U/
- September 16th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Av6/
- September 2nd: https://bluejeans.com/s/8D_V/
AP Language
Content: The Quarter 4 AP Success Guide and review documents have been posted to the Hub within the Quarter 4 folder. The purpose of the AP Language and Composition Success Unit is to set aside time for teachers to target and revisit those skills which need additional instructional time for mastery. To support that effort, the AP Success Guide will provide information about resources available for teachers to use for review of critical components of the AP Language & Composition course. Rather than a sequence of pre-determined lessons and objectives, teachers and campuses have the freedom to tailor instruction to student needs. Quarter 4 will consist of a teacher-driven Scope & Sequence so he/she may prioritize skills at a campus and/or classroom level. While daily lessons will not be provided, suggested resources are given within the Guide, and teachers spent Course Collaboration 4B exploring all available resources on the Hub and the NMSI website and establishing a plan for Quarter 4 instruction.
Assessments: Teachers have been provided with one multiple choice assessment, one synthesis essay prompt, one argument essay prompt, and one rhetorical analysis essay prompt, with scoring guides, designed to be administered as appropriate, according to the review plan established by each teacher. All assessments are located on the Hub in the Quarter 4 folder.
Webinar: The next AP Language Webinar will be on Wednesday, May 4th. Teachers and campus leaders will receive an overview of ELA Initiatives for 2016-17, with a specific focus on Summer Reading expectations.
Archived Webinars: Please use the links below to view previous webinars:
April 20th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9vQ_/
April 6th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9qzN/
February 24th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9clS/
February 10th: https://bluejeans.com/s/97hO/
January 27th: https://bluejeans.com/s/92t7/
November 11th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Okk/
October 28th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Kwa/
September 30th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8E2G/
September 16th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8ANu/
September 2nd: https://bluejeans.com/s/8zsh/
August 19th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8zsi/
AP Literature
Content: The Quarter 4 AP Success Guide and review documents have been posted to the Hub within the Quarter 4 folder. The purpose of the AP Literature and Composition Success Unit is to set aside time for teachers to target and revisit those skills which need additional instructional time for mastery. To support that effort, the AP Success Guide will provide information about resources available for teachers to use for review of critical components of the AP Literature & Composition course. Rather than a sequence of pre-determined lessons and objectives, teachers and campuses have the freedom to tailor instruction to student needs. Quarter 4 will consist of a teacher-driven Scope & Sequence so he/she may prioritize skills at a campus and/or classroom level. While daily lessons will not be provided, suggested resources are given within the Guide, and teachers spent Course Collaboration 4B exploring all available resources on the Hub and the NMSI website and establishing a plan for Quarter 4 instruction.
Assessments: Teachers have been provided with one multiple choice assessment, one prose analysis essay prompt, one poetry analysis essay prompt, and one open-ended essay prompt, with scoring guides, designed to be administered as appropriate, according to the review plan established by each teacher. All assessments are located on the Hub in the Quarter 4 folder.
Webinar: The next AP Literature Webinar will be on Wednesday, May 4th. Teachers and campus leaders will receive an overview of ELA Initiatives for 2016-17, with a specific focus on Summer Reading expectations.
Archived Webinars: Please use the links below to view previous webinars:
April 20th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9vQU/
April 6th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9qzZ/
February 24th: https://bluejeans.com/s/9clU/
February 10th: https://bluejeans.com/s/97hQ/
January 27th: https://bluejeans.com/s/92sT/
January 13th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8@jk/
December 2nd: https://bluejeans.com/s/8Thm/
October 28th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8KwI/
September 30th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8E2W/
September 16th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8ANI/ (Implementing timed writings in class/Integration of poetry during prose lessons)
September 2nd: https://bluejeans.com/s/8zsn/
August 19th: https://bluejeans.com/s/8zsm/