In 2012, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) system began implementing the CCSS with Common Core aligned curricula as well as the statewide Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) exam. While many teachers may associate the standards with English Language Arts (ELA) and Math, the CCSS also provide and strongly emphasize standards for discipline literacy for Grades 6-12—the idea that all content areas have specific literacy needs that teachers are responsible for incorporating. Building discipline literacy in science, history/social studies, math, and technical subjects is not only paramount for success in these disciplines, but also prepares students for college and careers. The goal of these standards and this course is to prepare students to be stronger readers and writers in all disciplines.
This course focuses on the Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Math, Science, and Technical Subjects (Grades 6-12) and provides the skills teachers need to implement the standards in the classroom. This course provides resources and best practices for integrating literacy into instruction, along with a thorough exploration of how teachers can incorporate reading comprehension, technological literacy, argument writing, and explanatory writing across subjects. This course not only provides practical insights into implementing literacy-teaching practices, it also focuses on how discipline literacy supports all content learning.