Go in depth on Common Core Standards for middle schools to learn how they help students build on and extend skills acquired in earlier grades and prepare them for the nuanced communication and analytical work they will encounter in high school. Getting a copy for every teacher ensures they'll know: (1) The key focus areas of the Common Core standards for ELA and the implications for instruction; (2) A practical lesson planning process to use with the Common Core; and (3) Effective instructional strategies from "Classroom Instruction That Works, 2nd Edition" that help students master the new and challenging material the standards present. The guide covers all four strands in the standards--reading, writing, language, and speaking and listening--and makes it much easier to connect teaching literacy across content areas. It also includes three sample lessons--one at each grade level--illustrating how to apply the instructional design approach to address skills and knowledge that that teachers at these levels are unlikely to have taught before.