Common Core in the Content Areas: Balancing Content and Literacy

The Common Core is requiring literacy across the curriculum, but what does that mean for teachers of subjects like math, science, and social studies who have a lot of content to cover? In this essential book, author Jessica Bennett reassures you that you don’t have to abandon all of your great content lessons and start from scratch. Instead, you can reflect on what you‘re already doing well and make adjustments and enhancements as necessary. Bennett starts with a clear breakdown of the Common Core ELA Social Studies/History and Science and Technical Subjects Standards for Grades 7-12 and what they actually look like. She provides a variety of practical strategies and scaffolds that you can use immediately to enhance your curriculum and meet the standards.

You will learn how to...

• Incorporate a wider variey of texts into your currciulum
• Teach students to use each text with purpose, whether it is for close reading, support, argumentation, or research
• Assign meaningful group work and projects without feeling that they have to take up your whole curriculum
• Help students navigate their textbooks more effectively and read for information
• Use the Common Core to meet the needs of diverse learners
• Implement the four As strategy in which students absorb content, analyze information, argue reasons, and apply knowledge
• Use writing tasks to strengthen student comprehension of content
• Teach various forms of writing and the importance of text citations
• And more!

Throughout the book, you’ll find tools such as unit planning sheets, daily lesson plan sheets, classroom handouts, sentence starters, and more. If you teach a content area, this must-have resource will help you meet the Common Core with ease!

Jessica Bennett is a middle school teacher in Ohio and past president of the Ohio Council of Teachers of English