Reflecting on Common Core RL Standard 5
Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
- Common Core ELA Anchor Standard 5
Critical Classrooms (Katie Lapham) has a lovely piece on the shortcomings of ReadyGEN Common Core curriculum. Basically, the text on Rachel Carson, had been paired with a reading skill. In this case, craft and structure,specifically analyzing figurative language and word choice. The post author eschewed the assigned skills, and did a nice lesson focusing on other areas that were more appropriate to the reading at hand. The post is worth a read, and can be found here.
This piece struck me because the assigned skill is based on Reading Standard 5, a standard I’ve had some concerns about. My first concern has always been, this is NOT a standard to be used with any and every text unless you really want to frustrate yourself, and your students. I was fortunate that I have more curricular control (for now), and the novel we started the school, Hatchet, is a marvelous example of author word choice. I had two students do writing on that topic and they did some really marvelous analysis of the truncated diction, and repetition of word
The WOW! factor of CCSS
One of my students this year has a propensity to use the sarcastic “WOW,” when they get news they don’t like (like, “You need to re-do this work”). This is not meant as a complaint about a student, after all they are twelve years old, and I did volunteer to teach this sarcasm-rich age cohort. I’m noticing that I’ve picked up this verbal tic lately, and it struck me that there are many things abou
NOV 03
Week in Class: Week Nine 2013
Actually, this is week eight too, but this photo was so nifty I had to use it… I missed posting last week because I was in Los Angeles all weekend, participating in the California Teachers Association (CTA) State Council. State Council is the governing body of CTA and sets the policy direction for our organization. Around that, I’ve been wrapping up our first unit, and starting in on our second w