Greetings!
My newsletter is designed to be a quick, practical read; strategies you can use tomorrow. In addition to the classroom strategies, there is a Principal's Perspective for School Leaders and Resourceful Recommendations, where you'll find my favorite resources. I hope you enjoy this issue, forward it to friends and colleagues, and contact me with any feedback or questions. Please note that there will also be a combined June/July issue that will come out in late June.
Barbara
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Using Multiple TextsA valuable skill, and one that the CCSS incorporates for all subject areas and grade levels is to help students see differing perspectives through a variety of sources. As a social studies teacher explained, "comparing secondary source information to primary source material helps students see how what the writer or speaker intended rather than how other writers interpreted him or her." There are many options for written, audio, and video speeches available on the internet such as Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream", George W. Bush's speech just after the events of 9/11, or Susan B. Anthony's speech on a woman's right to vote. It's important to find a speech that suits your subject and the developmental age of your students. Career and Technology teachers may wish to use speeches by leaders in specific professions, such as Steve Jobs or Suze Orman. Or, if you've just read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, use an author interview with Eric Carle about his writing process and discuss what students learned. Other options include comparing opinion-based articles with news articles, texts written from different perspectives such as the Three Little Pigs and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, or examples of debates.
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A major shift in the Common Core State Standards is that of text difficulty. The samples listed are based on Lexile Levels, which measure the readability of the text. Remember to encourage teachers to use their own judgment to determine if a book is appropriate to the developmental level or age of the student, and whether the content matches the standards.
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Did y  ou find an idea you can use tomorrow? Your students and teachers are individuals, so adapt the ideas to make them effective for your classroom or school. If you'd like to share a tip and see your name in my e-newsletter, contact me! You'll find activity templates and more information about my presentations and books on my blog or on my website.Finally, who do you know who might benefit from this newsletter? Please forward it to them and remind them they make a difference, just like you do!
Sincerely,

Barbara Blackburn Blackburn Consulting Group |