The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Connections to CIRLI

In creating standards-based lessons, teachers demonstrate best practice when they start with the standards then build objectives, assignments and assessments that show student progress toward and ultimate achievement of target skills and knowledge. The following samples show this alignment not only to standards but to the CIRLI model’s support of such best practice lessons.

​ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (grades K—12) covers literacy in depth utilizing the key skills of human communication:  reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language.  Each of these areas is addressed specifically in the CCSS.
  • READING standards move students through developmentally appropriate skill-building and require students’ exposure to multiple types of rigorous text, both literary and literal.  A sample standard and related assignment is below:​
Common Core State Standard (Reading Informational Text Grades 9—10)
Objectives --Students will know and be able to:
CIRLI Assignments and Assessments – English Language Arts Class
CIRLI  Components
RI.9—10.1
“Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.”
- Identify explicit key ideas from text.
- Identify inferences of key ideas from text.
- Quote strong and thorough evidence from text to support key ideas.
Students will research and read articles about bullying, completing a graphic organizer that identifies key explicit ideas with supporting quotes and key implicit ideas with supporting quotes per article.
- Research-based prevention strategies employed via texts.
- Bullying is a real-life issue relevant to individuals and to peers/school.
- Reinforcement of academic and social/emotional growth.
- Basis for more application / synthesis.
  • WRITING standards move students through developmentally appropriate skill-building and require students to demonstrate knowledge of purpose, tasks, types, research, audience, and publication.  A sample standard and related assignment is below:
​Common Core State Standard (Writing Grade 6)
​Objectives --Students will know and be able to:
​CIRLI Assignments and Assessments – English Language Arts Class
CIRLI Components
W.6.6.  “Use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others…”
- Produce a piece of writing using technology.
- Collaborate with others in producing this piece.
- Publish this piece of writing on the Internet.
- Interact with others regarding this piece.
Students in teams will begin a blog that presents research indicating how pro-social norms reduce at-risk behavior related to an issue of their choice.
Students will respond individually to other teams’ blogs regarding their issues and research.
- Research-based information on the prevention strategy of strengthening  pro-social norms.
- Study of real-life issues relevant to individuals and to peers.
- Reinforcement of academic and social/emotional growth.
- Real-life skills using technology.
  • SPEAKING AND LISTENING standards move students through developmentally appropriate skill-building and require students to demonstrate verbal comprehension, collaboration, presentation, and attention.  A sample standard and related assignment is below:
Common Core State Standard
(Speaking and Listening Grades 11—12)
​Objectives --Students will know and be able to:
​CIRLI Assignments and Assessments – English Language Arts Class
CIRLI Components
SL.11—12.1b. 
​ “Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles if needed.”
- Collaborate with peers to discuss and make decisions.
- Demonstrate civility in language use and listening.
Students will prepare and engage in panel discussions that formally present research on the adverse affects of substance abuse and will rank most effective preventative strategies.  Audience members, including members of the community, will engage in Q and A with panels.
- Research-based prevention strategies employed.
- Real-life issue relevant to individuals and to peers/school.
- Skills in decision-making, resistance to peer pressure and disengagement.
- Active learning of presenters and audience.
- Engages the community.
  • LANGUAGE standards focus on students developing sophisticated knowledge and skill in the fundamentals of the English language.  Grades 6—12, in particular, build on the foundations of the earlier grades and move students into command of language conventions, code-switching per context, and vocabulary acquisition and use.
Common Core State Standard
(Language Grade 7)
​Objectives --Students will know and be able to:
​CIRLI Assignments and Assessments – English Language Arts Class
CIRLI Components
L.7.4a.  “Use context … as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.” 
- Determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word or phrase based on its use in a text.
Students will read various researched articles about the biology and chemistry of drugs, highlighting unfamiliar vocabulary and guessing its meaning from context.  Students will verify meaning via dictionary.
- Research-based nonfiction texts used.
- Expanding understanding of substance abuse.
- Building academic vocabulary as well as personal knowledge.
- Real-life issues from school to community.
LITERACY IN  HISTORY / SOCIAL STUDIES (Grades 6 –12) is included in the English Language ArtsStandards section of the CCSS and emphasize reading related to history and social studies content knowledge and disciplinary skills.  The CIRLI model engages students in real-life social studies, particularly related to civic engagement in their schools and communities.
Common Core State Standard  (ELA-Literacy Reading History Grade 9--10)
​Objectives --Students will know and be able to:
​CIRLI Assignments and Assessments – English Language Arts Class
CIRLI Components
RH.9-10.9—“ Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.”
- Determine main ideas and supporting details in primary and secondary sources on the same topic.
- Compare and contrast the key elements in these sources
Students will read various sources describing how
major civilizations past and present have dealt with drug and alcohol dependency.  Students will create representations (ex: Venn diagrams) that compare and contrast various cultures’ ways of dealing with these issues, including their own culture.
- Research-based nonfiction texts used.
- Expanding understanding of substance abuse.
- Correcting misperceptions of norms, especially over time (historical perspectives).
- Experiential learning that is connected to their own communities.
Common Core State Standard (ELA-Literacy Reading and Writing Social Studies Grade 11—12)
​Objectives --Students will know and be able to:
​CIRLI Assignments and Assessments – English Language Arts Class
CIRLI Components
RH.11-12.7 –
“Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media… in order to address a question or solve a problem.”
​
WHST.11-12.7 –
“Conduct…research projects to answer a question or solve a problem…synthesize multiple sources on the subject….”
- Access multiple sources of information in various formats.
- Determine accuracy and reliability of information gained from these sources.
- Use the information to address a question or solve a problem.
Students will obtain information from several sources including a health professional, regarding the effects of bullying and social ostracism. Students will assess the effectiveness of prevention methods by utilizing other researched sources.
Students will write a letter to school officials with their findings and recommendations.
- Expanding understanding of violence and abuse, especially bullying and social ostracism.
- Reinforcing academic skills, social/emotional growth.
- Engagement in real-world problem-solving within the community.
LITERACY IN SCIENCE AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS (Grades 6—12) is included in the English Language Arts Standards section of the CCSS and emphasize reading related to science and technical content knowledge and disciplinary skills.  The CIRLI model engages students in real-life application of science and technical subjects to support positive behaviors and making good life choices.
Common Core State Standard (ELA-Literacy. Reading Science Grade 9—10)
​Objectives --Students will know and be able to:
​CIRLI Assignments and Assessments – English Language Arts Class
CIRLI Components
RST.9—10.5 –
“Analyze the structure of the relationships among concepts in a text, including relationships among key terms….”
- Define fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol effects (FAE).
- Demonstrate understanding of how alcohol produces FAS and FAE.
- Identify prevention strategies for FAS and FAE.
Students will read texts and create charts that define FAS and FES and show the cause/effect of alcohol abuse in the syndrome.
Students will research the risk factors and the prevention strategies for the syndrome and make informative posters for the school and other public venues.
- Expanding understanding of substance abuse.
- Real-life issues from the community related to the school.
- Reinforcing academic skills and  social/emotional growth.
- Reinforcing making positive life choices
- Service learning.
Common Core State Standard (ELA-Literacy Reading Technical Subjects Grade 6-8)
​Objectives --Students will know and be able to:
​CIRLI Assignments and Assessments – English Language Arts Class
CIRLI Components
RST.6—8.7
“Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually…”
- Create and format tables in Word or Excel or similar program.
- Use the tables to chart data sets.
- Use this information as evidence in formal presentations.
Students will compare national surveys on students’ attitudes toward violence with surveys conducted in their own school via visual versions of data sets. They will also create visual versions of data reflecting  research about violence prevention.
Students will use their findings and charts in formal presentations to the student body and to the community.
- Expanding understanding of abuse and violence through analytical thinking.
- Real-life issues relating to the community and the school.
- Service learning.
- Reinforcing academic skills, social/emotional growth, and civic engagement.
- Promoting pro-social norms.
MATHEMATICS (Grades K—12)  Students who are engaged in learning via the Curriculum Infusion of Real Life Issues (CIRLI) Model also acquire mathematical skills.  The CCSS for Mathematics states:  “The first of these [skills] are the NCTM [National Council of Teachers of Mathematics] process standards of problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, representation, and connections. The second are the strands of mathematical proficiency specified in the National Research Council’s report Adding It Up: adaptive reasoning, strategic competence, conceptual understanding (comprehension of mathematical concepts, operations and relations), procedural fluency (skill in carrying out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently and appropriately), and productive disposition (habitual inclination to see mathematics as sensible, useful, and worthwhile, coupled with a belief in diligence and one’s own efficacy).”
Involving students as active learners engaged in critically analyzing real life issues using mathematical content knowledge and skills can have a powerful effect on student attitudes and behavior. The CIRLI methodology stresses prevention lessons that involve students, which in turn creates internal motivation to know and use math.  At the high school level, one of the CCSS is “modeling [that] links classroom mathematics and statistics to everyday life, work and decision-making.”  The following are sample lessons that show the CIRLI curriculum model making these links in math classes.
Common Core State Standard (Math. Content.HSG.
 (Grade 9--12)
​Objectives --Students will know and be able to:
​CIRLI Assignments and Assessments – English Language Arts Class
CIRLI Components
HSG-MG.A.2 –
“Apply concepts of density based on area and volume in modeling situations.”
- Define density as a formula based on area and volume.
- Graph changes in density as area and/or volume changes.
- Apply knowledge of density in a model based on real-life application.
Students will compute blood alcohol levels [density] and graph effects of different levels of alcohol by body weight and gender.  Students will use the resulting graphs to create role-plays that contrast the perception of drug use and its effects versus the reality based on the data sets.
- Real-life issues related to academic skills and knowledge.
- Demonstrate understanding of risk and personal harm based on facts, not perceptions.
- Correcting misinterpretations of norms.
- Experiential learning.
Common Core State Standard (Math. Content.HSG.
 (Grade 9--12)
​Objectives --Students will know and be able to:
​CIRLI Assignments and Assessments – English Language Arts Class
CIRLI Components
HSS-IC.B.6 –
“Evaluate reports based on data.”
- Make inferences and justify conclusions from sample surveys or observational studies.
- Determine the viability and reliability of data of surveys or observational studies.
Students will conduct school and community surveys estimating use of marijuana by teenagers. 
Students will compare their results with a national survey by creating bar graphs and presenting findings in PowerPoint presentations to the student body and to the community.
- Real-life issues related to academic skills and knowledge.
- Demonstrate understanding of risk and personal harm based on facts versus  perceptions.
- Correcting misinterpretations of norms.
- Connecting mathematical knowledge to self, school and community via service learning.
 Free 5 CPDU online workshop through Northeastern Illinois University’s College of Education
 
Integrate pressing life issues into classes across the curriculum to effectively engage students in learning and support social emotional growth
 
CLICK HERE to access the online workshop
 
No need to come to a training.  Download and complete the online workshop at your own pace