Diversity of Text free resources

Once you have discovered these links, curate your own and email them to me for a more updated list.

Written Text 

National Geographic                                       Library of Congress 

Smithsonian                                                    Hello Kids 

Penguin

Oral 

Enoch Pratt Free Library                                Story Line Online                     

History.com/speeches                                    American Rhetoric      

Video 

How Stuff Works                                           Animal Planet                             

Discovery Channel                                         TED talks       

Close reading at the elementary level

source

Close reading

Click here for access to the definition of a close reading:
Close reading defined



How to conduct a close reading:

Explanation and sample lesson #1

Explanation and sample lesson #2

Questioning techniques for a close reading

Close reading by Tim Shanahan

Achieve the Core - Close reading exemplars

Foundation Levels

You may be wondering why the Common Core Reading Standards Foundation Skills (K-5) are featured separately in the ELA Common Core Standards. To understand why, it is helpful to know that the Common Core Foundational Skills do not include comprehension and vocabulary. Rather, they focus on: 

1. Print Concepts 
2. Phonological Awareness
3. Phonics
4. Word Recognition 

That is because comprehension and vocabulary are the central focus of the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards. From kindergarten through twelfth grade comprehension and vocabulary are integrated across the four major strands of Reading, Writing, Speak & Listening, and Language.  Acquiring comprehension and vocabulary are a 13 year process in the Common Core with one academic year building on the next, until students are college and career ready.  

Location of Foundation Levels

Main document of CCSS pages 15-17 grades K-5

Appendix A 17-22 grades K-5

Unpacking the ELA standards

The primary goals to Unpacking the ELA Standards will be to:

• Identify the significant nouns and verbs within each standard 
• Identify key academic vocabulary 
• Review what is taught and assessed the grades below and above
• Consider the knowledge and skills needed to master the content standard 

The document links provided below allow a person to see each and every College and Career Ready Anchor Standard as written in it's original form, then grade level specific standards by domain, and finally, a specific and comprehensive explanation for teachers. 

English Language Arts Unpacking Standards

Kindergarten
(pdf, 276kb)

1st Grade
(pdf, 274kb)

2nd Grade
(pdf, 286kb)

3rd Grade
(pdf, 278kb)

4th Grade
(pdf, 282kb)

5th Grade
(pdf, 298kb)

6th Grade
(pdf, 315kb)

7th Grade
(pdf, 300kb)

8th Grade
(pdf, 340kb)

English I & II
(pdf, 303kb)

English III & IV
(pdf, 302kb)


________________________________

English Language Arts Graphic Organizers

Argument
(pdf, 103kb)

Compare and Contrast
(pdf, 76kb)

Dialectic Response
(pdf, 127kb)

Inquiry
(pdf, 72kb)

Synthesizing
(pdf, 132kb)

Vocabulary
(pdf, 74kb)

source

Getting Started

Shift #6 - Academic Vocabulary

Academic Vocabulary worksheet - please print and complete

Bringing Words to Life

See Appendix A pages 32-35