Elementary Coaches' PLC
April, 2016
ELA
What Are Our Students Learning in Reading in Q4?
Q4: A Vertical Look at RL9 & RI9
While an ongoing review and reinforcement of understandings of previously taught standards is occurring in Q4, standards RL9 & RI9 are introduced on the curriculum map during this period of instruction as well.
Shared for teachers is a vertical look of these standards that helps to reveal the rigor of the standards and the strategy of compare and contrast and integration of texts that students are expected to control.
While the core curriculum includes resources that support these standards, the actual instructional conversations needed to teach these standards need to occur during collaborative planning. Please contact me, if I can support you or your teachers in implementing this instruction.
RL9
ELACCKRL9: With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
ELACC1RL9: Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.
ELACC2RL9: Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different culture
ELACC3RL9: Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).
ELACC4RL9: Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.
ELACC5RL9: Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
RI9
ELACCKRI9: With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
ELACC1RI9: Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
ELACC2RI9: Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic.
ELACC3RI9: Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
ELACC4RI9: Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
ELACC5RI9: Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Georgia Milestones Resources for ELA, Spring 2015
5th Grade Quarter 4 Required Career Essay
Important Reminder:
A Grade 5 Q4 writing sample must include the essay that is required as part of the fifth grade Career Portfolio. Please see your building's counselor for more details. Page 7 of the Grade 5 Unit 4 curriculum guide also includes additional details.
Writing to Inform and Make Arguments
View a short video narrated by Common Core State Standards ELA/Literacy lead authors David Coleman and Susan Pimentel on the purposeful shifts in engaging students in learning how to write effectively to inform and make arguments. While opinion writing is indeed a form of persuasive writing (strong arguments/reasons help to persuade or convince the reader to shift positions on the topic), it is important to use the language of the standards so that students are better prepared to write opinion/argumentative essays when they enter middle and high school.
Math
Georgia Milestone Scoring Samplers from Spring, 2015
Georgia Milestone Study Guides and Assessment Resources
Variety of Resources
Grade 3 EOG Study/Resource Guide / Achievement Level Descriptors
Grade 4 EOG Study/Resource Guide / Achievement Level Descriptors
Grade 5 EOG Study/Resource Guide / Achievement Level Descriptors
GOFAR Student Checklist for Constructed response (with pictures)
Science
What are students doing in Q4?
Kindergarten students are studying plants and animals.
- They will compare the similarities and differences in groups of organisms.
First grade students are studying plants.
- They will identify parts and basic needs of plants.
Second grade students are studying life cycles.
- The will investigate the life cycles of different living organisms.
Third grade students are studying pollution and conservation.
- They will explain effects of pollution on the habitats of plants and animal.
- They will identify ways to protect the environment.
Fourth grade students are studying ecology.
- They will describe the roles of organisms and the flow of energy within an ecosystem.
- They will identify factors that affect the survival or extinction of organisms.
Fifth grade students are studying Earth's surface features.
- They will identify surface features of the Earth caused by constructive and destructive forces.
State Board of Education Approves New Science Standards
The State Board of Education has approved the first Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for science, which will be implemented during the 2017-18 school year following a full year of teacher training. Click here to see a summary of changes.
Georgia Milestones Resources for Science
Social Studies
Updates - Social Studies Proposed Standards Revisions
The Social Studies Precision Review committee met on March 16th to review comments from more than 7,500 surveys completed by Georgia stakeholders on the proposed standards. The revisions are not final and are awaiting approval from the GaDOE Board of Education. Their next meeting is scheduled in May.
All recommended changes can be viewed in the crosswalks document linked here.
Social Studies Testing and Assessment Resources
Georgia Milestones EOG Resources
Georgia Milestones EOG Content WeightsGeorgia Milestones EOG Assessment Guides
Georgia Milestones EOG Study/Resource Guide
- Grade 3 EOG Resources start on p. 158
- Grade 4 EOG Resouces start on p. 155
- Grade 5 EOG Resources start on p. 170
GoFar
Social Studies Resources
Social Studies Resources
Gifted
Advanced Content Criteria - 2016/17
Accelerated math Recommendations
Students who qualify for acceleration in mathematics are placed on a track to cover all of middle school math in 6th and 7th grade in order to take a high school math course in their 8th grade year. In the CCSD, we typically have 20-30 rising 6th grade students in the entire district identified for acceleration in any given year. This is < 3% of students.
Academic Acceleration is governed by board policy and requires additional evaluation outside of the advanced content screening. In order to be considered for acceleration, students must perform in the 95th percentile or above on a norm referenced test of math achievement and in the 85th percentile or above on a norm referenced test of math aptitude when compared to students a grade level above.
In previous years, we have used existing data from a district-administered norm-referenced test to screen students for this opportunity. Because we are not administering a district-wide norm-referenced test, we will need to rely on teacher recommendations to begin the screening process for accelerated math.
Recommendations for acceleration should be made by April 22 to allow time for screening and additional evaluation.