Keys to ImprovingStudent Performance

• Coordinated Effort• Writing as Thinking• Strategic Teaching Focus• Student Engagement and Responsibility• Use the Data Wisely

1. Can’t read the passage2. Didn’t read passage for purpose3. Question was difficult4. Vocabulary 5. How to get started6. Plan vs. on-demand writing7. Endurance reading/writing8. Lack of models9. Richer more complex text10. Rigor in our questions

Lesson With Students

The State of Massachusetts wants students to…

Write to show deep understanding

Like a Lawyer: Use specific details and evidence from a passage to support ideas

Write a lot!

Read carefully and thoughtfully

Explain ideas

Previewing before you read:What should you look at?

Title, blurb, genre? Pictures and captions?

How many paragraphs, lines?Questions at end? What kind?

Section Headings? Bold words?Character lists? Text boxes?

Previewing a Story1. What genre? Fiction or non-fiction2. What was the title?3. What was the story kind-of about?

4. There were 4 pictures. What did they show? Describe as many as you can.5. What is a question that you expect to be asked? Or what was asked?

Other questions... Who was in the story? Where? How many paragraphs was it?

nuclear

submarine Before nuclear power, submarines ran on electric power.

diesel fuel

There was a thick ice sheet and many icebergs at the North Pole.

cruising

Because it used nuclear power it was twice as fast and could stay under water longer.

Before nuclear power, submarines used diesel fuel when on the surface.

It was cruising along the surface.

Understanding Vocabulary: Using context and pictures

ice sheet,iceberg

splot

business He went about his business.

explosion

steam shovel

He’s popped his cork, flipped his wig,blown his stack, and dropped his stopper.

hammock

The paint made a big orange splot.

There was an explosion of color.

We used a steam shovel to dig up the ground.

He laid in a hammock between two trees.

Understanding Vocabulary: Using context and pictures

Mark it up! Crazy Artist Game

The Look Back Game

Writing a Great Answer

1.Turn the Question Around Quickly2.Plan it a little3.Add lots of supporting details from the passage and explain the details4.Fill the box (write small)

What do these responses have in common?

This response is a clear, complete, and accurate explanation of how the big orange splot causes the neighborhood to change... The closing sentence does not add any information to support understanding. Important details are included.

14 lines with 6–7 words per line!FILL THE BOX!

USE SPECIFIC DETAILS!

BUDGET YOUR SPACE!

Correct but no details to explain why…

Incorrect score 0

Milton and the Snow Storm

The Seed

A Quick PreviewWhat should you look at?

Title, blurb, genre? Pictures and captions?

How long is it?Questions at end?

Sections? Bold words?

braid

successor It was time to choose a successor.

heirs

magnificent

His once dark braid had turned the color of new-fallen snow.

He felt wealth and power made his heirs lazy.

He was seated on a magnificent throne.

She gave him a beautiful porcelain bowl.

Vocabulary

porcelain bowlsprout Your seeds would not sprout.

transplant Others were transplanting their plants into new containers.

In the story Virgil’s feelings change from hating the garden to wanting it to work. In the beginning he had to work hard. In paragraph one Virgil says he “was done with fifth grade forever. I was planning on sleeping in till noon to celebrate.” This shows that the boy had other plans. His dad woke him up when it was still dark to work in the garden. Also, when they were in the garden it was hard work. It says, “the ground was packed so hard the shovel bounced off like a pogo stick.” This shows that it was hard to dig there. Also there was a lot of trash like “bolts and screws and pieces of brick.” This is hard work to pick this up so the boy was probably tired. Later the boy feels “embarrassed” because they planted “so much ground.” His dad wanted to make money by planting lettuce. When his old 3rd grade teacher came and his Dad lied, the boy put his head down. This shows he was embarrassed. In the end, the boy changes. He says, “the garden was like having a new baby in the family.” This shows he is more attached to it and wants it to work. He does get angry at his dad and the garden when the lettuce doesn’t come up because it’s too hot. On the last line he prays for the lettuce. “save our lettuce.” This shows he wants it to work out.

Virgil’s feelings toward the garden changed in the story. In the beginning he did not like the garden. He wanted to sleep in “till noon” to celebrate the end of fifth grade. But his father got him up when it was still dark. When he worked in the garden it was hard. Paragraph 2 the author writes, “the tip of my shovel bounced of it.” There was broken glass and they had to pick it out. Later on the boy feels bad and embarrassed because they picked such a big plot to grow lettuce to make money. His dad also lies about it and this makes the boy ashamed. Next, the boy feels angry about the garden and at his dad because the lettuce doesn’t grow. He wanted to get his 18 speed bike but they planted at the wrong time when it was too hot. In the end the boy wants the garden to grow so his dad will be happy. He whispers to the picture of a girl that looks like the Goddess of crops from Greek myths. He says, “save our lettuce.” This shows he really wants it to grow.

Feelings

• Angry:

• Embarrassed: • Like a parent

• Angry at dad

• Wants it to work

• Had to wake up

• Took too big plot

• Took care of it watering everyday

• Wanted bike, didn’t plant at right time

• “Please let it grow”

parasite

chlorophyll With no chlorophyll, it gets its food from another plant.

deposit

putrid

It is a parasite that lives off the roots of a vine.

Pollen clings to them and is deposited on other blossoms.

Some love the putrid odor of rotten meat.

Because bats are nocturnal the flowers open at night.

Vocabulary

nocturnal

buoyant It is used in lifejackets because it is buoyant and warm.

nectar Birds or insects go to drink nectar.

acoustics

frequency and pitch

Frequency of waves determine the sound’s pitch and is measured in Hertz (Hz).

amplitude

amplify

Acoustic experts refer to terms like amplify and industrial noise.

As the amplitude increases the volume and decibels increase.

The parts of the ear amplify the sound.

Symptoms of hearing loss include muffled sound.

Vocabulary

symptomsexposure

Limit your exposure to high volumes.

convert The tiny hair cells in the ear must convert the vibrations into nerve impulses.

enables

formidable A jungle, an untamed river and disease. A formidable trio that made building a canal an impossible dream.

sanitary and theory

The Panama canal enables boats to travel through the country...

Chief Sanitary Officer believed a new theory– mosquitoes spread the disease.

All standing water was eradicated.

The biggest challenge was the steep landslide- prone Culebra cut.

Vocabulary

landslide-prone

initiative The building of the canal began with a French initiative.

larvae They released minnows to eat mosquito larvae.

eradicated