12 Power Words

Last week I shared an interactive site that covered Larry I. Bell's 12 Power Words for testing.  Here's a YouTube video where a middle school ELA teacher, Mr. Beyah, has posted a song version of those terms and definitions.  Get your students to learn the words and apply their knowledge when taking tests.

Tests as a Genre

"When students are familiar with the tasks required by [standardized] tests, they are better able to focus their attention and energy on the content of the test and to demonstrate their abilities."  

~Dr. Frank Serafini, Assistant Professor of Literacy Education, Arizona State University


Many of us are familiar with Larry I. Bell's 12 Power Words.  If you are your students need a refresher (or initial exposure), check out the self-study interactive activity linked below:

http://www.siatechabq.org/pwrwrds/index.

Students can learn the definitions and then quiz themselves at the end.

2013 National African American Read In

In February 2013, you may  hold an African American Read-In event any day of the month.  Hosting a Read-In can be as simple as bringing students, colleagues, and/or friends  together to share a book(s) that feature professional African American writers.

To be counted as participants:

• Select books, poems, speeches authored by African Americans
• Hold your event during the month of February
• Report your results by submitting the 2013 African American Read-In Report Card

Click here to access the online Read-In Report Card.  

The African American Read-In is endorsed by the International Reading Association.

Black History Month and the Common Core

Thinkfinity offers hundreds of free K-12 lessons that cover many content areas such as art, history, English, economics, geography, science, and mathematics.

Thinkfinity has teamed with EDSITEment, a top humanities resource for interactive lessons and activities, to compile a list of Black History lessons that align to ELA/Literacy Common Core Shift 1 "Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction" and Shift 3 "Regular practice with complex text and its academic language".

The page of resources can be found  here:
http://www.thinkfinity.org/community/hub/blog/2013/02/05/black-history-month-and-the-common-core

African-American Lives

Several years ago, PBS presented "African-American Lives," a series where African-American celebrities traced their roots.  This fascinating series, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.,  connects to so many content areas such as History, Science, and English/Language Arts.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aalives/2006/index.html 

When you click on the "For Educators" link, teachers can access three lesson plans:

1. Analyzing Evidence (grades 6-8):  students develop strategies for analyzing history.
2. My Place in History (grades 6-8):  students learn how individual stories reflect larger events or trends in history
3. Following the Thread (grades 9-12):  students learn about genetic lineages and various DNA tests.

~Chandra

Close Reading Practice with MLK

"Letter from a Birmingham Jail," written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has become a Common Core State Standards exemplar text because of it complexity and craft.  Here is a video of David Coleman, a contributing author to the CCSS, modeling a close reading of the letter.

Kathy Saunders, AHS English teacher, has shared a lesser-known persuasive piece from Dr. King, "The Other America."  It can be used to supplement reading "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," or as an alternative.  The link will take you to a video and transcript.  

Check back every week throughout the month of February for other ideas for incorporating Black History, diversity, and/or cultural awareness in your curriculum.

Determining Tier 2 Words

WordSift, mentioned in a previous post, is a Web 2.0 tool that can be helpful in determining Tier 2 words.  However, it does not replace a knowledgeable educator.  Click here to access an Academic Vocabulary rubric from NC DPI.  Please use it to think through which words are critical to teach for comprehension.

~Chandra