Congratulations are in order, Karen and Mary Anne. You wanted your readers to feel as if we are sitting on the rug learning alongside you as you and your students unravel these significant studies, and we do. If every student in America were fortunate enough to call you teacher, there would be no need for any conversations about children left behind.
—Shelley Harwayne, Consultant and former Superintendent, New York City Public Schools, Founding Principal of the Manhattan New School
Teach reading and writing to second graders thoroughly, efficiently, and effectively with this detailed, practical handbook.
Karen Ruzzo and Mary Anne Sacco of the Manhattan New School provide a full-year curriculum with units centered around "significant studies." These five-to-seven week courses of study or investigations, with many samples of student work, focus on four specific topics:
- dialogue
- writing about setting
- nonfiction
- content-area research and writing.
The authors fill their book with goals, minilessons, literature needed, and student work plans for each week of each investigation. All of the investigations follow a workshop format consisting of 10-20 minute minilessons, student work time of 30-45 minutes, and a 5-10 minute share time. As an additional feature, the end of each investigation includes commentary from a first-year teacher about how she adapts the investigations to fit the needs of her classroom.
Significant Studies invites you to enter a second grade classroom at the Manhattan New School and journey as learners alongside the students. This book will support teachers as they reflect on their practice and plan for thoughtful and explicit instruction.
