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CCRS Level D – Newsela “Tough Times” Article
"Newsela 'Tough Times' Article" is part of a series of standards-aligned sample ELA activities that you can use with your students to make connections between their schoolwork (college and career) and the community. In all cases, you can use these activities as is, or you could modify to best fit the needs of your learners.
CCRS Level B – Newsela “Fear” Article
"Newsela 'Fear' Article" is part of a series of standards-aligned sample ELA activities that you can use with your students to make connections between their schoolwork (college and career) and the community. In all cases, you can use these activities as is, or you could modify to best fit the needs of your learners.
Showing Evidence Using Academic Language with Low Literacy Learners
Participants in this workout practice scaffolding a lesson in which literacy level learners can use academic language to show evidence in a text.
Playing with Text Dependent Questions
Participants in this ELA Teacher Workout strengthen an existing set of text questions to more strongly align to one or more CCR Standards and create questions that inspire readers to engage with text and fellow students.
The Times in Plain English
This website contains free "Plain English Version" articles about current world and national news or events. All of the articles are edited by Arthur Schiff and grade-leveled according to Flesch-Kincaid. In addition to articles, the website offers Tips for Teachers, which provides text-dependent questions.
Achieve the Core – ELA Standards
The site describes itself as "full of free content designed to help educators understand and implement the Common Core and other college and career ready standards." Resources include CCRS-aligned lessons, activities, assessments and more, but also materials to support educators in understanding the standards and the content.
Suggested Question Stems & Frames for Close Reading
Use these CCRS reading question stems and frames to create text-dependent questions for use in close reading of texts. These stems and questions will also help prepare students for new NRS tests.
Text-Dependent Question Stems & Frames to Reach CCRS Reading Anchors (Levels A-B)
How can we ask text-dependent questions (TDQs) at lower levels, when students' English language and literacy is still emerging? This handout offers a range of question stems and TDQ ideas for teachers at low-levels (CCRS A & B).
- CCRS
- Comprehension
- Curriculum Design
- ESL
- Fluency
- Formative Assessment
- Text-Dependent Questions
- Vocabulary
ReadWorks.org
ReadWorks provides a large, high-quality library of curated nonfiction and literary articles, along with reading comprehension and vocabulary lessons, formative assessments, and teacher guidance. Through this website teachers can access curriculum, lesson plans, and free training.
Depend on the Text! How to Create Text-Dependent Questions
In this video from ReadWriteThink, a first-grade teacher demonstrates the process she uses to create text-dependent questions around a reading text. The strategies that are described are easily adapted to adult EL classrooms.
New Resources
Tapping into Diverse Perspectives and Teaching Materials
This video discusses what “diverse perspectives and teaching materials” mean, and why this is important to learner success in the classroom. Using diverse materials makes class more relevant to learners’ lives and helps them bridge information they already know to new information. Utilizing diverse perspectives in class content is also key to building up critical thinking skills. We take a look at numerous resources that can help each of us diversify the visuals, videos, audio, and written materials we use.
Being a Warm Demander
This video takes a look at a spectrum of different kinds of teachers and asks you to reflect on where you would place yourself. We argue, based on Zaretta Hammond’s work, that the “warm demander” is the sweet spot of the spectrum which focuses on building trust with learners while also holding them to high standards to meet their learning goals. We then discuss tools to practice building relationships with learners, creating a learning partnership pact, and giving quality feedback so learners can meet their goals.
Discovering Learners’ Funds of Knowledge
In this video, we define and discuss the terms “funds of knowledge” and “an asset-based perspective.” A key element of equity in the classroom is acknowledging learners have a wealth of knowledge based on their own experiences, and we should provide opportunities for learners to be the experts in the room. Once we learn what students’ assets are, we can weave this information into class content, which helps learners be more successful. We take a look at an example lesson.
Presenter Information
Get information about stipends, reimbursements, and other instructions for presenters.
MN ABE YouTube Channel
The MN ABE YouTube Channel is a free online PD resource that you can use to explore teaching techniques and classroom ideas in action! Find out more in this MN ABE Connect newsletter article.
Upcoming ABE Events
August 6, 2024
10:00 am–12:00 pm
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Racial Equity 101 Presented by Jimmie Heags
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Registration Deadline: TUE. 8/6/24 Join presenter Jimmie Heags, Jr., MA, LSC, LPCC, LADC, ACS, for this session that exposes how race is defined and how racism impacts individuals and institutions. The session will provide learners with a framework for understanding and disrupting the attitudes and structures that perpetuate… Learn More
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August 6, 2024
6:30 pm–8:30 pm
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Volunteer Core Training Module 1: Overview of Minnesota Adult Education and Program Accountability
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Registration Deadline: TUE. 8/6/24 Participants learn about Adult Basic Education programming in Minnesota, demographics of learners, instructional content standards as well as initial and on-going assessment. This session wraps up with learner motivations, barriers and persistence. Learn More
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August 13, 2024
6:30 pm–8:30 pm
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Volunteer Core Training Module 2: Understanding Adult Learners
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Registration Deadline: TUE. 8/13/24 Participants develop their personal cultural awareness and learn how expectations around school culture shape how people teach and learn. Guiding principles for effectively delivering instruction to adults are also covered. Finally, participants increase their sensitivity to the challenges of learning English and developing literacy… Learn More
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