Recipe: Kindergarten Authors with LEGO Story Starters

I. PREPARE

Watch once.

Watch twice, but add words! As a class, narrate the story by adding dialogue or just describing the events, or describe the events, then add dialogue. Pause when necessary for students to gather their thoughts.

II. MIX & BAKE

Have you looked at the student writing samples in Appendix C of the Common Core resources? Take a peek at some of the writing samples for your grade level.

The included annotations are particularly helpful for understanding the writing expectations for students. For example, in the above sample from a Kindergarten student, [1] restating the title and [2] choosing their favorite part of the story was emphasized.

You can download a similar worksheet for Elementary Writing here or make your own.

Ask students to draw their favorite part of the 30 second LEGO Story Starter: A Wicked Walk in the Park. With guidance and support, help them write about their favorite part.

III. EAT!

Provide a blank copy of the Elementary Writing worksheet.

Now it's time to let the students author their own story!

It may help to organize the 30 second LEGO story into chunks - a beginning middle, and end - and address the problem and solution.

Then, with guidance and support, the students will get a chance to create their own story. If they need some story starters for help, a copy of The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is always fun. Also, you could start a story with them, stopping before the end, and have the students writer their own ending.

I ordered the visuals on AMAZON & the librarian laminated for me!

Step 4. The Appendices

Finally, it's time to look at the Appendices downloaded. Each contains useful information or (my favorite) free resources for the classroom. Here's a quick overview of each with direct links to download the standards.

Appendix A - This appendix contains more research behind the standards and a glossary of key terms to the standards. This glossary includes the standard writer's definition of Technical Subjects (page 43) - A course devoted to a practical study, such as engineering, technology, design, business, or other workforce-related subject; a technical aspect of a wider field of study, such as art or music - an important term to define when discussing the Supplemental Literacy standards with subjects other than English Language Arts, History/Social Studies, or Science.

The Glossary starts on page 42.

Appendix B - This is my favorite of the three appendices (andI realize how nerdy that sounds)! It contains aligned excerpts and suggested texts for all grade levels (in genres of poetry, fiction, and informational texts) as well as suggested tasks for each genre!

My favorite!

Appendix C - Examples of student writing; a good way to familiarize with the expectations of student writing and its progression in each grade level. There's also some good suggestions for writing assignments to use in class.

Just a sample of student writing in Kindergarten.

Coming Soon

MOVE ON TO: STEP 5. Literacy in Math, History/Social Studies, and Technical Subjects

Recipe: Poetry Is and Poetry Isn't

I. Prepare

First, a quick introduction to Love Poetry...

The examples of poetry by Strongbad is, obviously, pretty simplistic. You could compare and contrast it to more advanced poetry. Check out this amazing palindrome poem, for example:

What Is and What Is Not Poetry, Part 1

Read the following: Brothers Are the Same/Ozymandias Compare & Contrast.

Discuss the following in regards to each passage presented:

1. Is it poetry?
2. What makes it a poem?

Use a venn diagram to analyze the surface differences of Brothers Are the Same and Ozymandias.

What Is and What Is Not Poetry, Part 2

Let's take a more comprehensive look at what is and what is not poetry. This is a good time to practice note-taking skills!

A special thanks to the great Joye Oakley!

II. Mix & Bake

Some very complex concepts are articulated through poetry. It is this reason that we need a systematic process of analyzing the multiple facets of poetry. That's why someone very smart  (no, not me) created TPCASTT!

Painless Poetry Analysis: TPCASTT

Get ready to take some notes! As you learn each of the seven steps to TPCASTT, it would benefit you to have a copy of a poem to practice. Might I suggest one of the suggested poems provided by the Common Core Appendix B? 

Use the PREZI as a guide and walk through analyzing a poem together, as a class. 

III. Eat!

Now it's time to venture independently into the world of poetry! Students can work alone or in pairs (teacher's discretion) and use TPCASTT on a poem of their choice (or recommended by the teacher). 

Other Poetry Resources

1. My Poetry Nonfiction LiveBinder
2. My Basic Poems Prezi - step-by-step guide to writing simple poems
3. Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame - check out the free lessons in the education section
4. Poetry 180 - a wide selection of poems from the Library of Congress

Step 3. On Grade Level

At this point, you should have a decent understanding of Common Core expectations, major shifts, and how to navigate the standards document. Go ahead and dive into the standards for your grade level.

While reading, it was helpful for me to think about:

1. What is this standards asking my students to do?
2. What is the outcome or product of this action?

I also thought a lot about Bloom's Revised Taxonomy as I read, because the focus was much more on results than content. As I understand the expectations, students develop a tangible representation of their learning as opposed to a check list of content items reviewed in class.

Are my lessons guiding students to the top?

MOVE ON TO: STEP 4. THE APPENDICES

Common Core in Action

Even before looking at the grade level standards, experiencing them helps overall understanding. It's hard to really experience it through a blog post, but Teaching Channel.org is the next best thing.

The Teaching Channel is an amazing website with free teacher resources, including lesson plans, teaching strategies, and news.

It might be helpful to have your grade-level Common Core Standards handy while you watch. Check out their coverage of the Common Core and please participate in the follow-up reflection questions at the bottom of the page.

Overview of the ELA and Literacy Standards

Common Core in Elementary School

Common Core in Middle School

Common Core in High School

Follow-Up Reflection Questions

Participating will allow you to also look at the responses from other participants. If you're already in a group, it would be great for your members to navigate to this post and share their responses too.

Move On To Step 3: On Grade Level

Common Core Starter Kit - Step 1

So, you're planning ahead and want to understand the Common Core, but don't know where to start. I'll try to break it down in easy to digest steps, but it will require some reading and participation on your part. I know a teacher's time is very limited, so I'll focus on - in my opinion - some of the best information available.

Part A: Download the Standards

I know, I know... sounds pretty obvious, right? However, a lot of misinformation exists and I've met a lot of critics that haven't actually read their grade level standards. This is due to two reasons: [1] teachers don't have time to read and [2] they don't know where to get the information. 

Let's solve that problem now by gathering our ingredients!

Ingredients:

[1] Download and Print the Common Core Introductory Materials and...
[2] ...the Standards for your grade.
[3] Next, visit the online homebase of the Common Core Initiative and download Appendix A, B, and C. Do not print yet! Just save each for later.

Keep in mind, I focus on the English Language Arts aspects,
but the Math standards are located further down the page.

Side Note: The ELA (English Language Arts) Standards for K-12 are located in the first document in the circle - the one with the extra long title. It includes the supplemental literacy standards for History/Social Studies, Science, and teachers of "Technical Subjects". I won't dive into that just yet. That deserves it's own separate post. For now, we'll focus on the standards for English Langauge Arts.

Part B - Read the Introductory Materials

If you're working in a group, take 10 minutes to read and highlight pages 3-8, the Introductory Materials. It will answer many questions and clarify a lot of details, including:

• Who made Common Core & which subjects are affected? (see page 3)
• How was it developed & how does this affect implementation? (see page 4)
• How much nonfiction do I have to integrate? (see page 5)
• What is a "College & Career Ready" student? (see page 7)
• How do I read the standards? (see page 8)

A lot of understanding can happen in just 6 pages of reading.

Part C - Summarize and Share

Part D - Conclusion

Compose a summary of the Introductory Materials and Post your response in the box below. When you're ready, click the link below and continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Common Core in Action

Recipe: The Impact of Technology on Daily Life

I. Prepare

First, an opening message from Sir Patrick Stewart.

Think-Pair-Share

1. On a 3x5 notecard, identify Sir Patrick's Claim and 2-3 examples of Evidence he uses to support it.
2. Share and compare your thoughts with an elbow partner. 
3. Share and compare with the class.

II. Mix

Turn up the heat and get those thoughts on paper! Respond to the following prompt from the New York Times. Additionally, you may want to click on the link and share the full article from the New York Times' Learning Network for related articles and responses from fellow students.

Quick Write

What inventions play the biggest role in your life?

Set a timer (I suggest no longer than 5 minutes) and just write! Don't stop for grammar, spelling, or other technical issues. This is just a brainstorm to get all your ideas on paper.

Now let's peek at the future of technology.

Sixth Sense Technology

The following video is 15 minutes long (and worth watching!), but you can skip ahead to the 5 minute mark and watch to the 10:15 mark and be completely blown away. If you want to start at the 5 minute mark, just click here.

Four Corners

First, setup Four Corners signs in your classroom. They don't have to be fancy, but here are the signs I use:

Post the following quote for students to read:

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."

-Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899 

Ask students to decide (or make a claim) whether they Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree with the quote and move to the corner that represents their decision (or claim).

When students are situated in their corners, give them time to share with each other and develop a list of reasons (or evidence) that suppor their claim.

After their thoughts have boiled and each group has composed some strong support, provide time to share out to the whole class.

II. Bake

One final inspirational video...

Present the following prompt to students and ask them to respond on notebook paper:

Write about an invention the world needs, but hasn't been invented yet.

Set a timer (5-10 minutes) and go crazy! Remember, this is just a brainstorm.

Share

When time is up, let students share with an elbow partner and then volunteer to share with the class. Optional: a Commit-and-Toss might also be a fun option to try!

III. Eat!

Now the teacher will take the role of an Angel Investor!

Assign students to work in pairs (my personal preference) or small groups (no more than 3, also my personal preference).

In their pairs/small groups, students must decide on whose invention is worth "developing".

When the pairs/small groups come to a consensus, they will have three main requirements for developing their chosen invention:

1. Visual - create a "blue print" or Pseudo advertisement for their invention and include a name and slogan.
2. Write - create a business pitch to persuade the Angel Investor (a.k.a. the teacher) to fund the invention; the pitch must use rhetorical or persuasive appeals as support (if you are unfamiliar with Rhetorical Appeals, click the link to access my half-page handout or check out the following Prezi link for further support).
3. Presentation - give students the chance to present their product to the whole class and, of course, you - the Angel Investor. Don't forget to create a writing and presentation rubric based on your students' level for "easy" grading.

Optional: You could also put the work back in the hands of the students and allow them to "grade" or vote on each others' presentation and invention.

Additional Resources to Consider

• What tech tools play the biggest role in your life? - NYT

• Digital Nation (Video/Documentary) - PBS Frontline