Thursday, March 7, 2013

Common Core and Informational Text Using Multiple Sources

Common core brings informational texts of all types into the classroom for students to read and analyze on a more independent level.  Teachers will now devote class time to setting up tasks in which students must approach such texts much in the way a university student would--independently or within small teams.  After all, in the real world, reading tasks are approached that way.

With common core, this will be evident at multiple grade levels and continue right through the 12th grade.  Though literature will still be taught of course, the shift through all subject areas is to informational/non-fiction reading materials.  Every content teacher will be a reading teacher.  This skill will no longer be delegated to the English department.  Now, every content teacher will need to allot time to teach the skill of reading a textbook, solving a complex math problem, designing a lab report, etc.  Writing demands of every department will be dealt with in each content area course so students will be engaging in developing reading and writing skills in every course. 

Of course, the instructor will always be in the classroom should a problem arise but more in the position of a "coach" guiding students through the process rather than as a summarizer of key topics which might be "too difficult" for students to understand on their own. 

Sources for informational text are many.  Below is a guide for using newspapers in the classroom.  Though newspapers in "paper" form are becoming increasingly scarce, the digital versions are growing.  USING NEWSPAPERS AS INFORMATIONAL TEXT

This next link provides an extensive list of informational text for secondary.  Everything on it is free.
 SUPPORTS FOR ARGUMENT ESSAYS--VIDEO, NEWS ARTICLES, ETC.  There are no hyperlinks here so copy the link and paste it in the search bar.

Hope you find these sites useful:)

Denise

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