As teachers strive to build students’ skills in understanding and analyzing informational texts – a key feature of the 2018 Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for ELA and Literacy – the need to introduce historical sources to elementary students has become more urgent.
Straight from the Source is a collection of 30 exercises in the close reading of informational texts that provides teachers with high-quality materials and guidance to significantly advance students’ capacities.
THE EXERCISES ARE DESIGNED TO OFFER:
- Rich, engaging texts that can anchor a unit of elementary social studies study
- Diverse voices from the U.S. and world that reflect the increasing diversity of the student population
- Alignment with Common Core Reading and Writing Standards
- Models of the process of reading closely and asking text-dependent questions
Teaching with nonfiction sources – especially historical ones – can be challenging. Recognizing the demanding nature of this work, each exercise offers several supports.
EVERY STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE EXERCISE INCLUDES THESE ELEMENTS:
- Scholar-reviewed Rationale and Context Essay for the source
- Massachusetts Curriculum Framework and Common Core Connections
- Text-Complexity Measures
- Guidance for Teaching a Close Reading of the Source
Primary Source provides two stages of professional development workshops that facilitate the use of Straight from the Source.
Introductory workshops that share the new resources and approach, and custom workshops that offer in-depth preparation around particular sources.