Straight to the Core - CCSS Non-Fiction Resources

Reading Resources ThingLink: http://goo.gl/0n8MSV

      Docment Link http://goo.gl/Aed81o 

The Common Core State Standards challenge all educators to incorporate more non-fiction informational texts into the classroom.  Finding high-interest, content-specific materials that are age-appropriate is easy when you know where to look.  Join us as we guide participants through a variety of free, online reading resources that will equip you to offer your students engaging and relevant non-fiction articles.  Workshop facilitators will also share tools and strategies to help students tackle non-fiction reading as well as ideas for assessing students’ comprehension of non-fiction content.  Whether you are a reading teacher, elementary educator or content-area teacher at the secondary level looking for ways to incorporate quality reading materials that are accessible to students at any reading level, there is something for everyone in this session!  

Jennifer Judkins                                                                   Traci Jansen

       District Tech Integration Specialist                                                        Elem Tech Integration Specialist

               Lynnfield Public Schools                                                                     Wilmington Public Schools

          judkinsj@lynnfield.k12.ma.us                                                                             traci.jansen@wpsk12.com 

                Twitter: @jennjudkins                                                                  Twitter: @tbjansen

Non-Fiction Reading Resources

  • READING
  • Non-Fiction
  • Youngzine - current events and news articles with classroom creation and management options for teachers.  Students read and comment on articles.
  • TweenTribune (Grades K-12 & Spanish) - current articles & online commenting for student broken down by grade bands (K-4, 5-8, 9-12 and Spanish)
  • Newsela (Grades 5-12) - articles allow adjustment of Lexile level to make reading accessible for students.  Teacher account can assign kids articles and quizzes with group code to join class.
  • Time for Kids (Grades K-6) Digital supplements for the popular weekly news magazine for kids, this site offers plenty even if you don’t subscribe to the print edition.  
  • NPR: (Grades 7-12) National Public Radio offers in-depth reporting on current events and makes their articles available both as Podcasts for students to listen and print versions including images.
  • StoryCorps (Grades 4- 12) - Fantastic non-fiction, personal accounts.  Listen and challenge students to create their own!
  • Science Fridays PodCasts & videos great science content from top National Public Radio program. (Grades 6-12)
  • HHMI Bulletin (Grades 7-12) Howard Huges Medical Institute puts out a life science research bulletin with high-interest articles on current research geared towards students. Download entire issue as PDF or get the iPad app.
  • Kelly Gallagher Article of the Week - (Grades 9-12) Challenge students to read and reflect on one current-event news article per week.
  • This I believe
  • Research
  • Online Databases (may require public library subscription)

Student-Generated Non-Fiction Project Ideas

  • WRITING
  • Writer’s Workshop/Digital Storytelling
  • LittleBirdTales - create & upload artwork, record your voice & add text
  • StoryJumper - create artwork using online tools, add text
  • BoomWriter- Collaborative writing tool - students create a story and continue to add to it.  Kids rate their contributions & vote for best to add to story as it grows
  • Blogging
  • Timelines and Graphic Organizers
  • Popplet - create graphic organizer easily, include images, links, print when finished or share digitally
  • Padlet - think electronic yellow sticky note - classroom uses: intro vocab & students each contribute a sentence using the new word, respond to a writing prompt
  • TimeToast - create interactive timelines that can be shared online
  • Author Study (K-5)

More Stuff!

  • Common Core Conversation - Math Resources - great collection of free math resources including many of the ones listed above.  Poke around and find some that we didn’t include!
  • PowerMyLearning (Grades K - 12) - Games, videos & lessons aligned to CCSS.  Customize “play lists”, build classes, track assignments.
  • CurriculumCorner (Elementary)
  • Website created by elementary teachers contains great printable resources and lesson ideas
  • Common Sense Media’s ratings and reviews of educational games, apps and websites
  • Sort by grade level and subject to filter resources
  • Open Educational Resources        
  • CK12 - Amazing collection of free, standards-aligned, open educational resources (OER) to help teachers fill gaps left in pre-CCSS texts or create their own online customized resources for students.
  • OpenEd - Worlds largest database of open educational resources, searchable by standard, create playlist of resources including video,

Wonderopolis  

Wonderopolis is a whimsical, fun website providing "Wonders of the Day" such as "Do Rabbits Have Good Eyesight?" to "When is Technology Old?" A vocabulary list provides a learning base for each lesson. Related questions will spark students' curiosity and motivate them to learn more about the topic. The "Wonderize It" tool lets teachers customize a lesson based on a daily "Wonder" question. The engaging informational text can be used to address Common Core Standards in reading while incorporating related images and videos. Grades K - 12.