Defining Rigor
Early Release 5/18
Introduction
We are continuing our theme of rigor with this month's PD mini lesson. You will work with two other colleagues to create a collaborative definition of RIGOR. You will read an academic article related to rigor, summarize and discuss it, and then synthesize your learning into a collaborative definition reflective of your research.
This PD mini-lessons features several instructional strategies you can use in your own classroom!
- Summarizing / Collaborative Definitions
- Group Decision-Making
- Flipped instruction
Skill: Summarizing
During this PD activity, you will practice and learn effective ways to teach students the skill of summarizing. When you give students something to read (article, website, textbook, assignment instructions, etc.), it is important to have them summarize the information. Many teachers assume students have this skill. However, we know that many readers struggle to comprehend what they read and effectively summarize it.
Why use summarizing?
- It helps students learn to determine essential ideas and consolidate important details that support them.
- It enables students to focus on key words and phrases of an assigned text that are worth noting and remembering.
- It teaches students how to take a large selection of text and reduce it to the main points for more concise understanding.
For more Summarizing Strategies that you can use in class when students read a text, please check out this great list!
Assignment Directions - Tell Me What I Have to Do Already!
Open this Graphic Organizer, select "Make a Copy" and save it to your MGSD Google Drive (it may default to your personal drive).
Read your assigned article on rigor and complete the “My Key Ideas” section on your own.
Meet with a partner from another content area (Partner #1) to discuss your articles. Gather their ideas and include them in "My Partner's Key Ideas." Based on both articles, complete the "Consensus: Our Key Ideas" section together.
- Meet with a partner from another content area (Partner #2) and create a final, collaborative definition that you both agree on. It should reflect the learning from your previous partner and their article as well.
- Upload your individual Google Doc to this Google Folder.
Article Assignments
- Math: A New Definition of Rigor - Edutopia
- Science: Characteristics of a Rigorous Classroom - B. Blackburn
- English: In Defense of Rigor - 21st Century Collaborative
- Social Studies: Rigor: It’s All the Rage, But What Does It Mean? - Hechinger Report
- World Language: The Beginner’s Guide to Rigor - B. Blackburn
- Everyone Else: 5 Questions to Evaluate Curriculum for Rigor - TeachThought