An Introduction to the Common Core State Standards...6.G.1 Find the area of right triangles, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing

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An Introduction to the Common

Core State Standards What they mean for you and your children

Are you career ready?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY2mRM4i6

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What are the Common Core Standards?

• http://vimeo.com/51933492

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“These Standards are not intended to

be new names for old ways of doing

business. They are a call to take

the next step… It is time to

recognize that standards are not just

promises to our children, but

promises we intend to keep.”

-- The Common Core State

Standards in Math, page 5

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Tonight’s Objectives

• Help parents understand what college readiness is

and why it matters.

• Introduce our parents to the new standards and

help them understand what to look for and how to

help their children at home.

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Activity # 1: What is college

readiness?

What does college-readiness look like?

When is a student ready for college?

What do children need to learn to be ready

for college?

How can parents help?

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So? What does it mean?

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College and Career Readiness

The new standards will get students ready for

success in college and the workforce.

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…but what does that mean?

College Readiness

• College readiness means that

graduates have the skills they need to

do well in college.

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• “College” doesn’t just mean a four-year degree. It

can mean any program that leads to a degree or

certificate.

• Being “ready” means that students graduate from

high schools with key skills in English and

mathematics.

Career Readiness

• Career readiness means that high

school graduates are qualified for and

able to do well in long-term careers.

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• “Career” doesn’t just mean a job. It means a

profession that lets graduates succeed at a job

they enjoy and earn a competitive wage.

The new standards will…

• Prepare students to succeed in college and the workforce

• Ensure that every child—regardless of race, ethnicity or zip code—is held to the same high standards and learns the same material

• Provide educators with a clear, focused roadmap for what to teach and when

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What are the Common Core Standards?

• A single set of clear standards for English

language arts and mathematics

• A tool to help students and parents set clear

and realistic goals for success

• A first step in providing young people with

the high-quality education that will prepare

them for success in college and careers

States that adopted the Common Core

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What’s different in the new standards?

English Language Arts/Literacy: • Focus on non-fiction, careful reading • Discuss reading and write using evidence • Increase academic vocabulary

Mathematics • Learn more about fewer concepts • Focus on skill building, speed and accuracy • Use of real world examples to better

understand concepts

ELA Activity # 2

• Read the passage: “On the Roof of the World”

by Benjamin Koch (ELA 7—2014)

• Answer the four questions.

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Question 1

1. Why did the author and his friends choose

to travel with Dudjom Dorjee?

A. because he could show them the nomadic

life he had lived in Tibet

B. because he was friends with many of the

local Tibetans

C. because he could teach them to

communicate with the nomads

D. because he could show them how to avoid

traveling difficulties

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Question 2 2. Why does the author include the story

about his trouble setting up a tent?

A. to explain why he wished he had bought a

better tent

B. to demonstrate the difficulty of working in

the harsh climate

C. to show why he would have preferred a

Tibetan yak-hair tent

D. to provide an example of the abilities and

generosity of young Tibetans

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Question 3

3. Which sentence from the article best supports the conclusion that

traditional nomadic customs can be as good as modern conveniences?

A. “We had the advantage of automobiles—a luxury that nomads have

happily survived without. When it comes time for a nomad family to move, they

pack all their things into large backpacks that they strap over their yaks.” (lines 33

through 35)

B. “At one campsite, I remember wrestling with one of my tent poles trying

to pass it through the loops of my tent. Some smiling nomad kids approached and

had me set up in no time, though they’d never seen a tent like that before.” (lines

45 through 47)

C. “With a warm fire burning in the mud stove and the snug black walls of

the tent, you are comfortable as can be. This was not the case in the fancy modern

tents my friends and I slept in.” (lines 49 through 51)

D. “Though their lives are full of challenges, the nomads never take their

day-to-day problems too seriously. They know how impermanent things are,

including their homes.” (lines 65 and 66)

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Question 4

4. How is the article mainly structured?

A. with sub-sections focused on specific

topics

B. with an exploration of one nomadic group’s

life

C. by presenting observations in

chronological order

D. by contrasting positive and negative

aspects of nomadic life

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7.G04

Determine the surface area of

prisms and cylinders, using a

calculator and a variety of

methods.

Math Activity # 3 Math Test Question:

Pre-Common Core

Math Test Question: Post Common Core

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6.G.1 Find the area of right triangles, other

triangles, special quadrilaterals, and

polygons by composing into rectangles

or decomposing into triangles and

other shapes; apply these techniques

in the context of solving real-world and

mathematical problems.

6.RP.1 Understand the concept of a ratio and

use ratio language to describe a ratio

relationship between two quantities.

For example, “The ratio of wings to

beaks in the bird house at the zoo was

2:1, because for every 2 wings there

was 1 beak.” “For every vote candidate

A received, candidate C received

nearly three votes.”

Math Activity # 3

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So, what can parents really do to help?

Parent support can help students

succeed

• By staying involved, informed and engaged,

parents can help students be successful

• There are many ways to help:

Read with your children

Review and discuss their homework

Communicate with their teachers

Attend public meetings to learn more

Learn about the standards and how they affect your

child’s education and school

Look through your child’s backpack each afternoon

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So? What works best?

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Activity # 4: Beyond “How

was your day at school?” At your table, talk about the best strategies you use

to get your kids to talk about their day in school.

• What questions do you ask?

• Do you discuss what they tell you?

• How do you get them excited to talk?

• What do you do when they refuse to talk?

• How do you celebrate your child’s success at

school?

• How do you address poor performance?

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What works best?

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• Read as much non-fiction as fiction

• Learn about the world by reading

• Read more challenging material closely

• Discuss reading using evidence

• Write non-fiction using evidence

• Increase academic vocabulary

A Closer Look: ELA/Literacy Shifts

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• Focus: learn more about less

• Build skills across grades

• Develop speed and accuracy

• Really know it, Really do it

• Use it in the real world

• Think fast AND solve problems

A Closer Look: Mathematics Shifts

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Resources for parents

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Big Ideas Math Textbook

• https://www.bigideasmath.com/

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• www.achievethecore.org

• www.pta.org/4446.htm

• http://www.cgcs.org/Domain/36

Additional resources

Closing discussion

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• What strategies did we discuss today that you

think you might use with your children?

• What other information would be helpful to you?

• What other questions do you have?

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Thank you