Core Literacy Curriculum:

Grade 12
 Core Literacy Curriculum: Grade 12
Universal Expectations for the MPS Grade 12 Classroom Environment
• Organized for whole and small group instruction and independent work
• Classroom arrangement emphasizes student interactions, in addition to teacher-directed interactions
• Teacher encourages productive, accountable talk by having areas and times available for students to work together
• Smooth efficient transitions between activities
• All students have access to district-adopted resources
• Classroom library is well-stocked with age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction materials written on a variety of reading levels
• Books are arranged by themes, types of writing, or other common organizational structure. Resources are labeled to allow
students easy access to maintain and use library independently. Books are arranged attractively and invitingly
• Display of recent student work/projects with accompanying written explanation
• Display of signs, labels for each item and quotations
• Posted directions for activities or use of equipment
• Materials/tools for recording language, including pencils, pens, markers, paper, charts, logs, writers’ notebooks, books,
computers, etc.
• Work stations or space for reading, writing, researching, and listening activities
• Reference materials related to literature or content area units/topics
• Audiovisual/technology equipment and materials available for student use
Grade 12: RtI Tier 1 (Core)
 Grade 12: RtI Tier 1 (Core)
District Literacy Programs and Assessments

Grade 12 Literacy Programs and Resources Grade 12 Literacy Assessments

English Language Arts Formative:

Board-approved District Adoption:
• Holt: Elements of Literature – Sixth Course (2005)
• Holt: Elements of Language – Sixth Course (2004)
• Progress monitoring (See following pages)
• Classroom Assessments Based on Standards (CABS)
Benchmark:
• Universal Screener _______________________

Summative:
• End of unit tests
• Evidence in language arts portfolio per Common Course
Plan – English 12
• Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English
State to State (ACCESS) for English Language Learners

Home/Community Literacy Connections

see Appendix B
English Language Arts Instructional Block - Grade 12
Foci:
Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Using Assessment
Language
Aligned
Evidence Resources

Common Core Standards for English Language Arts

The standards listed here focus on what is essential but do not describe all that can or should be taught.
Reading Standards Common Course Evidence • District-adopted
By the end of grade 12 students will: By the end of Grade 12 (two resources (including
semesters) students will create a Holt)
Reading Standards for Literature portfolio of proficient work, • Selected variety of novels
Key Ideas and Details including: (see English 12 Common
1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says Course Plan for details)
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text  Research Project • Models of writing from a
leaves matters uncertain.  Evidence of Collaboration variety of topics, authors,
2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development / Small Group Discussion and genres, including
over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to  Oral Presentations fiction and nonfiction
produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.  Media Product (mentor texts)
3. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate  Literary Analysis of a • Writing tools (including
elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how Major Work digital tools)
the characters are introduced and developed).  Media Product • Writing process
Craft and Structure  Scholarship Essay • Writing strategies based
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including  Narrative Writing on best practices in
figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on  Persuasive Writing writing
meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is  Descriptive Writing • Elements of curriculum
particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)  Expository Writing alignment
5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text  Persuasive Writing • Writing supplies
(e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or  Reflective Writing • Writing resources such as
tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic dictionaries and
impact. * Students will employ technology to thesauruses
6. Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly access, organize, create, revise, and • District-adopted rubrics
stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement). publish works • Visuals and other media
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas • Discovery Education
7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live Streaming
productions of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version • MY Access!
interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an • Anchor papers and
American dramatist.) writing exemplars
8. (Not applicable to literature) • MPS Writing Guides
9. Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and early twentieth-century • MPS Portal Resources
foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the Reading Strategies/Approaches:
same period treat similar themes or topics. Question-Answer-Relationships
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity Criteria for Evidence of Effective (QAR) (Raphael & McKinney,
10. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, Reading Abilities 1983; Raphael & Wonnacott, 1985;
and poems, in the grades 12-CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as (Adapted from Burke, 1999) Raphael, Highfield & Au, 2006)
needed at the high end of the range. • Demonstrates ability to fluently Student generated questions
navigate all aspects of the text (Duke & Pearson, 2002; Harvey &
Reading Standards for Informational Text • Shows a confident Goudvis, 2007)
Key Ideas and Details understanding of authorial intent Double-Entry Journals
1. Cite strong and thorough evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly • Accurately and simultaneously (Berthoff, 1981; Tovani, 2000)
as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves processes multiple layers and “I wonder” questions (Tovani,
matters uncertain. different meanings of text 2000)
2. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the • Pays extra attention that allows Three-Minute Pause (Buehl,
course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a attention to finer distinctions or 2001)
complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. larger context of the work (e.g., Text factors including narrative
3. Analyze a complete set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific relation of this text to other genres, text structure and text
individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text. writers or different eras) features (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007)
Craft and Structure • Monitors progress of Story Plans (also called story
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including understanding and employs grammars/maps) (Templeton,
figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines effective strategies to fill in gaps 1997; Trebasso, 2002)
the meaning of key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines • Self-assesses and possesses the Story Weave Map (CORE,
faction in Federalist No. 10). ability to accurately articulate a 2000)
5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her picture of current performance as Character Map (Project CRISS,
exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, a reader 2007)
and engaging. • Knows what to do to improve Figuring Out New Words From
6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is Context chart (Project CRISS,
particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, Other Reading Evidence: 2007)
persuasiveness, or beauty of the text. • Independent reading Context clues (Putting Reading
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas record/ log First, 2006)
7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or • Rubric (see criteria above) Word parts/affixes (Putting
formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as words in order to address a question or • Checklist Reading First, 2006)
solve a problem. • Teacher observation with Dictionaries and other reference
8. Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of anecdotal notes aids (Putting Reading First, 2006)
constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority • Cloze passages Concept of Definition Map
opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public • CABS (Schwartz & Raphael, 1985, 1988)
advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses). • Story map Vocabulary Map (Project
9. Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century foundational U.S. • Response to reading CRISS, 2007)
documents of historical and literary significance (including The Declaration of • Graphic organizer Vocabulary Flash Cards (Project
Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln’s Second • Independent reading log CRISS, 2007)
Inaugural Address) for their themes, purposes, and rhetorical features. • Learning log Frayer Model (Frayer, Fredrecik
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity • Short-cycle assessments & Kausmeither, 1969; Buehl,
10. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 12- • Multi-Source Research 2001)
CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the Guide Semantic Feature Analysis
range. • Inquiry Chart (I-Chart) (Anders & Bos, 1986)
• Conclusion-Support Notes Text factors including narrative
genres, text structure and text
 features (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007)
Writing Standards
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using Writing Approaches and
valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Strategies (Graham and Perin,
a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), 2007)
distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization • Writing Strategies
that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. Writing: • Summarization
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), Common assessment tools: • Collaborative Writing
distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization • MPS Writing Rubrics • Specific Product Goals
that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. • MPS Research Rubrics • Word Processing
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of • Sentence Combining
the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, • Prewriting
between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. • Inquiry Activities
d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms • Process Writing
and conventions of the discipline in which they area writing. Approach
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the • Study of Models
argument presented. • Writing for Content
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, Six Traits of Effective Writing Areas
and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and (Spandel, 2009) •
analysis of content. • Ideas MY Access! www.myaccess.com
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new • Organization
element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting • Voice Students in grade nine will
(e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding • Word Choice review and enhance the following
comprehension. • Sentence Fluency and skills that writers use (Tomkins,
b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, Variety 2010)
extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples • Conventions Structuring Skills
appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic. Mechanical Skills
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the Language Skills
text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts. Reference Skills
d. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, Computer Skills
simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms Focus on Effective Sentence
and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. Construction and Revision
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the Students will pay particular
information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of attention to the purposeful revision
the topic). of sentences. Teachers will employ
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective Killgallon’s (1998) Four Types of
technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. Sentence Composing to help
a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its student create increasingly
significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator sophisticated and fluent sentences.
and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. The four types are:
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and Sentence Unscrambling
multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. Sentence Imitating
c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to Sentence Combining
create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of Sentence Expanding
mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid
picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed,
or resolved over the course of the narrative. Categories of Strategies
Production and Distribution of Writing (Tompkins, 2010)
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style Other assessment evidence: • Generating
are appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for • Student questions • Organizing
writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.) • Student comments • Visualizing
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or • Illustrations and other • Monitoring
trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific visuals • Playing with Language
purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of • Observations during • Revising
Language standards 1-3 up to and including grades 11-12.) whole group, small group, • Proofreading
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or and conferences • Evaluating
shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or • Short-cycle assessments
information. • On-demand writing
Research to Build and Present Knowledge • Peer feedback (written and iseek! www.myaccess.com
7. Conduct short as well as sustained research projects to answer a question (including a oral)
self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when • Presentations
appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of • Multimedia evidence Four Types of Revision
the subject under investigation. • Traditional and online (Tompkins, 2008)
8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using publishing in various • Additions
advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in forms • Substitutions
terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to • Content in Writers’ • Deletions
maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and Notebooks • Moves
following a standard format for citation. • Contents of Portfolios
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and (both process and
research. showcase)
a. Apply grades 11-12 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Demonstrate knowledge of • Progress logs
eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American • Student self-assessment
literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or • Student self-reflection
topics”). • Student goals
b. Apply grades 11-12 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and
evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional
principles and use of legal reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme Course Case majority
opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public
advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses]”).
Range of Writing
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks,
purposes, and audiences.

Speaking and Listening Standards

Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one,
in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared; having read and researched material under study; Speaking, Listening, and Media
explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research Strategies/Approaches
on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas. • Literature Circles (Daniels,
b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making; set 2002)
clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed. • Socratic Seminar (Metzger,
c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and Speaking, Listening, and Media 1998; Tredway, 1995)
evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, • Informative, Persuasive, • Writing Circles (Vopat, 2009)
or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives. and Demonstrative Oral & • Inquiry Circles (Harvey and
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and Impromptu Presentations Daniels, 2009)
evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and • Debates • Authentic Forms (Zemelman,
determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation • Listening Assessments Daniels, and Hyde, 2005)
or complete the task. • Discussion Assessments • Fishbowl (Baloche, Mauger,
2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., • Design and Creation of Willis, Filinuk, and Michalsky,
visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, Media Product 1993)
evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies (Presentation or Tangible • Social Interaction (Spiegel,
among the data. Artifacts) 2005)
3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, • Oral Rubrics • Tapping Students’
assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and • Listening Rubrics Understanding (Langer, 1992,
tone used. • Discussion Rubrics Spiegel, 2005)
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas • Media Rubrics
4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct • Technology Rubrics
perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing • Research Conventions
perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are Rubrics
appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
5. Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphic, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning,
and evidence and to add interest.
6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal
English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11-12 Language standards for
specific expectations.)

Language Standards
Conventions of Standard English
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage
when writing or speaking.
a. Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time,
and is sometimes contested.
b. Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-
Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American Usage) as needed.
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Observe hyphenation conventions.
b. Spell correctly.
Knowledge of Language
3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different
contexts, to make effective choices for meaning and style, and to comprehend more fully Language
when reading or listening. Strategies/Approaches:
a. Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for Think, Pair, Share (Lyman,
guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts Language: 1981)
when reading. Think, Ink, Pair, Share
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use (Billmeyer, 2003)
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and Looping (Elbow, 1998)
phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of Accurate use of conventions in Collaborative Learning (Johnson
strategies. writing and speaking and Johnson, 1999)
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s Reciprocal Teaching (Palincsar,
position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. 1994)
b. Indentify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings • MPS Writing Rubrics – Discussion Webs (Alvermann,
or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable). Conventions 1991)
c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, Reflection Journal (Zemelman,
thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or Daniels, and Hyde; 1993)
clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage. Language: MPS Vocabulary List for Grade
d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by Appropriate use of on-level Twelve – English language arts
checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). vocabulary Marzano - Six Step Process
5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in (2004)
word meanings. • MPS Language Rubrics Frayer Model (Frayer, Frederick,
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role and Kausmeither, 1969; Buehl,
in the text. 2001)
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations. Talk Aloud (Baumann and
6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, Schmitt, 1986)
sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career level; Explicit Modeling (Roehler and
demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word Duffy, 1991)
or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Implicit Modeling (Roehler and
Duffy, 1991)
Read Aloud (Allen, 2000)
Think Aloud (Clark, 1984;
Meichenbaum, 1985)
Analogies (Buehl and Hein,
1991)
Word Consciousness (Scott and
Nagy, 2004)
Word Study (Allen, 2007):
• Word Posters
• Word Maps
• Possible Sentences
• Dramatizing Words
• Word Sorts
• Word Chains
• Semantic Feature
Analysis
 Block Structure and Instructional Methods
Instructional Groupings:
Whole Group: Strategic, Explicit Instruction
Small Group: Teacher-Guided Instruction, Literacy Work Stations,
Universal Approaches, Skills, and Strategies
and Integrated Literacy Work Stations – Application and Practice
Whole Group: Sharing and Wrap Up
Elements of Effective Adolescent Literacy Program (Biancarosa and Snow,
Introduction (5 minutes) 2004)
Goal = Connect • Direct, explicit comprehension instruction
• Effective instructional principles embedded in content
• Motivation and self-directed learning
The teacher will:
• Text-based collaborative learning
• Strategic tutoring
• Articulate learning intention for the lesson and discuss purposes behind them (what
• Diverse texts
we are doing and why).
• Intensive writing
• Ask students to demonstrate their understanding of the learning intention in
• A technology component
written, visual, and/or oral form.
• Ongoing formative instruction
• Extended time for literacy
Whole Group Focus Lesson with Explicit Instruction (10 minutes)
• Professional development
Goal = Build • Ongoing summative assessment of students and programs
• Teacher teams
The teacher will:
Strategies for Assessment For Learning (Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis and
• Introduce the lesson. Chappuis, 2004)
• Explain the goal of the lessons’ reading or writing strategies or skills foci through • Provide a clear and understandable vision of the learning target
direct instruction, active engagement, and shared reading. • Use examples of strong and weak work
• Co-create, with students, anchor charts with visuals to use as resources during • Offer regular descriptive feedback
independent work and as artifacts of learning. Topics include: close reading, • Teach students to self-assess and set goals
Socratic Seminar, quick writes, dialectical journals, marking texts, self-editing and • Design lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a time
peer editing, jigsaw, and role playing; reading and writing genre features; • Teach students focused revision
comprehension strategies; vocabulary, fluency, and word studies; grammar studies • Engage students in self-reflection, and let them keep track of and
through mentor texts and student work to illustrate teaching points; grammar and share their learning
language usage practice linked to authentic student writing.
• Ask students to record learning in learning logs. Design Units to Focus on Understanding (Wiggins and McTighe, 2004)
• Provide additional information and/or clarification to enhance understanding and • Communicate intended enduring understandings
support transfer by asking students to engage in accountable talk during lessons • Articulate big ideas
through Think-Pair-Share, Think-Write-Pair-Share, Turn and Talk, and other • Design engaging and relevant essential questions
cooperative learning activities. • Adopt, adapt, or create authentic performance tasks; strategically
• Ask students to reflect on and summarize their learning then discuss how they will employ other balanced assessment evidence
apply the content of the lesson. • Construct engaging and effective aligned learning experiences

Characteristics of Successful Teaching and Learning (Applebee, 2002)

Whole Group Shared Reading (5-10 minutes) • Engage students in higher-order talk and writing about the
Goal = Build disciplines of English
• Ensure cohesiveness of curriculum and instruction
• Shared reading is used not only as reading for enjoyment, but to teach effective • Use diverse perspectives to deepen discussion and enhance learning
reading habits. Teacher routinely and explicitly will: • Align curriculum with assessment
• Think aloud. • Scaffold skills and strategies needed for new and difficult tasks
• Question for listening comprehension. • Provide special help to struggling readers and writers
• Support vocabulary and work attack strategies.
• Model comprehension strategies. Key Classroom-Based Practices (Adler and Rougle, 2005)
• Dialogic instruction (Nystrand, 1997)
Explicit Small Group and Independent Reading Work Period (15-25minutes; may • Envisionment building (Langer, 1995)
alternate with writing or occur daily in [double] blocked class) • Curriculum as conversation (Applebee, 1996)
Goals = Reach and Practice
Differentiated Instruction During Small Group Instruction (Hall,
The teacher will: Strangman, and Meyer; 2003); Differentiation (Tomlinson, 1999)
• Content
• Confer with students and/or guide small collaborative groups of students. • Process
• In conferences, assist students as they reflect on their learning and set goals and • Product
monitor progress.
• In collaborative groups, meet with students who are working together. Support Comprehension Strategies (Burke, 1999)
may be offered in short, guided lessons (5-10 minutes) and should be clearly • Self-monitoring
focused and scaffolded for students. • Rereading
• Use reciprocal teaching instructional strategies. • Questioning texts
• Use a variety of purposeful grouping formats for students who need more support • Setting reading purpose
(e.g., literature groups, Turn and Talk). Students participate in both • Activating background knowledge
homogeneous and heterogeneous groupings to meet different purposes.
• Offer frequent, multiple opportunities to interact with one another and use oral Reading Strategies
language purposefully during whole and small group and independent time. Retelling (Morrow, 1985)
• Strategically monitor time to ensure students are able to engage in both small Book Talks (Raphael, et. al., 1997, CORE, 2000)
group and independent work time each class period. Comparison graphic organizers such as the story map, Venn diagram or
• Integrate speaking, listening, discussing, media, technology, and research. semantic feature analysis (Templeton, 1997; Trebasso, 2002; Venn, 1880;
• During independent work time, monitor and assist as students independently Anders & Bos, 1986)
read, practicing whole and small group lesson strategies or skills. They may also Perspective Entries (Project CRISS, 2007)
partner read, use literature circles, and increase the volume of their reading. Point of View (Lukens, 2006)
• Help students carefully select independent reading materials, based on reading Picture Walk/Text Walk (Clay, 1985; Goldenberg, 1991; DeFord, Lyons &
and language levels, concept knowledge, cultural backgrounds, interests, and Pinnell, 1991; Hiebert & Taylor, 1994)
support books offer, and consider these characteristics for small group reading Text factors including narrative genres, text structure and text features
materials. (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007)
• Monitor as students independently read “just-right” books and write responses to Comparison graphic organizers such as the story map, Venn diagram or
reading and literature in their learning logs. semantic feature analysis (Templeton, 1997; Trebasso, 2002; Venn, 1880;
• Make certain access to materials, including novels, short texts, chart paper, Anders & Bos, 1986)
graphic organizers, learning logs, and sticky notes. Repeated readings (Samuels, 1979)
Independent reading
(Allington, 2000 & Krashen, 2004)
 Explicit Small Group and Independent Writing Work Period (15-25 Elements of the Mini-lesson (Tompkins, 2008)
minutes; may alternate with reading or occur daily in [double] • Introduce the topic
• Share examples [use mentor text]
blocked class) • Provide information
Goals = Reach and Practice • Guide practice
• Assess learning
The teacher will:

• Guide students as they engage in a writing process—independently, in writing

circles with writing partners, or with the teacher.
• Assist and connect students to consult appropriate mentor texts aligned to the focus
of their writing. Best Practices in Writing (Zemelman, Daniels, and Hyde, 2005; Graham,
• Confer with individual students, asking questions to help them think through how MacArthur, and Fitzgerald (eds.), 2007; MPS and Milwaukee Writing Project,
to improve their writing. During frequent writing conferences the teacher will: 2008)
• Read portions of student writing and ask questions to encourage students to talk • Writers’ Workshop
about their writing processes and language use. • Writing Process
• Based on students’ questions, evidenced-based needs, and interests, decide what to • Writing Strategies
teach students or what to reinforce from recent focus lessons. • Six Traits of Effective Writing
• Help students reflect on their writing by using strategic questions while talking • Authentic Forms
with them about their writing processes and set goals for next steps. • Writing-Reading Connection
• Reinforce a strategy or concept clearly by supporting students in using information • Effective Feedback
from other focus lessons, connecting students to writing mentors, and/or providing • Teacher as Writer
guided practice, to allow students to try writing strategies with teacher assistance.
• Integrate speaking, listening, discussing, media, technology, and research.
Writing Process (Graves, 1994)
• Prewriting
• Drafting
Whole Group – Sharing and Reflection (5-10 minutes) • Revising
Goals = Reconnect and Wrap Up • Editing
• Publishing / sharing with an audience (Elbow, 2002)
The teacher will: • Self assessment, goal setting, and use of portfolios (Stires, 1991)

• Reconvene whole group to include all members of the class.

• Briefly revisit the focus of the learning intention. Class will share written pieces Features of Effective [Literacy] Instruction (Langer, Close, Angelis, and
and articulate learning in written and oral forms (via formal and information and Preller, 2000)
presentations). • Students learn skills and knowledge in multiple lesson types
• Integrate listening, speaking, presentation, media, and technology skills into the • Teachers integrate test preparation into instruction
sharing session. • Teachers make connections across instruction, curriculum, and life
• Provide appropriate feedback. • Students learn strategies for doing the work
• Preview next step in learning. • Students are expected to be generative thinkers
• Classrooms foster cognitive collaboration
 Available Accommodations and Modifications to Provide Access to the Core Curriculum (*)
English Language Learners: Students with Disabilities (per IEP)*

Content Objective(s) Assistive technology (writing)

Language Objective(s) • Adapted writing utensils
Key Vocabulary • Adapted paper
Supplementary Materials • Positioning devices
• Hand held dictionary/spell check
Preparation Scaffolding Grouping Options • Recorders
Adaptation of Content Modeling Whole class • Portable word processors
Links to Background Guided practice Small groups • Digital graphic organizers
Links to Past Learning Independent practice Partners • Digital note takers
Strategies incorporated Comprehensible input Independent • Adapted/alternative computer hardware
• Alternative software
Integration of Processes Application Assessment • Talking/graphic word processors
Reading Hands-on Individual • Word prediction
Writing Meaningful Group • Advanced reading/writing supports
Speaking Linked to objectives Written • Voice recognition
Listening Promotes engagement Oral • Sound amplification systems

**NOT an exhaustive list