Energize Research Reading & Writing ─ Fresh Strategies to Spark Interest, Develop Independence, and Meet Key Common Core Standards: Grades 4-8

Lehman, an author, staff developer for elementary and middle schools, and former teacher and literacy coach, shows teachers how to teach research across all content areas to students in grades four through eight in a way that matters to them, makes them successful learners and leaders, and makes the research more student-driven and independent, in line with the Common Core State Standards. He explains how to teach students to narrow down topics and evaluate sources independently, note-take with purpose and gather domain-specific vocabulary, write to teach ideas and not regurgitate facts, craft organizing structures with their readers in mind, and cite sources. The final chapter illustrates how to put the strategies together into multi-week studies or short research projects. Included are samples of grade-level language used in teaching examples, content examples, differentiation ideas, extension strategies, and discussion of the Common Core State Standards. There is no index. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Christopher Lehman is the Founding Director of The Educator Collaborative, a think tank and educational consulting organization working to innovate the ways educators learn together. He is an international speaker, education consultant, and New York Times best-selling author. His books include: Falling In Love With Close Reading with Kate Roberts; Energize Research Reading and Writing; Pathways to the Common Core with Lucy Calkins and Mary Ehrenworth; and A Quick Guide to Reviving Disengaged Writers. His articles and interviews have appeared in many publications and popular blogs including Voices in the Middle, SmartBrief, EdWeek, Choice Literacy, and Talks with Teachers. Chris has been a middle-school teacher, a high-school teacher, a literacy coach, and Senior Staff Developer with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. He now works with schools around the world through The Educator Collaborative, supporting educators, coaches, and administrators in developing rigorous and passionate literacy instruction across content areas. A graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chris went on to receive his M.A. in Teaching at New York University, and his Ed.M. in Education Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. In addition to consulting and writing, he serves on the NCTE Middle Level Section Steering Committee, is Special Advisor to the National Center for Families Learning, is a Booksource Advocate for student reading lives, and served as a project advisor on a joint NCTE/National Center for Literacy Education collaboration initiative. Follow Chris online! Twitter: @iChrisLehman Pinterest: /ChrisLehmanEdu Blog: ChristopherLehman.com