11th Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for anchor texts being of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading and consider a range of student interests.

Texts are written by well-known writers/authors. The texts provide high interest, relevant, and current topics appropriate for the grade level that encompass multiple universal and multicultural themes relevant to the units’ topics. Examples include:

• In Unit 1, students read The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson. This text is an engaging and mature narrative of a slave boy taught as a wealthy white child would be as an experiment. During the Revolutionary War the owners turned on the boy and his family. The Pox Party is Volume 1 of a series that accounts this painful experience.
• In Unit 1, students read a text set that includes texts such as the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America, “A Kind of Revolution” by Howard Zinn, “A Nation of Law” by Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen, “What to the Slave Is the 4th of July?” by Frederick Douglass, Scott v. Sandford: Opinion of the Court by C.J. Taney, Plessy v. Ferguson: Opinion of the Court by J. Brown, Brown v. Topeka Board of Education: Opinion of the Court by C.J. Warren. These texts are important historical texts that are both engaging and high quality.
• In Unit 2, students read The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley.
  
• In Unit 2, students read They Had a Dream: Civil Rights Struggle from Frederick Douglass...Malcolm X, an epoch biography published in 1996 by Puffin Books.
• In Unit 2, students read The Road to Equality: American Women Since 1962 by William H. Chafe, an already published text as the tenth book in the Young Oxford History of Women in the United States.
• In Unit 2, students read "Elegy on the Death of Cesar Chavez" by Rudolfo Anaya. Published in 2000, this is a poem modeled after Percy Shelley’s "Elegy on the Death of Jack Keats".
• In Unit 3, students read Their Eyes Were Watching God is an American work by Zora Neale Hurston. The text is full of rich dialect and robust characterization as well as descriptive symbolism and metaphor
• In Unit 3, students read The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan has an engaging plot that students will find not only relatable, but also learn from as they encounter rich vocabulary.
• In Unit 4, students read The Economics of the Super Bowl by Lizann Flatt, The Story of Starbucks by Sara Gilbert, and The Story of Google, by Adam Sutherland; all engaging topics for high school students.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for texts having the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and relationship to their associated student task.

The materials are designed for schools to determine which units they want to teach at which point in the school year. ARC Core has its own readability system (Independent Reading Level Assessment - IRLA), and, when cross-referenced with Lexile scores, the majority of texts align with the recommended Lexile grade bands.

Core texts for Grade 11 students fall within the recommended measurement levels. Texts that fall below the recommended grade band serve as informational resources or mentor texts for the unit task; texts which are quantitatively lower are typically paired with more rigorous texts. Grade 11 materials utilize multiple primary source texts, as well as renowned texts that are appropriate quantitatively and qualitatively. Examples of texts that fall below the recommended quantitative band, but are still appropriate include:

• The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson, with a Lexile score of 1060L, is Young Adult historical fiction recommended for Grades 9 and up and is the first CORE text read in the unit. Qualitatively, the scope is immense in both its technical challenges and underlying intellectual and moral questions. Students will need background information on the Revolutionary Boston in order to understand the story.
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley, with a Lexile score of 1120L, is a memoir about the growth of the Black Muslim American Movement. Because of the content, strength of diction, and the content, it is appropriate for this grade.
• The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, with a Lexile score of 930L, features contexts and storylines consistent with an adult novel, and thus must be scaffolded with instruction. The content and style of writing, memoir/vignettes, connect to the theme of the unit.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ increasing literacy skills over the course of the school year. (Series of texts should be at a variety of complexity levels appropriate for the grade band.)

The materials provide a wide variety of texts that are both grade-band appropriate, as well as leveled ancillary texts that support the theme while helping students to continue to build their literacy skills. Students develop increasingly sophisticated writing skills over the course of the year as they use the texts from the unit as mentor texts for their culminating project. The materials' inquiry through apprenticeship process moves students through a gradual release model where the teacher models a variety of literacy skills and methods while working with students to build knowledge, to provide them the opportunity to practice those skills in a carefully scaffolded setting, and to eventually demonstrate their skills independently.

The program follows a pattern for all grade levels:

• Unit 1 is a Literacy Lab where students are introduced to the program's structure. Students begin their year with core literary and informational texts referred to as “hook books”-- grade level texts that are high-interest and paired to build knowledge and engage students in topics that will provide a foundation for literary and informational text analysis conducted through both discussion and writing. During Unit 1, students also undergo initial assessments with the IRLA (Independent Reading Level Assessment) to determine instructional supports that may be needed and to help determine appropriately-leveled books for daily reading in self-selected texts. Students set goals with their teacher based upon their reading skill level to demonstrate their ability to read increasingly more complex texts and to write with greater sophistication. In this unit, students work with the Core fiction text, the paired informational texts, and their self-selected independent reading texts to build core analytical reading skills of theme, literary elements, authors (and bias), genres, and world knowledge. The unit is divided into weeks beginning with Phase 1: Initiate Academic Community and Phase 2: Initial Assessment and Goal Setting during which students analyze “What did the author say? Why?” through the specific learning targets: “Generate hypotheses on an author’s theme(s), determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies, analyze how an author’s word choices shape a text, and analyze the impact of specific word choice (figures of speech) on meaning, tone, and theme.” In Phase 3: Strategic Instruction/Building Expertise, students shift to analyze author’s craft and the learning target: Evaluate and critique authors. Students practice evaluating author’s purpose in both literary and informational texts and write a literary essay.

• Unit 2 is an informational research lab that focuses on the Civil Rights Era as students work entirely with informational texts to progress through two phases of research: Phase 1: Develop Expertise in Research Topics & Central Idea/Key Details and Phase 2: Research-Based Informational Writing. Phase 1 covers four weeks during which students “build knowledge in order to determine appropriate research topics” by analyzing different aspects of determining a central idea when reading informational text. All in-class reading comes from the Core informational text and the Research Lab books. Throughout Unit 2, students work to build skills to read and deeply analyze informational text, including:
  • Identification of the central idea of the text
  • Analysis of how the author develops the central idea over the course of the text
  • Identification and linking of key details and supporting ideas to the central idea of the text

Students also work to develop their own piece of informational writing using mentor texts. Within their writing they learn to:

• Develop a central idea with a focus on word choice (including an understanding of connotation vs. denotation)
• Appropriately incorporate figurative language into their writing to add depth and texture to their writing
• Work through the writing and revision process
• Prepare visuals, edit, publish, and present their work
• Unit 3 is a genre study focusing on modern American historical fiction. Throughout the unit, students develop their literary analysis skills through:
  • Character-theme analysis, setting-theme analysis, and plot-theme analysis
  • Identification of factual elements and fictional elements of the story and how to determine when something has been fictionalized
  • Examining why this time and place was chosen by the author and what they want the reader to know and learn about the events and setting
  • Researching the actual historical events portrayed in the fictional pieces to learn how this research can enhance their understanding of the text
  • Compare characters across texts to see how various authors developed and used characters in the historical setting and context
  • Compare across multiple texts how authors used historical facts and the levels of accuracy, the quantity, worthiness of inclusion, and scope of the facts incorporated into the texts

Midway through the unit, they begin work on a historical fiction writing of their own as well as a short story using the historical fiction texts from the unit as mentor texts.

• Unit 4, an argument research lab, focuses the topic of economics. Argumentative writing and research are the primary focus as students read increasingly complex texts as they begin working through a series of eight research tasks/questions that guide students as they prepare to compose their own argument piece. These tasks/questions guide the students as they read the unit’s texts, conduct research, and are designed to bring coherence to their writing. The research tasks/questions include:
  • Capitalism: Make a timeline of your product/service.
  • Goods and Services: Describe your product/service and propose a new innovation to it.
  • Innovation: Describe the role of innovation and entrepreneurship associated with your product/service.
  • Production: Explain the production history of your product/service.
  • Distribution: Explain the distribution channels of your product/service.
  • Capital: Describe how capital is used by, invested in, or generated by your product/service.
  • Consumption: Describe the marketing and consumption of your product/service.
  • Regulation: Explain how the production, distribution, and/or consumption of your product/service has been regulated.

Throughout all units, students receive instruction that meets the needs for remediation, growth, and challenge and are monitored closely to assure growth in reading, writing, speaking/listening, and literacy skills.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the expectations for anchor and supporting texts provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of texts to achieve grade level reading.

Students are asked to read 100 books during the year and to participate in the 100 Book Challenge, which includes reading independently for 30 minutes a night. The instructional materials provide daily opportunities for students to read a variety of texts in and out of class, in order to become better independent readers. Core and accompanying texts, as well as the leveled library texts, encompass a diversity of topics in history, culture, science, technology, politics, geography and current social issues. Most core texts in each unit are within or slightly above the recommended grade level band; however, the independent reading libraries are leveled, so that students can practice and build reading skills at their individual reading levels as indicated by the publisher’s IRLA leveling system.

The daily and weekly components of lesson plans contain high expectations for a range of reading tasks. Students read a substantial volume of literary and informational texts across each unit. Literacy blocks are designed around a variety of reading tasks such as reading and discussing, a Readers’ Workshop piece in which students apply reading strategies to text they’ve read, as well as allotted time for independent reading from self-selected texts. Each unit includes a roster of lesson components with times allotted to each component, organized by 75-90-minute or 120-minute blocks. Each literacy block establishes a weekly goal of 5 hours of student reading. This includes “some time spent reading texts within the Thematic Unit and some time in complete free-choice.”

In Unit 1, students read/write/discuss the CORE complex text for 20-35 minutes a day (Time ranges vary intentionally. Depending on the lesson and student energy, teachers may spend more time writing or more time reading.) The goal is to finish the CORE novel in 5 weeks. Students read independently for 35-45 minutes a day applying the day’s “Focus” to self-selected texts at a variety of levels. At least a portion of this time is spent with texts within the Thematic Unit.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent, 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; this may include work with mentor texts as well).

Materials for the literacy and research labs across all four modules provide an inquiry-based structure for students to engage with informational and literary texts directly. Teachers are provided discussion starters, key questions, writing prompts, graphic organizers, and instructional support tasks for students to collect and analyze textual evidence that builds toward a research topic or literary theme. All the questions are text-dependent and specific to the genre type of reading that students are engaged with. The directions for teachers set the focus and purpose for reading, so students are prepared to discuss text-dependent questions. Students are asked to work in small groups or partners first, then questions are discussed with the whole group.

The questions are not text-specific, but are text-dependent. The publisher is transparent about the philosophy to build students’ “habits of mind” by providing a framework of inquiry; instead, the reading/writing questions (Research Questions), graphic organizers and instructional tasks follow a general format that is designed to be used across multiple thematic units and across grade levels. Each of the four units per grade level provides a uniform set of text-dependent questions for the Core Text for that unit. Questions require students to read closely and to make inferences drawing on textual evidence. Teachers and students have reading choices within the four units, and text-dependent questions may be universally applied to texts throughout the school year. The materials specify that teachers decide when and how to use text-dependent questions. Moreover, the materials provide example questions to support the process and prompt teachers to create text specific questions, as well.

• In Unit 1, Week 2, students are asked to read like a literary critic while reading informational text. In Day 1, students read complex text from the Informational Core Text. Following the second read, students work with a partner to answer text-dependent questions from four areas: "Basic Comprehension: What did the author say? Purpose/Agenda/Theme: Why did they say it? Craft/Structure: How did they say it? Reader Response: What did the author say? Why? How? How did it affect me? What new knowledge did I get from this? What questions do I have? What confused me? What did I love/hate?" In Week 4, students are asked to read like a literary critic by focusing on figures of speech. Teachers select an appropriate passage from the text and prompt students to answer questions such as: "What phrase is a figure of speech? What do you think this phrase might mean? Why do you think the author uses this figure of speech?"
• In Unit 2: Informational Research Lab - Civil Rights Era, Week 3, Day 2, students read informational text to analyze organizational structure and how it develops the main idea. After close reading together and following a guided practice discussion led by the teacher, students write to the following questions: "What is the central idea of the text? How does the author develop this central idea over the course of the text?" Students are directed to follow a checklist to help answer the questions. In Unit 2, Week 8, Day 5, students participate in a Reader’s Workshop. Independent reading directions instruct students to “notice the variety of visuals an author uses and how the author uses the visuals to convey information. Pick one visual you think you might want to emulate in your text. Be ready to explain what information it communicates and why you like it.” After reading, students share with a partner based on the question, “What kinds of visuals did you find while you were reading?”
• In Unit 3, Week 1, teachers are directed to set the learning goal for the day as follows: “Today we will begin our study of literary elements. By the end of today, you will be able to identify and analyze the setting of this novel and its various levels and dimensions” (p. 49). Students are asked prompts including: "What is the setting of this book so far? Why do you think it will matter to the story? What evidence from the text best supports your answer? What generalizations can you make about settings in this genre? How might setting be important to this genre as a whole?" (p. 49).
• In Unit 4, Week 6, Day 2, the lesson objective is to analyze clear and logical organization of an informational text in order to see how to organize their own writing. During a guided practice while close reading, students are asked: “Knowledge: How does the author organize his/her argument? Which organizing structure(s) does s/he use? Analysis: What is the purpose of each paragraph in the argument? How does this paragraph fit into the organizing structure of the argument? Why do you think the author grouped these specific pieces of evidence/reasons together into this paragraph?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that materials contain sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent and text-specific questions with activities that build to a culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding.

Daily, students read, write, and discuss about texts guided by questions and tasks that are organized for students to gather details or to practice skills needed for the culminating task. Culminating tasks, which are generally smaller weekly tasks as well as significant writing pieces or presentations provide opportunities for students to demonstrate knowledge and ability of what they have learned. Generally, tasks require students to gather details or information using research questions and graphic organizers to craft an essay, report, debate, narrative, or dramatic interpretation. Tasks are supported with coherent sequences of text-dependent questions and tasks.

• In Unit 1, students read their paired core texts, The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson and an exemplar text pack on the Constitution, as well as selected independent texts for study to build their stamina for reading and text analysis skills to “read and write like an expert.” The introductory materials outline the unit framework and the sequence of student study. Each week builds student skill in analyzing informational and literary texts. For five weeks, students read literary and informational texts to analyze for theme, word choice, and figurative language while writing Constructed Responses related to the weekly topic. In Week 6 students begin writing a literary analysis essay directly related to the literary elements and the reading and discussions from previous weeks of study.
• In Unit 2, students continue building reading and text analysis skills as they study the Civil Rights era through informational texts. The introductory materials outline the unit framework and the sequence of student study which is guided by seven sequenced research questions that help students study about a historical figure’s impact, organizational membership, connection to social issues, and government ties. The introductory materials also state that students “build Speaking, Listening, and Language facility as they collaborate, analyze, and debate across each day” and that the Research Labs integrate “Content & Language Arts Learning into One Seamless System” where the culminating task “requires proficiency in BOTH Reading (RI.2/5) and Writing (W.2) Standards.” Building to the culminating tasks occurs through reading class and independent texts. Students are asked text-dependent questions such as, "What is the author’s main idea in this text? How does the author support this main idea with key details? How does the structure of the text relate to the author’s central idea? How do the text features clarify or confuse the organizing structure?" Students write about these types of questions first and then share their thinking with a partner or small group. Students spend five weeks using readings and their own research to write about and discuss research questions/topics that build to the culminating research-based informational book.
• In Unit 4, Week 1, Day 2, students use Toulmin’s Argument Framework to support a claim made in argumentative writing. Students engage with a series of text-dependent discussion questions to prepare them for supporting a claim with text evidence including: "Which event (or person) was the most important in starting the American Revolution?" Students also respond to a series of questions associated with developing arguments including: "Who learned something really interesting? What reasoning and piece of text evidence supports your opinion? Who learned something really important? What makes it important? What reasoning and piece of text evidence supports your opinion? Who found an example of an author stating an opinion/making a claim? Did the author provide evidence or reasoning to support this claim? Who found an issue/controversy related to our Unit?"

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for materials providing 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.

The instructional materials set the expectation that students will talk daily with peers about what they are reading. In each lesson, students discuss text-dependent questions. In addition, the instructional materials provide protocols and steps for partner, small group, and large group discussions in which students communicate with peers around shared texts and independent reading selections. CCSS Speaking and Listening standards are highlighted within instructional materials, including the use of Accountable Talk methods, sentence stems, and rubrics for reflecting on discussion. Lessons prompt teachers to model patterns for daily practices that establish student discussion routines. Teachers are given strategies and tips on how to address struggling students’ needs.

Instructional materials and supports provide grade level appropriate opportunities for student discussions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax. While addressing key concepts of the embedded research questions, students are frequently prompted to re-read texts to identify technical vocabulary and to share definitions and examples with a partner. The materials prompt teachers to have students highlight high-leverage vocabulary during group share and provide lesson call outs that highlight how lessons are designed intentionally to support and to enhance the oracy and literacy skills of all students, including English language learners at all levels of language proficiency.

The Unit 1 Scope and Sequence document of the ARC Core Overview outlines Speaking and Listening task across all 4 units, specifically:

• Speaking & Listening #4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• Speaking & Listening #5: Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
• Speaking & Listening #6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

In Unit 2, Week 1, Day 2, students work in pairs and go back to the text to investigate for bias - instances where the author’s opinion/perspective influences what is in the text. Teachers are prompted to “[m]odel only as much as necessary; your goal is to get students excited to INDEPENDENTLY read for bias. The fastest way to do that is to get them practicing. Guide students to investigate using questions like: Author: Who wrote the text? What is his/her purpose? How is s/ he qualified to write about this topic? Is it related to his/her personal identity? Is it related to his/her field of expertise? How do you know? How could we find out?” (p. 22).

In Unit 3, Week 1, teachers model “Accountable Talk” as part of the partner share routine in which students participate daily. Instructional materials exhort teachers to “[s]pend extra time establishing this now. No matter how old your students are, explicit direction on how to share appropriately (e.g., turn to face your partner, one person speaks at a time, active listening, etc.) is important for making this run smoothly." As part of the Partner Share, students are instructed to “[t]ell your partner: which novel you will finish; what you noticed about the setting, characters, or plot that you think might be important and why; why this novel belongs in our genre study,” (p. 39 ). As part of the Discussion Group, students answer: Who learned something that will help us understand __(genre)__? Teachers are instructed to “[c]ollect what students share on community graphic organizers (e.g., “Key Characteristics of the Genre” chart),” (p. 39 ). Also, in Unit 3, there are “Conversational Moves” for students to use in their discussions (p. 43).

In Unit 4: Argument Research Lab - Economics, students research to prepare for a major debate at the end of the unit. While Accountable Talk is used in each lesson as students discuss their reading and writing, the instructional materials recommend practice sentence stems using academic, argumentative language for student debate and rebuttal. Examples include: "At this point I would like to raise some objections that have been inspired by the skeptic in me. She feels that I have been ignoring _________. She says to me, '_________.' Yet some readers may challenge my view that________. After all, many believe that______. Indeed, my own argument that ___________ seems to ignore _________ and __________. Of course, many will probably disagree with this assertion that______."

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading (or read aloud) and researching (shared projects) with relevant follow-up questions and supports.

The instructional materials provide opportunities for students to talk and to question peers and teachers about ideas, texts, research, analytical strategies, and writing throughout the year. Materials across all labs present discussion as a daily expectation, and at times a rubric is provided to evaluate or to structure discussion. Speaking and listening instruction that support student growth over the course of the school year is applied frequently and includes facilitation, monitoring, and instructional supports (such as clear directions for implementation) for teachers. Most unit lesson structures provide opportunities for teachers to pose questions, model, and guide class discussion as well as opportunities for students to share with peers. Speaking and Listening activities that demonstrate student comprehension of the texts associated with daily lessons are linked to the readings and to larger projects. Speaking and listening work requires students to marshal evidence from texts and sources. Students are encouraged to work both independently and together in the creation of various artistic, spoken, written, and digital representations of information. Student discussions are often based on text-dependent questions where they must use textual evidence to support their answers. At the end of each unit, students are asked to present their compositions or learning products through speaking and listening.

In addition, the Teacher’s Edition of the Argument Research Lab, Unit 4, provides teacher guidelines to engage students in a debate that demonstrates student end-of-year proficiency in analyzing author’s argument and use of literary elements. Moreover, Accountable Talk structures are embedded within the materials as students employ academic talk through partner share, small group discussion, conferences, peer reviews, and whole class discussion. Throughout the debate process, students use the Toulmin’s Argument Framework to ensure that they provide both evidence and reasoning to support their claims.

In Unit 1: Week 3, Days 1-3, students have the opportunity to workshop with a peer a written piece in which they analyze word choice and use new vocabulary in their writing. Students are provided ample, relevant follow-up questions to guide their discussion around word choice, including: “Pick the three most important words used by the author and explain what role they played in shaping the text (Meaning? Tone? Theme?). Use evidence to support your answer.” Teachers are directed to share a teacher-written example or other model with students. After writing for 15-30 minutes, students read their pieces to a partner according to an Anchor Chart that outlines guidelines for peer feedback (See Wilhelm guide on following pages). Students share their writing with a partner by sharing:

• 1. One thing I would keep is ___ because ___.
• 2. I wonder what would happen if you add/move/change/delete ____ because ___. Group: Whose partner wrote something great?

Writing Focus #2 provides students with a choice of prompts (suggestions on following pages) to build writing engagement and provide opportunities to experiment with new vocabulary.

In Unit 2: Informational Research Lab-The Civil Rights Era, students complete the following tasks:

• Partner Share: Share what topics they might research and why they might research it.
• Group Share: Who learned something really interesting about our Unit? Who found an example of bias in one of the texts you read? Why do you think this is an example of bias? Add to class graphic organizers.
• Discuss Text (Group Share): Which key detail BEST supports this central idea? Why?
• Target Vocabulary and/or Text Structure: Highlight any high-leverage (tier 2) vocabulary (see “Which Words Do I Teach and How?”). How does s/he say it?
• Compare/Synthesize Across Texts: How does this compare to what you already knew/ thought about...? How does this relate to what other authors have written about...?

In Unit 3, Week 1, students participate in “Accountable Talk” daily. The instructional materials direct teachers to model the expected routine. Directions state, “No matter how old your students are, explicit direction on how to share appropriately (e.g., turn to face your partner, one person speaks at a time, active listening, etc.) is important for making this run smoothly.” Activities include:

• Partner Share: Tell your partner • which novel you will finish. • what you noticed about the setting, characters, or plot that you think might be important and why. • why this novel belongs in our genre study.
• Discussion Group: Who learned something that will help us understand __(genre)__?

Teachers are instructed to collect what students share on community graphic organizers (e.g., Key Characteristics of the Genre chart).

In Unit 4, Week 4, students research to write an argumentative essay. Each day during the Accountable Talk section, students share with a partner for 1 minute on the focus of the day (rhetoric, claim, etc.) then share out to the whole group something important they learned. This is considered a speaking activity and is connected to the research project of the student, but discussion is not the focus of this unit at the end of the year.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g. multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

The ARC Core framework sets the expectation that students will write daily and includes rubrics, guidelines, lesson structures, and prompts for writing. Each unit of the curriculum embeds a variety of writing types and genres to allow students to engage in a mix of both on-demand and process writing as well as to participate in individual teacher conferences about their writing. Students often have choices on what to write in response to their reading, such “Opinions about the Text (Opinion/Argument), Personal Connections to the Text (Personal/Nonfiction Narrative), and/or Creative Writing Inspired by the Text (Fiction Narrative).” Writing is done independently and collaboratively with frequent opportunities for students to share and review writing with peers.

Teachers are encouraged to use exemplar texts as models for students or model the writing type for students. Daily writing practice and quick writes on constructed responses typically build to a constructed response or weekly writing task that prepares students for a final writing project in each unit that requires students go through the phases of the writing process (drafting, revising, editing, and publishing). The ARC framework does not include digital resources as a tool for teachers and students to use when writing. However, it does use digital resources as a platform for publishing student work, such as Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, etc. Examples include:

• In Unit 1, Week 5, students analyze author’s purpose. Students are provided focus questions: "Why do you think the author wrote this book? How do you know? What connections can you draw between this purpose and the content and style of the text?" Students are directed to use the Toulmin Argumentative Framework, and teachers are asked to write a model in front of students, naming the moves you make as you write. Students then write for 15-30 minutes. Students then share their writing with partners, provide feedback, and some share with the group.
• In Unit 1, Week 6, Write like a Literary Critic: During this week students have the opportunity to revise and edit. They are to use the W.1 rubric to evaluate one of the literary critiques they have written during the past few weeks. Then, student share with a partner which points they think need additional work to earn a proficient score. After revisions, student show their partners how they strengthened their critiques.
• In Unit 2, the sequence of writing tasks demonstrates evidence of using the writing process (multiple drafts, revisions over time, etc.) by requiring students to create a final writing project using a “research topic of his/her own choice and publish a final project.”
• In Unit 3, Week 5, Day 5, students complete a process writing task to write an introductory and concluding paragraphs of a literary analysis essay. After independent writing time, students edit and revise their writing after peer evaluations and/or one-on-one conferences with the teacher. These tasks are aligned with standards and are part of the larger instruction for a longer writing task.
• In Unit 4, students write an argumentative essay on a researched issue in economics. To prepare for their argumentative essay on a contemporary issue during the unit, students engage in frequent writing tasks such as:

• Week 1, Day 5, “Take a position. Write a short argument where you state your claim and support it with evidence and reasoning.”
• Week 2, Day 2, Writing prompt: “Set a prompt that helps students deepen or clarify their learning about today’s Research Question and relates to the idea of point of view/perspective. Possible writing prompts (see right column for additional suggestions):
  • How has your perspective on _(Unit)__ changed since we began our study?
  • When the author writes ______, it makes me think he/she might believe __________.
  • The author included ________, so now I think that the author believes _______."
• Week 4, Day 2, Writing Prompt: “What is the author’s purpose? What in the text supports your answer? What types of appeals does s/he use? Cite examples. What can you infer about the relationship between an author’s purpose and his/her choices in rhetoric?”
• Week 6, Day 4, Modeling: “Think aloud as you reread your draft and then write a rebuttal.
  • Generate potential counterargument.
  • Fairly present that argument.
  • Argue why it is incorrect, point by point.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for materials providing opportunities for students to address different text types of writing (year long) that reflect the distribution required by the standards. May include “blended” styles.

In the four units (Literacy Lab, Research Lab, Genre Study, Research Lab), students have multiple opportunities across the school year to focus on a variety of different types of writing, to learn from models, and to practice. Each unit at each grade level contains opportunities for students to both read, discuss, and write texts from different genres. Students write in a variety of modes using mentor texts. The final writing projects for each unit provide students options for publishing. During these writing experiences (formal writing, quick writes, constructed responses) students learn, practice, and apply different genres/modes of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards.

Throughout the ARC Core framework the teacher serves as a Writing Coach during student writing time, checking for understanding, observing students writing, and making sure students are making adequate progress. Teachers are provided monitoring prompts and activities for their PLC time with their colleagues, which guide them to monitor the progress of students' writing. Students are provided with rubrics and collaborative structures which provide them the opportunities to monitor their own progress. Writing prompts are connected to text as prompts, models, anchors, and support.

By the end of the year, students will have written a substantial composition across the three main writing types: informative, argumentative, and narrative in tasks that include literary analysis, debates, personal narratives, research reports, peer reviews, reader’s response journals, and more. Examples include:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, the instructional materials direct teachers to set a focus for writing to summarizing one of the texts read that day. Teachers are asked to show a model of student writing that would be considered an exemplar. If teachers cannot find an example of student writing from their responses to the Informational Core Text, then teachers should model writing enough of a response to ensure student success. Lesson plans for Unit 1, Week 2, Days 1-3 establish student learning goals related to examining the functions of literary and informational text: “Last week, we analyzed the ways that real world knowledge is required to really understand and analyze complex literature. Today, we will focus on one of the primary ways readers build that knowledge: reading informational text.”
• In Unit 2, Week 2, students explore different informational text types for developing writing around science and social studies concepts. Student instructions are to choose "(pieces of) text that will build students’ knowledge of the key Science or Social Studies concepts at the heart of that day’s Research Question. For example, when teaching Marine Life RQ #1 (Physical Characteristics), a text that explains the specific physical characteristics of sharks may be interesting, but not as useful as a text that introduces the important concepts of physical characteristics, behaviors, adaptation, advantage, survival of the fittest, etc.”
• In Unit 3: Genre Study Lab-Modern American Historical Fiction & American History, students analyze and write to multiple texts in the historical fiction genre to compose analyses across multiple texts and write a model narrative in that genre. On Week 1, Day 1, materials prompt teachers to share the unit outcomes with students in which they will compose literary analysis pieces and model a historical fiction narrative. Teachers tell students: “We are going to spend the next nine weeks becoming experts in __(genre)__. In this Unit, you will:
  • Read, analyze, and write about one novel in this genre with the class.
  • Read at least four novels in the genre on your own.
  • Write four constructed responses and one longer literary essay analyzing multiple texts in this genre.
  • Write and publish a short story/picture book in the genre.”

Students frequently write independently and collaboratively. During the first half of this unit, students perform literary analysis on multiple texts in the unit to prepare for the final analysis essay on themes across American historical fiction texts. The remainder of the unit follows a similar structure of individual and collaborative practice for a weekly writing prompt that prepares students for the two final writing pieces completed by Week 9 of the unit. Students are prompted to write an essay in which they make a claim based on the unit Core Text (Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club) and one of the historical fiction texts they read independently address a similar issue or theme. Finally, students will write their own model of a historical fiction narrative.

• In Unit 4, Week 2, Day 2, during the Research Writing part of the lesson, teachers are directed to set a focus and model to whole class, small group, or individual students as needed for the 15-30 minute independent writing writing portion of the lesson. As an example of specific monitoring as the ‘Writing Coach,’ that teachers perform while students work independently, teachers “Check for Understanding: Observe students as they write. Make sure students are making adequate progress. Share Good Examples: As you locate great examples in students’ work, point them out to the class." Following the independent writing time, students have a Collaborative Writing task where they “review the written answers of all group members and then either nominate an individual answer or work together to combine their work into a new answer. Goal: The best possible answer to the prompt; better than the answer of the other groups” (p. 154). This is an example of how students monitor the progress of their own writing.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for materials including frequent opportunities for research-based and evidence-based writing to support analysis, argument, synthesis and/or evaluation of information, supports, claims.

The instructional materials meet the expectations for frequent writing opportunities across every unit. Each unit prompts teachers to use the daily instructional model which includes generally 20-40 minutes of writing. Each day students identify text evidence to support various research questions across the year. Each inquiry-based unit is organized around a series of research questions that helps students become knowledgeable about a specific topic through reading a variety of texts on that topic. The program addresses research-based and evidence-based writing through whole class and independent tasks across every unit.

The materials require students to demonstrate sophisticated analysis, argumentation, and synthesis of text in a number of written tasks at each grade level and across units. Students receive comprehensive supports as they use textual evidence to craft arguments such as the use of exemplars, writing workshops, and teacher feedback as they move through the writing process. The supports are designed to engage students in careful analysis of text using clearly articulated arguments.

Throughout all units, students practice narrative, argumentative, and informational writing based on using evidence from texts. Unit 4, the argument research lab, specifically teaches students the Toulmin Argument Framework for supporting claims and rebuttals. Various graphic organizers and rubrics are provided to help students organize their writing.

During Unit 1, students write daily and teachers collect writing as baseline samples. By the end of Unit 1, students will have practiced writing in a variety of genres, both in response to text and writing like the authors they read. Students will take at least 2 pieces of writing through to publication (one narrative and one argument).

By the end of Unit 2, students will publish a well-researched informational text for a meaningful audience that demonstrates their expertise on a given topic (Grade 11 - The Civil Rights Era).

By the end of Unit 3, students will write four very short essays (constructed responses) and one longer literary essay analyzing multiple texts in the genre study (Grade 11 - American historical fiction). Students will write and publish a short story/picture book in the genre of study.

By the end of Unit 4, students will write four very short essays (constructed responses) and one longer literary essay analyzing multiple texts in this genre. Students will also write and publish a short story/picture book in the genre of study (Grade 11 - Economics).

Other specific examples from units include:

• In Unit 1, Week 6, Days 1-2, students use the “CCSS W.1 Rubric for Proficient Answer” as they continue developing the unit’s writing project, a literary critique. The rubric offers guidance for evidence-based writing as they craft an argument: “Introduce a precise, knowledgeable claim that is debatable, defensible, narrow, and specific. Establish the significance of the claim.”
• In Unit 2, Week 5, students look at what makes a good informational text. Student-facing directions inform students to “begin drafting your own informational book. This week, we will look closely at the work of professional authors (or former students who got As) to investigate the decisions authors make to craft great informational texts.” Students write in response to the mentor text and what was discussed in class. Teachers are instructed to model writing strategies based on what students noticed about the Mentor Text and to listen for items on the W.2 Rubric that prompted the most discussion. Prompts include, “Consider the following examples: I like the way the author uses an extended metaphor in this section, by using _____ as a way to explain _____. I liked the way the author anticipated counterarguments by examining the inefficacy of certain solutions.”
• In Unit 3, Week 5, students draft a comparative essay that requires them to apply all the skills from the previous 4 weeks to make a literary analysis claim about theme that is supported with evidence from two different texts. The writing process and supports help students write the essay with evidence-based claims.
• In Unit 4: Argument Research Lab - Economics, students are instructed, “Today you will take a position on something you read and explain your reasons for taking that position. Your position is your opinion. Another word for this is 'claim.' Today you will each make a judgment claim. Judgment Claim: To evaluate the importance, worth, and/or significance of something.” In Week 3, Day 2, students are instructed, “Outline two conflicting viewpoints on the issue of _____. Use evidence from our Central Text and at least one other text to support your answer.”