It’s not fun to learn that you’ll soon be expected to transform your curriculum to align with a 66-page document that you had no part in creating. And, although the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a lot less unwieldy than the state standards I’ve taught under so far in my career, that doesn’t mean […]
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A Helpful Document for Overviewing the CCSS with Parents
I found this document very helpful the other day. In its four well-designed pages, the PTA explains the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in high school English Language Arts to parents. My favorite parts are those in which the PTA describes “a sample of the work your child will be doing to become ready for college […]
Fahrenheit 451, the Butchery of Figurative Language, and the CCSS
Every time that I’ve taught Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, one of my opinions of the book remains the same: Bradbury horridly overuses figurative language. Once I finish reading Fahrenheit 451 each year, I don’t want to see another example of simile, metaphor, or personification for at least a few months. Why Teach a Book You […]
CCR Anchor Standards in Language: An Overview
Now, on to the final set of anchor standards in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) ELA document: the language standards. These are first found on page 25. The question these anchor standards seek to answer is, “What should a college- and career-ready (CCR) person be able to do with language, particularly in terms of conventions […]
CCR Anchor Standards in Speaking and Listening: An Overview
Once you page through the writing strand of anchor standards, you’ll find the anchor standards in speaking and listening. In the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) ELA document, these are first found on page 22. The question these anchor standards seek to answer is, “What should a college- and career-ready (CCR) person be able to do as […]