An Introduction to ELA Units and Math Task Arcs

An Introduction to ELA Units and Math Task Arcs

WebinarSeptember 12, 2013

Tennessee Department of EducationDivision of Curriculum and Instruction

English Language Arts Units

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Overview of ELA/Literacy units

Subject Grades/bands Round 1 timeline Round 2 timeline

Reading •K-1•2-3

August Winter

ELA •4•5•6•7•8•9-10•11-12

August

(except for grade 8 in early fall)

December

Science •6-8•9-12

Late September Winter

Social Studies •6-8•9-12

Late fall Spring

Red=currently available

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What are the ELA 4-12 units?

Units are… Units are not…

Optional resources for district/educator use Mandated

Sequence of lessons focused on a handful of specific, discrete skills

Full curriculum

Detailed instructional guides Scripts covering the entirety of instruction

Flexibly structured Fully scheduled timelines

Aligned to:•The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts•The three instructional shifts•Summer training materials

Aligned to every strand/standard for a given grade

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Unit components

Unit outline/map

Overarching questions

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Unit components

Task(1.2=text #1, task #2)

Unit texts

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Unit components

Culminating assessment

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Tncore.org unit resources

• www.tncore.org

• All Reading/ELA units can be found at: http://tncore.org/english_language_arts/curricular_resources.aspx (click on appropriate grade band)

• An examination of the 9-10 unit

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Vertical progression of the standards

Culminating assessments for three informational text/argument units:

• Grade 5: Write an opinion piece in which you analyze the costs and benefits of an aspect of space exploration based on information from at least three of the unit sources (texts and video). Develop your point of view by stating your opinion on whether the costs outweigh the benefits or the benefits outweigh the costs.

• Grade 6: Write an essay that argues for which author best supports his or her argument through the use of reasons and evidence from credible sources. Be sure to address why the other three authors provided less effective arguments for their readers (audience).

• Grades 9-10: Write an argument in which you argue for which speaker makes the strongest argument to promote racial equality? Develop your argument with claims and counterclaims that are grounded in evidence from across the unit texts.

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Integrating units with curriculum and TDOE resources

• User’s guides provide guidance on placement based on educator judgment and PARCC Model Content Frameworks

• Teachers can take out smaller pieces of units, such as a “column” (text and accompanying tasks)

• Units support students in preparing for TCAP WA and PARCC writing with:– Support for comprehension of complex texts

– Close reading tasks based on reading standards (especially main idea, purpose, and argument)

– Expository/argument writing prompts (especially culminating assessment)

Mathematics Task Arcs

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What are the Math Task Arcs?

Task arcs are… Task arcs are not…

Optional resources for district/educator use Mandated

Sequence of lessons focused on a small number of standards

Full curriculum

Detailed instructional guides Scripts covering the entirety of instruction

Flexibly structured Fully scheduled timelines

Aligned to:•TNCore Focus Clusters from the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics•The three instructional shifts•Summer training materials

Aligned to every cluster/standard for a given grade

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What are the Math Task Arcs?

• A task arc is a set of related lessons consisting of eight tasks and their associated lesson guides.

• The lessons are focused on a small number of Common Core State Standards, typically from one domain.

• Each task arc contains:

o Overview of the Task Arco Identified Common Core State Standards (Content and Practice)

and Essential Understandings o Alignment Charto Lesson Progression Chart

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Lesson Progression Chart

Task and Task Type

How tasks flow through changes in content, strategy, representations

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What are the Math Task Arcs?

The guides for each lesson include a rationale for the lesson, the task and associated standards, and essential understandings.

Several pathways for solving through each task are given, along with example assessing and advancing questions.

There are whole-class discussion questions that target the essential understandings, connect solution paths, and press for mathematical reasoning through specific teacher moves (e.g. marking, re-voicing, challenging).

Typically, there are ideas for quick-writes, application problems, lesson summary, and supports for EL students.

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What are the Math Task Arcs?

• There are two main task types:

o developing understanding tasks

o solidifying understanding tasks

• Each lesson is designed around the set-up, explore, share-discuss-analyze structure.

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Phases of the Lessons

In the set-up phase of the lesson, the teacher introduces the task to the students. The purpose of this phase is to make the task accessible to students. The teacher should be careful not to hint at entry points or ways to solve the task.

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Phases of the Lessons

In the explore phase, students can work independently and then in groups. Ideas for assessing and advancing their learning through questions are given aligned to different pathways for solving the task.

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Phases of the Lessons

Questions that press for reasoning and target the essential understandings are given.

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How should the task arcs be used?

• The task arcs are designed to be implemented in their entirety and in order.

• Teachers and districts should work together to find the best way to implement the task arcs as an optional resource given district pacing guides, benchmark assessments, etc.

• Teachers should plan how to best implement the task arcs with other teachers. For example, they can work through the tasks to identify additional solution paths, identify which questions are associated with certain mathematical practices, write additional assessing and advancing questions.

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Outcomes of Students using Task Arcs

• Students will be engaged with tasks with a high level of cognitive demand which supports higher levels of mathematical thinking and reasoning.

• Students will gain deep understanding by focusing on few standards.

• Students will make use of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.

• Students will learn some of the content assessed on the CRA.

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Task Arc Resources

• www.tncore.org

• All task arcs can be found at: http://tncore.org/math/curricular_resources.aspx (click on appropriate grade band, then appropriate grade level folder)

• There is a User’s Guide to support understanding of the task arcs located in each grade level folder.

Thank you!

Lior KlirsCoordinator of English Language ArtsContent and ResourcesTennessee Department of Education [email protected]

David WilliamsCoordinator of Math Content and ResourcesTennessee Department of Education [email protected]