Writing in the Content Areas

What do you see in the picture below?

What do you see in the picture below?

What do you see in the picture below?

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Curricular Focus

2023-2024

​"If I could wave a magic wand over America's schools and cause one change that would drive the most demonstrable improvement to learning and achievement I would almost certainly wave that wand and conjure up small bursts of intense, reflective, high-quality writing in every class period or every hour across America's schools."

- Douig Lemov

Objectives

●Bolster the teaching craft of the collective team by providing relevant research
(the science) behind strategies that can be implemented into your lessons (the art)
to improve academic achievement.

●Provide students with opportunities to

○Demonstrate their knowledge

○Make their learning visible

○Learn through writing.

●Stimulate meaningful discourse in the Professional Learning Community

○Discourse that will serve as a foundation for the work we will continue to work on
throughout our content PLC’s

●Give teaching staff strategies to get their students engaged

○Who is working harder - the teacher or the students?

Are we challening our students enough?

Our K-4 buildings have

begun this important

work in their classrooms.

As content teachers, you are the experts in your field. The following
strategies are designed to help you support your students learning by:

1.Providing you with baseline data on student knowledge

2.Assess retention of a lesson at the end of a lesson or unit

3.Be a catalyst for further discussion or a deeper dive into the content

These strategies can be categorized as quick

comprehension checks, do-now activities, bell-ringers,

and exit-tickets.

Because, But, So…

Fractions are like decimals.

Fractions are like decimals because they are all parts of wholes.

Fractions are like decimals, but they are written differently.

Fractions are like decimals, so they can be used interchangeably.

Because, But, So…

Andrew Jackson was a popular president.

Andrew Jackson was a popular president because he was a champion of the common people.

Andrew Jackson was a popular president, but there were many critics of his “kitchen cabinet”

and the “spoils system.”

Andrew Jackson was a popular president, so he won the election of 1832.

Because, But, So…

Aerobic respiration is similar to anaerobic respiration.

Aerobic respiration is similar to anaerobic respiration because both start with glucose and make ATP.

Aerobic respiration is similar to anaerobic respiration, but anaerobic respiration does not require oxygen.

Aerobic respiration is similar to anaerobic respiration, so both autotrophs and heterotrophs use aerobic

and anaerobic respiration.

Why use Because, But, So?

The contraction but, demands that students hold two contrasting ideas in their minds

and find evidence to support them.

Increases the depth of complexity.

Allows for a multitude of students to answer the same question due to its open-ended

nature.

Proves formative data when used as a comprehension check (great for lectures), bell-ringer (tying prior learning to future learning), exit ticket (monitoring student understanding), and do-now activities (providing a balance of teacher-led and student-led activities).

Kernel Sentences

A strategy that can be used to…

●Enable students to anticipate what a reader needs to know and provide that information
(before a lecture, prior to a reading selection, etc.)

●Check comprehension

●Teaches note-taking strategies (key words and phrases, abbreviations, and symbols)

●Enables students to develop the ability to summarize

Kernel Sentences Example

Begin with a kernel sentence

The Union Army Won.

Prompt your students to create an expanded sentence to answer the questions “where, when, and wby.

In April 1865, the Union Army, a well-trained and well-equipped force, won a decisive battle against the

Confederates at the Battle of Appomattox Court House.

Kernel Sentences Example

If teaching the Distributive Property in math, provide the

following problem 2(x + 6) = 14 and provide the following steps

made by Jasmine, a student who answered incorrectly and

Maya, who gets the right answer.

Jasmine

Maya

Step 1

2x + 6 = 14

2x + 12 = 14

Step 2

2x = 8

2x = 2

Answer

X = 4

X = 1

By starting with the kernel sentence she made a mistake, students can

be asked to create an expanded sentence to answer who, when, and

why.

• Why use a kernel sentence?
  Quick formative data - do my students understand the concept or do they need more? This can easily be answered by using the "eye test" so grading is not a deterrant.

• Open-ended questions allow for our highest learners to demonstrate much of their understanding and sharing it allows others to learn from it too.

• When used as a bell-ringer, teachers can gain a better understanding of what their students already know (background knowledge).

​Having students reduce sentences to key words and phrases, abbreviations, and symbols does the following:
- Helps students distinguish essential from nonessential material.
- Boosts comprehension
- Enables the absorption and retention of information.
Promotes analytical thinking
Teaches efficient note-taking
Enables students to outline paragraphs and compositions before drafting them.

​What the research says...

​Initially, you'll want to decide which words and phrases are key and should be highlighted.

Much better to have students use pen or pencil to underline, highlighters tend to cause students to highlight too much material.

Next, show your students how to extract these key words and phrases and write them down in their notes.

Make a list of abbreviations and post it in your classroom.

​Practicing question activities does the following:
-Encourages students to think about the important features in a text.
-Encourages close reading.
-Helps students to focus on the key elements of questions.
-Gives students practice in understanding and using expository terms.
Helps students aticipated what questions they may be asked.

​Providing students with answers or vocabulary relating to a text they've read and having them write questions to go with them is another good exercise to check for understanding.

​Example 1 - Abolitionist

Possible Question: What term was used to describe people opposed to slavery?

​Example 2 - 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Possible Question: Where is the White House?

​Student questions can provide a benchmark of where student thinking is.

Student questions can provide insight into what is engaging to students.

Student questions can spark curiosity and discussion in your classroom.

These strategies can be viewed in one of two ways.

Another thing you have to do

OR

Valuable strategies to increase engagement and provide formative data within your content area.


THANK YOU!!