6-12 grade scenario - teaching tolerance · 6-12 grade scenario ... act up! drama for justice...

© 2014 Teaching Tolerance tolerance.org

6-12 Grade ScenarioMr. Benes teaches ninth-grade social studies in an increasingly diverse urban district. Thirty percent of his students come from immigrant households; some were born in the United States while others arrived very recently. The school outwardly promotes inclusivity, but Mr. Benes is observing more identity-based cliques and hearing increasing numbers of prejudiced remarks. His students—who hail from more than a dozen coun-tries of origin—are struggling to navigate the linguistic and ethnic diversity around them.

Mr. Benes wants to integrate more literacy instruction into his lessons and thinks this could be a good oppor-tunity to address issues of identity and diversity in the school community. He’s searching for texts and activi-ties that foster cooperation and dialogue.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONWhat is the relationship between diversity and inequality?

CENTRAL TEXT“Commonwealth Club Address”

STRATEGIESWord Work: Vocabulary TableauxClose and Critical Reading: Shared ReadingCommunity Inquiry: Save the Last Word for Me

TASKSWrite to the Source: Where I StandDo Something: Act Up! Drama for Justice

Commonwealth Club Address, By César Chávez

César Chávez delivered the Commonwealth Club Address on November 9, 1984. Chávez was a high-profile leader of the United Farm Workers and remains an inspiring figure in the larger labor movement. The excerpt from Chávez’ address in the Central Text Anthology falls under all four domains of the Anti-bias Framework—identity, diversity, justice and action—and addresses the themes of ethnicity, membership and solidarity, power and privilege, rights and responsibili-ties, struggle and progress.

Visit perspectives.tolerance.org to read this text and see how it aligns to the Anti-bias Framework.

http://perspectives.tolerance.org

PERSPECTIVES FOR A DIVERSE AMERICAA Literacy-based Anti-bias Curriculum


Word WorkVOCABULARY TABLEAUX

CCSS L.6.4, L.6.6, L.7.4, L.7.6, L.8.4, L.8.6, L.9-10.4, L.9-10.6, L.11-12.4, L.11-12.6

WHAT? A tableau is a representation of a scene or picture by people posing silently without moving. In a vocabulary tableau, a group of students use their bodies to create a frozen picture of a vocabulary word.

WHEN?Before or after reading

WHY?This strategy draws on cooperative learning and kinesthetic intelligence to enhance explicit vocabulary instruction. The novelty of the process increases student engagement and memory of vocabulary words. The strategy also serves as a formative assessment.

HOW?1. Choose vocabulary words from the central text, and share the list with the class. 2. Divide the class into heterogeneous groups (up to four students per group), and assign each a word or set

of words. Make sure each group gets different words. Groups should not see the words other groups were assigned.

3. Instruct groups to use common affixes and roots in order to determine the word’s meaning. Then, provide groups with dictionaries in order for them to clarify its meaning and part of speech.

4. Either provide groups with student-friendly definitions or have them look up definitions. 5. Explain to students they must plan a tableau for each assigned word according to these guidelines:

• • All group members must be a part of every tableau; • • Group members should pose at various heights (some standing, others sitting/crouching/kneeling, oth-

ers lying on the floor);• • Group members cannot use sound or movement; and• • Group members should use their entire bodies (hands, legs and facial expressions).

6. One by one, each group should perform for the class, holding each tableau for at least 30 seconds. Ask stu-dents in the audience to review their vocabulary lists and deduce which word the group is performing. Have students record their answers and turn in their answer sheets.

7. Use a rubric to score the performing group’s scene. Rubrics should evaluate both the tableau(x) and the group’s collaboration.

8. If possible, photograph each vocabulary tableau and post it in the classroom. Consider making the photo-graphs part of your word wall. 6-12WW_Vocabulary Tableaux

To help students acquire and use grade-appropriate vocabulary, have them complete Vocabulary Tableaux throughout the year.

GRADE LEVEL 6-12



Connection to anti-bias educationMy Pile, Your Pile contributes to a more inclusive and equitable classroom environment by giving students the opportunity to be successful and encouraging to each other. Students interact in small groups, practice talking with each other, and work and play cooperatively.

Sample tableaux:

GRADE LEVEL K-2 GRADE LEVEL K-2 GRADE LEVEL 6-12



Close and Critical ReadingSHARED READING

CCSS RL.6.1, RI.6.1, RL.7.1, RI.7.1, RL.8.1, RI.8.1, RL.9-10.1, RI.9-10.1, RL.11-12.1, RI.11-12.1

WHAT? Shared reading combines aspects of guided reading and read-aloud strategies. During shared reading, a teacher or proficient student reads the text aloud, pausing at pre-selected moments to discuss content and analyze the text. This strategy facilitates close reading of a complex text in small or whole group settings.

WHEN?During reading

WHY?Shared reading allows you to motivate students, demonstrate fluency, model metacognitive habits and engage students at different reading levels. Shared reading integrates all literacy areas—reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language—and falls into the “we do” stage of gradual release instruction.

HOW?1

1. Choose the Perspectives central text. Shared reading is intended for use with complex texts worth several reads. Perspectives includes a library of complex texts rich in anti-bias, multicultural and social justice con-tent. Text selection must reflect your learning goals for the lesson as well as students’ readiness.

2. Read and reread the text. At first, pay attention to points where you had to slow down, ask yourself a question or visualize a concept. Mark these. Next, reread the text from the students’ point of view. What prior knowl-edge will they need? Where might they struggle? Mark these parts as well.

3. Use your notes from Step 2 to select points in the text that may require scaffolding. Based on your instruc-tional goals, write several text-dependent questions. Recall that text-dependent questions should require close and careful attention to the text, and require students to use textual evidence in support of their analysis.

4. Select engaging tasks. Rather than asking a series of questions to the whole class and choosing from the raised hands, employ creative methods to solicit 100% engagement and to diversify the lesson. Click here for a list of sample methods. [LINK to 6-12CCR_Shared Reading2]

5. Write your script. Prepare a script so you interrupt reading at purposeful stopping points. Embed your prompts in the text with sticky notes or by writing in the margins. You can also create two-column notes with the text in one column and your script in the other, or use a tool like the Shared Reading Lesson Planning Template.

6. Read the text aloud or have a proficient student do so. Pause strategically and prompt students to discuss content and analyze the text. Only one person at a time actually reads aloud, but all students should read along.

7. Implement your script. Monitor student engagement and vary the structure of the questions and tasks (e.g., turn and talk, stop and jot). Remember, all questions asked during shared reading should be text dependent and require students to employ textual evidence in order to support their ideas about what the text is saying. A first read should focus on what the text says and ask clarifying questions. Subsequent reads will ask more

1 District of Columbia Public Schools Coach Institute. Planning for successful reading instruction. Washington DC: Office of the Chief Academic Officer.




interpretive questions and focus on particular learning outcomes (e.g., examining the author’s purpose, eval-uating arguments).

English language learnersThis strategy provides an interactive literacy experience that places reading, writing, language, and speak-ing and listening into context. It is important that ELLs both observe and participate in shared reading. Social interaction enhances comprehension; as English language learners hear phrasing, intonation and expression, they will better understand the process and the text. The following adaptations to shared reading can be made for English language learners:

• Pair English language learners with a partner who is at least one level of proficiency higher.• Be sure you and the student readers offer sufficient wait-time (at least 10 seconds) during each pause dur-

ing reading.• caffold the shared reading with methods that expose English language learners to phrasing, intonation and

expression (e.g., turn and talk, teacher think-aloud).• Plan for several and varied rereads—chorally, with a partner or silently.

Connection to anti-bias educationShared reading creates an inclusive literacy experience, strengthens peer relationships and supports a wel-coming classroom environment. Readers on all levels contribute, bringing multiple perspectives into textual analysis. The centrality of text-dependent questioning develops the habit of mind necessary for becoming a critical consumer of information and an aware member of society.

HandoutsShared Reading MethodsShared Reading Lesson Planning Template6-12CCR_Shared Reading26-12CCR_Shared Reading




Community InquirySAVE THE LAST WORD FOR ME

CCSS RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.4, RL.6.6, RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.4, RI.6.6,SL.6.1, SL.6.2, SL.6.6, RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.6, RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.4, RI.7.6, SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.7.6, RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.6, RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.4, RI.8.6, SL.8.1, SL.8.2, SL.8.6, RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.6, RI.9-10.1, RI.9-10.2, RI.9-10.4, RI.9-10.6, SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.2, SL.9-10.6, RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.2, RL.11-12.4, RL.11-12.6, RI.11-12.1, RI.11-12.2, RI.11-12.4, RI.11-12.6,SL.11-12.1, SL.11-12.2, SL.11-12.6

WHAT? A comprehension strategy that builds speaking and listening skills through structured text-based discussion. Students record sentences from a text and then discuss their responses in small groups.

WHEN?During and after reading

WHY?Save the Last World for Me builds active reading, speaking and listening skills. Giving students a task to com-plete while reading engages them with the text, and the structured format draws all students into the discus-sion. Students with stronger comprehension model their process for others, and all students benefit from hearing alternative viewpoints and different interpretations of the text.

HOW?1. Select a central text for students to read independently.2. Provide each student with a set of index cards. (The number will vary depending on grade level, student abil-

ity, length of reading and time constraints. Consider beginning with one index card while students get com-fortable with the process.)

3. Instruct students to read and choose sentences from the text that they think are important. Students should choose quotes that pertain to the text’s central idea; how individuals, ideas or events develop over the course of the text; the author’s style or point of view; and important words and phrases that impact the meaning or tone of the piece. Regardless of the topic, the quote should illicit meaningful discussion.

4. Have students write their chosen quote on one side of an index card and their reason for choosing it on the other. When possible, their reasoning should reference the text and reflect consideration of its message.

5. Model this process with a familiar passage from a previously read text. In addition to modeling, consider checking students’ quotes or having them share their quotes with a partner before writing the explanation for their choice on the back of the index card. This allows students the opportunity to rethink and revise their quotes as necessary.

6. If they’ve chosen more than one quote, have students order their cards from most important to least.7. Put students in small groups to share their cards. Group size may vary.8. Have the first student begin by reading one of her sentences to the group. One at a time, group members

should briefly respond to the quote, referring to the text and its ideas when possible. Students should have the central text in front of them so they can easily point to specific passages to support their claims and ideas. The presenting student gets the “last word” by turning her card over and explaining why she chose that part of the text.

9. Monitor the ongoing discussion as students read their selections, listen to their group’s responses and




explain their own reasons for choosing a particular selection. Repeat the process until all students have read through all their cards.

English language learnersThis strategy is appropriate for intermediate English language learners (level three or above). Pre-writing tasks support and build students’ confidence about expressing their thoughts and ideas. Encourage English language learners to draw from their diverse backgrounds when selecting sentences and to make connections to their own lives and experiences.

Connection to anti-bias educationThe strategy creates the structured conditions necessary for equitable classroom discussion. Students who are typically reluctant to speak up and those who tend to dominate discussions get to practice appropriate speak-ing and listening habits. Students share their own thoughts in a low-stress situation, building confidence to speak in larger groups. You may also direct students to read and choose quotes with a particular theme in mind (Step 3).

Sample Save the Last Word for Me cards:Front Back

What I quoted from the text:

A wordA sentenceA phraseA short segment (2-4 sentences)

*If possible, students should include a page or para-graph number

Why I chose this quote:

I agree/disagree with itI like/dislike itI’m confused, I have a questionIt’s a good example of _________________It helps me understandIt connects to my lifeIt connects to another textIt connects to our community or world

Sample from The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

Front Back“I thought he saw what everybody else saw. Skinny, poor, black Maleeka. But Caleb saw something dif-ferent. He said I was pretty. Said he liked my eyes and sweet cocoa brown skin.”

This quote helps me understand why Caleb was so special to Maleeka. She didn’t like the way she looked but he made her feel good about herself.




Write to the SourceWHERE I STAND

What is the relationship between diversity and inequality? After reading “The Commonwealth Club Address,” write a/an [insert suggested writing product] that argues your position on the question. Defend your position using evi-dence from the text. Develop your argument by [insert additional task demands].

SUGGESTED WRITING PRODUCTS: • review• essay• speech• letter to the editor• expert testimony• legal argument

ADDITIONAL TASK DEMANDS:• [Mild] ...including relevant personal experience.• [Medium] ...including relevant personal experience and anticipating counterclaims or competing views.• [Spicy] ...including relevant personal experience, anticipating counterclaims or competing views and giv-

ing examples from history or current events.

SAMPLE TASK• How does society support or suppress our individual identities? After reading “The Problem that has No

Name,” write an essay that argues your position on the question. Defend your position using evidence from the text. Develop your argument by including relevant personal experience.

ARGUMENT WRITING RUBRIC6-12WTS_Argument Rubric




Do SomethingACT UP! DRAMA FOR JUSTICE

WHAT? Students write and perform a skit or monologue that brings awareness to a specific issue addressed in the text.

ESTIMATED TIMETwo to three weeks

WHY?Drama can be a powerful tool for social change. It allows students to call attention to injustice and to envision a scene in which injustice is overcome. Using dialogue, students can change the very language associated with the injustice.1 With drama, students can reimagine moments of historical courage. Drama is hands on, creative and fun for students.

HOW?Get Ready 1. Show students examples of high quality skits or monologues. A wealth of social justice-themed performances

by students and adults can be found on YouTube.2. Determine whether students will work in groups or individually.

Get Set 1. Provide students with information about supplies, work schedule and due dates. Use the rubric to define

expectations and project components and to clarify how you will assess student work. Tell students if you expect a rough draft of their scenes or monologue. 6-12DS_Act Up Rubric

2. Ask students to identify a theme or issue from the text about which they feel strongly. Form skit groups around themes, or group students who want to write and perform monologues.

3. Introduce students to the Do Something Student Planning Guide. Instruct them to use the guide to sketch an outline for their skit or monologue. 6-12DS_Student Planning Guide handout

4. Pair students or break students into small groups to discuss these questions: What is the conflict in your scene or monologue? How will your scene or monologue end?

5. Allow ample class time for students to write and rehearse

Go! 1. Allow time for students to perform for each other during rehearsal. Peer feedback can help students deter-

mine if they are clearly communicating their message. 2. Schedule formal student performances in each class. If successful, consider inviting guests (e.g., family,

administrators) to an encore performance. Reflect Use journal writing or Talking Circles to facilitate student reflection. Suggested reflection questions: • What was your performance piece? What were its strengths? How was it effective in conveying its message?• Is drama an effective vehicle for social justice change?• What did you learn from this experience? What about the process stands out for you? What did you learn

from the performances you watched?• How does the final product relate back to the central text?




English language learnersExplicitly teach vocabulary associated with the task (“drama,” “improvisation”). Develop a theme-related word bank for students to use in scenes. Provide ample time for students to practice their lines with you.

Connection to anti-bias educationDramatic writing allows students to explore their own identities or experiences. They can also enact moments of courage or rewrite a scene that reverses an injustice. Talking through scenarios, performing and reflecting push students to engage the anti-bias themes.


TEACHING TOLERANCE


WORD WORK

GRADE LEVEL 6-12

NAME

List the group members in each tableau. Review your vocabulary list and deduce which word they perform. Score each tableau.

Vocabulary Tableaux

GROUP MEMBERS VOCABULARY WORD SCORE

EXAMPLE Russell, Monita, Sara discrimination 18

TABLEAU 1

TABLEAU 2

TABLEAU 3

TABLEAU 4

Scoring Rubric ExampleNOT AT ALL

1VERY LITTLE

2SOMEWHAT

3YES

4SUPERB

5Does the group’s tableau accurately portray the vocabulary word?

1 2 3 4 5

Does the group’s tableau creatively express the vocabulary word?1 2 3 4 5

Does the group remain focused, still and silent during the tableau?1 2 3 4 5

Are all group members invovled in the tableau?1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL 18

Scoring Rubric Tableau 1NOT AT ALL

1VERY LITTLE

2SOMEWHAT

3YES

4SUPERB


1 2 3 4 5




TOTAL


TEACHING TOLERANCE



1VERY LITTLE

2SOMEWHAT

3YES

4SUPERB


1 2 3 4 5




TOTAL


1VERY LITTLE

2SOMEWHAT

3YES

4SUPERB


1 2 3 4 5




TOTAL

Scoring Rubric Tableau 4

NOT AT ALL1

VERY LITTLE2

SOMEWHAT3

YES 4

SUPERB5

Does the group’s tableau accurately portray the vocabulary word?1 2 3 4 5




TOTAL

TEACHING TOLERANCE


CLOSE AND CRITICAL READING

GRADE LEVEL 6-12

Shared Reading Methods1

WHOLE-GROUP TEXT-DEPENDENT CLARIFYING QUESTION: Use this when there is a definition or clarification critical to comprehension (e.g., “What is chauvinism? What exactly is the author saying here?”).

TEACHER THINK ALOUD: Model your thinking about complicated concepts (e.g., “Although he doesn’t explic-itly state it, I can infer that the author believes…I made this inference based on where the text says...”). Think-alouds at the beginning of a text orient students to an author’s approach. It is best to limit the use of think-alouds to ensure the students are doing the heavy intellectual lifting.

STOP AND JOT: This method can be used with any text-dependent question or task (e.g., “Okay, let’s stop and jot: According to the author, what is the role of X in a democracy?”). Use this when students would benefit from writing to process new or complex information or for recording information they will need to remember. Jots also present an opportunity to assess for quality and understanding.

TURN AND TALK: Use this method for clarifying higher-order questions (e.g., “Turn and talk: What does the bully’s reaction suggest?”). It is appropriate when you want students to formulate an original statement, rephrase the author’s words, clarify events, or compare and contrast ideas. Turn and talk is helpful to ensure that every-one participates in large-group discussions.

JOT AND TALK: This method combines oral and written shared reading strategies (e.g., “Jot down a summary of the opening paragraph, then turn and compare your understanding with your partner.”). Articulating thoughts on paper first increases the quality of students’ verbal communication. This is helpful for English language learn-ers or others who might feel uncomfortable sharing ideas with a large group.

TARGETED TASK: Use this method when marking text or using a graphic organizer (e.g., “The author is con-trasting two different families here; let’s create a quick T-chart to organize this information as we read.”). Targeted tasks focus in on a specific learning outcome. Potential targeted tasks include creating T-charts, Venn diagrams, timelines, sketches or summaries related to the text. These are great pre-writing tools and will be useful in Write to the Source.

1 District of Columbia Public Schools Coach Institute. Planning for successful reading instruction.Washington DC: Office of the Chief Academic Officer


TEACHING TOLERANCE


“1, 2) What Negroes are now being taught does not bring their minds into harmony with life as they must face it. 3) When a Negro student works his way through college by polishing shoes he does not think of making a special study of the science underlying the production and distribution of leather and its products that he may someday figure in this sphere. 4) The Negro boy sent to college by a mechanic seldom dreams of learning mechanical engineering to build upon the foundation his father has laid, that in years to come he may figure as a contractor or a consulting engineer. The Negro girl who goes to college hardly wants to return to her mother if she is a washerwoman, but this girl should come back with sufficient knowledge of physics and chemistry and business administration to use her mother’s work as a nucleus for a modern steam laundry. 5) A white professor of a university recently resigned his position to become rich by running a laundry for Negroes in a Southern city. A Negro college instructor would have considered such a suggestion an insult. 6, 7) The so-called education of Negro college graduates leads them to throw away opportunities which they have and to go in quest of those which they do not find.”2

2The Mis-Education of the Negro, Carter Godwin Woodson (1933) (Excerpt from Chapter V: The Failure to Learn to Make a Living)

1) TURN AND TALK to your partner for 90 seconds about how you feel hearing the word “Negro.”

2) THINK ALOUD: I like the way Woodson is using the idea of harmony here to introduce his philosophy of education. Think about how it sounds when voices are in harmony—they match up nicely, right? He’s talking about the problem of schooling not matching up with their real life. The two aren’t in harmony.

3) TARGETED TASK: Stop and reread this sentence to yourself. Underline any words or phrases that are unclear to you and then record them on your reading log.

4) WHOLE GROUP RESPONSE: In this example, what does the boy’s father do? (RESPONSE) And what does the girl’s mother do? (RESPONSE)

5) STOP AND JOT: Why does Woodson think a white and black professor might feel so different about being in the laundry business?

6) JOT AND TALK: Woodson writes students are being taught to “throw away opportunities which they have in quest of those which they do not find.” Write what you think this means in your own words. Discuss what you wrote with your partner. 7) TARGETED TASK: Circle two examples in the text where Woodson illustrates throwing away opportunity.

TEACHING TOLERANCE


CLOSE AND CRITICAL READING

GRADE LEVEL 6-12

Shared Reading Lesson Planning Template Sample

STANDARDS CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.2.

OBJECTIVE Summarize Carter G. Woodson’s critique of education as related to the AfricanAmerican experience in 1930. Write an editorial from his perspective applying his arguments to a contemporary issue in education.

ASSESSMENT Jots; Targeted Tasks; Write to the SourceCENTRAL TEXT The Mis-Education of the Negro, Carter Godwin Woodson (1933) (Excerpt from Chapter

V: “The Failure to Learn to Make a Living”)TARGET WORDS Sphere, nucleus, resign, questWARM UP Teacher gives a brief introduction to Carter G. Woodson. Students respond to the ques-

tion, “What can you infer about the book from the prefix “mis” and the ‘Negro’ in its title?”SECTION

¶ #TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTION

(WHAT WILL THE TEACHER SAY OR ASK?)STRATEGY (HOW WILL

STUDENTS ENGAGE?)Woodson writes that students are being taught to “throw away opportunities which they have in quest of those which they do not find.” Write what you think this means in your own words, and discuss what you wrote with your partner.

Jot and Talk

CULMINATING ACTIVITY

Now that we have dissected the meaning of Woodson’s words, put yourself in his shoes and take on his perspective. Write a two-or-three paragraph editorial from Woodson’s point of view in response to a news article on an education-related topic from 2014. Support your writing with at least two pieces of evidence from the text.

Write to the Source


TEACHING TOLERANCE


STANDARDS

OBJECTIVE

ASSESSMENT

CENTRAL TEXT

TARGET WORDS

WARM UP

SECTION ¶ #

TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTION(WHAT WILL THE TEACHER SAY OR ASK?)

STRATEGY (HOW WILL

STUDENTS ENGAGE?)

CULMINATING ACTIVITY

TEACHING TOLERANCE

WRITE TO THE SOURCE

GRADE LEVEL 6-12

NAME

Argument Writing RubricCRITERIA ATTEMPTING

1PROGRESSING

2ACCOMPLISHING

3EXCEEDING

4FOCUS Writing is not focused on addressing

the essential question or meeting the task demands.

Writing is somewhat focused on addressing the essential question and meeting some of the task demands.

Writing is focused on address-ing the essential question and meeting the task demands.

Writing is strongly and consistently focused on addressing the essential question and meeting all task demands.

CONTROLLING IDEA

Writing puts forth no claim in response to the essential question or puts forth a claim that is unclear.

Writing puts forth a weak claim in response to the essential question.

Writing puts forth a credi-ble claim that responds to the essential question.

Writing puts forth a substantive and credible claim that thoroughly responds to the essential question.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

Writing does not attempt to use evi-dence from the central text to support the claim, or references evidence that is inaccurate or irrelevant.

Writing supports the claim with evi-dence from the central text that is inconsistently accurate or relevant to the essential question.

Writing supports the claim with evidence from the central text that is accurate and rele-vant to the essential question.

Writing supports the claim with evi-dence from the central text that is well chosen, accurate and relevant to the essential question.

DEVELOPMENT Writing does not attempt to develop the claim or develops the claim with arguments that are weak or irrelevant to the task demands.

Writing develops the claim with argu-ments that may be somewhat weak or unclear and meet only some of the task demands.

Writing develops the claim with persuasive and reason-able arguments that meet the task demands.

Writing skillfully develops the claim with compelling arguments that meet all the task demands.

ORGANIZATION Writing is not organized and neither structures the reasoning behind the claim nor meets the task demands.

Writing is organized but does not clearly structure the reasoning behind the claim or only partially meets the task demands.

Writing is organized and structures the reasoning behind the claim and meets the task demands.

Writing is organized, structures robust and elegant reasoning behind the claim and meets the task demands.

WORD CHOICE Writing may include some academic language and words from the text, but usage is either incorrect or inappropriate for the tone and purpose of the task.

Writing includes academic language or words from the text, but usage is inconsistently correct or appropriate for the tone and purpose of the task.

Writing correctly includes academic language and words from the text in a manner that is appropriate for the tone and purpose of the task.

Writing correctly includes academic language and words from the text in a manner that is precise, interesting and appropriate for the tone and purpose of the task.

CONVENTIONS Writing reflects an attempt to use standard English conventions but includes consistent errors and language that is inappropriate for the audience and purpose of the task.

Writing reflects a progressing com-mand of standard English conventions but includes some errors and language that is inconsistently appropriate for the audience and purpose of the task.

Writing reflects standard English conventions with few errors and language that is appropriate for the audience and purpose of the task.

Writing reflects a strong command of standard English conventions with no errors and language that is consistently appropriate for the audience and purpose of the task.


TEACHING TOLERANCE

ARGUMENT WRITER’S CHECKLIST

CRITERIA STUDENT CHECKLISTFOCUS Does my writing focus on answering the essential question and meeting the task demands?CONTROLLING IDEA Did I respond to the prompt with a claim that I defend throughout my response?TEXTUAL EVIDENCE Did I support my position with accurate evidence from the text?DEVELOPMENT Did I support my position with convincing arguments and appropriate examples? ORGANIZATION Did I organize my writing to demonstrate the logic behind my arguments?

WORD CHOICE Did I use words correctly—including the vocabulary I learned in the text—to argue my position? CONVENTIONS Did I check my writing for grammar, punctuation, capitalization and spelling errors?

TEACHING TOLERANCE

DO SOMETHING

GRADE LEVEL 6-12

NAME

Act Up! Drama for Justice Assessment RubricCRITERIA EMERGING

1PROGRESSING

2ACCOMPLISHING

3EXCEEDING

4

PERFORMANCE/APPEARANCE

The skit or monologue looks unre-hearsed and does not engage the audience.

The skit or monologue is adequate, is moderately rehearsed and engages the audience slightly.

The skit or monologue is strong and well rehearsed and engages the audience.

The skit or monologue is nearly ready for performance, very well rehearsed and engages the audience.

CONTENT The work does not convey infor-mation or ideas relevant to themes explored in class.

The work conveys a surface-level idea relevant to themes explored in class.

The work conveys ideas rel-evant to themes explored in class.

The work strongly conveys ideas rel-evant to themes explored in class and integrates additional research.

CREATIVITY No evidence of original, creative ideas.

Some evidence of original, cre-ative ideas.

Clear evidence original, cre-ative ideas throughout the work.

The work includes an array of origi-nal, creative ideas, combining themes explored in class with new ideas in novel ways.

CONNECTION TO THE CENTRAL TEXT

The work does not connect to the central text or its themes in any way.

The work includes a superficial ref-erence to the central text and/or its themes but does not dig deeper into the themes.

The work clearly incorporates the central text and its themes and shows some evidence of thoughtful interpretation.

The work reflects a sophisticated inter-pretation of the central text and its themes demonstrated by thoughtful use of allusions or direct quotes.

DEMONSTRATION OF ANTI-BIAS COMPETENCY

Student shows emerging under-standing of the expectations in anti-bias standard_____________.

Student is progressing toward the expectations in anti-bias standard _____________.

Student meets the expecta-tions in anti-bias standard _____________.

Student exceeds the expectations in anti-bias standard _____________.

COLLABORATION/ COOPERATION (OPTIONAL)

Students worked individually. Students worked together but contributions were unbalanced.

Students worked well together and contributions were balanced.

Students worked very well together; they compromised and built off one another’s ideas.

TEACHING TOLERANCE


DO SOMETHING

GRADE LEVEL 6-12

Do Something Student Planning Guide

DO SOMETHING TASK

GROUP/INDIVIDUAL NAME(S)

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS TASK?

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

WHO ARE POSSIBLE ALLIES?


TEACHING TOLERANCE


WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLEOBSTACLES?

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU WANT YOUR AUDIENCE TO TAKE AWAY?

HOW DOES YOUR MESSAGE CONNECT TO THE TEXTS WE READ IN CLASS?

WHAT RESOURCES AND SUPPLIES DO YOU NEED?

WHAT HELP OR SUPPORT DO YOU NEED?

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6-12 grade scenario - teaching tolerance · 6-12 grade scenario ... act up! drama for justice...

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