Semester Project Report 1
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Georgia Southern University *
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Course
7231
Subject
English
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
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Uploaded by FUTURELEADER2020
"Teaching Students How to Cite and Identify Textual Evidence"
Report 1
Shante Lewis & Sadaisha Shannon
Georgia Southern University
FRIT 7231
Instructional Design
Fall 2023
Instructor: Dr. Lucas John Jensen
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Report 1
1.
Introduction
1.1 What is your system of interest?
Our system of interest is the process of teaching students how to cite and identify textual evidence. In our educational setting, which serves students in 5th and 6th
grades, this system plays a fundamental role in academic writing and research, and its significance, particularly in the context of these grade levels, cannot be overstated. Academic writing relies heavily on the ability to incorporate credible sources, support arguments, and give proper credit to the original authors.
Therefore, understanding how to cite and identify textual evidence is not just a desirable skill; it is an essential one for students pursuing higher education.
1.2 What are the subsystems?
Subsystems to be considered with our topic are:
●
Enhancing information synthesis skills
●
Consistent writing instruction
●
Literacy and writing proficiency
●
Writing across the curriculum
1.3 What symptoms drew your attention to this system of interest?
In Richmond County, fifth grade standards for English Language Arts require that students are able to write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons, write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly, and conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Furthermore, students are expected to draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.Within the 6th-
grade curriculum of Atlanta Public Schools, students are expected to develop critical skills in
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citing and identifying textual evidence. Specifically, they are required to demonstrate proficiency in citing textual evidence to support their interpretations and analyses of both literary and informational texts. This includes the ability to extract relevant information from texts, quote passages accurately, and explain how these excerpts bolster their understanding or arguments. Furthermore, students should also be capable of identifying and recognizing textual evidence within various sources, aiding them in building a stronger foundation for analysis, reflection, and research.
Overall, in the state of Georgia, students are assessed through the Ga Milestones, a standardized test that evaluates their proficiency in various academic areas, including reading and writing. One of the requirements of this assessment is reading a text and composing an essay that includes textual evidence. However, during our observation and analysis of student performance, we have identified several critical symptoms that drew our attention to the system of
interest:
Struggling Readers and Comprehension Difficulties:
A significant portion of students, particularly struggling readers, face challenges in comprehending texts effectively. This often results in an inability to extract meaningful information from the text, hindering their ability to cite and analyze textual evidence accurately.
Difficulty in Identifying and Citing Textual Evidence:
Many students struggle with identifying relevant textual evidence within the reading material. They find it challenging to pinpoint specific quotes or passages that support their arguments or analyses. This difficulty extends to citing these textual excerpts correctly within their essays.
Alignment with Educational Standards:
The Georgia educational standards emphasize the ability to "cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text." Additionally, students are expected to "write arguments to
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support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence" and "introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly." This alignment highlights the discrepancy between these standards and the observed challenges.
Amplify Curriculum Integration:
Within the Atlanta Public Schools, the Amplify curriculum is in use, requiring students to identify and cite evidence throughout each unit of study. However, despite this curriculum's emphasis on evidence-based learning, students continue to grapple with
issues related to comprehending, identifying, and properly citing textual evidence.
2.
Front-End Analysis
2.1. Are there performance gaps involved in this problem that justify a learning intervention?
Yes, there are performance gaps that necessitate a learning intervention in teaching students how to cite and identify textual evidence. These gaps include difficulties in using evidence effectively, limited comprehension of texts, a lack of critical thinking skills, inadequate research abilities, weak writing skills, limited vocabulary and language proficiency, passive reading habits, and grammar/mechanics challenges, all of which hinder students' ability to engage with and utilize textual evidence in their academic work.
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3.
Needs Assessment
3.1 Optimals
In our project dedicated to instructing 6th-grade students on the effective analysis of text and citing textual evidence, we need to establish the ideal state for our instructional environment. To achieve this, we must consider Amplify, our primary curriculum platform, as a central component.
Amplify is currently a cornerstone of our English Language Arts instruction, and it is integral to our
goal of equipping students with the skills to analyze text and cite textual evidence effectively. To optimize our instructional environment, we would conduct a comprehensive analysis of Amplify's approach to teaching these critical skills.
Amplify's curriculum emphasizes evidence-based learning and requires students to identify and cite evidence throughout each unit of study. However, our assessment indicates that students still
face challenges in comprehending, identifying, and properly citing textual evidence, especially when aligning their responses with the format required for the Ga Milestones assessments.
Therefore, our ideal state includes an enhanced alignment of Amplify with the specific ways students are expected to answer questions on the Ga Milestones assessments. We aim to
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ensure that Amplify provides comprehensive coverage of the skills necessary to excel in these standardized assessments. This alignment should not only focus on teaching students how to identify and cite textual evidence but also on guiding them in structuring their responses in a manner consistent with the Ga Milestones format.
3.2 Actuals
As we transition from the ideal state to the actual state, the collection of relevant data becomes a central aspect of our needs assessment. To achieve this, we would employ several methods. We would administer in-class assessments and assignments specifically designed to evaluate students' abilities to cite and identify textual evidence. These assessments provide real-
time data on students' current proficiency levels in these skills. Additionally, teacher observations play a crucial role in our data collection efforts. By observing students in the classroom, we can gain valuable insights into how they interact with texts and identify any challenges they encounter
when citing textual evidence.
Moreover, we would encourage students to engage in self-assessment. This self-assessment process enables them to reflect on their own abilities to cite and identify textual evidence and identify areas where they perceive strengths and weaknesses. By gathering this actual data, we can gain a holistic understanding of our current instructional landscape.
3.3 What are the discrepancies between the current (actual) and desired (optimal) state?
As we delve into our needs assessment, it's crucial to pinpoint the discrepancies that may
arise between our current (actual) state and the desired (optimal) state we envision. These discrepancies take shape in various forms and highlight areas where improvements are needed.
One prominent discrepancy centers around the alignment of our existing curriculum, Amplify, with
our ideal state. While Amplify serves as the core of our English Language Arts instruction and emphasizes evidence-based learning, our assessment reveals that students encounter
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challenges in fully grasping, identifying, and appropriately citing textual evidence. This issue becomes especially pronounced when students need to align their responses with the specific format required for the Ga Milestones assessments.
Another critical discrepancy emerges in the data we collect on student performance. This data underscores the gaps in students' abilities compared to our desired instructional goals. Specifically, students may struggle with effectively comprehending text, pinpointing relevant evidence, and correctly citing it within their responses, especially in the context of standardized assessments like Ga Milestones.
To bridge these identified discrepancies, our focus remains on enhancing Amplify's curriculum to better align with the Ga Milestones format while ensuring comprehensive coverage of the skills necessary for success in these assessments. Our ultimate aim is to equip students with the abilities they need to excel in the analysis of text and the citation of textual evidence, mirroring real-world expectations more closely.
3.4 What priorities can you assign to the identified discrepancies or goals?
To address the identified discrepancies or goals, it is essential to establish clear priorities.
If we discover disparities between the curriculum and best practices or standards, a top priority would involve enhancing the curriculum to better align with our instructional objectives. Furthermore, based on the actual data collected, we would prioritize providing targeted instruction
to address specific areas where students are struggling in citing and identifying textual evidence. By establishing these priorities, we can chart a course toward improving our instructional approach.
3.5 Learning goal statement In alignment with our project goals, the learning goal statement for 6th-grade English Language Arts would be: "6th-grade students will develop the ability to effectively cite and identify
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textual evidence in written and spoken contexts. They will learn to extract relevant information from texts, quote passages accurately, and explain how these excerpts support their interpretations and arguments. Additionally, students will understand the importance of proper citation and its role in academic integrity." This learning goal statement provides a clear and measurable target for student performance in line with our project objectives.
Program: 6th Grade Language Arts
Date: 09/22/2023
Instructor(s):
Shante Lewis, Sadaisha Shannon
LEARNING GOAL
In a classroom setting, students will be able to correctly and effectively cite and identify textual evidence
MEASUREMENT
Class Evaluation……X…….
Performance Test…..X……
On-the-Job Follow-Up…….
ROI Effect…………………
Learning Outcomes
Performance
(Tasks to perform
goal)
Condition
(learning environment)
Intellectual
Skills
Cognitive
Strategies
Verbal
Information
Motor
Skills
Attitude
Criterion
(restrictions, tools)
Teach
Annotation
one-on-one Classroom
X
X
X
One fiction and
one nonfiction text,
pencil and
highlighter (for
annotating)
Synthesize two
texts
Classroom
X
X
X
Graphic organizer,
texts, pencil
Embrace
Reading
Classroom/ Media
Center
X
X
X
Positive outlook on
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reading Paraphrasing,
identifying and
citing
introductions
Classroom
X
X X
Computer, pencil,
paper, color- code,
narrow the scope
Paraphrasing,
identifying and
citing body
paragraphs
Classroom
X
X
Computer, pencil,
paper
Use evidence to
build arguments Writing a
conclusion
Classroom
X
X
Computer, pencil,
paper
Utilize a citing
textual
evidence
checklist Classroom
X
X
Computer,
checklist, pencil,
highlighter
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4.
Instructional Analysis
4.1. Goal Analysis
In our instructional analysis for teaching 6th-grade students how to effectively cite and identify textual evidence, our problem primarily resides within the domain of cognitive learning. This domain entails the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and critical thinking processes required for effective reading comprehension and text analysis. Specifically, our focus involves nurturing procedural learning capabilities, enabling students to acquire the essential skills and processes for identifying, extracting, and accurately citing textual evidence in their written and spoken responses. Additionally, our goal extends to fostering strategic learning, empowering students not
only to master these skills but also to strategically apply them in support of their interpretations and arguments, thus enhancing their academic writing and communication proficiency.
4.2. Subordinate Skills Analysis
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Before students can effectively learn to cite and identify textual evidence, they should possess the following foundational skills;
●
Good reading skills: Understand texts and words.
●
Thinking skills: Make logical conclusions from text.
●
Critical thinking: Evaluate text content and sources.
●
Vocabulary and language skills: Know and use words well.
●
Writing skills: Write clear sentences and paragraphs.
●
Summarization: Summarize main points effectively.
●
Attention to details: Spot specific details in text.
●
Research skills (advanced): Find and assess sources.
●
Active reading: Engage while reading, like highlighting.
●
Grammar and mechanics: Understand basic language rules.
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