[kids-lib] Librarians & Common Core Standards: Ideas and Resources

Thu May 17 11:36:38 PDT 2012

Hi,

I posted the message below to the OASL listserv. Admittedly, the focus is on what school librarians can do to help with the common core state standards (CCSS), but several things translate to public libraries. For example, library staff could feature more nonfiction during the summer reading program, in programming like storytimes, etc. If you work with teachers, you can point them to some of the resources mentioned below. You get the idea. ☺

The original email did not include a reference to the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award, but I added it below.

FYI,
Jen

Jennifer Maurer
School Library Consultant
Oregon State Library
250 Winter Street NE
Salem, OR 97301
503.378.5011
jennifer.maurer at state.or.us<mailto:jennifer.maurer at state.or.us>

OSLIS || www.oslis.org
Learn to research. Research to learn.©

From: oasl-all at memberclicks.net<mailto:oasl-all at memberclicks.net> [mailto:oasl-all at memberclicks.net] On Behalf Of Jennifer Maurer
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 5:52 PM
To: Jennifer Maurer
Subject: [oasl-all] School Librarians & Common Core Standards: Ideas and Resources

This email about CCSS and school libraries got so long that I decided it needed headings.

SLJ Article about Common Core & School Libraries
Back in early April, School Library Journal had an excellent article about the role of school librarians in implementing the common core state standards (CCSS); it’s called “All Aboard!: Implementing Common Core Offers School Librarians an Opportunity to Take the Lead.” Thanks to Jennifer Maydole for bringing it to my attention.
            http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/893928-312/all_aboard_implementing_common_core.html.csp

The article offers some very practical advice on supporting the common core standards, especially around building your nonfiction collection. Recall that an emphasis on engaging students with informational text is one of the major shifts in the English language arts and the literacy in the content areas standards. The article ends with a section on getting started with the CCSS that encourages library staff to rethink their collection and its funding sources. Below are a few resources that can support you in those efforts.

ODE Resources on Common Core State Standards

Common Core Webpage (gateway to CCSS information, divided by audience): http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=2860

CCSS Fact Sheet (background info): http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/commoncore/common-core-fact-sheet.pdf

Six Shifts (especially helpful, IMHO): http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/commoncore/common-core-shifts-ela.pdf

The Oregon State Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and math in October 2010. There’s a transition plan in place, and students will be expected to pass updated assessment tests as of the 2014-15 school year. So what’s different about the CCSS? Well, there are “six shifts that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in ELA & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects require of us if we are to be truly aligned with the CCSS in terms of curricular materials and classroom instruction.” For example, there’s a much greater emphasis on reading informational text -- 50% of total reading for K-5 students, 55% for middle schoolers, and 70% by the end of high school. There is also a greater emphasis on reading and writing instruction in the content areas and on reading increasingly more complex text. Do the print and electronic collections in your library support these shifts?

English Language Arts (ELA) & Literacy in the Content Areas Standards: http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/real/newspaper/Newspaper_Section.aspx?subjectcd=ELA

CCSS Toolkit: ELA & Literacy Teachers: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=3603

Mathematics Standards: http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/real/newspaper/Newspaper_Section.aspx?subjectcd=MA

CCSS Toolkit: Math Teachers: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=3605

Nonfiction/Informational Texts

These are some resources that came to mind; the list is by no means exhaustive.

            Primary Sources

                        From the SLJ article: “The focus is on primary (or maybe secondary) sources, not the predigested tertiary writing found in many of today’s textbooks.”

                        Teaching with the Library of Congress (blog that focuses on using primary sources): http://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/

                                    Sample Post: http://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2012/05/shortcuts-for-finding-primary-sources/ (finding primary resources)

                        TeachingHistory.org’s Using Primary Resources: http://teachinghistory.org/best-practices/using-primary-sources

                                    Sample Resource: http://teachinghistory.org/best-practices/using-primary-sources/23513 (model for analyzing historical sources)

            Nonfiction Book Awards

From the SLJ article: “Although we’re all still trying to figure out what exactly the term ‘literary nonfiction’ means, for your library it means you’ll need to buy more world-class informational texts. Think Gail Gibbons’s animal books or Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel—extremely well-written titles that are packed with valuable information.”

ALSC’s Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/sibertmedal

ALSC’s Notable Children’s Books (some are nonfiction): http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists

YALSA’s Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction-award

YALSA’s Outstanding Books for the College Bound (updated every 5 years; some are nonfiction): http://www.ala.org/yalsa/outstanding-books-college-bound

Booklist Editor’s Choice’s Books for Youth (some are nonfiction): http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/30/detail

Booklist Editor’s Choice’s Adult Books for Young Adults (some are nonfiction): http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/31/detail

Amelia Bloomer Book List (some are nonfiction): http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/34/detail

National Council for the Social Studies’ Notable Tradebooks for Young People (most are nonfiction): http://www.socialstudies.org/resources/notable

National Council for the Social Studies’ Carter G. Woodson Book Award: http://www.socialstudies.org/awards/woodson

National Science Teachers Association’s Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: http://www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/

National Council of Teachers of English’s Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children: http://www.ncte.org/awards/orbispictus

            Databases

From the SLJ article: “Close reading of shorter texts. Your databases will become teachers’ new best friends once they discover that periodicals are a great source of superb shorter texts that students can dive into. Stretch your collection to include resources like The Civil War Times and other niche publications.”

Highlight resources from the statewide periodicals databases suite, Gale, and from periodicals or reference databases that your library subscribes to.

Gale Bookmarks: One way to highlight Gale articles, searches, or publications is to create and share a Gale bookmark. Julie Pepera, a Gale trainer, created a document
that explains how to use Gale bookmarks. Two variations, depending on the database interface being used, are posted on the Gale support site for Oregon library
staff. Click on Training Opportunities in the blue toolbar at the top of the page and look in the section called Self-Guided Training Resources: http://galesupport.com/oregon/.
(The PDFs will be posted there soon.)

Gale Journal Alerts: Journal alerts allow you to receive the content of a specific publication in your email inbox. For example, you can help teachers receive Faces,
“a magazine for young readers ages 9-14 that explores world cultures and geography.” See the attachment for directions on how to set up journal alerts.

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE|0CDB&v=2.1&u=oslis&it=aboutJournal&p=GPS&sw=w

            Working with Nonfiction

                        Creating Questions for Close Analytic Reading: This document is on the support page for the ELA standards and helps educators develop better questions to ask

of students when analyzing informational text: http://www.achievethecore.org/steal-these-tools/text-dependent-questions.

            Nonfiction for Young Adults: From Delight to Wisdom: This book by Dr. Betty Carter and by Richard Abrahamson is 20 years old, but it has great ideas for using
            nonfiction in libraries and classrooms. It also explains how to choose informational books – identifies criteria to look for when selecting nonfiction. It’s available

to borrow from the State Library.
                        http://catalog.willamette.edu/record=b1595022~S2 (item in catalog)

http://www.oregon.gov/osl/LD/Pages/school/index.aspx#Requesting_Materials_from_OSL_ (how to borrow from OSL)
            http://www.bama.ua.edu/~jstallwo/yal/Articles/Some%20Teens%20Prefer%20Nonfiction.pdf (article that references the book)

                       Reading Teacher Article: “Information Book Read-Alouds As Models for Second-Grade Authors: Focused Read-Alouds Can Be a Valuable Method for Scaffolding
                       Genre Knowledge”: http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA245034442&v=2.1&u=oslis&it=r&p=PROF&sw=w

Resources (lots!) from the NY Times’ The Learning Network:
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/the-times-and-the-common-core-standards-reading-strategies-for-informational-text/

Ed Week Collection of Resources on Information Text (focuses on a PDF from ODE: K-12 Teachers: Building Comprehension in the Common Core): http://www.edweek.org/media/24information-haveyouever.pdf

If the attachment does not make it through, feel free to ask me for it.

Thanks,

Jen

Jennifer Maurer
School Library Consultant
Oregon State Library
250 Winter Street NE
Salem, OR 97301
503.378.5011
jennifer.maurer at state.or.us<mailto:jennifer.maurer at state.or.us>

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