Mrs. Simonds Science World – Reading and Writing in the Content Areas Instructional Outline In addition to the subject matter reading and researching that students do as a part of their regular science instruction I use the Scholastic Science World publication as an instructional tool to meet Common Core Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects. The standards presented below with key descriptor phrases underlined. For reference I’m using the format RSL-STS (Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects). Examples of specific lessons/activities follow the standards. Key Ideas and Details RSL-STS 1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources (text). • Read an article, identifying the author’s purpose and/or text structure. Provide specific examples from the text to support your understanding of the content. RSL-STS 2 Determine central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. • Read an article, write a brief summary that reflects the information contained in the article. Cite information as needed. Focus on sticking to the presented facts. Student may use the article as a launching pad for further research to (1) learn more, (2) support or debunk prior knowledge/opinions. Craft and Structure RSL-STS 4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domainspecific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context. • Use text features to identify when words are defined in an article. • Compile a list of new vocabulary and use that vocabulary when writing in the content area (e.g. in a summary or mini-research). RSL-STS 5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the text (text structures and text features). • Read an article and determine the text structure(s) and feature(s) that is/are used. Explain why they were effective and/or present an idea for an alternative structure. RSL-STS 6 Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text. • Read an article and identify what was “learned”. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas RSL-STS 7 Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g. in a flowchart, diagram, model graph, or table).

Complete assignments related to interpretation and/or presentation of statistics and facts in a visual way. Identify advantages/disadvantages to different types of presentations. Identify where the same information is presented in the text and when it is only presented visually. RSL-STS 8 Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text. RSL-STS 9 Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, videos, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic. • Utilize opportunities for at home exploration of a topic. •

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity RSL-STS 10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.