Literacy Support Artifact– How can we help students learn to read and/or write?

Grade level: 5th Grade

Content Area: Social Studies

Colorado Academic Standard:

Standard 1.Oral Expression and Listening. Pose thoughtful questions after actively listening to one another.
Evidence Outcome:
Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including
visually, quantitatively, and orally. (CCSS: SL.4.2).

Standard 1. History. Analyze primary and secondary sources from multiple of view to develop an
understanding of early United States history.
Evidence Outcome:
Examine significant historical documents. For example: the Stamp Act, the Declaration of Independence,
and the Constitution.

WIDA Can Do Descriptor (this can be at a proficiency level or more than one- and can be in one or
more than one of the domains of language (Reading, writing listening/ speaking).

ELD Standard 5: The Language of Language Arts.

CONNECTION: Common Core State Reading Standards for Literature & Informational Text, Key Ideas
and Details #1 (Grade 5): Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and
when drawing inferences from the text.
Level 4: Expanding. Make predictions from character traits based on evidence from oral text using visual
and graphic support.

Overview of Activity (explanation/instructions)- Be detailed enough for a substitute to use this in

your absence:

1. Pair ELLs with FEP learners.

2. Provide students with ‘The Stamp Act’ article, as in the original version of the GIST, display it on the
overhead or document camera, and provide students with individual copies.
3. Tell students that they will identify approximately 8 to 10 words that are important to the meaning of the
article.
4. Provide a few minutes for students to work in pairs to select words.
5. Write the words that students have selected on the overhead.
6. Have students work together to write a summary statement using as many of the words as possible.
7. Provide time for students to practice the strategy in pairs (ELLs with FEP learners) while you circulate and
monitor understanding.
8. Next, allow students time to create GISTs independently while you circulate and monitor individual
progress.
9. Once students have demonstrated their ability to use this form of the GIST, implement it with a longer text
passage by doing the following:

a. Write sentence summaries for each paragraph in the passage.

b. Read through the sentence summaries and write a topic sentence for these.

10. Assess students’ final summaries to check for understanding.

Justification for the Activity (with citations from the readings)- Explain how this supports students’
vocabulary development. Be detailed enough that it is clear that you have read the readings in depth.

 Writing Connection: Summarizing is particularly useful in writing to learn. Summarizing

activities provide additional opportunities to support ELLs with word choice and grammar.
(Colombo. Pg. 208)
Artifacts – All materials and documents needed to deliver your activity (instructions for students,
handouts, photographs of realia, technology, examples, etc.). If you are making a sample, take
photos to show what it would look like.

 ‘The Stamp Act’ article

 Writing utensil
 Paper/Notebook

https://www.studenthandouts.com/01-Web-Pages/BSA/201409/stamp-act-reading-worksheet.png