Video Resources - ELA

Video Libraries

• UPDATED Teaching Channel CCSS Video Library offers useful supports for implementing the Common Core State Standards. The site includes 256 videos that are useful for communications opportunities or professional learning and also includes many lesson plans for teachers that include videos of the CCSS instructional shifts in action. (teachingchannel.org)  
• Expeditionary Learning Instructional Videos - These instructional videos help educators analyze practices they may want to adopt, customize, or use as a provocation for reflection and discussion. Topics include: Learning Targets; Checking for Understanding; Using Data with Students; Models, Critique, and Descriptive Feedback; Student-Led Conferences; Celebrations of Learning; Passage Presentations with Portfolios; Standards-Based Grading; Literacy; Inspiring Excellence; Management in the Active Classroom; Differentiation. (elschools.org) 
• America Achieves Common Core website helps teachers to implement the Common Core by showing videos of real classrooms and teachers demonstrating key shifts of the Common Core. The site also has downloadable lesson plans and worksheets, examples of student work, as well as links to videos of teachers analyzing their own lessons and progress in implementing Common Core. (commoncore.americaachieves.org)
• Teaching the Core Archive - This collection of classroom videos and associated lesson materials is a curated subset of the original collection from Teaching the Core now located on Achieve the Core.  The videos were developed to support K-12 educators implementing the Common Core State Standards. They show real-life classrooms, with all the real-life challenges and successes found therein.
• EngageNY Video Library provides instructional videos to support professional development. (engageny.org)
• LearnZillion offers teaching podcasts for targeted Common Core Standards. It equips teachers with a collaborative professional learning platform, and offers teachers, students and parents a growing library of high quality, digital resources developed by expert teachers directly from the Common Core State Standards. (learnzillion.com)
• GRAMMAR: Khan Academy’s newest subject -The free videos, practice exercises, and assessments help students (and teachers) learn Standard American English at their own pace. Exercises include punctuation, parts of speech, style and usage, and conventions. (khanacademy.org)  
• Khan Academy provides an extensive library of content for K-12, math, science such as biology, chemistry and physics, the humanities with playlists on finance and history. Students can practice at their own pace and make use of interactive challenges, and videos from any computer with access to the web. (khanacademy.org)
• NBC LEARN- Offers free video collections and resources to supplement lessons and units for Language Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, STEM & Innovation. Sample collections include Mysteries of the Brain, Writers Speak to Kids, Finish the Dream, the Science of Innovation, and the Sustainability of Water. (nbclearn.com) 
• OpenEd in collaboration with The Smithsonian provides teachers with free videos and other resources to supplement classroom lessons. 
• HippoCampus – is a free, core academic website that delivers rich multimedia content--videos, animations, and simulations--on general education subjects to middle-school and high-school teachers.

Professional Development

• A Different Look at the Causes of the Achievement Gap: The Matthew Effect - In this hour-long presentation, David Liben provides a thorough review of research on the causes of the reading achievement gap and offers practical suggestions—and free resources—for teachers to narrow the gap and increase achievement. (achievethecore.org)
• iTunes U Courses, Created by Teachers for Teachers - These iTunes U courses were developed by a group of classroom teachers to explain the Shifts in ELA / Literacy and mathematics required by the Common Core. Presented in partnership with The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), they showcase a combination of materials from achievethecore.org as well as additional curated resources and interactive activities. These courses were designed to provide a robust self-learning opportunity for individual teachers and to offer high-quality, credible materials that can be used to support professional learning communities in schools. (achievethecore.org)
• Connecticut Common Core Standards Toolbox — This Power Point presentation explains the EQuIP review process, Classroom Look Fors and how to assess and debrief classroom lessons. (Jennifer Webb@ct.gov)
• Instructional Practice Guide: Coaching ELA/LIT, Grades K-2 – The coaching tool is for teachers, and those who support teachers, to build understanding and experience with Common Core State Standards (CCSS) aligned instruction. Designed as a developmental rather than an evaluation tool, it can be used for planning, reflection, collaboration, and coaching.(achievethecore.org)
• Instructional Practice Guide: Coaching ELA/LIT, Grades 3-12 - The coaching tool is for teachers, and those who support teachers, to build understanding and experience with Common Core State Standards (CCSS) aligned instruction. Designed as a developmental rather than an evaluation tool, it can be used for planning, reflection, collaboration, and coaching. (achievethecore.org)
•  Professional Development on ELA/Literacy—a 45-minute professional development video on the shifts in the Common Core in English language arts and literacy from The Council of the Great City Schools. (commoncoreworks.org)
• Professional Development: Introduction to the ELA / Literacy Shifts—a 1–2 hour module that provides an introduction to the key shifts required by the Common Core State Standards for ELA / Literacy. (achievethecore.org)  
• ELA/ Literacy Assessment Item Alignment Modules - These professional development modules target grades 3-12 and are designed to guide the development of assessments aligned to the shifts required by college-and-career ready standards. (achievethecore.org) 
•  Making Challenging Texts Accessible: Putting the Common Core into Practice — Each of the four segments in this series (see links below) provide a 30-minute stand-alone session appropriate for K-12 professional development in all content areas. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)  
  • Making Challenging Texts Accessible Segment Outline
    • Part 1: A Three-Prong Approach
    • Part 2: Understanding the Complexity of Complex Text
    • Part 3: Teaching Students How to Close Read a Text
    • Part 4: Specific Strategies for Student Success
• Facilitating Student-Led Discussions: Putting the Common Core into Practice — Each of the four segments in this series (see links below) provide a 30-minute stand-alone session appropriate for K-12 professional development in all content areas. Although Part 3 provides a kindergarten example and Part 4 a high school example, it is suggested that teachers view both to see the learning progression that takes place. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
  • Facilitating Student-Led Discussions
    • Part 1: Rational and Discussion Formats
    • Part 2: Developing an Age-Appropriate Teaching Rubric
    • Part 3: Using Student-Led Discussion to Assess Understanding—Elementary
    • Part 4: Using Student-Led Discussion to Assess Understanding—Secondary
• Professional Development: Introduction to Literacy Shifts in Content Areas—a 1-4 hour module that provides an introduction to the key shifts required by the CCSS for Literacy in the content areas: history / social studies, science, and technical subjects. (achievethecore.org)
• Illuminating Standards Video Series – What would it look like if standards were met with depth, and imagination? The Illuminating Standards Project, a collaborative project of Expeditionary Learning and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, showcases a video collection of long-term, interdisciplinary, arts-infused, community-connected projects illustrating how to make standards come alive in project-based learning. The videos could be used in a professional development setting to have staff examine the relationship between meeting the demands of state standards and the creation of powerful learning experiences for students.  (centerforstudentwork.elschools.org)
• Common Core Video Exemplars: This site targets Common Core instructional practice for English Language Arts, History/Social Science, Mathematics, Science and Technology. The lessons have been reviewed and annotated using the Instructional Practice Guides which aligns with the Connecticut Core Standards Classroom “Look Fors” document. Each classroom video has student work samples, class materials and interviews from educators. Showing all or parts of the video could be useful in a professional development setting. (teachingthecore.org) 
• Read Aloud Project: This professional development module, designed for educators in grades K-2, explores how to develop Common Core aligned lessons using read alouds. Materials include an agenda, a PowerPoint Presentation, Handouts and Example Lessons. The workshop is designed to take two days; however it can be broken up into smaller modules as needed. (Student Achievement Partners) 
• “Analyze a Constructed Response Question” This direct instruction video lesson helps elementary students understand how to determine what a multi-task writing prompt wants them to do. (learn zillion.com)   
• Professional Development: Understanding Text-Dependent Questions—a 1-4 hour module designed to promote understanding of how text-dependent questions support the key shifts required by the Common Core State Standards for ELA/Literacy (achievethecore.org)
• Professional Development: Using the ELA / Literacy Publishers’ Criteria to Better Understand the Standards—a 1-4 hour module that intends to give teachers and administrators a deeper understanding of the Standards and their implication for instructional resources. (achievethecore.org)
• Skinnying the Standards into Six Buckets (teachingchannel.org)
• Strengthening Lessons with a Student Work Protocol—This video illustrates how to evaluate a lesson using the EQuIP rubric (Achieve and Teaching Channel)
• Peer Review in Action:  The ELA EQuIP Rubric- This video introduces a student work protocol to evaluate an ELA/Literacy lesson using the EQuIP rubric (Achieve and Teaching Channel)
• Text Complexity and the 6-12 Literacy Standards—webinar by New York State BOCES
• Introduction to Text Complexity video- New York City Department of Education 
• Video Playlist: Educating Digital Citizens (teachingchannel.org)
• What's Really Being Said: Close Readings of Primary Source Documents  (Webinar hosted by Avi Black for The Constitutional Rights Foundation)
  

Exemplary Video Lesson Samples

Elementary

• Praising the Process Video – The first grade teacher in this video demonstrates how to use process praise to encourage a growth mindset in writing and to give tips to focus more on the students’ progress in their individual goals than on the product. (teaching channel.org) 
• ANet: Text Dependent Questioning in a Second Grade Classroom – In this short video, teacher Lucy Makuro shares her approach to text dependent questioning with second graders. (youtube.com)  
• GLAD Sentence Patterning Chart – a short video from Mount Vernon Schools that could be helpful to elementary students as well as English Language Learners. (youtube.com)  
  
• Writing a Cooperative Paragraph –In this video lesson, a Grade 2 teacher walks her students (some of whom are ELLs) through a cooperative paragraph summarizing the beginning, middle, and end of BURRO’S TORTILLAS. She also uses the exercise as an opportunity to practice their writing skills. (colorincolorado.org) 
• The Inspiring Excellence Video Series is a set of six videos that document students investigating the topic of snakes while incorporating Common Core literacy practices in reading for and writing with evidence. (Jenna Gampel, Grade 2 for Expeditionary Learning
  • Corresponding Grade 2 annotated unit on reading and writing about an animal
    
• Close Reading in Action –long version: A close reading lesson that highlights each instructional move and its impact on student learning. (Kerry Meehan, Grade 3 for Expeditionary Learning)
• Strategy: QUIZ QUIZ TRADE—This academic vocabulary protocol is inclusive of all students and promotes collaboration and shared understanding. (Rebecca Osborn’s and Josephine Dale, Grade 4, Expeditionary Learning)
  • Corresponding Grade 4 annotated science unit
• Engaging Students in Collaborative Academic Discussions—a jigsaw protocol illustrates how to deepen understanding of a novel. (Erin Daly, Grade 5, Expeditionary Learning)
  • Corresponding Grade 5 annotated unit that challenges students to deepen understanding by building background knowledge
• The Balance of Informational and Literary Texts—Grade K-5 (Vimeo)
• Video Research Tools (Grades 3-5) Common Core research expectations for students, including a guide of how to use Google Docs templates (Craig Steenstra, YouTube)
• Adapting Curriculum to Learners’ Needs –a close reading lesson that adapts and differentiates instruction, classroom management strategies, and materials. (Kerry Meehan, Grade 3 Expeditionary Learning)
• Strategy: Science Talk— an instructional practice that promotes inquiry and collaboration. (Rebecca Osborn’s and Josephine Dale, Grade 4, Expeditionary Learning)
• Poetry Open Mic – In this video, grades 4-5 students take center stage in their classroom to express themselves with poetry. Support materials that include the transcript of the video, various poems that were read, a poetry book list, and a student work sample. are available. (teachingchannel.org)
• Higher Order Questions: A Path to Deeper Learning - a sixth grade class practices asking questions that lead to a deeper understanding of the text.  (teaching channel.org)

Secondary

• Using Anchor Texts to Distill Big Ideas: A Lesson on Critical Thinking – The teacher in this Grades 11-12 classroom uses an analysis process that has students first making careful observations and finding patterns prior to drawing conclusions as they connect text details to concepts in order to explore an essential question, “Is evil ever justified?” as part of their HEART OF DARKNESS book discussion.  (teaching channel.org)
• Tcher’s Cut Video: When a Lesson Goes Wrong – Preparing to Write a Literary Analysis, Grades 9-12.   Sarah Brown Wessling unpacks what happened in this video when her lesson went wrong. (teachingchannel.org) 
• Video: Making Feedback Meaningful - high school English teacher, Sean McComb, demonstrates how to provide personalized and customized feedback to students. Supporting materials included are: video transcript, lesson plan - blog revision , conference preparation worksheet, conferring log, opening sentence worksheet, process blog assignment sheet, workshop log, and Youth Voices blog. (teachingchannel.org)
• The Writing Recipe: Essay Structure for ELLs—an activity to make sense of the pattern of writing a five paragraph essay. (Dorina Sackman, Grade 8, Teaching Channel)
  • Corresponding Grade 8 annotated unit that expects that students draw evidence from texts to produce clear and coherent writing.  
• Strategy: Praise, Question, Suggestion—a protocol that illustrates how to offer writing feedback to peers in preparation for revision (Rich Richardson, Grade 8, Expeditionary Learning)
  • Corresponding Grade 6 annotated unit that expects that students to produce clear and coherent writing. 
• Getting Ready to Write: Evaluating the Quality of Evidence from Worthy Texts—a process for building background knowledge, reading closely, gathering evidence, testing ideas, and debating claims in preparation for writing an essay (Jeanne Boland, Grade 8 for Expeditionary Learning)
  • Corresponding Grade 8 annotated unit that demonstrates a progression of learning where concepts and skills advance and deepen prior to independent student writing. 
• Citing Evidence from Complex Text—students engage in a structured evidence-based discussion of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. (Julia St. Martin, Grade 10 for Expeditionary Learning)
  • Corresponding Grade 8 annotated unit where students engage in citing evidence from a Shakespearean text. 
• Deeper Learning for English Language Learners—illustrates scaffolded instructional strategies and differentiation in different classroom settings.(Grades 9-12 Teaching Channel - Internationals Network Deeper Learning Series)
  • Corresponding Grades 9-12 annotated unit that integrates appropriate supports in reading, writing, listening and speaking for students who are ELL, have disabilities, or read well below the grade level text band. 
• Strategy: Interactive Word Wall—an activity to demonstrate conceptual understanding of words in context (Rich Richardson, Grade 8 for Expeditionary Learning)
• Text-Dependent Analysis in Action: Examples from Dr. MLK, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail Common Core (TheHuntInstitute)