7
Writing instruction has long focused on the personal
narrative which, while allowing students to find their
voices, failed to develop the skills needed to write
successfully in real-world settings. Instruction should
focus on the use of evidence to inform or make an
argument. Narrative writing still has an important role,
but the Common Core mandates that students develop
the skill to create written arguments that respond to
ideas, events, and facts that are presented in the texts
they read, including short research projects. (National
Governors Association Center for Best Practices &
Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010b).
Drawing on the preceding example, students could
augment their reading of
En alas del cóndor
with
La
aventura de la papa
(Brice, 2006) and
En el huerto, frutas
y verduras
(Morel, 2006) and combine them in a short
research paper about the development of horticulture.
Ac
ad
em
ic
V
oc
a
b
ul
ar
y
Academic vocabulary has long been recognized as a
key component of student success, and a great deal of
work has been done to create systematic approaches
to vocabulary instruction (Marzano, 2010; Seidlitz &
Kenfield, 2011; and Sibold, 2011, to name a few.) The
Common Core State Standards (National Governors
Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief
State School Officers, 2010a) take this a step further
by asking students to “interpret words and phrases as
they are used in a text, including determining technical,
connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze
how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.”
(CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R4). Students still need direct
instruction in vocabulary, but must now understand and
be able to explain why an author chose a particular word
in a given passage. Thus, in the previously cited passage
from
On the Wings of the Condor,
in addition to teaching
the meanings of the word
cultivate
and its synonyms,
teachers need to guide students to an understanding
of why the authors chose the word
cultivate
over
grew
or
raised.
This type of vocabulary instruction adds
greater depth to students’ understanding of the text and
supports them as they develop their writing skills.
Co
nc
lu
si
on
The Common Core challenges all of us—students,
teachers and school systems—to become world-class
readers, writers, and thinkers. If we are to meet the
challenge, instruction needs to shift away from finding
the right answer choice and defining words toward
using text evidence to support a position, inform others,
or solve a real-world problem. High levels of literary
analysis require that students and teachers examine
high-quality literature. Santillana USA offers the world-
class Spanish and dual-language literature and a wide
range of instructional materials and services to help your
students meet the challenges of the Common Core.
Figure 3
. Pages 36-37 of On the Wings of the Condor/
En alas del cóndor
(Ada & Campoy, 2012)
Wr
itin
g
fr
om
Sou
r
ces
