William E. Lewis & Michael C. McKenna 
Cracking the Common Core 
Choosing and Using Texts in Grades 6-12

This book guides teachers in grades 6-12 to strategically combine a variety of texts–including literature, informational texts, and digital sources–to meet their content-area goals and the demands of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). It presents clear-cut ways to analyze text complexity, design challenging text sets, and help students get the most out of what they read. Provided are practical instructional ideas for building background knowledge, promoting engagement, incorporating discussion and text-based writing, and teaching research skills. Appendices offer sample unit plans for English language arts, history/social studies, and science classrooms. More than 20 reproducible coaching templates and other tools can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.