Creating Your CCSS-Aligned Curriculum Guide
Where do I begin? Your Common Core State Standards (CCSS) document—get to know the standards for your target age group. Note that the standards range from basic understanding to deep analysis (purposely reflecting Bloom's Taxonomy). Pick 5-8 standards that you think you can cover in your curriculum guide - you don't need to touch on ALL the standards as students have the entire year to meet their grade-level CCSS. Get organized! Figure out what sections to include in your curriculum guide. As a teacher, here's what is most useful: - a Prior Knowledge section with discussion or writing prompts that students complete BEFORE they begin reading. A good prompt relates students' prior experiences to themes in the book, and gets them excited and motivated to read. For Dare to Dream . . . Change the World, a poetry anthology, we have students find examples of poetry in commercials, songs, greeting cards, and nursery rhymes so they realize poetry...