This document provides an overview of the Common Core State Standards for librarians. It begins with an introduction to the Common Core and some initial reactions people may have to it. It then discusses key aspects of the Common Core such as its focus on rigor, literacy across subject areas, and alignment of standards from kindergarten through 12th grade. The document provides examples of Common Core standards and performance tasks. It also explains how to analyze and "unwrap" the standards. Finally, it offers resources for librarians to learn more about implementing the Common Core.

1. Librarians …
@ the Core of Common Core !

2. Outcomes
Learn:
•How CCSS Standards are vertically and
horizontally aligned and how they flow.
•How to unwrap CCSS and understand their
relationship to PASS.
•How to bump up PASS lessons to CCSS higher
level thinking and rigor.

3. Reactions to the words,
“Common Core”

4. Writing, rigor, READ,
informational text,
language arts, social
studies, science,
gather, analyze,
evaluate, compare,
argue, synthesize,
research,
internationally
benchmarked,
technology, literate,
evidence,
interdisciplinary, 2014
independent
Common Core…It’s all about us!

5. What is
Common Core?
Based on Research Aligned with
& Evidence college &
work
expectations Benchmarked
internationally
INTEGRATED
literacy skills in
math, science,
and social
Rigorous! studies

6. Common Core Standards:
Do NOT tell teachers how to teach.
Do NOT include all content students
should learn.
CCSS is meant to supplement state
standards – not supplant them.
Focus: PROCESS not CONTENT

7. Interdisciplinary Literacy
Shared Responsibility
Math Social Studies
Science Language Arts

8. Rigor

9. Rigor and Lexile

10. Language Arts Focus & Design
Shift
Distribution of Literary and Distribution of Communicative
Informational Passages by Grade in Purposes by Grade in the 2011 NAEP
the 2009 NAEP Reading Framework Writing Framework
Grade Literary Informational Grade To To To Convey
Persuade Explain Experience
4 50% 50% 4 30% 35% 35%
8 45% 55%
8 35% 35% 30%
12 30% 70%
12 40% 40% 20%
Source: National Assessment Governing Board.
Source: National Assessment Governing Board. (2008). (2007). Writing framework for the 2011 National
Reading framework for the 2009 National Assessment Assessment of Educational Progress, pre-publication
of Educational Progress. Washington, DC: U.S. edition. Iowa City, IA: ACT, Inc.
Government Printing Office.

11. Argument: a part of RIGOR
The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that
requires the student to investigate a topic, collect,
generate, and evaluate evidence, and establish a
position on the topic in a concise manner.

12. Sample CCSS Performance Task
Grade 3: Informational Texts
Students explain how the main idea that
Lincoln had “many faces” in Russell
Freedman’s Lincoln: A Photobiography is
supported by key details in the text.
[RI.3.2]
PARCC Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of
College and Careers

13. CCR = 10 Overarching Anchor Standards
Anchor Standard CCR 8 (Same for K – 12) Delineate
and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text,
assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the
evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when
irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Defined Specifically for Each Grade and Subject
GRADE 5 STANDARD 8: Explain how an author uses
reasons and evidence to support particular points in a
text, identifying which reasons and evidence support
which point(s).

14. Common Core Organizational Structure
Deciphering the Code
CCR(College & Career
Ready) Anchor
Standards CC.5.RL.1
5= Grade 5
RL=Reading Lit.
Grade Specific 1= Standard 1
Standards
RL Reading Literature
RI Reading Information Text Language
RF Reading Foundational Skills Arts
W Writing
SL Speaking & Listening

15. Vertical Alignment (pink handout)
CC.K.RI.8
With prompting and support, identify the reasons an
author gives to support points in a text.
CC.2.RI.8
Describe how reasons support specific points the author
makes in a text.
CC.5.RI.8
8. Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence
to support particular points in a text, identifying which
reasons and evidence support which point(s).
CC.9-10.RI.8
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is
valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient;
identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.

16. CC Design Components
*Define end-of-year
expectations by
grade
*Show cumulative
progression through
the grades

17. Horizontal Alignment (blue handout)
CC.5.RL.9 Reading Literature
Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries
and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and
topics.
CC.5.RI.9 Reading for Information
Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in
order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
CC.5.W.9 Writing
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research.

18. Unwrapping
the
Standards
(gold handout)
1. Underline Nouns
(Concepts)
2. Circle Verbs
(Skills)

19. Don’t Mess With Nature
PASS Standard Life Science 2.1 Organisms in a community, interacting populations in a common
location, depend on each other for food, shelter, and reproduction.
Multiple Intelligences Naturalistic
Materials/Resources: Non-fiction (informational) books, computers, online databases
Essential Vocabulary: Habitat, Reintroduce , Ecosystem, Organisms
Procedures Opening the Lesson
Note: This lesson will *Teacher or librarian will read a nonfiction book about wolves such as, Gray Wolves:
be done in Return to Yellowstone by Meish Goldish.
collaboration with the
*Teacher or librarian will reread the book and think about what keywords people would
school librarian.
need to know in order to research about wolves.
Developing the Lesson
*Students will use dictionaries to look up words and create a glossary. Librarian will
reinforce where glossaries are located in books, why they are valued research tools,
and show examples of them in other nonfiction books.
*Students will research information about wolves at computers using Pebble Go, Grolier,
World Book, or web sites chosen by the teacher or librarian.
*Students will research information from library print resources
Concluding the Lesson
*Students will tell ten facts about wolves making sure their facts include information about
their shelter, their habitat, and their reproduction.
Differentiation *Students can work individually or in small groups, students may choose databases based
on their reading level

20. From questions to ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Wiggins and McTighe define
essential questions as “questions
that are not answerable with
finality in a brief sentence… Their
aim is to stimulate thought, to
provoke inquiry, and to spark more
questions — including thoughtful
student questions — not just pat
answers” (106).
Why?
How? How Would? Why should?

21. Don’t Mess With Nature
PASS Standard Life Science 2.1 Organisms in a community, interacting populations in a
common location, depend on each other for food, shelter, and
reproduction.
Multiple Intelligences Naturalistic
Materials/Resources: Non-fiction (informational) books, computers, online databases
Essential Vocabulary: Habitat, Reintroduce , Ecosystem, Organisms
Procedures Opening the Lesson
Note: This lesson will Teacher or librarian will read a nonfiction book about wolves such as, Gray Wolves:
be done in Return to Yellowstone by Meish Goldish.
collaboration with the
Teacher or librarian will reread the book and think about what keywords people would
school librarian.
need to know in order to research about wolves.
Developing the Lesson
Students will use dictionaries to look up words and create a glossary. Librarian will
reinforce where glossaries are located in books, why they are valued research tools,
and show examples of them in other nonfiction books.
Students will research information about wolves at computers using Pebble Go, Grolier,
World Book, or web sites chosen by the teacher or librarian.
Students will research information from library print resources
Concluding the Lesson
Students will tell ten facts about wolves making sure their facts include information about
their shelter, their habitat, and their reproduction.
Differentiation Students can work individually or in small groups, students may choose databases based
on their reading level

24. Resources for Librarians
AASL Lesson Plan Database
http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/common
corecrosswalk/index.cfm
http://www.parcconline.org/
http://sde.state.ok.us/Curriculum/CurriculumDiv/Language/PASS.html
For IPAD and IPHONE users, there is a free Common Core App

25. Common Core: It’s OUR
Playground!