The Common Core Companion: The Standards Decoded, Grades 6-8

A longtime English teacher, Jim Burke is the author of more than 20 books and senior consultant for the Holt McDougal Literature program. Jim has received several awards, including the 2000 NCTE Exemplary English Leadership Award. In 2009, he created the English Companion Ning—the largest online community of English teachers in the world. More recently, Jim has served on the AP English Course and Exam Review Commission and the PARCC Consortium.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Getting to the Core of the CurriculumMoving Forward--TogetherA Brief Orientation to The Common Core Companion: The Standards Decoded, Grades 6-8How to Use This BookAccepting the InvitationQuick Reference: Common Core State Standards, 6-12 English Language ArtsQuick Reference: Common Core State Standards, 6-12 English Language Arts in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsThe Complete Common Core State Standards: DecodedPart 1. ReadingKey Ideas and DetailsCraft and StructureIntegration of Knowledge and IdeasRange of Reading and Level of Text ComplexityPart 2. WritingText Types and PurposesProduction and Distribution of WritingResearch to Build and Present KnowledgeRange of WritingPart 3. Speaking and ListeningComprehension and CollaborationPresentation of Knowledge and IdeasPart 4. LanguageConventions of Standard EnglishKnowledge of LanguageVocabulary Acquisition and UseResourcesResource A. Common Core Recommended Reading ListsResource B. Text Complexity ToolResource C. Planning Calendar TemplatesTeacher NotesAbout the Author

"I love what Jim Burke has done to make the Standards less threatening and more useful for teachers. In particular, the indicators for what students and teachers should be doing, given the Standard, are extremely helpful; as are such a clear glossary and illuminating examples. All in all, The Common Core Companion is bound to be enormously useful and thus dog-eared!"