Kim Bass’s presentation at Cotsen’s first-ever Playground Challenge was literally garbage. But as regularly happens in innovative classrooms, a pile of trash can yield pedagogical treasures to facilitate collaborative STEM/STEAM teaching and learning. Bass, a third grade teacher at Robert C. Fisler School in Fullerton, stood in front of a table covered with a maze […]
Think Like a Publisher Heidi Cockerill, 4th Grade Teaching Point: Writers make their writing interesting to readers by adding a variety of text features to increase engagement. Common Core State Standards: W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. W.4.2. A Introduce a topic clearly and group related […]
Offering Opinions Kristine Spencer, 1st Grade Teaching Point: Writers agree or disagree with their partner’s opinion by giving a reason. Common Core State Standards: W.1.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion and provide […]
GAFE within the Reader’s Workshop Classroom Debra Kojima, 6th Grade Teaching Point: Good book club members and readers keep the conversation going by asking powerful questions. Common Core State Standards: RL.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as drawing inferences from the text. RL.6.3 […]
Noticing Craft Moves & Providing Feedback in Informational Text Tracey Anderson, 2nd Grade Teaching Point: Writers study nonfiction books by noticing an author’s Craft Moves to provide constructive feedback. Craft Moves Definition: These are tools and techniques a skilled author uses in storytelling to craft a piece of writing. The reader may notice that […]
Using GAFE in the Writer’s Workshop Classroom Debra Kojima, 6th Grade Teaching Point: Good writers increase the level of learning by organizing their learning into sections. Common Core State Standards: W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant […]
Reading Like an Expert Kristina Cathcart, 2nd Grade Teaching Point: Writers fluently record their nonfiction books by scooping up phrases in order to make their reading sound smooth, like talking and reading like an expert. Common Core State Standards: W.1 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and […]