ABSTRACT
Common Core Standards emphasize the careful reading of informational text, including thoughtful text analysis and the writing well-defended claims. Prompted to teach in ways that supported student progress toward Common Core goals, this chapter relates how one 5th grade teacher intentionally used visual art selections from the Social Studies text provided, along with three visible thinking routines, to provoke curiosity and support student engagement in informational text. Student work reveals that such an approach can lead to well-reasoned claims that show nuanced understandings of a complex topic.
