Literacy+Task+Force+Work

I had two thoughts on mentor texts.
 * Biography Unit -**

"Nelson Mandela" by Kadir Nelson "A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman" by David A. Adler

I'm leaning towards "Harriet Tubman" to start because it's written more like a "traditional" biography. I was thinking of using the "Mandela" one after.

Thoughts? I'm happy to use the same mentor text. So if you have one you'd rather use Andrea, I'm happy to change. I'm def. not married to either possibility. ***Meeting 1/21**

Character Unit -

We missed this lesson: Teach lesson about visualization #1,#4 Teach lesson about prediction #5 (3 or 4 lessons)

Finish up second section about character traits (5 lessons) and then jump backwards to the first section.

Finish up the unit with Part 3. (3 lessons)

Lessons to be written:

Part 2 -


 * 1) 2 identify traits through actions - Juliet
 * 2) 3 characters change over time (acting out of character) - Andrea
 * 3) 4 objects reveal traits (I would focus on this in my read-aloud. Maybe not a whole mini-lesson) - Mel
 * 4) 5 how other characters treat the main characters - Andrea
 * 5) 6 using precise language to describe characters and their actions (we wrote together)
 * 6) 1 grow theories about characters (to be more passionate reader) - Mel

Visualizing through the character's eyes (Juliet)

Should we use picture books that aren't as in depth to teach each point? Would they understand them better?

***Meeting 12/18**


 * We still need to write up the lessons. **


 * It felt very disjointed. It felt like it hopped around or not. How can we adjust that? **


 * Features vs. Comprehension strategies/skills we needed to work on **


 * How is that being addressed in other buildings? **


 * Will the nonfiction feature issue be addressed as the curriculum is solidly in place? **


 * Should we teach text structure first? Main idea can be identified more easily with description. **

Some can identify the main idea but not form a complete sentence about it.(AV)
 * Children are still having a difficult time identifying main idea. **


 * __Lessons we loved:__ **


 * Boxes and bullets **


 * Predictions based on heading **


 * When to read text features **


 * __Lessons we struggled with:__ **


 * readers point of view from that of the author **


 * fact/opinion - how to tie it in - **


 * most kids are reading fact filled books **


 * their books don’t support it **


 * synthesis - this is really important, but we’re having a difficult **


 * time explicitly teaching it to the kids **


 * leaving comments in the margins/doing it over a series of days **

__Character:__


 * __Can we use a Patricia Polacco book as a mentor text for this unit?__ **


 * Submit lessons to team in lesson plan format. **


 * Identify main characters and secondary characters. (Andrea) **


 * Describe how secondary characters influence/affect the main characters.(Melanie) **


 * Identify physical/external characteristics(Juliet) **


 * Identify internal character traits based on explicit details/evidence in the text. (2 - Andrea) **


 * Infer character traits from implicit information (dialogue, actions, possessions) in the text (2 - Melanie) **


 * Give team the list of character traits.

Use precise language to describe characters and their actions (Juliet?)

Visualize the story through the characters’ eyes (Juliet)

Recall meaningful/connected personal experiences to empathize with characters

Consider character’s point of view

Explain how illustrations contribute to a story.

*

Lessons to be taught before December vacation:

When to read text features?

Introduce text structure - Juliet - 2 lessons 1) description and time order (sequence) and 2) compare/contrast and cause/effect I am thinking out loud here: I think that descriptive text structure lends itself more easily to finding the main idea than chronological order, compare/contrast, or cause/effect, because it is more likely to have a topic sentence that would contain the main idea. Because finding the main idea seems to be such a difficult skill, what if in the future - it was only required to identify the main idea in descriptive texts? Or is this basically what they do now? Or even teach text structure earlier, before teaching main idea? Also, wondering if text structure is easier to identify in books that are well within their independent level (maybe even a few levels below?) so that students don't have to worry at all about decoding and can focus on just the organization? Let me know your thoughts. JS

Main Idea (boxes and bullets) - Andrea

Synthesizing - How do we teach this? Do they need to use this strategy when they are reading this in the kinds of texts they are reading? (Just keep modeling it when I’m reading aloud nonfiction?)

Solving Unknown Words - Melanie

Are we still meeting Tuesday at 2:45? I will be there JS

@Juliet, I looked more closely at strategy groups… First of all, I have 8 kids who need to focus on nonfiction text features. (That's not including the 6 that you pulled out the other day. So I guess that's really 14… Really????) Does that mean we shouldn't do it as a strategy group and should continue to teach it whole group? I'm not sure how to teach that whole class, as well as teach the meatier work that the maps are expecting. Should I weave it in more? How? When? Where? I am open to any and all ideas anyone may have...

The other strategy groups I have are: 1. Main Idea 2. Choosing Books 3. Monitoring for Meaning 4. Fluency 5. I was also thinking of doing some kind of challenge group - with some kids who don't automatically stick into a group - maybe synthesizing or something -about the text? Hmmm….

Are you still willing to teach main idea and monitoring for meaning? We also mentioned you teaching a separate focus lesson for strugglers. Do you think we should do this? That feels like a lot of work for you… Let me know what you're thinking.

My class could focus on this unit for the rest of the school year, but I'm feeling like I should wrap it up by vacation. Does that sound reasonable to everyone?

*** These are the next lessons on the map. I won't be ready to teach any of them until next week, but I thought we might think ahead. Who wants to right which lesson? Juliet, Is there another focus lesson you'd like to teach? I am happy to teach any of the lessons - which one(s) do you not want? (I have no preference and nothing planned so it really doesn't make a difference. But I will take suggestions on text(s) I can use if you have stuff you've used in the past.) JS

F. Determine main idea and salient details within a paragraph, section, or entire text

G. Determine facts vs. opinions Can I do this one? (Andrea) NO :o)

H. Sequence events/ideas

I. Determine cause/effect

J. Distinguish readers' point of view from that of author

First Draft of Action Plan for Professional Practice Goal (there should probably be a couple of steps before #1 but started with the easy ones) "To support the implementation of the Lucy Calkins UOS, the pilot team will develop, implement and assess the effectiveness of one unit of study, 'Navigating Informational Text'. The pilot team will monitor the effectiveness of the lessons and share their work with the Literacy Task Force by January 15.

a) Action Steps b) Supports/Resources Needed c) Timeline

1. a) Develop, administer, and score nonfiction assessment as baseline b) Nonfiction Assessment and Leveled Texts c) By 10/28/15

2. a) Use lesson template to write lessons b) template, Atlas maps, curricular guide, books c) (date?) October 15-January 3?

3. a) Teach/ Co-teach lessons in classroom b) wiki, time c) (date?) 10/28-1/15

4. a) Reflect on implementation of lessons and student learning - biweekly? b) time, note taking sheet c) (date?) 10/20 - 1/15

5. a. Assess children based on work samples, book talk, guided reading group participation c. Ongoing 10/28 - 1/15

6. a) Re-administer and score nonfiction assessment b) Nonfiction Assessment and Leveled Texts c) By 1/15/14

7. a) Share lessons with LTF b) copies of lesson, ...  c) January 15

Okay. Who wants to write which lesson plan?

I'm already going a little of prompt... :o) I need to make sure my students know what nonfiction is. I'm going to do an activity with Book Club flyers on Monday. They will cut out the covers of books and glue them onto the nonfiction side of the page or the fiction side of the page. Then we will discuss what nonfiction is. Should I write that one up? It's not in the maps/ or in Lucy's Unit of Study - but I think my kids need it.

On Tuesday I will begin by reading through the big book. Andrea, What did we do with the big books we thought we could use?

__Current Plan:__

Monday, October 21 - choose big book (at lunch) Wednesday/Thursday, October 23/24 - give preassessment Monday, October 28 Have one or two lessons written (Melanie and I met on 10/28 and planned out some lessons we would write. Does this work for you, Juliet?)

1. Expanded lesson - read through big book - highlighting text features

(Melanie will write up this lesson and the one below.)

2. Text features (Each letter is a separate lesson)

a. Previewing using headings and subheadings (Juliet will write and present a & 1. Could we plan on having this next week? Wednesday in my room?)
 * 1) evaluate accuracy of predictions and modify understanding

Yes, I will do this for Wed 11/6. Is there a particular book you want me to use or anything that you want me to address that you've done in past years? I'd like to check in with you this week - I understand the text features, less clear on the subsection - do we want students to make predictions when they read headings? (Juliet)

b. maps, charts, tables, graphs and diagrams

c. photographs, pictures, captions, labels

d. glossary, index

3. Questions (Each letter is a separate lesson) (Andrea will write 3a, 3b, &3c.) a. Ask questions to clarify meaning (What is the author saying?) b. Ask questions to monitor understanding (What do I do as a reader to help myself understand?) c. Ask follow-up questions (This makes me wonder...)

E. Recall previously read information and synthesize with current reading. (Mel will write.)

In the future: Which Reading Workshop unit are we teaching next? We established at our meeting last week that it would be character. Jane and Jenn never responded to my email.

Now I know why I asked you about that! First of all, I want to write in one other unit into my smart goal. Secondly, we are supposed to present two completed units at the LTF meeting in January, right? I am also curious about what Jane and Jenn are teaching. I will shoot them an email and ask. (Andrea)

I will ask Lisa about the 2 completed units. (Juliet)