6th Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that anchor texts are of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading.

Materials include a mix of informational texts and literature, consider a range of student interests, and are relevant for a variety of purposes. Authors of the anchor texts are noted in their various fields as accomplished writers. As illustrated below, the selections are content-rich and range in topic, based on the Unit Goal specified in each unit, from archaeological investigation to the Great Depression. Texts directly support students as they seek to address each Unit Goal through various formative and summative activities.  

• In the "If Stones Could Speak" Unit, students read the nonfiction text,  If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge by Mark Aronson, who is an award-winning author. He joins the research crew and records their efforts to uncover Stonehenge’s secrets, and National Geographic had a hand in the archeological team’s goal. The story is used as a primary source and includes remarkable, captivating photos and explanatory maps coupled with illustrations.
• In the “Steve Jobs” Unit, students read the speech, “Stanford Commencement Address (2005)” by Steve Jobs. The speech reinforces the main claim and universal message that a young person, specifically a recently graduated student, should know that perseverance is above money and with motivation one can achieve their dreams. This reinforces the Unit Goal that success takes “hard work, deliberate practice, and the ability to learn from failures and persevere.” There is elevated language and the audience is college graduates. The author is well-known, credible, and relevant.
• In the "Hatchet" Unit,  students read the fictional text Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Students experience intense dilemmas where the main character survives an extreme situation and surfaces from the experience determined to shape his own fate. The text directly reinforces the difficult concept of understanding how positive and clear thinking, problem-solving, and vigilance prove necessary in the “face of grave danger and overwhelming odds.” Paulsen is a renowned author for young adult literature, having written hundreds of books and magazine articles regarding “coming of age” tales about wilderness.
• In the "Out of the Dust" Unit,  students read the historical fiction text, Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. This text is considered a verse novel; despite its length at roughly 230 pages, it is easy to read due to white space on the page. Hesse won the Newbery Medal for Out of the Dust.
• In the "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Unit,  students read The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. This text is canonical for Grade 6, winning the Newbery Medal in 1959, and Speare is credited as one of America’s most influential, top 100, children’s writers. The protagonist in this story must make an ultimate decision between her heart and her responsibility. This is a relatable text as it questions friend choices based on societal expectations.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectations that materials reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level.

Core texts include a mix of informational and literary texts. There is a wide variety of informational and literary text integrated throughout every unit. Texts include historical fiction, poetry, informational texts, journal articles, speeches, photos, and letters. In five units, the distribution of texts is roughly 55% literary and 45% informational.

Examples of literary texts in the materials include, but are not limited to:

• In the “Steve Jobs” Unit, Lesson 8, a poem, “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes
• In the "Hatchet" Unit, Lessons 1-23, a novel, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
• In the "If Stones Could Speak" Unit, Lesson 7, a film, Episode 1: My First Adventure, from: The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume One - The Early Years
• In the "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Unit, Lesson 1, a poem, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
• In the "Out of the Dust" Unit, Lesson 39, a poem, “Leaving the Dust Bowl” by Bob Bradshaw

Examples of informational texts in the materials include, but are not limited to:

• In the “Steve Jobs” Unit, Lesson 1, a video, A Courage of Famous Failures by Steve Jobs
• In the "Hatchet" Unit, Lesson 35, website article, “Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek” by John Branch of The New York Times
• In the "If Stones Could Speak" Unit, Lesson 6, a video, “The Excavation Process: How We Excavate” by Oregon State University
• In "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Unit, Lesson 9, a historical document/audio recording, "Puritan Laws and Character" excerpt from History of the United States of America by Henry William Elson, transcribed by Kathy Leigh
• In the "Out of the Dust" Unit, Lesson 34, an informational article, "10 Things You May Not Know About the Dust Bowl" by Christopher Klein

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative and qualitative analysis.

All anchor texts presented have a range of Lexile levels. The publisher provides a “Text Complexity and Vocabulary Analysis” for all anchor texts that ranks each text according to the following categories: Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose, Text Structure/Organization, Language Features, and Prior Knowledge Demands. The categories are rated with the following scale for the Grade 6 textbook: Slightly Complex, Moderately Complex, Very Complex, and Exceedingly Complex. The Potential Reader/Task Challenges section, within the “Text Complexity and Vocabulary Analysis” provides information regarding challenges students may face with the anchor texts presented, considering the amount of time spent with anchor texts. Lastly, within the Guidebook, “How do the materials support all learners?” under the “Reading” section, states the following: “Texts for each unit are purposefully selected to support knowledge building. Each unit includes text analyses, which identify the knowledge building connections among the units and texts.”

While supplemental texts do not provide a “Text Complexity and Vocabulary Analysis,” supplemental texts are chosen based on the Unit Goal presented for every unit. Some of these texts are not accompanied with Lexiles, provided via the publisher or via the Lexile Framework, but they are still considered at or above grade level, considering the concepts, text type, language, and grammar used throughout.

Most anchor texts used throughout all units are within grade appropriate Lexile bands:

• If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge (nonfiction) by Mark Aronson; Unit If Stones Could Speak. Based on the text complexity analysis provided, the Lexile of this anchor text is 1070L, and is ranked based on the following categories and ratings:
• Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose: moderately complex
• Text Structure/Organization: very complex
• Language Features: very complex
• Prior Knowledge Demands: not ranked, but reinforces knowledge of Stonehenge and archaeological excavations helpful
• The Potential Reader/Task Challenges include map referencing, which interrupts reading flow, and students must “read all print on each page, as the captions and other components of the text’s structure are heavily laden with content.”
• “Stanford commencement address (2005)” (nonfiction) by Steve Jobs, Unit Steve Jobs. Based on the text complexity analysis provided, the Lexile of this anchor text is 950L, and is ranked based on the following categories and ratings:
• Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose:  moderately complex
• Text Structure/Organization: slightly complex
• Language Features: slightly complex
• Prior Knowledge Demands: moderately complex
• The Potential Reader/Task Challenges reference that students may not be familiar with the purpose of a commencement speech, and there are also theoretical concepts present that students must decode.
• Hatchet (fiction) by Gary Paulsen, Unit Hatchet. Based on the text complexity analysis provided, the Lexile of this anchor text is 1020L, and is ranked based on the following categories and ratings:
• Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose: moderately complex
• Text Structure/Organization: moderately complex
• Language Features: moderately complex
• Prior Knowledge Demands: moderately complex
• The Potential Reader/Task Challenges reference that students “background knowledge of wilderness and its challenges will impact accessibility and comprehension,” recognition of complex themes, and “subtle changes in the protagonist’s character and identify how his decision-making ability develops during the novel” will impact student understanding.
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond (fiction), by Elizabeth George Speare, Unit The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Based on the text complexity analysis provided, the Lexile of this anchor text is 850L, and is ranked based on the following categories and ratings:
• Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose: moderately complex
• Text Structure/Organization: slightly complex
• Language Features: very complex
• Prior Knowledge Demands: moderately complex
• The Potential Reader/Task Challenges include students having “some degree of prior knowledge of the late 17th century and the early colonies, specifically of the shipping trade and the sometimes tense relationship that colonists had with their mother country” and understanding “the strict religious beliefs and practices of the Puritans. Some understanding of the distinction between Quakers, Puritans, and other religious sects of the time period is beneficial.”
• Out of the Dust (historical fiction) by Karen Hesse, Unit Out of the Dust. Based on the text complexity analysis provided, the Lexile of this anchor text is 701L, and is ranked based on the following categories and ratings:
• Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose: moderately complex
• Text Structure/Organization: moderately complex
• Language Features: very complex
• Prior Knowledge Demands: moderately complex
• The Potential Reader/Task Challenges include complex figurative language and verse structure, regional and historical vocabulary terminology might need to be explicitly taught, and “lack of background knowledge related to the setting may result in students struggling to recognize the severity of external conflicts.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that materials support students’ literacy skills (understanding and comprehension) over the course of the school year through increasingly complex text to develop independence of grade level skills (Series of texts should be at a variety of complexity levels).

The materials consist of five units of study, and all units have a distinct beginning, middle, and end. This is evident as supports are removed throughout the unit so that students are gradually responding to and completing increasingly complex materials and text to develop complete independence through Cold Read tasks and through independent reading assignments, such as the build up to literature circles. All anchor texts and supplemental texts are considered “increasingly complex,” even if provided with a Lexile level below grade band or with no Lexile present; all texts engage students with complex ideas and situations. Though the quantitative measure of the texts over the course of the year may not appear to grow, the qualitative features of the texts grow increasingly complex and the gradual release of responsibility employed through the phases of each unit place a greater cognitive load on students, requiring them to engage with texts in increasingly more sophisticated ways.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• “Stanford Commencement Address”
• Lexile: 950L
• Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose: moderately complex
• Text Structure/Organization: slightly complex
• Language Features: slightly complex:
• Prior Knowledge Demands: moderately complex
• Potential Reader/Task Challenges: reader unfamiliarity with the modality of the text (commencement speech) and some theoretical concepts presented in the speech

Students begin the unit by listening to the texts in their original format (audio/video files) to reading the texts themselves and synthesizing two commencement speeches (the Stanford speech by Steve Jobs and another by J.K. Rowling) in a culminating task.

• The Witch of Blackbird Pond
• Lexile: 850L
• Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose: moderately complex
• Text Structure/Organization: slightly complex
• Language Features: very complex
• Prior Knowledge Demands: moderately complex
• Potential Reader/Task Challenges: prior knowledge about the late 17th century and the early colonies, the shipping trade, the tenuous relationship between the colonists and England, the distinction between Quakers, Puritans, and other religious sects of the time period, as well as the strict religious requirements of some sects.

Throughout the unit, students move from a more simple character analysis to much deeper analyses of the relationships between characters and their relationship to the text. For the culminating task, students must compose an argumentative essay: “Who is Kit most loyal to in The Witch of Blackbird Pond?” Students are directed to “support your claim with clear reasons. Be sure to use proper grammar, conventions, spelling, and grade-appropriate words and phrases. Cite several pieces of textual evidence, including direct quotations and page numbers.” To assist with this challenging task, students are given a graphic organizer where they chart Kit’s choices, and there are three sections within the chart: “Challenging Events or Situations,” “Kit’s Decision about That Event,” “Who Kit Was Loyal To and How Did She Feel.”

• Out of the Dust (historical fiction)
• Lexile: 701L
• Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose: moderately complex
• Text Structure/Organization: moderately complex
• Language Features: very complex
• Prior Knowledge Demands: moderately complex
• Potential Reader/Task Challenges: complex figurative language and verse structure, regional and historical vocabulary terminology, lack of background knowledge related to the setting.

Over the course of the unit, student tasks grow from examination of the literary elements of the text to completing a literary analysis/argument essay to synthesize all they have learned while reading the novel, including how the setting affects characters and events and how the author develops themes in the novel. They write in response to the prompt: “How does the phrase 'out of the dust' relate to a theme of the novel?" To answer this question, students are to write a literary analysis that includes a claim, supporting reasons, and several pieces of relevant text evidence.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that anchor and supporting texts provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading to achieve grade level reading proficiency.

The materials contain five units for each grade level. The unit design language informs the consumer that a full academic year consists of four Guidebook units, thus giving teachers some options for instruction by including an additional unit. Each unit has a title that represents an anchor text or topic, and the selections within each unit are related to the main text or topic and the unit goal, which is thematic in nature. Over the course of a week, students encounter multiple high-quality texts across a variety of genres. Students read, discuss, and write about these texts as a whole class, in small groups, and independently. The lessons also often include re-reading activities to further promote understanding. The readings and the activities that accompany them vary in purpose and length. Additionally, the “Supplemental Resources” section at each grade level includes a collection of five-day close reading exercises focused on one text.

• In "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Unit, students participate in a whole-class novel reading of the historical fiction novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Students read to “...understand the influence of family expectations and religious values on the development of one’s personal identity. Students express their understanding of how informational texts in coordination with literary texts enhance their comprehension of time periods and the theme and setting of the novel.” Students begin reading the novel in Lesson 3 with a teacher read-aloud, and conclude the novel in Lesson 24. Students keep and maintain a reading log throughout the novel reading. During this time, they read with a partner, and participate in independent reading. Students also read poetry in this unit such as Robert Frost’s “A Road Not Taken,” and Nikki Giovanni’s “Choices.” Additionally, students read informational text on the Salem Witch Trials and Puritan life to support the understanding of the setting of the novel.
• For the "Hatchet" Unit, students complete a whole-text study of the novel, Hatchet, over the course of eight to nine weeks. During the unit, students read a variety of text types and lengths as they explore the conflict of man vs. nature and how people can learn from others’ survival experiences. Along with Hatchet, students read excerpts from another literary text, My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. They also read a variety of informational texts: “Your Story: Are You a Survivor?” from National Geographic, “The 25 Most Incredible Survival Stories of All Time” from Outdoor Life, “What Would Peter Do?” and “Survival by the Numbers” from OutdoorSafe Inc., "Help Me Make It Through the Night: Surviving a Wilderness Emergency" from the New York State Conservationist, and "Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek" from the New York Times.
• In the "Out of the Dust" Unit, students read this historical fiction novel to understand “...how people respond to adversity, the lessons that can be learned from hardship and failure, and what happens when we take good fortune for granted. Students are guided to express their understanding of the social and environmental issues farmers faced in the 1930s, noting how reading literary and informational texts enhances their understanding of the topic.” During this unit, the students interact with the novel through teacher read-aloud, partner reading, independent reading, and multiple opportunities to reread pertinent sections of the novel. Students begin the novel in section 1 and read through section 8, with informational text interspersed. Students keep and maintain a reading log throughout the unit. Students read multiple informational texts about the Depression and the Dust Bowl during this unit. For example, “10 Things You May Not Know About the Dust Bowl” by Christopher Klein is read in lesson 34. There are also opportunities for students to make connections with photos from this time period.
• In the "If Stones Could Speak" Unit, in Lessons 7-11, students view a film, Episode 1: My First Adventure, discuss the realistic and unrealistic aspects of the film, compare the film to a poem, and analyze it for claims and evidence. Afterward, they read and compare and contrast two companion texts, “Archaeology: Then and Now” from Intrigue of the Past, Part !: Fundamental Concepts Introduction and “Archaeology 101”.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent/specific, requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text).

The materials are divided into five units of study, each with a variety of texts and activities that require students to engage directly with the texts. Activities include different ways for students to interact directly with the texts: “Let’s Read,” “Let’s Write,” “Let’s Discuss,” and “Let’s Work with Words.” Lessons conclude with a text-dependent formative activity called “Let’s Express Our Understanding.” Students are also required to complete text-dependent tasks in Section Quizzes, Culminating Writing tasks, and Cold Read tasks.

Examples of these types of questions, tasks, and assignment include, but are not limited to:

• In "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Unit, Lesson 18, students discuss scenes from chapters 6-10 in the novel and how they represent the changing identity of the main character, Kit. In order to express their understanding, students write a CER paragraph (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) using these prompts: Claim-What do I know based on the text? What is my response to the question?, Evidence-How do I know this? What in the text tells me this?, Reasoning-Why does the evidence support the claim?
• In the “Steve Jobs” Unit, Lesson 22, students support and contradict claims in Job’s address. Students are instructed in the “Let’s Write” task (Card 10) to “Get into a group and read your assigned quote, then locate an idea or quotation from Jobs’ speech that supports or contradicts the quotation.” In the group, students should discuss why the quote they selected either supports or contradicts the claim. Then students are to rotate groups and do this until they have read all the claims and quotes in the room.
• In the "Out of the Dust" Unit, Lesson 24, in the “Let’s Prepare” section (Cards 1-4), students examine themes across genres by first looking at the “Migrant Mother” images by Dorothea Lange and then identifying topics and themes in the photographs in the “Let’s Discuss” tasks in Cards 5-9. Then in the “Let’s Read” task (Card 10), students reread the poem, “Baby”, from Out of the Dust and discuss what themes from the poem are shared with the “Migrant Mother” images. As a next step, in the “Let’s Express Our Understanding” (Card 11), the students “Choose a poem from Out of the Dust, and explain how it shares a similar theme with the photographs. Which words or phrases in the poem help express the theme? Include text evidence in your response.”
• In the "Hatchet" Unit, Lesson 3, students are asked the question on Card 5 “Let’s Discuss”, “How does Brian use prior knowledge to guide his decisions at the end of chapter 2? Use evidence from the text to support your response.” The teacher is instructed to have the students jot down their response to the question and then turn and talk to a neighbor about their answers. The teacher should also use teacher talk moves to make sure that the students complete all 4 goals listed on the right-hand side where goal 3 is for the students to provide evidence for their claims.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that materials have sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent/specific questions and tasks build to a culminating task that integrates skills (may be writing, speaking, or a combination).

Each unit is organized around a topic or text and includes a goal for the students for what they will learn and how they will demonstrate their understanding. The culminating writing task for each unit connects to the unit goal and incorporates the skills that the students have learned throughout the unit as defined in the unit goal. The lessons include sequences of text-dependent questions that guide their understanding of the selections in the unit and build to the culminating writing task. Lessons leading up to culminating tasks, require the demonstration of various skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

In the “Steve Jobs” Unit, students complete a culminating writing task that responds to the prompt “Compare and contrast how a central idea in Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement address and J.K. Rowling’s Harvard commencement address is introduced and elaborated.” Tasks and questions that require students to show their understanding include, but are not limited to:

• Reading and examination of these two texts above to explore how an author’s word choice, use of evidence, and selected organization reflect a text’s purpose and then by writing their own personal narrative based on the models.
• Discussion and writing to identify the central idea of part of “Stanford commencement address (2005)”.
• Identification of supporting and contradicting claims in Jobs’ address in which students use an evidence chart and analyze several quotes from the speech to see if the evidence supports or contradicts a claim.
• Comparing and contrasting the central ideas and themes of “The Story of David & Goliath” and “Casey at the Bat.” This task connects with the unit goal: “Students read literary and informational texts about the role of failure in success. Students understand that success takes hard work, deliberate practice, and the ability to learn from failures and persevere.

In the "Hatchet" Unit, students complete a culminating writing task in which they “express their understanding of characters in literature by analyzing the struggle of man versus nature and the life lessons we can learn from others’ survival situations.” The culminating writing task requires students to, “Write a multi-paragraph report explaining how Brian was successful and/or could have improved his situation if he had followed the steps provided in the article case studies. Conclude the report by making a claim and providing clear reasons and evidence about the instructional value of Hatchet.” This culminating task connects to the unit goal: “Students read literary and informational texts to understand how positive thinking, slowing down to think clearly, problem solving, and constant vigilance support survival in the face of grave danger and overwhelming odds. Students express their understanding of characters in literature by analyzing the struggle of man versus nature and the life lessons we can learn from others’ survival situations.”

Lessons that build to this activity include, but are not limited to:

• Gathering evidence on characters
• Analyzing how the author develops a character
• Comparing and contrasting literary and nonfiction texts
• Analyzing how an author develops a character’s point of view.

In the "Out of the Dust" Unit, the culminating task has students write a literary analysis that includes a claim, supporting reasons, and several pieces of relevant text evidence in response to the prompt, “Consider the title of the novel: Out of the Dust. How does the phrase 'out of the dust' relate to a theme of the novel?” This prompt reflects the unit goal of having “Students express their understanding of the social and environmental issues farmers faced in the 1930s, noting how reading literary and informational texts enhances their understanding of the topic.” Lessons throughout the unit that build to this culminating task include, but are not limited to:

• Making connections between the novel and historical events
• Examining word choice
• Uncovering emerging themes
• Analyzing, comparing, and contrasting themes across genres

In "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Unit, students complete the following culminating task: “Who is Kit most loyal to in The Witch of Blackbird Pond? Write an argumentative essay to support your claim with clear reasons.” This culminating task connects to the unit goal: “Students read literary and informational texts to understand the influence of family expectations and religious values on the development of one’s personal identity. Students express their understanding of how informational texts in coordination with literary texts enhance their comprehension of time periods and the theme and setting of the novel.”

Previous tasks and questions that support the culminating performance task include, but are not limited to:

• Analysis of how episodes, series of episodes, and scenes contribute to the plot and identity of Kit, the protagonist of The Witch of Blackbird Pond, primarily through discussion, reading of chapter 6 and discussion of how political episodes and character responses impact the plot
• Readings of Chapters 8 and 9 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond and use of sticky note annotations to monitor Kit’s responses to episodes in the text which attempt to influence her values
• Discussion of an excerpt from Chapter 9 along with the reading, annotation, and discussion of  Chapter 10, analyzing how particular scenes in the text contribute to the plot
• Writing of a Claim Evidence Reasoning (CER ) paragraph to analyze Kit’s changing identity. A graphic organizer is employed to assist students with the analysis prior to writing their CER.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions (small groups, peer-to-peer, whole class) that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

In order to support the use of discussion in the classroom, the materials include a Resource Library. Documents in the Resource Library that outline protocols for speaking and listening include:

• Teacher Talk Moves helps students clearly express their ideas, listen carefully to others’ ideas, provide evidence to support their claims, and establish new ways of thinking.
• Conversation Stems offers students with listener prompts and speaker responses.
• Discussion Reflection allows students to rate themselves and their peers on the quality of their participation.
• Conversations Guide provides teachers with a step-by-step guide for preparing for productive classroom conversations.
• Student Discussion Tracker gives students a format for recording the development of a conversation with a peer.
• The Resource Library also includes instructional strategies and procedures for classroom discussion constructs such as Accountable Talk, Gallery Walk, Philosophical Chairs Debate, and Student-Led Discussions such as a Fishbowl and Socratic Seminar.

Examples of opportunities for evidence-based discussions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax include, but are not limited to:

• In "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Unit, Lesson 8, students are given this overall goal for the lesson, “ Discuss the historical context of the witch and how it impacts the plot.” The Accountable Talk document is listed as a tool for the teacher. Conversation Stems and Speaking and Listening Tracker are also included in the Resource Library. The protocol for the discussion is listed in the Teacher Notes, including the Teacher Talk Moves.
• In the “Steve Jobs” Unit, Lesson 9, students participate in a Fishbowl Discussion to compare and contrast the central message of the texts that they have read. On the “Let’s Discuss” slide the teacher explains what a Fishbowl Discussion is and students follow the Fishbowl Discussion protocol included in the additional materials for the lesson. Students also use a FishBowl Discussion Student Tracker, located in the Additional Materials section, to gauge their partner’s engagement in the actual FishBowl Discussion.
• In the "Hatchet" Unit, Lesson 12, students study a paragraph from Chapter 8 as they consider how the author develops the main character's point of view. The teacher asks the students to think for 30 seconds about this prompt: “What is Brian’s most important rule for survival?” The teacher then asks the students to turn and talk for 30 seconds then share out with the whole group following the Accountable Talk protocol included in the Additional Resources section of the lesson.
• In the "Out of the Dust" Unit, Lesson 21, students will have just completed an argumentative essay. Students begin this lesson by being divided into pairs/groups, and they read the beginning of the poem “Spring 1935.” Specific instructions for students are as follows: “After you read each poem, talk with your partner about what you have learned about either Billie Jo or Pa, and add those notes to your character analysis chart. Don’t feel like you need to write down something after reading every poem. If you can’t think of anything you have learned that fits any of the categories on the character analysis chart handout, continue reading.” Students are then presented with the following questions paired with a quote on the slide: “Why do you think the author chose to use the words and phrases in bold? What effect do they have on the reader?” The teacher uses the Teacher Talk Moves, located in the Teacher Notes section when facilitating to guide partner discussions. Students are then paired and given one to two minutes to discuss their shared answer to the questions posed.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that materials support students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching (including presentation opportunities) with relevant follow-up questions and supports.

Within the individual lesson design, students are often asked to engage in discussions specifically through the “Let’s Discuss” portion of the lesson, but conversation opportunities can also be found throughout the sequence of activities in a lesson. Students use their speaking and listening skills throughout the culminating tasks in each unit, particularly for the extension tasks where students are required to deliver a presentation to the class.

Examples of speaking and listening activities used while students are reading and researching include, but are not limited to:

• In the “Steve Jobs” Unit, Lesson 28, in the “Let’s Discuss” task (Card 7), students participate in a discussion around the two texts, “Casey at the Bat” and “The Story of David and Goliath”, with opportunities to discuss and respond in their own Reading Log. Students discuss questions such as, “‘How is Casey portrayed in 'Casey at the Bat’? How is Goliath portrayed in 'The Story of David and Goliath’?” At the end, students are given an additional prompt: “You have just shown that both texts teach the lesson that there is a consequence to being arrogant. Now, respond to the following in your reading log: Compare and contrast how this idea is conveyed in both texts.”
• In the "Hatchet" Unit, Lesson 19, in the “Let’s Prepare” task (Card 3), students discuss how Paulsen uses “memory moments” to develop theme. Students reread Chapter 15 with a partner and work with a partner to record the memory and evidence in the graphic organizer. While completing the graphic organizer, students talk to each other using Conversation Stems. Ask, “Why might this memory be important?” and record their interpretations in the graphic organizer. Then the teacher will conclude the group work by conducting a whole-class discussion (using Teacher Talk Moves) in response to the questions: “What memory moments did you notice in Chapter 15? Why might this memory be important?”
• In "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Unit, Lesson 22, students read Chapter 17 in small groups and annotate the text in order to prepare to answer this question in the “Let’s Read” task (Card 7), in a whole-class discussion: “What elements of the Salem Witch Trials influence the plot in The Witch of Blackbird Pond?”
• In "If Stones Could Speak" Unit, Lesson 13,  students are asked to participate in a discussion about Chapter 2. They are instructed to interact with the text by using context to uncover word meaning and answer comprehension questions that are text-specific.
• In the "Out of the Dust" Unit, Lesson 37, students design and build a news page that contains their news story about the Dust Bowl, graphical elements, and links to multimedia content. They also create a bibliography page that lists all their sources.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g. multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

Each unit has a Culminating Writing task that is text-based, an Extension task that is narrative or research writing, and a Cold Read task that includes a multi-paragraph essay on a new text. Both the Culminating Writing task and the Extension task include multiple steps, scaffolding, and supports to take students through the writing process, and the Cold Read task requires on-demand writing.

Examples include:

• In the "Out of the Dust" Unit, Lessons 34-38, students complete an Extension task in which they write a news article in a multimedia format. In Lessons 34- 38, students research The Dust Bowl, in order to answer one of these two questions: “What were the causes of the Dust Bowl, and what efforts have been made to prevent similar disasters? What was daily life like in the Dust Bowl area during the 1930s?” During this process, students research, create a bibliography, and self-reflect on their writing.     
• In the "If Stones Could Speak" Unit, Lessons 25-30, students complete a Culminating Writing task for the unit by writing a multi-draft essay in response to this prompt: “This is a book about questioning what others believe to be true, not accepting ideas just because famous people say they are right. And that is the really big story here—how a new idea, a new way of thinking, can go from being dismissed to capturing the attention of the world. What does the author Marc Aronson mean and how does he explain and support this idea throughout the text?” In order to answer the question, the students are instructed to: "Read the quotation. Review the text to determine the meaning of the quotation. Determine 2-3 reasons the author provides which support this central idea. For each reason, select details, examples, evidence, etc. the author provides as support." The students are then instructed to write an essay that explains how the author introduces and elaborates his central idea and purpose: “Be sure to use proper grammar, conventions, spelling, and grade-appropriate words and phrases. Cite several pieces of textual evidence, including direct quotations and page numbers." The students participate in several lessons that take them through all phases of the writing process.

• In the “Steve Jobs” Unit, Lessons 29 and 30, students do a Cold Read task where they read paragraphs 18-22 of “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” by J.K. Rowling. Initially, students answer a series of multiple-choice questions. Then the directions of the Cold Read task instruct them to “Read these sentences from Steve Jobs' Commencement Address “Stanford commencement address (2005)” and J.K. Rowling’s speech “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination.” 1. It turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again. (Jobs) 2. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life. (Rowling). The students are then asked to “Write [a] multiparagraph essay that explains how these ideas contribute to the development of the central idea of each text. Cite evidence from both speeches to support your response. Be sure to observe the conventions of Standard English.”

• In "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Unit, Lessons 38 - 43, students complete a collaborative research paper as an Extension task. As a group, students write a report detailing the following: "an overview of the person you researched (e.g., who was he or she, where did he or she live); an overview of the context in which the person lived (what were the challenges or beliefs surrounding the person); the actions the person took in relation to his/her situation; how those actions illustrate his/her values and beliefs; and the impact of his/her actions on today’s society."Students gather relevant information from several sources, including first- and secondhand accounts, through library or Internet research, assessing the credibility of each source. In the report, students should cite evidence from their research by quoting or paraphrasing conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards.

Students engage in a variety of writing opportunities throughout daily lesson plans, formative, and summative assessments. These writing activities are a blend of on-demand and process writing pieces that help students learn and express their understanding. Each unit includes three culminating tasks that represent a variety of argumentative, informative/explanatory, narrative, and literary analysis text types. For Culminating Writing tasks, “Students synthesize the topics, themes, and ideas of the unit into a written product such as an essay, narrative, or article.” For Cold Read tasks, “Students read a new text or two related to the unit topic and answer multiple-choice questions as well as respond to a writing prompt. For Extension tasks, “Students extend what they have learned in the unit to make connections between their learning and their lives through a narrative or personal essay or between their learning and the world through research about a related topic.” The materials provide exemplars and rubrics for the culminating activities to help guide students through the process.

Examples include:

• In the “Steve Jobs”Unit, Lesson 33, students begin a Culminating Writing task where the students “Draft an essay that demonstrates our understanding of a central idea in both Jobs and Rowling’s commencement speeches.” In the essay, students compare and contrast the central ideas of the two commencement speeches.
• In the "Out of the Dust" Unit, students complete an on-demand cause and effect writing Cold Read task by answering the following questions: "According to 'Legacy,' what were the causes of the Dust Bowl? Identify at least three causes and provide evidence for each cause. What lessons were learned? What evidence does the article provide in support of this idea?"
• In the "If Stones Could Speak" Unit, students address different text types of writing. In Lesson 6, students write a summary (informative) of “Archaeology 101” and view videos of archaeology in action. In Lesson 9, students write a multi-paragraph argumentative essay that introduces their claim and provides reasons and evidence to support the claim. In Lesson 34, in the Extension task, students are charged to “Create an archaeological report detailing the findings (including visuals, e.g., drawings, photographs) and a write narrative description of daily life based on artifacts and evidence located at the site.”
• In "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Unit, the Culminating Writing task is an argumentative essay. Students respond to the prompt: “Who is Kit most loyal to in ​The Witch of Blackbird Pond​?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that materials include frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information appropriate for the grade level.

Throughout the materials, students participate in a variety of evidence-based writing activities with differing length and organization. Students take notes on the texts they are studying by using organizers such as character evidence charts and character analysis charts. Students use reading logs, reading journals, and field journals to record answers to text-based questions that are part of the daily lesson plans in order to understand reading through writing. Students answer questions about what they read on post-reading questions handouts. They synthesize what they learned through writing as one of the kinds of activities in the “Let’s Express Our Understanding” portion of the lessons. Examples include:

• In the "Hatchet" Unit, Lesson 9, students write a compare and contrast paragraph using a CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) graphic organizer. The teacher begins the lesson by saying, “How does Gary Paulsen use diction to develop the main character, Brian? When you wrote your response, you focused on writing a claim and providing evidence to support that claim. Today, we are going to practice writing a strong reasoning sentence or sentences to complete the response paragraph.”
• In the "Out of the Dust" Unit, Lesson 2, students examine the “Winter 1934” section of Out of the Dust. They analyze how the characters, Billie Jo and Pa, develop by taking notes on a character analysis chart. Afterward, they write in their Reading Logs in answer to this prompt: "Review your completed character analysis chart: Winter 1934. Write down one piece of text evidence that tells you something about Billie Jo’s character. Explain what it tells us about her."
• In "The Witch at Blackbird Pond" Unit, Lesson 21,  students read and annotate Chapter 16 of the text then discuss the chapter in pairs. Afterward, students use their Reading Logs to answer this question: “How does Speare use specific word choice and details to foreshadow conflict in the plot?”
• In the "If Stones Could Speak" Unit, Lesson 3, students have previously read the poem, “Travel,” by Robert Louis Stevenson. For this lesson, to support the writing task, students also engage in a class discussion. Students reread “Travel” by Robert Louis Stevenson independently, and “as [students] read, [they must] underline ideas that repeat throughout the poem.” The prompt for the evidence-based writing task is as follows: “Write a written response in the Reflections/Discoveries section of your field journal. In your response, identify a theme in ‘Travel.’  Then explain how this theme is conveyed through details in the poem. Be sure to introduce your topic, use details to develop your topic, and provide a concluding statement.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that materials include explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context. There are many Interactive WriteAlong videos listed that match the Language/Grammar Common Core standards devoted to this grade level. Materials also include student practice sheets for students to complete while watching the Interactive WriteAlong videos. Within all Extension tasks and Culminating tasks, directions and rubrics for grammar and conventions are considered but not always explicitly taught. For example, some limited directions state that students “revise and edit” within these tasks without providing clear instructions in revising and editing specific grammar and conventions. Most grammar and conventions instruction is located in the “Teacher Notes” within the slides in each lesson or in the WriteAlong videos.

Examples include:

• In the "If Stones Could Speak" Unit, Lesson 28, as part of the Culminating Writing task, students learn how to punctuate direct quotations in their essays. Explicit instruction is included in the Teacher’s Notes. Students are directed to: "1-Separate the quotation by using a comma. 2-Put quotation marks around the text that you are quoting. 3-Include the page number inside parentheses. 4-Put the end punctuation after the closing parentheses.”
• In “Steve Jobs” Unit, Lesson 39, as part of the Extension Task, students are asked to revise and edit their speech, a research-based first-person address about how the person they studied overcame failure. Explicit instruction is included in the Teacher’s Notes: "1-Add, remove, and rearrange sentences. 2-Revise sentence structures. 3-Replace general words with more specific ones.”
• In the "Hatchet" Unit, Lesson 28, as part of the Culminating Writing task, students learn how to practice revising sentences by expanding or combining them. Explicit instruction is included in the Teacher’s Notes. They are told that: "1-Varying the length of sentences helps the reader of your essay stay interested and engaged. 2-These conjunctions can help you to combine and expand sentences in your writing. 3-Use 'and' when ideas are similar and 'but' when ideas are different.” They are then asked to: "1-Find three places in your draft or your partner’s draft where you could expand or combine a sentence. 2-Rewrite the sentence using the conjunctions.”
• In "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" Unit, Lesson 42, as part of the Extension task, a collaborative research report, students learn how to properly use direct quotations and paraphrasing. Then they are asked to “Continue revising the collaborative research report with your group to ensure the group is accurately citing evidence.” Explicit instruction is included in the Teacher’s Notes.