Storypath to Success- Inquiry based Social Studies WAREA 2013 - … · 7/20/13 2 CurrentStorypathCurriculum()(The Episodes of a Typical Storypath 8 Creating the Setting Students create

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The Storypath to Success: Inquiry-based Social Studies for Students with Signi;icant Academic & Behavioral Disabilities

Bridget Walker, Sea/le University Adria Wilson, Paige Richmond, Carrie Riggs, Renton School District & Thomas Grant, University of Washington

Our Storypath: Introduction and Overview

Bridget Walker, Sea/le University Masters in Teaching and

Special EducaFon Programs walkerb@sea/leu.edu

Why This Matters for Special Ed Students!

•  IDEA 2008 emphasizes access to general educaFon curriculum & inclusion in least restricFve environment

•  General educaFon classrooms & curricula tend to emphasize group or cooperaFve learning, inquiry or project based based learning, and increasingly, common core standards

•  Yet special educaFon conFnues to emphasize direct instrucFon, individualized skill learning, and specialized social skills training

•  Then we wonder why pur students STRUGGLE with •  inclusion in general educaFon classrooms/seUngs •  generalizing skills they learned in a very different, isolated contexts •  fall farther behind academically & socially!

Action-Based Research: Components of Success for Diverse Learners in Inquiry Learning Context

What is the effect of Storypath and inquiry learning on student engagement, academic learning and social skills development for students with significant academic and social disabiliFes? •  Four specialized classrooms for students with significant academic and social disabiliFes in Renton School District (K-‐8)

•  Two in specialized school (Renton Academy) •  Two in comprehensive schools (Tiffany Park Elementary and Nelson Middle School)

•  CollecFng data on student engagement, skill development, issues/challenges and other trends across 4 Storypath units (95 episodes) implemented during the 2012-‐2013 Academic Year

•  Sharing results, ideas and lesson learned today!

A Powerful Narrative Structure for Curriculum Integration: The Storypath Strategy

The Storypath strategy uses the components of story--scene, character and plot--to organize curriculum into meaning and memorable learning experiences.

It is more than reading a story, it is living the story guided by the teacher through an inquiry approach as learners create the scene, become the characters and solve the problems presented through the plot.

Engaging learners is key and that is what Storypath

offers… -Margit McGuire- Storypath author

Principles of Storypath

Construc)ng meaning in context •  Universal appeal of narraFve •  Integrated learning across content & experiences •  Meaningful & frequent student to student interacFons •  Engage in higher order thinking skills To develop: •  Social skills •  Empathy •  CommunicaFon/Academic Language Skills •  Problem solving skills •  Literacy skills •  Content knowledge •  ImaginaFon 6

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Current Storypath Curriculum (www.teachstorypath.com) The Episodes of a Typical Storypath

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Creating the Setting �Students create the setting by completing a frieze (mural) or other visual representation of the place.��Creating Characters�Students create characters for the story whose roles they will play during subsequent episodes.��Context Building �Students are involved in activities that stimulate them to think more deeply about the people and place they have created.��Critical Incidents�Characters confront problems typical of those faced by people of that time and place.��Concluding Event�Students plan and participate in an activity that brings closure to the story.�

How does one get and use the Storypath curriculum? • Offers rich, well researched & developed content &

activities • Box set: Teacher’s manual, student portfolios, and

content card sets • Teacher's guide, CD with reproducible pages • Downloadable version (contained in a zip file; 80 MB)

For more information on author, resources & research go to:http://fac-staff.seattleu.edu/mmcguire/web/

• Order at: http://www.teachstorypath.com/

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Storypath Involves Meaningful and Frequent Student to Student Interactions Engage students in using social skills to

accomplish meaningful academic tasks… Opportunities for…

•  Cooperative learning activities •  Learning partners through character role •  Instructional conversations to solve problems

presented through the plot •  Practice language in small groups before large groups •  Role play in character •  Using academic skills in meaningful context

During group academic instruction how often do you or your staff have to prompt students to focus on their work? During Storypath sessions our teachers found that students needed to following level of support to engage in learning:

Rating: 5 4 3 2 1

During group academic instruction how well do your students function behaviorally? During Storypath sessions our teachers found that students demonstrated behavior that:

Ra)ng: 5 4 3 2 1

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Insights from Our Teachers •  Opportunity to experience play, imaginaFon, cause & effect •  More genuine context for IEP goals/objecFve data collecFon

•  Helps prepare for inclusion. "Lab environment with adult support-‐ but a more realisFc learning context"

•  Can be challenging but very worth it-‐ offers a blend of applicaFon of social skills and important content/skills development

•  Group & partner skills should be part of overall social skills framework and integrated throughout program

•  WriFng & reading can be challenging-‐ need graphic organizers and other accommodaFons/modificaFons

•  Don't dummy down the content, instead develop and use accommodaFons/scaffolds for some of the tasks and acFviFes

Connections Across Content Areas: Not Just a Social Studies Curriculum (The Great Barrier Reef)

Adria Wilson, Renton School District Primary EBD Program at Renton Academy

Why is social studies imperative for today’s schools and our diverse learners?

To prepare students for living in a democratic society, an interdependent world and to develop a sense of self-efficacy.

•  To be informed and thoughtful •  To act politically and pursue social justice •  To have moral and civic virtues such as concern

for others, social responsibility and the belief in the capacity to make a difference in the world.

Protecting an Ecosystem: The Great Barrier Reef

Setting Characters Plot

Not Just a Social Studies Curriculum! Example from Episode 3: Students discuss and develop a floor plan for an underwater sea lab.

Academic language development

Underwater Sea Lab

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Social Skills •  Many Storypath episodes have social skills objecFves built into the acFviFes.

•  Great opportunity to pre-‐teach social skills and work in collaboraFon with the Mental Health Specialist.

Social Skills Integrated

•  ParFcipaFng in group discussions •  Working with a partner or small group •  Problem solving with a partner or group

•  PresenFng to an audience •  ParFcipaFng as an audience member

Literacy: Reading and Writing •  Reader’s Workshop framework used for comprehension instrucFon.

•  Taught a non-‐ficFon unit in conjuncFon with the Storypath unit.

Example from Episode 5: Students research a specific sea animal, write a report, present findings to the group and create a model of their sea animal.

Literacy: Writing Sentence wriFng unit •  Students generated a word bank of nouns and adjecFves from the frieze throughout the unit.

•  During wriFng, students used words from the word bank to write complete sentences.

•  Students also used words from the science word wall!

Science Example from Episode 6: The Oil Spill Students carry out experimental invesFgaFons to determine the effects of oil spills.

Solids and Liquids Foss Science Kit

•  Students studied properFes of solids and liquids in science. •  During the criFcal incident, students used knowledge of properFes of liquids when exploring the effects of oil spills.

Academic vocabulary being used across content areas! •  Viscous •  Opaque •  Liquid (oil and water) •  Effect

Learning Through Art Art built into the unit: •  CreaFng the frieze: coral, plants and sea life.

•  CreaFng the characters. •  Designing floor plans for the sea lab. •  CreaFng models.

•  Designing a poster for the InternaFonal Conference

Supplemental Art Lesson on Jelly Fish!

Field Trips: Communities are Important

Field trip to The Sea/le Aquarium

Example from Episode 5:

•  Students gathered data and observaFons on their sea animal.

•  Students used informaFon from the field trip to write about and present their sea animal.

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Student-‐Led Conferences •  Student-‐created pornolios with best work samples or pictures from every content area.

•  Students lead a conference with their family and presented their pornolio.

•  Every student included many pieces of work from the Storypath unit!

Scaffolding and Building Knowledge for Diverse Learners (The Toy Company)

Paige Richmond, Renton School District Intermediate Elementary EBD (Renton Academy)

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•  Found and work at a toy company (Episodes 1-‐2)

•  Invent, design, and build toys (Episode 3)

•  Research how to market and sell toys (Episode 4)

•  Problem-‐solve when the company moves overseas (Episode 5)

•  Present new toys at a Toy Fair (Episode 6)

Understanding the Marketplace: The Toy Company (Grades 3-‐5)

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About the “Inventors” at Renton Academy •  Self-‐contained classroom in a K-‐12, therapeuFc school for students with EBD

•  3 fourth-‐grade and 9 fiph-‐grade students

•  All students have EBD, most also have LD

•  1 female and 11 male students from different cultural and socio-‐economic backgrounds 29

Storypath can accommodate diverse learners • AccommodaFons and modificaFons made by teachers in this study: •  Slowing down and expanding Episodes •  Scaffolding wriFng acFviFes •  Teaching social skills • Modifying episodes

• Crea%ng and ac%va%ng background knowledge

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What background knowledge do these students need? •  Storypath assumes students understand:

•  Economics (The Toy Company) •  Science (Great Barrier Reef) • American history (A NaFon Divided) • Different cultures (A Trip to Kenya) • How to work in groups (all curriculum)

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What background knowledge do these students need? •  Storypath assumes students understand:

•  Economics (The Toy Company)

•  Science (Great Barrier Reef) •  American history (A NaFon Divided)

•  Different cultures (A Trip to Kenya) •  How to work in groups (all curriculum)

• How might students with learning differences, EBD, or other disabiliBes lack this background knowledge?

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• Episode 1

• Where might students struggle?

How can we modify Storypath?

Teach background knowledge

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How can we modify Storypath? Teach background knowledge

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WHAT IS A SLOGAN?

• Slogans are used for advertising. !  Commercials ! Newspaper or magazine advertisements !  Advertising on the Internet

• A good slogan can change how your customers view your company.

EXAMPLES OF FAMOUS SLOGANS

•  Taste the rainbow.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD SLOGAN?

•  Tells the customer about the company’s products •  Tells the customer about the company’s values • Uses very few words (5 at the most) • Easy to remember

EXAMPLES OF FAMOUS SLOGANS

•  I’m lovin’ it.

© Paige Richmond, RSD, 2013 © Paige Richmond, RSD, 2013

© Paige Richmond, RSD, 2013 © Paige Richmond, RSD, 2013

LET’S VOTE ON OUR SLOGAN!

• Each employee thinks of one slogan for our company. • Every idea is a good idea! • Write down your idea for a slogan on your

worksheet. • Raise your hand to share with the group. • Each employee gets 2 votes with heads down.

(C) Paige Richmond, Renton Schools, 2013

How can we modify Storypath? Pre-‐teach social skills


Teach and re-‐teach concepts • Episode 3: Crea)ng Toys

•  Extended to 120 minutes

•  Re-‐visited and re-‐taught concept throughout Episode 3 36


Teach and re-‐teach concepts •  Watched “How It’s Made” for background knowledge •  Watched commercials paired with worksheets

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Understanding the Marketplace 9©2005 Storypath

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TOY?Think about a toy you like to play with.

Name of toy:

List three qualities about the toy that makes it a toy you like to play with.

Toy Qualities:

a.

b.

c.

As a toy inventor, what should you think about when you are creating a new toy? Look at your list above. Circle any ideas that help you.

Can you add new ideas? Write these ideas below.

Share your ideas with the other toy inventors. Add other ideas from the class discussion on the lines below.

Assessment: Directions are followed and all the information requested is provided and complete.

PORTFOLIO

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EPISODE 3

DATE

1.

2.

3.

4.

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Modify individual episodes • Episode 4

•  Changed to “Market Research” so students could be/er understand how to make and price toys


Modify individual episodes •  Created Market Research packet for each group’s toy

MARKET RESEARCH

• Bike with stereo and bass • Estimated cost to make: $20.45 • Estimated selling price: $26.59

SIMILAR TOYS

• How much do kids’ bikes cost? ! BMX freestyle bicycle ! Reinforced high-tensile steel !  Single speed !  Front and rear brakes ! 20-inch tires !  Selling price: $110

© Pa

ige R

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Scaffold writing assignments • Episode 6: Crea)ng Toy Fair posters

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PORTFOLIOUnderstanding the Marketplace 21

PORTFOLIO

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EPISODE 6

SKETCH YOUR DISPLAY.

On a sheet of paper, sketch where you will place the information on the display. Check off each of the following as you add it to your display:

a title

the name of the toy

written information about the toy

visuals with titles and captions

ASSESS YOUR ROUGH SKETCH.

Answer these questions, making changes to your display sketch if necessary.

Does the display attract attention?

Is the layout simple and uncluttered?

What is the message conveyed about the toy? Is the message clear?

How will your display persuade people to buy your toy?

MAKE THE DISPLAY.

Follow your sketch and your answers to the above assessment questions to make your display. Pencil in where you will place your information and your visuals before you glue them onto your display.

Assessment: The display attracts attention and is well organized. It provides clear and important information about the toy and uses persuasive techniques to encourage buyers to purchase the toy.

CONT.

©2005 Storypath

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Even with all these modi8ications….

be sure to follow the “Story!” •  TempFng to eliminate acFviFes because we fear our students will not be successful •  Group work •  Art-‐ and math-‐based acFviFes

DO them anyway JUST

•  Take extra Bme to teach success 41

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What makes all these extra modiXications worth it?

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Balancing Content Knowledge and Social Skills Development (Safari to Kenya: The Land and the People)

Carrie Riggs, Renton School District, Primary Self-‐Contained Special EducaFon Classroom at Tiffany Park Elementary

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Tiffany Park Elementary Primary ILC •  Research conducted in self-‐contained special educaFon classroom in a comprehensive elementary school (K-‐5).

•  “InstrucFonal Learning Center” serves 13 first, second and third graders. •  Students qualify for services in reading, wriFng, math, adapFve behavior, OT, speech and social/emoFonal/ behavior.

•  Most instrucFon conducted in highly structured, teacher-‐led, small groups.

•  Students spend apernoon in general educaFon classroom usually during science, social studies, art or other increased hands on/high interest Fme.

Storypath: Safari to Kenya •  SeKng: Maasai Mara Game Reserve •  Characters: Photographers •  Episode 1 The Photographers: IntroducFon of unit and “Research Photographer” persona creaFon.

•  Episode 2 Preparing for the Safari: Planning for internaFonal travel and developing understanding of Kenya’s geography and climate.

•  Episode 3 The Maasai Mara Game Reserve: IntroducFon of Maasai Mara Game Reserve, creaFon of frieze, animal research, report, and presentaFon.

•  Episode 4 The Maasai Village: IntroducFon of Maasai village and culture, creaFon of village, Maasai daily life research, report and presentaFon.

•  Episode 5 A Misunderstanding: IntroducFon, discussion and response to the criFcal incident of photographers making fun and insulFng the Maasai.

•  Episode 6 The Farewell: Planning and parFcipaFon in farewell party.

Concepts and Skills Utilized and Learned

•  Content: geography, climate, maps, Africa, Maasai Mara people and culture, animals, travel, needs and wants, preservaFon, environmental impact, cultural differences…

•  Social Skills: pair/group work to common goal, using peers as a help resource, problem idenFficaFon and solving, compromise, consensus, conflict resoluFon, empathy, respect, turn taking…

•  Academic Skills: reading, wriFng, speaking, presenFng, research, deriving informaFon from a variety of formats…

Challenges and ModiXications In each lesson a variety of social and academic skills are u)lized and applied to engage with new concepts in depth

Challenges

•  Prior knowledge and exposure •  Accessing informaFon (reading) •  DemonstraFng understanding (speaking, wriFng)

•  Social skill applicaFon •  Academic and procedural skill use

Modifica)ons

•  Build background in content, social and academic understandings

•  Use lessons as an applicaBon Fme for social and academic skills/goals

•  PrioriFze and frame lesson around one skill/content target

•  Teach and use reflecFon of both self and by peers •  Release control: allow students to struggle, adapt, and generate soluFons

Structuring Groups and Lesson Formats Student driven experiences form the background of Storypath.

Modifying group set up and lesson format increases student success.

Groups

•  Range of abiliFes •  “Leaders” •  QuanFty and dynamics

•  Individual and Group requirements

Lesson Formats

•  Whole group Teacher led for introducFons and specifically difficult skills/concepts

•  Provide more Fme and access to resources in order to build content and background

•  Choose the format most conducive to the focus goal

Skill Instruction Storypath provides an opportunity to apply social and academic skills

Actual skill instruc)on can be taught at other )mes and referenced at start of lesson.

•  Classroom MeeFngs •  Social Skills Lessons •  Mini-‐Lessons

•  WriFng

•  Reading Unit

Lessons Learned

•  PracFce/apply social skill or procedure first. Once exposed to skill, then use format to develop content understanding.

•  Start basic and scaffold, increase complexity and decrease support as the unit progresses. Some adapted structure may be necessary throughout.

•  Opportunity to illustrate and reference why of social skills. •  Allow for some “down-‐Fme” in scope planning-‐whatever format your students are most comfortable with or prefer.

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ReXlection and Peer Input Self-‐Reflec)on is important in evalua)ng performance and changing future behavior to increase success

Peer Input connects the individual to the group and helps illustrate the impact individual choices have on others

Lessons Learned

•  Takes Fme to teach and implement

•  External “rewards” to make it relevant •  Spend Fme with response to peer input

•  Reinforce it is process, not a puniFve tool •  Must be systemaFc

Let Go!!!! We are trained to structure school so that our students are successful. It is difficult to let go of that control and watch students struggle.

Storypath is an opportunity for students to develop meaningful skills and knowledge by independently struggling, synthesizing and adapFng, in a safe and familiar environment.

•  Conflict ResoluFon •  Result/Student output •  Structure •  Time

Social Justice and Self-Ef;icacy Through Storypath (A Nation Divided)

Thomas Grant, Renton School District Middle School EBD Program at Nelsen Middle School (now at UW)

Nelsen Middle School The research for this study was conducted in a comprehensive middle school program for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Nelsen Middle School has approximately 1100 students. The EBD program has an average of 8-10 students throughout the year. Program teaching staff consisted of 1 teacher and 3.5 support staff. Students are transitioned towards a more inclusive setting when the data supports overall improvements in academics and behavior.

4 African-American boys, 1 African-American girl, and 1 Hispanic boy participated in this unit. Unit was taught during a period known for low academic effort and frequent behavorial interventions. Most students of the students qualifed for special education services in all academic areas, as well as behavior.

Specialized Classroom for Students with EBD

In “A Nation Divided”, students learn about life in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the 1860’s; events that led to the Civil War; and the ethical and moral dimensions of these historical events.

Storypath

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Episode 1: Students create the natural environment and town of Chattanooga in the 1860s. Episode 2: Students create family characters who live and work in Chattanooga at that time. Episode 3: Students research historical events and people of the time period. Episode 4: Students discover that a slave catcher comes to town searching for members of the Underground Railroad.

Episodes 1-4 Episode 5: Students learn about the presidential candidates and then vote for their candidate of choice - if their character is eligible to vote. Episode 6: Students learn of the onset of war and decide if they will support the North or South and the consequences of choosing sides. Episode 7: Students learn of the major battles and events that led to the siege of Chattanooga and then work together to survive the siege. Episode 8: Students decide on a monument and ceremony to commemorate the events and rebuild good will in their community.

Episodes 5-8

Understanding individual skill gaps Building background knowledge Creating worksheets Organizing curriculum content Group vs. Individual work

Modi;ications

Most students showed a substantial increase in academic output. This in turn resulted in fewer behavioral interventions.

Results March April May June Average

Boy (7th) 3.0 3.2 3.8 3.9 3.5 Girl (8th) 4.1 4.8 4.9 5.0 4.7

Academic Rubric

6: Completed all work and helped others

5: Completed all work

4: Completed most work

3: Completed some work

2: Completed minimal work

1: No work completed

Teaching this unit resulted in many couragous conversations about race, class, and equity. Improved interactions with building staff. The students were excited to learn, frequently engaged, and eager to work in groups. Our most difficult period became one of our most productive periods. Curriculm was nicely sequenced, required more time than noted, and additional resources were required to build background knowledge.

Conclusions We believe… • All learners deserve a content rich learning environment.

• They deserve instruction that supports their learning and the belief that they are capable.

• The Storypath experience supports acceptance & involvement of all children in the classroom community, so essential for their future learning.

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Six reasons Storypath is a useful approach for diverse learners…

•  Imagination affirms that each student has something to contribute and share.

•  Each student has an experience that connects to the story and develops over time.

•  Students come together to work on a common problem.

•  See Project GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design), http://www.projectglad.com/. Cruz, Barbara C. and Stephen J. Thornton, “The Process of English Language Learning and What to Expect,” Teaching Social Studies to English Language Learners. (New York: Routledge, 2009), 9-16. Pransky, Ken . Beneath the Surface: The Hidden Realities of Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Young Learners K-6. (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2008).

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•  The narrative structure of the Storypath—setting, character, and plot—provides scaffolding for learning in a way that is meaningful to students.

•  They (students) are the story in a concrete way.

•  Their involvement taps into multiple ways of knowing & learning—social interaction, role-play, visualization, kinesthetic experiences, problem solving, imaginative play and development of the accompanying academic skills used in activities.

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•  Story-making is compelling; it helps us remember and make sense of our world.

•  The story and the skills needed to engage in it have a purpose. What will happen next? What do I need to learn and do next to help the story unfold?

•  Students have to decide what to do and consider the consequences of their choices. They do this together.

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Storypath experiences include: •  “sandwiching” known expressions with new

academic language and content;

•  using word banks, labeling to develop vocabulary;

•  using visuals and manipulatives; •  using interactive activities to foster

conceptual understandings; and

•  role-playing events to understand scenarios and use social skills & academic skills in context.

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• Choices engage students dramatically in “real-world” dilemmas; they work together to solve the problems in a concrete way.

•  They come to school asking, “What will happen in the Storypath today?

•  “Outsiders” become insiders when they offer ideas important to the community.

•  Students learn and practice social skills in concrete contexts as part of larger content.

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•  The structural components of setting, character, and plot set the stage for developing all kinds of themes.

•  Problem tackling as a cooperative endeavor promoting the values of trust and respect for differences. We see problems differently and through the problem solving discourse, we can learn to appreciate each other’s contributions.

•  Students learn to see issues and learning from more than one perspective.

Current Storypath Curriculum (www.teachstorypath.com)

Documents

Storypath to Success- Inquiry based Social Studies WAREA 2013 - … · 7/20/13 2 CurrentStorypathCurriculum()(The Episodes of a Typical Storypath 8 Creating the Setting Students create