6th Grade - Gateway 1

The materials reviewed for Grade 6 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1d. 

Materials include anchor and supporting texts that vary in complexity and support students’ literacy growth over the course of the school year; however, the teacher resources and supports are general and do not change as texts and tasks become more complex. The Unit Summary and individual lessons outline a path for growth in literacy skills over time. Each unit includes texts of varying complexity that are interconnected to add meaning to unit topics. Students practice skills during the beginning, middle, and end of the year and learn concepts and standards through repeated opportunities to approach their learning and build on previous assignments. Each lesson includes a Standards Map that shows when the literacy skills appear as core or supporting standards in units.   

Materials provide general scaffolding guidance in the “Providing Supports for Text Complexity” section of the Teacher Tools, not in individual units or lessons. This page provides scaffolding support and suggestions, but they are not leveled or specific to texts or tasks. The supports include more time on the text, but that is suggested for all students, not a specific suggestion if students are struggling. Teacher Tools remain consistent, and there are no increasing supports or considerations for more complex texts and tasks. Students repeat similar activities over the course of the year, so increased assistance is not provided.

The complexity of anchor texts students read provides an opportunity for students’ literacy skills to increase across the year, encompassing an entire year’s worth of growth. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• One literacy skill taught throughout the year is to explain how an author develops a point of view. In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, in Lesson 20, the lesson objective for the anchor text The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul (920L, moderate complexity) states: “Identify Kenny’s point of view and explain how it changes over the course of a chapter and the text overall.” Students explain in two paragraphs how Kenny has changed and what he has learned. The Close Read Questions ask: “What point of view do Kenny and Byron’s have on welfare, and how does it differ from Momma’s? How does the author develop the reader’s understanding of their point of view?” In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, in Lesson 1, the lesson objective for the anchor text The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (750L, medium complexity) states: “Explain how S. E. Hinton begins to develop the narrator’s point of view in The Outsiders.” Students develop a claim about the way Ponyboy sees himself because of outside influences by using textual support in a brief writing activity. The Close Read Questions ask: “How does Cherry view greasers? Does Ponyboy share her point of view?” and “How does talking with Cherry about the sunset impact Ponyboy’s perspective?”In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, in Lesson 5, the lesson objective for one of the anchor texts Refugee by Alan Gatz (800L, high difficulty) states: “Determine author Don Brown’s point of view on the world’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis and his purpose in writing The Unwanted.” Students explain Brown’s perspective on the world’s response to the refugee crisis, using textual support, and consider how this perspective relates to the author’s purpose in a brief writing activity. The Close Read Questions require students to consider the point of view by examining illustrations and anecdotes.

• Another literacy skill taught throughout the year is to analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot. In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, in Lesson 5, the lesson objective for the anchor text The Giver by Lois Lowry (760L, medium complexity) states: “Explain how specific passages from Chapters 7 and 8 of The Giver develop the setting and fit into the overall structure of the text.” The Close Read Questions ask: “How does the story about Asher on pages 69–70 help develop the setting of the text? Provide specific evidence from the text to support your answer. How do the last two pages of Chapter 7 contribute to the development of the plot? Where does this chapter fall in the overall structure of the text? Carefully explain your thinking.” In Unit 5, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, in Lesson 11, the lesson objective for The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (750L, medium complexity) states: “Explain how specific scenes and lines of text fit into the overall structure of The Outsiders and develop the plot.” The Close Read Questions ask: “How does the scene between Darry and Paul develop the idea that the Socs and the greasers are not really so different from one another? Support your answer with evidence from pages 142-143.” In Unit 6, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, in Lesson 2, the lesson objective for one of the anchor texts Refugee by Alan Gatz (800L, high difficulty) states: “Define significant terms essential for understanding graphic novels, and explain how Brown uses text and illustrations to develop the reader’s understanding of the conflict in Syria.” Students evaluate specific sections of a graphic novel and how the images and text both impact the plot. 

As texts become more complex, appropriate scaffolds and/or materials are not provided in the Teacher Edition (e.g., spending more time on texts, more questions, repeated readings, skill lessons). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher Tools, the general description of the supports available states: “The Fishtank ELA curriculum includes five types of supports to help provide students access to different features of text complexity-language supports, background knowledge supports, additional supports, foundational skills supports, and opportunities for enrichment. After you have determined the aspect of the texts that will be most challenging for your students, you can decide which supports are most appropriate. These supports can be used with the whole group, in small-groups, or individually.” The guidance for teachers is the same across all grade levels.

• In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 , in Lesson 20 for the anchor text The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 (920L, moderate complexity), the “Knowledge” section includes key facts about the reading and a sample response to the writing activity.

• In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, students spend 15 lessons reading The Giver by Lois Lowry (760L, medium complexity), revisiting the theme, analyzing the impact of certain words or phrases, and studying text development. As students read higher Lexile nonfiction texts in Lessons 16–30, more time is spent on each individual text as they gather evidence to use in a writing piece, and texts are revisited throughout the end lessons while writing.

• In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, students read the anchor text Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland (890L, moderate complexity). In Lesson 15, students read multiple types of texts that all focus on Misty Copeland and her experiences with the art world. Complex articles are paired with videos to scaffold the readings; Close Read Questions help students access the texts. Though these scaffolds are built into lessons, they are not specifically noted as scaffolds, and teachers are not provided guidance on how to use the videos to support reading the texts.

In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, students spend Lessons 1–14 reading The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (750L, medium complexity). Starting in Lesson 3, students complete lower-level tasks, such as characterizing Ponyboy and discussing how his point of view changes. Students revisit the same concept in Lessons 8, 9, and 10. Starting in Lesson 15, students read other literary and nonfiction texts of higher Lexile levels, but return to The Outsiders and spend five lessons at the end of the unit completing an assignment that revisits the characterization of Ponyboy. They answer the prompt: “Explain whether or not you believe Ponyboy would agree with this proverb. Be sure to explain what this proverb means and how it specifically applies to Ponyboy’s experiences in The Outsiders. Write a strong introduction and conclusion, and provide sufficient evidence from the text to support your thesis.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 6 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1e. 

Materials include a variety of text types and genres to provide a range and volume of reading that offer opportunities for independent reading; however, there is limited support in place connecting to specific texts as students engage in these readings. The supports are more general or overarching within the program. Over the course of the year, students read different types of texts ranging from traditional print sources; such as literary and informational novels, newspaper articles, and magazine articles; to non-traditional sources such as graphic novels, films, and videos. Students engage in a volume of reading across the school year, including reading during and outside the school day on a consistent basis. The Teacher Tools section includes procedures and routines for different types of reading, including Interactive Read Alouds, Shared Reading, Partner Reading, and Small Group Reading. The materials include independent reading opportunities that are often homework assignments; students take part in comprehensive discussions and activities related to the homework reading in class the following day. The resource, Recommended Texts for Independent Reading, makes recommendations for fiction and non-fiction texts with aligned themes and topics and additional texts by the same author.

Teacher Tools provide additional guidance for educators relating to independent reading procedures, though the guidance is general rather than lesson-specific. For example, the Components of an ELA Lesson under the Homework heading states: “Some lessons require students to read sections of the text prior to class. Homework for the next lesson is identified. Homework should be assigned at the end of the class period.” Teacher Tools also offer guidance relating to Reading Structures and Routines, including information for Independent Reading for Homework (6–12): “...to ensure that all students spend at least 30 minutes reading a day, and to ensure that students have already done some of the literal thinking that will make close, thoughtful reading in class possible, sections of text are assigned for homework.” The Teacher Tools are consistent across grade levels, and the guidance provides suggestions for accountability measures, such as graphic organizers, annotations, and written checks for understanding. Though there is no specific tracking system provided, students are expected to complete reading homework on a regular basis to be able to complete in-class activities. 

Instructional materials identify opportunities and provide limited supports for students to engage in reading a variety of text types and genres. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963, students read the anchor text, The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963 by Christoper Paul Curtis, a historical fiction novel. The supplemental texts include informational articles, poems, audio interviews, and photos from a primary source historical document.  

• In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, students read the anchor text, The Giver, a dystopian novel by Lois Lowry. Supplemental texts include informational articles and videos.

• In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, students read the anchor text, Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, a memoir written by Misty Copeland. Supplemental texts include informational articles, videos, video interviews, websites, and a movie.

• In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, students read the anchor text, The Outsiders, a novel by S.E. Hinton. Supplemental texts include a movie based on the core novel, articles, poetry, and a video.

• In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, students read two literary nonfiction books as anchor texts, The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees by Don Brown and Refugee by Alan Gratz. Supplemental texts include an article and an informational website.

Instructional materials identify opportunities and offer limited supports for students to engage in a volume of reading. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963, students read multiple texts such as: The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963, historical fiction by Christopher Paul Curtis, “The Children’s Hour,” a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longellow, “How Much Does Birth Order Shape Our Lives?” an article by Allison Aubrey, and ‘Green Book’ Helped African Americans Travel Safely an audio interview by NPR. Throughout the unit, students engage in Close Read and Discussion Questions connecting to the assigned texts, allowing teachers to monitor student progress toward key understandings and connecting to the essential questions of each unit. Students also complete Target Tasks which provide an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding, practice essential skills, and receive feedback in preparation for the content assessments at the end of each unit. Opportunities are also available for students to engage in independent reading of assigned pages of the text as homework. 

• In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, students read multiple texts such as: The Giver by Lois Lowry, “The Harmful Effects of Too Much Screen Time for Kids” by Amy Morin, “Why the screen babysitter is worse than you think” by Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, and “Don’t Limit Your Teen’s Screen Time” by Chris Bergman. Throughout the unit, students engage in Close Read and Discussion Questions connecting to the assigned texts, allowing teachers to monitor student progress toward key understandings and connecting to the essential questions of each unit. Students also complete Target Tasks which provide an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding, practice essential skills, and receive feedback in preparation for the content assessments at the end of each unit. Opportunities are also available for students to engage in independent reading of assigned pages of the text as homework. 

• In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, students read multiple texts such as: “Why It’s Hard to Be a Poor Boy With Richer Neighbors” by Dana Goldstein, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks, and “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost. Throughout the unit, students engage in Close Read and Discussion Questions connecting to the assigned texts, allowing teachers to monitor student progress toward key understandings and connecting to the essential questions of each unit. Students also complete Target Tasks which provide an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding, practice essential skills, and receive feedback in preparation for the content assessments at the end of each unit. Opportunities are also available for students to engage in independent reading of assigned pages of the text as homework. 

• In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, students read multiple texts such as: Refugee by Alan Gratz, The Unwanted: Stories of Syrian Refugees by Don Brown, and “Refugee” by Dian Boudrewau, et al. Throughout the unit, students engage in Close Read and Discussion Questions connecting to the assigned texts, allowing teachers to monitor student progress toward key understandings and connecting to the essential questions of each unit. Students also complete Target Tasks which provide an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding, practice essential skills, and receive feedback in preparation for the content assessments at the end of each unit. Opportunities are also available for students to engage in independent reading of assigned pages of the text as homework. 

There is minimal teacher guidance to foster independence for all readers (e.g., independent reading procedures, proposed schedule, a tracking system for independent reading). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Teacher Tools, Reading Structures and Routines, Independent Reading for Homework (6–12), guidance for a proposed schedule for independent reading is explained: “In order to show accelerated reading growth, students need to read for at least 15 minutes a day, with the greatest growth being shown in students who read over a half-hour to an hour a day. Due to the block structure of most middle and high schools, it would be nearly impossible for students to read in class for 30 minutes a day while also having time to critically analyze the text through discussion and writing. Therefore, to ensure that all students spend at least 30 minutes reading a day, and to ensure that students have already done some of the literal thinking that will make close, thoughtful reading in class possible, sections of text are assigned for homework.” 

• In Teacher Tools, Reading Structures and Routines, Independent Reading for Homework (6–12), guidance related to accountability is stated: 

  • “Assign an annotation focus. Have students annotate in the text to show their understanding of the text. Student annotations can be used to show that students are reading and that they understand what they are reading. Students can return to their annotations during class discussions and writing.

  • Provide Graphic Organizers. While reading, have students use different graphic organizers to interact with the text. Potential graphic organizers include: Say, Mean, Matter Graphic Organizer or Double Journal Entry.”

• In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, Lesson 8, students read the memoir Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland. The homework assignment asks students to read pages 203–211 and pages 228–233 independently. The materials ask teachers to provide students with a summary of the reading to date as additional support; the materials provide a bullet list summary as a key. In Lesson 9, students complete a written check for understanding the question: “Why does Copeland include the story of receiving an award from the Boys and Girls Club? What idea does this illustrate?”

• In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, Lesson 15, students read pages of Refugee from Alan Gratz independently for homework. There are no specific directions given or trackers used for the independent reading that occurs in this lesson and throughout the rest of the unit; however, the Independent Reading for Homework portion of the Teacher Tools includes ideas for how to increase stamina and engagement during reading. All units use this same reference as support for teachers.

In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 10, students read the next chapter of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton for homework. The guidance includes specific questions for students to answer while reading, such as: “How are the greasers feeling as they prepare for the rumble? How do you know? Who ‘wins’ the rumble? Where do Dally and Ponyboy go after the rumble is over?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 6 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1g. 

Materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions; however, those are not consistently referenced or available in lessons. Students practice speaking and listening skills with Discussion Questions in each lesson, which are “open-ended questions designed to prompt student reflection on the day’s reading and to make connections between the text, larger social issues, and their own lives. Discussion questions often come at the end of lessons and are an opportunity to bring students together to speak and listen to one another.” Each unit also includes a full day of Socratic Seminar discussion. The protocols provided in the Academic Discourse section support students’ developing speaking and listening skills for a variety of discussions, including different formats of whole class, small group, and partner discussions.

Materials provide teachers with many options for including discourse in the classroom and the freedom to choose which protocols are appropriate for their students; however, teachers do not always have specific guidance relating to which Academic Discourse protocol to use in each situation. The Academic Discourse section in the Teacher Tools includes varied protocols for whole group, small group, and partner discussions; however, some individual lessons do not indicate specific protocols to use when students answer Discussion Questions. The materials provide some guidance for use of protocols with formal discussions such as Socratic Seminar, but it is not consistent in all lessons or units. Instructional supports and resources that help with engaging students in discourse, creating a classroom culture that supports conversation, and monitoring student growth are available for teachers consistently in the Teacher Tools and with additional Notes in some lessons. The Academic Discourse section provides teachers with four different resources for guiding and supporting students in developing speaking and listening skills. These resources are referenced and linked for Socratic Seminars across the units but not for informal discussion opportunities.

Materials provide varied protocols to support students’ developing speaking and listening skills across the whole year’s scope of instructional materials; however, protocols are not always readily available for teachers. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher Tools, Academic Discourse section, different types of protocols are provided. One example is a partner discussion, which includes the following protocol: Teachers choose from various discussion protocols to have students discuss open-ended questions, such as Think-Pair-Share: 

  • “Students are given time to think before pairing up and sharing. 

  • Teacher or student poses a question worthy of discussion. 

  • Teachers give students time to think about how they will answer.

  • Students pair up. 

  • Students take turns sharing their answers.”

• In each unit, a Socratic Seminar is provided as a formal discussion, and students use one teacher-chosen, the open-ended question from the multiple Discussion Questions provided in the lesson. The same directions are provided for the teacher in the Notes section of each Socratic Seminar lesson: “Decide which Type of Academic Discourse you want to use in this lesson. We recommend a table-group discussion, fishbowl, or whole-class discussion. Then, choose which of this lesson’s Discussion Questions you are going to have students answer. Consider how much discussion time will be devoted to each question.”

• In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, Lesson 23, students participate in a Socratic Seminar about The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. Seven open-ended Discussion Questions are provided in the lesson; teachers choose one for students to discuss. There are no teacher directions on whether all the questions are discussed in small group or partner discussions prior to the Socratic Seminar. Teachers can choose a protocol by accessing the Academic Discourse section in Teacher Tools; they are not included in the lesson. 

• In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 13, students read The Giver by Lois Lowry and answer Discussion Questions: “What do you think happens at the end of the book? Is this a satisfying ending? How do you know? Provide specific evidence from the text to support your position.” There is no recommended protocol to use in the lesson plan.

• In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, Lesson 13, the Lesson Objective states: “Describe gender and racial discrimination in the art world, and explain how the Guerilla Girls have responded to these issues through art and activism.” The Discussion Questions ask, “Why does it matter that the work of women and artists of color is shown in museums?” There is no recommended protocol to use in the lesson plan.

Speaking and listening instruction includes facilitation, monitoring, and instructional supports for teachers. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher Tools, Academic Discourse tab, the Overview states: “During effective academic discourse, students are engaging in high-quality, productive, and authentic conversations with each other (not just the teacher) in order to build or clarify understanding of a topic. To ensure that academic discourse is effective, teachers need to establish a classroom culture and routines that foster productive discourse.” Suggestions for Establishing a Strong Discourse Culture include creating shared norms in the classroom, modeling what a successful conversation looks like, and providing specific feedback to students. Following this statement, materials provide teachers with an overview of the linked resources: Preparing for Academic Discourse, Types of Academic Discourse, Tiers of Academic Discourse, and Monitoring and Supporting Academic Discourse. In the Types of Academic Discourse resource, materials provide teachers with specific protocols and directions to facilitate Whole Class Discussion, Small Group Discussion, and Partner Conversation. 

• In the Teacher Tools, the Monitoring and Supporting Academic Discourse document outlines ways that teachers can “progress monitor and support students’ development of key conversation and discourse strategies.” The document includes other suggestions for support, such as:

  • “Provide sentence frames for students to use. Sentence frames should help students articulate their thoughts. Include sentence frames that use a variety of sentence structures to ensure that students have multiple options.

  • Provide scaffolding questions. If students are unable to initially answer the original question, provide scaffolding questions that build students to the deeper understandings.”  

• In the Teacher Tools, the Tiers of Academic Discourse resource provides an explanation of each tier. Tier 1 describes how students clarify and share their thoughts. Materials provide information on three elements of instruction: Key Student Discourse Strategies, Key Teacher Talk Moves, and Sentence Frames. In Tier 2, students engage with the thinking of others; as with Tier 1, materials provide information on the three elements of instruction. In Tier 3, students critique and analyze the reasoning of others; as found in Tiers 1 and 2, materials provide information on the three elements of instruction. 

• In the Teacher Tools, the Monitoring and Supporting Academic Discourse resource includes an Overview statement: “The goal is that by the end of the year, students will be able to participate in academic discourse using strategies from all three components, allowing them to show a deeper and more nuanced understanding of key content. Based on data from progress monitoring, students may need additional support in order to effectively orally communicate key ideas. Use the suggested supports below to decide which support to add for the whole-class or for sub-sets of students.” Materials provide teachers with the following downloadable tools to use in the classroom: Academic Discourse Rubric, Discussion Self Assessment, Discussion Peer Assessment, Socratic Seminar Recording Form, and End-of-Discussion Assessment. 

• In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 20, the Teacher Tools provide guidance when deciding which Type of Academic Discourse to use, such as a table-group discussion, fishbowl, or whole-class discussion. Teachers can select which of the lesson’s Discussion Questions they will answer. Other Teacher Tools include guidance for Supporting Students with Academic Discourse, such as ensuring the transfer of knowledge: “Provide students with sentence frames. Provide students with sentence frames that reflect how their opinion or understanding may have changed. 

  • At first I thought, _____________________. Based on the discussion, I now think ____________________. 

  • Prior to the discussion I thought ____________________. My classmates ideas confirmed my ideas because _____________________.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 6 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1i. 

Materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing; however, materials do not provide ample time and tasks to build students’ literacy development in writing. The guidance is minimal for specific skills. Students complete on-demand prompts that connect to the discussions and activities for each lesson, and each unit includes process writing that spans more than one lesson. Specifically, students write longer essays to prompts that connect to the core and supplemental texts using the steps of the writing process. In some units, students use digital resources to conduct research and create digital materials for presentations. The Teacher Tools include multiple resources with further details on how to provide guidance on both process and on-demand writing, including planning and executing writing lessons and strategies for giving feedback. Within each lesson and student-facing materials, opportunities to edit and revise are present; however, instruction and practice of those skills do not exist beyond mentioning it as an objective. 

Materials include on-demand writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 10, students answer the on-demand Writing Prompt to The Giver by Lois Lowry: “Why does Jonas have such a strong reaction to the game of ‘good guys and bad guys’—a game that he had played in the past? How has his perspective on the game changed? Provide at least two pieces of evidence from the text to support your answer.”

• In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, Lesson 12, students watch a video of a dance performance and write “an analytical paragraph that determines the mood of the performance. Include a topic sentence, evidence from the text, analysis, and a conclusion in your argument.”

• In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, Lesson 13, students complete an on-demand Writing Prompt relating to Refugee by Alan Gratz: “How are all three protagonists' stories today connected by the topic of generous strangers? Identify one scene in each character’s story and explain how it explores this topic. What message is Gratz trying to communicate by connecting their stories around this experience?”

Materials include process writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction; however, opportunities for students to revise and edit are minimal. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher Tools, Giving Writing Feedback document, many options are provided for teachers to help support peer conversation about peer editing and revising. The document includes the following sentence frames to encourage students to say something they liked, ask a question, and give a suggestion: “You did a good job with ____________ because ___________. I was confused by ____________. Can you explain what you were thinking? You might change ________________.”

• In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963, Lesson 27, the Objective states: “Provide meaningful feedback to a peer and incorporate feedback into own writing.” There is no instructional process noted for when or how peer editing will take place in the lesson. Teachers must access the Giving Writing Feedback document to support students in their peer revision.

• In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lessons 16–19, students write an argumentative essay: “Is ignorance bliss? Write an essay in which you take a position on this question using evidence from The Giver to support your position. Use at least two of our vocabulary words in your essay.” Each of the lessons focuses on one aspect of process writing an essay, beginning with writing a strong thesis statement and body paragraphs and ending with editing for using “pronouns appropriately in writing.”

• In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, Lessons 20, the Objective states: “Begin to gather information for their presentations from provided resources and those they have found online, differentiating between credible and non-credible sources.” In Lesson 21, students “[e]valuate and compile research information into a digital presentation.” The group project continues through Lesson 23 with the goal of educating their peers “on a refugee crisis currently taking place somewhere in the world.” The requirements for the project include the following: 

  • “Is organized logically and clearly 

  • Includes accurate facts, statistics, and quotations from at least three reputable sources

  • Includes at least four photographs at least one map or graph/chart

  • Uses thirty-five words maximum on each slide

  • Include a bibliography that cites all sources

  • Provide information about the causes of the crisis

  • Describe who is leaving and why

  • Explain where the refugees are going

  • Explain how the refugees are currently living and what their lives are like

  • Suggest actions classmates can take to help refugees”

Materials include digital resources where appropriate. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963, Lesson 13, students access digital resources when reading and listening to an audio interview “‘Green Book’ Helped African Americans Travel Safely” published on NPR.org.   

• In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, Lesson 20, students research for a digital presentation about a contemporary female artist. Students include researched facts, works of art, and background information in the presentation and work with a partner or group to compile the research. Students cite their digital resources.

• In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, Lesson 20, students start a research project to educate their peers on a current refugee crisis. Students collect facts, statistics, data, and quotations from at least three sources and cite sources in the research project to meet the lesson objective of gathering information for “presentations from provided resources and those they have found online, differentiating between credible and non-credible sources.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 6 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1j.  

Materials include opportunities for students to practice and apply different types of writing; however, the distribution does not reflect the requirements of the standards. Students write argumentative, informative, and narrative assignments, though the percentage of informative and narrative lessons is less than the percentage of argumentative lessons, reflecting a 50/25/25 split. All writing assignments are text-specific or text-dependent and are connected to a unit theme and/or yearlong theme. Materials include explicit instruction in the different types of writing, though the instruction is not directly included in the teacher's plans for each lesson. The resources are found in the Teacher Tools, Instructional Strategies for Writing Lessons (6–8) section. In addition, materials offer teacher support for planning instruction and guiding student thinking with example answers in each lesson and Notes that highlight areas where students might struggle. These Notes include suggestions for teaching and links to sources of support within and outside of the materials.

Materials provide multiple opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres/modes/types of writing; however, opportunities do not reflect the distribution required by the standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Materials include an uneven distribution of writing types with the following percentages for the different modes of writing: 50% argumentative, 25% informative, and 25% narrative. The number of writing opportunities in each mode is six argumentative, three informative, and three narrative.

  • Percentage or number of opportunities for argumentative writing: Five units address argumentative writing. Approximately 50% of writing opportunities over five units are argumentative.

    • Unit 1 - 1

    • Unit 2 - 2

    • Unit 3 - 1

    • Unit 4 - 1

    • Unit 5 - 1

  • Percentage or number of opportunities for informative/explanatory writing: Three units address informative writing. Approximately 25% of writing opportunities over five units are informative.

    • Unit 1 - 0

    • Unit 2 - 1

    • Unit 3 - 1

    • Unit 4 - 0

    • Unit 5 - 1

  • Percentage or number of opportunities for narrative writing: Two units address narrative writing. Approximately 25% of writing opportunities over five units are narrative.

    • Unit 1 - 2

    • Unit 2 - 0

    • Unit 3 - 0

    • Unit 4 - 0

    • Unit 5 - 1

• Explicit instruction in argumentative writing: Materials include Teacher Tools to provide Persuasive/Argumentative Writing Feedback and Support. For example, if students are struggling to create topic sentences that flow from the thesis statement, one “strategy is to work backward through specific evidence to build the main claim and the topic sentences. This can also be modeled by:

  • selecting a particularly persuasive line of evidence from the research

  • building next to a topic sentence that would flow from that evidence

  • finally crafting a thesis statement that would include the sub claim from the topic sentence as part of the comprehensive argument”

• Explicit instruction in informative/explanatory writing: Materials include Teacher Tools to provide Informational Writing Feedback and Support. One example includes if students are struggling to use transitional words, phrases, or clauses to manage the sequence of events, teachers can “Review and model how to use transitional phrases to manage the sequence of events.

  • Transitional words or phrases can be used to show there is a transition in time. (The next day, after a while, before long, late that afternoon, the next thing I knew, etc.)”

  • Transitional words and phrases can be used to show there is a transition in setting or location. (In our backyard, when we went upstairs, at the post office, behind the trees etc.)

  • Transitional words and phrases can be used to show a sequence of events, or to show the connection between events. (At the beginning, as a result, it started when, as soon as, in the end, etc.)”

• Explicit instruction in narrative writing: The Teacher Tools include guidance to provide Narrative Writing Feedback and Support. For example, if students are struggling to develop a point of view or establish a context, teachers can prompt students to think about the following questions when brainstorming setting:

  • What is the main location?

  • Are there any features of the main location that make it unique and should be highlighted?

  • Are there activities or occupations that are unique and/or important to the setting?

  • Does the setting influence the mood?

  • How does the setting influence the character’s actions?

Different genres/modes/types of writing are distributed throughout the school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Students have opportunities to engage in argumentative writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, Lesson 11, students write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence; students write a “Strong paragraph explaining how two texts use different perspectives to approach a similar topic.” A Sample Response is available to demonstrate introducing the claim and organizing the evidence clearly.”

• Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & the Unwanted, Lesson 12, students write an argument where they take a position and support their claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence, utilizing evidence from the text Refugee by Alan Gratz.

• Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, Lesson 12, students analyze the development of mood in dance performance. Students write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. Students practice the skill of using words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons as a supporting standard during the lesson.

• Establish and maintain a formal style. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, Lesson 12, students write an argument around the question: “Do times of crisis bring out the best or the worst in people?” A Sample Response is available for the writing prompt, and students practice the skill of establishing and maintaining a formal style as a supporting standard during the lesson.

• Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, Lesson 12, students write an argument when analyzing the development of mood in dance performance. A Sample Response is available for the writing prompt, and students practice the skill of providing a concluding statement that follows the argument presented as a supporting standard during the lesson.

• Students have opportunities to engage in informative/explanatory writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 21, students use the mentor text to analyze the introduction, searching specifically for the hook, the context, and the thesis statement to aid in comprehension. Then, students draft their own introduction for an essay in Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 23.

  • Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, Lesson 20, students write a research presentation where they will “work in small groups to create a digital presentation that educates your classmates on a refugee crisis currently taking place somewhere in the world.” They create a presentation that includes “information for their presentations from provided resources and those they have found online, differentiating between credible and non-credible sources.” Their presentation is to include “accurate facts, statistics, and quotations from at least three reputable sources.”

  • Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, Lesson 21, students create a presentation where they will choose a specific artist to inform their classmates about an artist. One of the requirements is that students focus on logically organizing the information and all of the required components.

• Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 21, students explore the meaning of a particular proverb in relation to the readings from the text.

• Establish and maintain a formal style. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 24, students edit their writing to ensure that it is in a formal style.

• Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 21, students use the mentor text to analyze the conclusion, searching specifically for the “why does it matter” statement and a statement where the author revisits the thesis statement to aid in comprehension. Then, students draft their own conclusion for an essay in Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 23.

• Students have opportunities to engage in narrative writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, Lesson 16, students begin writing a narrative piece. Students are instructed to include a multitude of things in their narratives and are given a mentor text to consult. Two of the items included in the list of “must haves” are “Establish setting” and “Establish a unique point of view based on what you already know of Byron.”

  • Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 21, students must “Include dialogue” when crafting their narrative essay or comic. Students practice utilizing effective narrative techniques, and a Sample Response is available on Page 16 from the mentor text Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

  • Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 21, the Writing Prompt includes the requirement that students, “Include transitions between pals to indicate shifts in time and the relationship between events” if they select to create a comic, and a similar requirement is included for the essay, in that students must “Include transition words that indicate shifts in time and the relationship between events.”

  • Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, Lesson 17, students complete the Objective, “Use descriptive details and sensory language to convey emotions and experiences in a narrative.” The phrase sensory details is defined under the Vocabulary section.

  • Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 21, the final requirement listed for students if they choose to create an essay or comic is “Include a conclusion that logically follows from the narrative.”

Where appropriate, writing opportunities are connected to texts and/or text sets (either as prompts, models, anchors, or supports). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963, Lesson 16, students complete the Writing Prompt to “rewrite pages 177–179 from Byron’s perspective” from The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis.

• In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 16, students answer a Writing Prompt where they take a stance on whether or not ignorance is bliss. Students include evidence from the anchor text, The Giver by Lois Lowry, to support their stance.

In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 21, students consider whether one of the main characters from The Outsiders would approve of a particular proverb.

The materials reviewed for Grade 6 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1k. 

Although materials include opportunities for students to participate in writing tasks requiring analysis of and evidence from texts and other credible sources, explicit evidence-based writing instruction in the student lessons is limited to teacher guidance such as a sample writing response. Students engage in close reading tasks, develop claims for an intended audience, and support their position with evidence. Evidence used throughout the units comes primarily from texts included in the materials and independent research at times. Writing opportunities connect purposefully to the texts students are reading, and the tasks provide a means for building knowledge and writing skills across the school year. Students practice utilizing claims and support consistently, and rarely is writing done simply based on opinion. 

Materials provide opportunities across the school year for students to practice and apply writing using evidence; however, materials provide limited opportunities across the school year for students to learn about writing using evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, Lesson 22, students read the poem, “The Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall, and answer the Writing Prompt in a paragraph: “How does the mother character’s perspective most likely shift from the beginning to the end of the poem? How does the author develop the idea that her perspective has changed? Provide at least two pieces of specific evidence from the poem to support your answer.” Materials provide a Sample Response for reference. The teacher does not provide students with explicit evidence-based writing instruction and materials do not offer any other teacher guidance for the writing prompt in the lesson.

• In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 8, students answer a Writing Prompt in which they provide a minimum of two pieces of evidence to support: “How does Lois Lowry develop the central idea in Chapter 13 that Jonas feels conflicted about the idea of people being able to make choices about their own lives?” Materials provide a Sample Response for reference. The teacher does not provide students with explicit evidence-based writing instruction and materials do not offer any other teacher guidance for the writing prompt in the lesson.

• In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, Lesson 12, students read Refugee by Alan Gratz and answer the Writing Prompt in a paragraph: “Do times of crisis bring out the best or the worst in people? Philosophers have been pondering this question for millennia. Now it is your turn to take a position on this age-old question based on what you have read so far in Refugee by Alan Gratz. Consider the stories of the three young refugees in this story, their families, and the people they have encountered along their journeys, and write an analytical paragraph to answer this question. Include a topic sentence, evidence from the text, analysis, and a conclusion in your argument.” The teacher does not provide students with explicit evidence-based writing instruction and materials do not offer any other teacher guidance for the writing prompt in the lesson.

Writing opportunities are focused on students’ careful analysis and claims developed from reading closely and working with evidence from texts and sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 16, students write an argument to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. The writing task provides an opportunity for students to draw evidence from the unit text, The Giver by Lois Lowry. Students consider the question, “Is ignorance bliss?” The task requires students to “Write an essay in which you take a position on this question using evidence from The Giver to support your position. Use at least two of our vocabulary words in your essay.”

• In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, Lesson 15, students read a website and two different articles on Jaune Quick-to-see Smith, synthesize the information, and answer the Writing Prompt: “How do you think Jaune Quick-to-See Smith would answer the following question: ‘Why do you make art?’. Provide details from at least two sources to support your answer.” A Sample Response shows an example of one possible claim and how that claim could be supported.

In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 21, students begin working on a writing assignment that spans multiple lessons. The assignment asks students to take a stance on whether or not Ponyboy, a character from The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton, would agree with the proverb, “Everyone is kneaded out of the same dough but baked in a different oven.” Students answer this question using the writing process and include evidence from the book to support their stance.

The materials reviewed for Grade 6 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1l.  

Materials include limited explicit instruction for the grade-level grammar and usage standards, and based on the information provided in the lessons, students do not explicitly apply them in their writing. The grammar standards are listed as core standards in the Standards Map, are referred to in some lesson objectives, and are named in writing rubrics; however, the guidance for educators is minimal and not lesson-specific. Explicit instruction in the lessons is insufficient to ensure students meet all the grade-level grammar and usage standards with the necessary support for application in context. Within writing lessons, students have opportunities to notice how authors use language and its conventions; however, there are no specific lessons, protocols, or practice opportunities for students to learn and apply the skills. In Teacher Support, the Writing section addresses grammar in the Approach to Language and Grammar Instruction: “Fishtank ELA units teach grammar and language in context by integrating grammar and mechanics with craft and analysis. Students see how grammar and language help authors communicate specific ideas, and then learn how to use the same techniques in their Before writing.” This section also provides tips and a blank graphic organizer for students to use to create an Editing Checklist; however, this is not called out in the individual lessons within the units. The Teacher Tools encourage educators to provide opportunities for progress monitoring, including thinking about questions from Mechanically Inclined, such as “What have I done to teach this grammar of mechanics pattern?” The Teacher Tools are general, connecting to all grade levels and units. 

Materials include very limited explicit instruction of the grade-level grammar and usage standards and few authentic opportunities for students to demonstrate the application of skills in context, including applying grammar and convention skills to writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Students have minimal opportunities to ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963, Lesson 18, the objective states that students will “Use pronouns in their proper case” as they complete their final narrative draft. Materials do not provide explicit instruction on pronoun cases. The Language and Mechanics section of the Narrative: Short Story rubric includes pronoun cases.

  • In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 19, the objective states that students should “use pronouns appropriately in writing.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.6.1.a, “Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive).” Materials do not include any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

• Students have minimal opportunities to use intensive pronouns. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, Lesson 21, the objective states that students should “Logically organize the information in their presentations and include all required components.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.6.1.b, “Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).” Materials do not include any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill. In Lesson 22, standard L.6.1.b is listed as a core standard for the lesson, but there is no mention of it in the lesson materials.

• Students have minimal opportunities to recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 29, the objective states that students should “Use pronouns appropriately in their writing and incorporate any changes suggested by the instructor.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.6.1.c and that they should “recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.” Materials do not provide any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill. 

• Students have minimal opportunities to recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 19, the objective states that students should “use pronouns appropriately in writing.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.6.1.d and that they should “recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).” Materials do not include any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

• Students have minimal opportunities to recognize variations from standard English in their own and others’ writing and speaking, and identify and use strategies to improve expression in conventional language. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 18, the objective states that students will “recognize and correct lapses [in] tone” in their writing of an introductory paragraph. Materials do not provide any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

  • In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 2, the objective states: “Explain how specific sections of Chapter 2 fit into the overall structure of The Outsiders and develop the reader’s understanding of characters.” However, the lesson does not specifically address standards L.6.1 and L.6.1.e, which are listed as Common Core Standards at the bottom of the lesson. Students complete a short writing prompt that does not address these standards specifically: “On pages 31–34, Hinton uses the literary device of a flashback. What is its purpose and how does this section fit into the overall structure of the text? Provide evidence from these pages to support your answer.” Materials do not include any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

  • In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, Lesson 20, the objective states that students will “Begin to gather information for their presentations from provided resources and those they have found online, differentiating between credible and non-credible sources.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.6.2.a and that they should “Use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.” Materials do not provide any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill. This standard identification repeats in Lessons 21 and 22 with different objectives.

• Students have minimal opportunities to use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, Lesson 20, the objective states: “Begin to gather information for their presentations from provided resources and those they have found online, differentiating between credible and non-credible sources.” The standard L.6.2.a is listed as a core standard, but parenthetical phrases or nonrestrictive elements are not mentioned in the lesson.

• Students have minimal opportunities to spell correctly. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963, Lesson 11, the standard L.6.2.b is a supporting standard when students write a paragraph explaining how two different perspectives approach a similar topic. Materials do not include any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

• Students have minimal opportunities to vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, Lesson 20, standard L.6.3.a is a supporting standard. Students work in small groups to compile and evaluate research for a digital presentation about an artist. Materials do not provide any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

• Students have minimal opportunities to maintain consistency in style and tone. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 28, the objective states that students should “Establish and maintain a formal style and use words to clarify their reasoning.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.6.3.b and that they will “Maintain consistency in style and tone.” Materials do not include any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

  • In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 23, the objective states that students will “Edit essays for lapses in tone or consistency.” Materials do not provide any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

The materials reviewed for Grade 6 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1m. 

Materials include a rationale for how vocabulary should be taught and how the publisher views vocabulary as part of a lesson; however, there is no explicit instruction on the vocabulary that is essential to understanding the text within lessons. Although vocabulary words and definitions are listed in each lesson, the words are not addressed during the lesson. Vocabulary is not part of questions and activities. Students have multiple opportunities to engage with domain-specific vocabulary words across units but do not have the same opportunity for text-based vocabulary in lessons. There is no mechanism that teachers can use to assess student learning around text-based vocabulary. Some guidance is provided for how vocabulary is structured in the units, how to teach vocabulary, and how to support a range of learners during vocabulary instruction. The Teacher Tools share a brief overview: “Within units, students build their academic vocabulary by learning and interacting with Tier II and Tier III vocabulary words that are essential for unlocking the meaning of the text, task, or topic.” Students interact with vocabulary words through reading, writing, speaking, and listening tasks. Teacher Tools include routines such as Explicit Instruction of Vocabulary and Implicit Instruction of Vocabulary; however, the lessons do not include sufficient guidance or reminders for teachers to ensure the routines support students in their vocabulary development and meet grade-level standards.

Materials provide some teacher guidance outlining a cohesive year-long vocabulary development component. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In each unit and lesson, vocabulary words necessary to understand the texts or the context surrounding them are introduced before reading the texts. 

• Within the units, vocabulary words are intentionally included in many ways, so students become familiar with them through repetition, such as the words being present in questions, used during discussions, and heard in teacher-provided sentence stems. Some words are revisited from previous lessons, and students are asked to use them to indicate authentic learning of the words. More often, once the lesson where the word is taught is passed, the word is not revisited. 

• The Teacher Tools include Vocabulary guidance to share the two types of words in the materials: words to teach quickly and drop-in and words to study in-depth. The guidance includes instructions for teachers to “decide if the words are inferrable or not inferrable” and encourage learning vocabulary “indirectly and unconsciously through daily reading, writing, listening, and speaking routines” rather than through explicit instruction. 

• The Vocabulary Teacher Tool shares the ways that students interact with vocabulary words within a lesson and across the unit, such as “Close reading moments are included within lessons to analyze the use of words in context” or “When applicable, vocabulary words are used in later units in key questions or as part of word banks and sentence frames.” 

• Materials include Explicit Instruction of Vocabulary guidance, which includes routines to introduce and review priority vocabulary. There is not sufficient guidance or reminders in the lessons to assist teachers.

Vocabulary is sometimes repeated in contexts (before texts, in texts) and across multiple texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Domain-specific vocabulary is taught across multiple units. For example:

  • Across multiple units, students learn about and analyze points of view/perspective. 

    • In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, and Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, students study “point of view/perspective.” In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, Lesson 2, students learn about point of view/perspective, which is defined as “1. a character’s opinion or feelings about a specific topic/idea/event; 2. the ‘lens’ through which a person sees and understands the world. This is usually influenced by aspects of their identity, beliefs, and life experiences.” 

    • In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, Lesson 9, students read a selection from Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland to explore Misty’s perspective on dancing and how that differs from others’ perspectives. 

    • In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, Lesson 5, students read a selection from The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees by Don Brown and study the author’s perspective/point of view by analyzing Brown’s perspective on “the world’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis.” 

  • Across multiple units, students learn and analyze climax. 

    • In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 5, climax is listed as a vocabulary word for the lesson, but the word is not used anywhere in the lesson, including Close Read questions. Other questions address pieces of a plotline such as rising action, but there are no instructions to specifically teach or reference it. Materials include a Key Understandings section and under the  Knowledge heading, materials list the following as a key idea: “This section of text represents the beginning of the rising action.”

    • In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 4, materials list climax as a vocabulary word. Students map out Chapters 1–4 of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton on a “story mountain”; however, climax is not explicitly taught, referenced, or asked about.

• Academic vocabulary words found in texts are introduced in units, but not always taught across multiple texts and lessons. For example:

  • In Unit 1, Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, Lesson 3, materials include the vocabulary word hostile with the following definition: “unfriendly; antagonistic.” In Unit 5, Fleeing Conflict: Refugee & The Unwanted, Lesson 3, the vocabulary word hostile appears again with the following definition: “aggressive and unfriendly.”

  • In Unit 2, Challenging Authority: The Giver, Lesson 3, the objective states: “Determine the meaning of unknown words in The Giver and explain the impact of specific words and phrases on mood and tone.” Students complete Close Read questions that have them work to determine what words in the text mean based on context. Students determine what words like chastise mean and then look up the meaning in the dictionary. 

  • In Unit 3, Expressing Yourself: Women in the Arts, there are several words listed in the vocabulary list at the start of the unit that repeats throughout the unit. Words such as innovative and stereotype fit into all of the texts being discussed. Innovative is introduced and appears in the texts in Lesson 16 and does not repeat past Lesson 16. Stereotype is introduced in Lesson 6; however, it does not repeat anywhere else in this unit.

  • In Unit 4, Finding Connection: The Outsiders, Lesson 1, students learn grudge with the following definition: “a feeling of resentment based on something that happened in the past.” 

Attention is sometimes paid to vocabulary essential to understanding the text and to high-value academic words (e.g., words that might appear in other contexts/content areas). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

Materials include a complete Vocabulary Glossary for each grade that notes the Part of Speech and Definition. The teacher can search for vocabulary words in the list, create a comprehensive list of all vocabulary words when “Select a Unit” appears, and create a list for each individual unit by selecting a specific unit. The Tier II and Tier III vocabulary words are broken down into the following categories: text-based, root/affix, and academic. For example, in Unit 1, the text-based vocabulary words are conscience, conscientious, delinquent, disposition, emulate, enhance, hostile, incentive, juvenile, narcissist, prevalent, profound, trauma, vehement, vital, and wily. The roots/affixes include -ize. The academic vocabulary words are connotation, colloquial language, coming of age, dynamic, extended metaphor, figurative language, hyperbole, literary point of view, metaphor, mood, point of view/perspective, sensory details, speaker, and stanza. Even though the words are introduced, none of the lessons include explicit instruction on how to teach the vocabulary, and no specific words are identified as more critical than the others. Rarely are the words referenced or explicitly used again in the unit after they are initially taught, so, even though students use the words repeatedly during the lesson in which they are taught, they are not routinely using them over the course of the unit.