Revising a Unit

It's been a blessing to be part of a network of Idaho teachers who are learning to be CORE literacy coaches for the past year. This August I begin year two of the training, when I'll be coaching a "newbie" to the program. In the meantime, there are loose ends from last year to tie up.

I'm currently revising the Social Studies/ELA unit I created for CORE coach class last year on the book Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose. My unit received critiques (one of them especially helpful), and now it's up to me to make needed improvements and submit it. My coach says I retain the rights to the unit, so that means I'll be able to post it in my Teachers Pay Teachers store when it's all done. Hooray!

One area in need of revision is the DBIs (Okay, I had never heard of that term before taking the class. It stands for Document-Based Inquiry). Here's how the Idaho Coaching Network describes DBIs:

"DBIs use a multi-phase approach, revealing new information in small mystery-like puzzle pieces, through the integration of variety of text types (visuals, videos, informational texts, primary source documents, etc.), which builds curiosity and engages students.  DBI follows the principles of scaffolding, moving students from simple to more complex texts.  As students move through these phases, they gain new knowledge (puzzle pieces) and assemble a grander picture; all of the phases work together to tell the whole story.  Ideally, each phase will answer questions from previous phases as well as lead students to a deeper understanding of the topic.  Finally, students will synthesize the knowledge they have learned through each of the phases and demonstrate their understanding through written or oral language."

Although I used a DBI when I first taught my new D-Day unit this spring, I realized that more thought was needed to make the learning activity even more effective. I need to think carefully about how to use the artifacts and the process as a whole to gradually lead students toward synthesizing knowledge gained and demonstrating their understanding in meaningful ways. I want to add artifacts (the photos, maps, articles, and other pieces that make up a DBI folder) and be sure that every piece that's included strengthens the inquiry process.

Besides the DBIs, I'm also strengthening the vocabulary and independent reading portions of the unit, as well as making the whole document and its attachments more visually appealing and user-friendly (can't go wrong there!). Portions of the unit that focused on close reading, the theme of leadership, and the culminating assessment (writing and recording a D-Day radio broadcast) were already fairly strong and needed little work.

Even though I feel I procrastinated revising my unit, there is something to be said for taking time off from working on a project and then returning to it after several weeks (or in my case, months). I was able to look at the document with fresh eyes and be more critical of my work in a constructive way. It also helped that I went in to school to work on it instead of trying to work from home. As it turned out, I was unable to work in my classroom because it was being worked on, but I found a home in the school library, which was dim and quiet and cozy, just right for getting some real, focused work done on my unit. There's still work to do, but it's coming along. I'm so thankful!

Coming up on Tuesday, I'll be presenting on narrative writing and on Faith and the Public School Teacher at the P20 Educator Conference at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. There's prep work remaining for my presentations, so I'll be a busy beaver for a few days! But I couldn't be more excited.

What helps you revise a unit? Please share!



World War II Discovery Kit

The Christian Teacher's Close-Reading Superpower

One of the hot topics in education is close reading, or "reading to uncover layers of meaning that lead to deep comprehension" ("Closing in on Close Reading" by Nancy Boyles). In order to meet state standards, particularly in Common Core states, teachers are introducing close reading skills as early as Kindergarten.

Some approaches to close reading are:

      Examining meaning thoroughly and analytically
      Directing attention to the text, central ideas, and supporting details
      Reflecting on meanings of individual words and sentences, and
      Developing ideas over the course of the text (The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, quoted by Nancy Boyles).

When I attend my professional development class twice a month, the instructor teases me because when she assigns a passage to read, she can trust me to close read it. The first time she pointed it out, I was a little surprised. I've always thought of myself as "a slow reader," though a good reader. I have to go slowly so I can extract the fullest meaning from the text, be it Pride and Prejudice or the book of John. Sometimes, I'm enjoying the author's techniques so much that I couldn't speed up if I wanted to. In a PD setting, this close-reading habit can get me into trouble because I may still be reading long after my colleagues have moved on. It can also cause me to fall behind on assignments. Still, I appreciated my instructor's assessment. Seeing my own close reading for what it was helped me to think about how to teach close reading strategies to my students.

What are some close reading strategies that work? Nancy Boyles outlines the following in her article:

      Work with short texts
      Aim for independence
      Teach students to ask the questions
      Focus on observing and analyzing

Boyles goes on to suggest the types of questions teachers need to teach students to ask. She also states that teachers need to be prepared to ask text-dependent questions while students are getting the hang of questioning the text for themselves.

What stands out to me as a Christian learning to teach close reading is the way the suggested text-dependent questions resemble the questions I ask when I read the Bible, particularly the more challenging passages.

For example, Boyles suggests teaching students to ask the following four basic questions:

      1. What is the author telling me here?
      2. Are there any hard or important words?
      3. What does the author want me to understand?
      4. How does the author play with language to add meaning?

If I'm reading a text like Matthew 8:11-12, my mind is swarming with questions just like these. What important truth is Jesus teaching here? What does he mean by "many will come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob"? This looks like a prophecy. Why is it tucked in here between hearing the Centurion's story and healing his servant? What does the prophecy mean? Who are the "sons of the kingdom" who will be cast out into the outer darkness? What bearing does this short passage have on the miracle Jesus performs? On my life?

In the case of the passage above, I was so motivated by my unanswered questions that I consulted a commentary and read up on one theologian's interpretation. More often, I'll seek answers by comparing the challenging passage to another in the Bible (one of my college professors reminded his students constantly that "the best commentary on the Word of God is the Word of God").

This is studying the Word. This is meditating on it. This is treasuring its wisdom as David urges believers to do in Psalm 119. In the public school setting, it's just close reading, and the text and the purpose will be different. Instead of seeking to know the author of the Bible more intimately, we are seeking to become better readers of any complex text. Sometimes we are also seeking to make proficient on a standardized test. Still, Christian teachers who themselves close-read short Bible passages every day of their lives are experienced analysts of the finest literature ever written.

Close reading--and Bible study--do take practice. So does teaching close reading. But don't put yourself in a box (like my "slow reader" one). Understand that you bring skills to the table. Ask God to unleash your close-reading superpowers.