Cross Curricular Middle School Unit:

Guiding Students to Become Critical Content-area Readers and Writers

PCL Summer Institute - July 2017

Carly Andrew - Social Studies -

Elizabeth Miller - English

Michelle Amend - PCL Director -

Tier One: Interdisciplinary Unit

How does this work for you?

*** FYI - I’m going to ask you to share your ideas

Things YOU will need to make an interdisciplinary unit:

Tier Two: Unit Design with CLM Practices

Literature Discussion Groups (LDGs)

Why? / How? / Prep
Rich, purposeful talk about text / - Complex Texts (at or above grade level)
- Engagement (good book - boys, girls, length, age-relevant, themes, etc.)
- Managed Choice / - Need to have read
- Need strategies to keep track of what they are thinking
- Need strategies to be successful
Notes:

Mentor Texts

Why? / How - Choosing Texts / Use in Class
To give all students access to well-written grade level or above texts / - Use multiple times for multiple purposes
- Complex texts
(should be ABOVE grade level)
- Quality texts / - Use to support mini-lessons
Work is always done (at least initially) together
- Use to build background knowledge
Notes:

Small Group Instruction

Why? / How? / Use in Class
Provides the opportunity for students to deepentheir learning and to engage with the skill or information. / Determine types of groups want to pull (strategy group, diverse groups, etc.)
-Create routines for success
-Protected space / - Organized
- Self-selected
Notes:

Tier Three: Instructional Framework

Gradual Release of Responsibility

Why? / How - Intentional Teaching / Examples
Provides students with a model that supports their learning. Naturally scaffolds and differentiates curriculum to make it accessible to all learners. / -What is your outcome?
-What will you use to model?
-How will your students practice? / - Powerful Word Choice
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Notes:

Instructional Routines

Why? / How - Cost/Benefit Analysis / Examples
- Facilitates time management.
- Creates learning community of shared language and activities
- Predictable structures free the brain for new learning / High power, high leverage routines that are worth investment of instructional time / -Critical Note-taking
-Writer’s Notebook
-Professional Emailing
-Flagging Thinking
Notes:

Tier Four: Immediate Strategies

Anchor Charts / Interactive Read Aloud / Literate Environment