11th Grade - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that texts are organized around a topic/topics to build students’ knowledge and their ability to read and comprehend complex texts proficiently.

Each unit is centered around a topic and/or genre, and students build knowledge through inquiry via a variety of literary genres and different types of informational text. Each unit has a core text, anchor texts, and leveled libraries that students read focused around a particular genre. Students read, analyze, and write about a grade-level novel for each unit. Anchor texts are additional texts centered around the genre/topic. Teachers can use these as read alouds and/or copied excerpts for shared reading experiences. Leveled libraries also center around a genre and/or topic. Students read independently at least four novels in the genre, or about the topic, within each unit.

• In Unit 1, the texts are part of the Literacy Lab, where instruction focuses on analysis of theme, interaction of individuals over the course of the text, structure of the text, and how multiple texts address a theme/topic. There is no topic for this unit, but the two texts chosen as core texts can be used to analyze those standards, and they fall within the appropriate grade band to build reading proficiency of complex texts: Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson and a Constitution Exemplar Pack as the paired informational text. The core texts are intended as whole group shared independent reading, while the additional texts are used as read alouds in class.
• In Unit 2, the goal of the curriculum states, “The second Unit of ARC Core builds on the routines and engagement established in Unit 1 while adding a new layer: thematic inquiry into a Social Studies topic. As the class dives into [studying the Civil Rights Era] students will become an inquiry research community as they read, write, question, debate, and create knowledge together” (p. 30). Students read two classic literary nonfiction texts, Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King Jr. They are paired with nonfiction texts, Fires in the Mirror by Anna Deaveare Smith and They Had a Dream by Jules Archer. These core and paired texts build knowledge around the topic of the Civil Rights Era from memoir and informational text. All three of the texts are within the 11-12 grade band. The additional texts are informational texts and one collection of poems that provide context for the Civil Rights Era or a different Latino perspective (Under the Soprano Sky by Sonia Sanchez).
• In Unit 3, students study the genre of modern American historical fiction as they learn about “the plots, characters, settings, and the inspiring events and the real-world problems that form the basis of the stories. They will consider questions like, ‘What does it mean to be an American?’ and ‘Is the American Dream real, and for whom?’ THey will learn how historical events relate to the genre, and will carry out research about interesting events in 20th century American life.”
• During Unit 3, students will read the Classic and Paired Cores, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. From these texts, as well as books selected for independent reading from a Genre Library in which texts are organized by difficulty level, support them as they learn about the modern American historical fiction genre. Students select a minimum of 4 novels from the modern American historical fiction genre and must choose from at least 2 reading levels. Students read for 15-30 minutes during Independent Reading.
• In Unit 4, students learn about the topic of economics, including economics concepts such as goods and services, entrepreneurship, production, capital, distribution, consumption/markets and regulation as well as where individuals fit in the economic chain as they trace a product or service through time and society. During Unit 4, students read the classic and paired core texts, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Enrenreich, Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, and Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science by Charles Wheelan. Students also select independent reading from a Genre Library in which texts are organized by difficulty level. Students select a minimum of 4 novels from among those selected for the unit, and must choose from at least 2 reading levels. Students read for 15-30 minutes during Independent Reading.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that materials contain sets of coherently sequenced higher order thinking questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language (words/phrases), key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts in order to make meaning and build understanding of texts and topics.

The Literacy and Research Lab units are structured so that students engage with texts to build understanding through sequenced graphic organizers and question sets and to analyze all aspects of the Common Core Standards. Materials include coherently sequenced sets of of questions that teachers use for modeling and student practice around determining central idea, word study, author’s purpose, text organization, and other features. Questions are general for all units and provide a framework for teachers to build questions for individual texts. Most question sets are coherently sequenced and give students ample opportunity to analyze language and author’s word choice, key ideas and important details, author’s craft and structure, and other components of text.

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Days 1-3 students are reading the informational core text. During the first read, they listen. During the second read, students answer a basic comprehension question, such as “What did the author say?”; A purpose question,” Why did he/she say it?”; A craft/structure question, “How did she/he say it?” Following these are reader response questions such as, “How did it affect me? What new knowledge did I get from this? What confused me?” The order in which these questions are presented build in complexity and are structured to help students make meaning of the text and topic.
• In Unit 2: Informational Research Lab-The Civil War Era, students are instructed to use a central and supporting idea graphic organizer to collect and categorize key details and supporting ideas as they are uncovered in a text. Students start with supporting ideas by responding to prompts such as: Is the information in the text grouped into separate paragraphs/sections? If the central idea is explicitly stated, does it naturally break down into multiple sections? About key details, student prompts include: If the information is not grouped in paragraphs/sections, can the key details be categorized into groups that make sense? List all of the key details, organize them into categories that make sense, then name these categories.
• In Unit 3, Week 3, Day 1, students reading from the Informational Library. Student prompts include: "What have you learned so far? What about the novels we are reading might be true/factual? What makes you think that?"
• In Unit 4, Week 6, Day 2, the lesson objective is that students 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 a sequence of knowledge and analysis questions, including: "How does the author organize his/her argument? Which organizing structure(s) does s/he use? 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 the questions and tasks support students’ ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic through integrated skills (e.g. combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).

The materials provide multifaceted, culminating tasks in which students are asked to demonstrate proficiency in multiple reading and writing standards. In the materials, students read, write, informally speak, and listen by participating in think-pair-shares and accountable talks, and by revising and editing drafts. Prior to writing formally in the unit culminating task, students read mentor texts and work collaboratively through activities and questions that provide opportunities to develop comprehension and knowledge of a topic or topics through integrated skills. Throughout the program, “Teacher Work & Monitor for Engagement” directions prompt teachers to document and record their observations as students write and discuss as formative assessment evidence that informs their instruction and provides qualitative and quantitative information about student readiness to complete culminating tasks. Once students finish the final written culminating tasks they are given presenting/publishing options.

The introductory materials indicates in which units the reading, writing, and speaking and listening standards are addressed. While each unit focuses on a specific type of writing and may address certain reading standards aligned to that writing type, the materials indicate that the majority of writing, reading, and speaking and listening standards are addressed across all four units. Though each unit culminating task requires a significant piece of writing, the teacher can recommend how students will present their work such as peer reviews, oral presentations, slideshows, drama, blogs, debates, brochures, etc.

In Unit 1, the culminating task is a literary analysis essay on a specific topic. A few examples of supporting questions and tasks that integrate reading, writing, and discussion across the unit are:

• Week 1 (p. 101): “Writing Focus: (Baseline) Constructed Response: Prove you’ve understood your book at a High School level by writing two things: a) an objective summary of the text so far. b) your hypothesis on what might be the author’s theme(s), based on the literary elements you’ve encountered.”
• Week 2 (p. 179): "Write to Task/Prompt: Across the next two weeks, students write on a variety of prompts while they practice using the new vocabulary they are learning in their writing. Each day, choose 1-3 prompts that relate to the reading work in some interesting way (see Writing Prompts Suggestions after this lesson).”
• Week 3 (p. 219): “Writing Focus #1: 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.”
• Week 4 (p. 265): “Share the evidence/example(s) of paradox you flagged with a partner. Discuss what you think it means and how it helps develop the theme(s) of the book.”
• Week 5 (p. 303): “Compose a review critiquing one of the novels you’ve read.”

Unit 2 builds student knowledge of significant people and their influence on the Civil Rights Era through a core informational text, recommended paired readings, and student selected texts. Each week, students study a different aspect of informational text analysis focusing on determining central idea and gathering evidence to support through questions and tasks that provide practice of the week’s focus of study. Students are also introduced to reading, discussion, and writing structures that will be used across the year. Daily lessons include close reading and teacher modeling of reading for a focused purpose. Students engage in prompted accountable talk about texts and write collaboratively or independently about texts through structured text-based questions and/or graphic organizers. For the culminating task, students will produce an informational book about a person who impacted the Civil Rights movement. Students spend time reviewing peer work and discussing their own before publishing their writing. Materials recommend various ways for students to publish their work such as a blog entry, school website, local periodical/newspaper, class-based media or newspaper, PowerPoint, or social media.

In Unit 3, students have a chance to present after finishing their comparative essays. Students are given several presenting options, from sharing with their partners to organizing an event to which parents and/ or community members are invited as the audience. Suggested options include:

• "Peer Reviews: Ask students to read each other’s essays, sign their names to
  a list of readers, and make one or two positive comments about each essay.
• Evaluation/Reflection: Have students reflect on their own writing and score it using the W.1 Rubric. Have them think about their goals for the next project.
• Oral Presentation to Small Group: Each student plans and delivers an oral presentation on his/her topic to a small group.
• Classroom Swap: Go to another classroom. Have each student read his/her essay to a student from the new classroom.
• Fair/Museum: Have students plan displays and/or dress in costume and invite other students and/or families in for a visit. Final Projects can be on display or presented in small groups."

In Unit 4, students present a formal debate as one of their culminating projects. There are several formats students are provided to present their formal debate:

• "Town Hall Meeting/Issue Debate Stage: A community (or classroom) forum on a heated topic that has emerged from the study of your theme.
• Campaign Debate: Have two candidates/parties present their views on an issue raised during classroom debates.
• Competition Debates: The debates described below are popular in high school debate. Each form has a proposition side (Affirmative or Aff) and an opposition side (Negative or Neg).
• Team Policy Debate: Each side (affirmative and negative) is a team composed of two debaters.
• Lincoln-Douglas Debate: L-D is a one-on-one debate.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts.

Materials include a consistent approach for students to regularly interact with word relationships and build academic and figurative language in context. Overall, students are provided support in accelerating vocabulary learning with vocabulary in their reading and speaking tasks.

In the ARC Core Framework, the foundation for studying language is a significant part of the Unit 1 Literacy lab designed to build student skills in determining word meaning, identifying denotation and connotation, studying word relationships, and analyzing figurative language in the context of literary and informational text.The IRLA toolkits guide students as they learn roots and affixes to support their ability to determine word meanings as they encounter unfamiliar vocabulary.

The Unit 1 materials provide teacher guidance outlining a cohesive, regularly-occurring vocabulary development component, including an emphasis on interaction with key academic vocabulary with and from a variety of text types. Students engage with new vocabulary and have frequent opportunities for practice in discussion and written work.

Students are provided frequent opportunities to identify and study unknown words and technical vocabulary from texts, using context clues. Additionally, there are lessons within the units where students analyze the purpose of author's word choice. There is a lesson in each unit providing an opportunity for students to use powerful language in their writing tasks. Teachers model and use academic vocabulary necessary for building literacy and analytical skills. Students discuss vocabulary in groups, utilize it in writing tasks, and track new words in a notebook regularly:

In Unit 1, Weeks 3 and 4 are devoted to analyzing word choice: denotative, connotative, patterns of word choice and figurative language, specifically figures of speech. This figurative language development is lengthy and strong in Unit 1; however, because the curriculum is a framework, the work of determining vocabulary is left to the teacher. It is expected in the curriculum that students continue to use these techniques and knowledge throughout the rest of the year.

In Unit 2, students extend their learning of language from Unit 1 to research informational texts and write an informational book. As students practice analyzing complex text and synthesizing information across texts, they also focus on author’s word choice, denotation and connotation, and figurative language. Lesson frameworks provide time for teachers to model and students to practice highlighting new words in texts, determining meaning, and understanding how those words impact the meaning of the text. Students also track their word learning in a notebook and the class maintains a glossary as a group. Though this occurs throughout the unit, Week 4 focuses on word choice and language in texts for students to model in their own writing. The following are a few examples of vocabulary tasks across the unit:

“Have students work individually/in pairs/small groups to discuss a group of synonyms:

• Determine the denotation of each.
• What connotations does each word carry?
• How do the words differ from each other?" (p. 165)

“Evaluate the author’s word choices: What did you notice about his/her choices? Do they indicate any bias, either fair or unfair?:

• Connect to the central idea: How do the author’s word choices help to develop the central idea?
• RI.2 Rubric: Work with your partner and use the RI.2 Rubric to create a 7-point response.
• Read like an Author: How might you imitate this in your own writing?” (p. 166)

In Unit 3, in the Modern American Historical Fiction and American History unit, there is a list of vocabulary words categorized by topics: Society, Conflict, Theme, Topics, Struggle for Rights, Literary Terms, Science, Politics. No other unit has this list. As students begin to write they are given a lesson on “powerful language” and engaging the emotions of the listener/reader; using their hearts to influence their heads. Following the lesson, students find examples of the author’s use of powerful language to appeal to their emotions, in their independent reading material.

In Unit 4, Week 7, Day 3, students focus on “powerful language.” Students are to look at choosing words to create emotional appeal. Students are instructed that ‘[w]hen selecting words, be careful you are clear on both the denotation and connotation of the words you use. Denotation: The literal, direct meaning of a word, as defined by the dictionary. Connotation: The secondary, implied meaning behind a word. Example: Seething, bristling, furious, rankled, and exasperated have the same denotative meaning: upset and angry. It is their connotations that change the meaning. A person might be exasperated if she cannot find a parking spot. She could be seething if she was fired without cause.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that materials contain a year long, cohesive plan of writing instruction and tasks which support students in building and communicating substantive understanding of topics and texts.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the expectation for materials supporting students’ increasing writing skills over the course of the school year though engagement with texts. Each of the four units is built on a series of research questions that allow students to read, write, and discuss daily to develop substantive understanding of the texts and topics. Some of the topics covered in-depth are major American historical events, civil rights, and current issues in economics. Writing lessons and projects are authentically integrated with reading, speaking, listening, and language throughout the units providing students with a variety of tasks and prompts; however, the daily instructional model and unit structures are similar across units allowing students to understand the expectations and the process of writing across the year. Students learn and practice writing skills during the beginning of the units and then formally apply what they have practiced at the end of the units, writing formal pieces using the writing process.

The materials contain a year long, cohesive writing plan that engages students in the use of textual evidence to support analysis, arguments, and claims. Most of the writing tasks provide scaffolding for crafting strong and clear written pieces through the use of the writing process as well as teacher and peer feedback. Most written tasks require students to make meaningful connections between texts and their own writing. Writing instruction supports students’ writing ability to demonstrate proficiency at grade level at the end of the year, and the instructional materials include a variety of guidance, protocols, models, and support for teachers to implement and monitor students’ writing development. Teachers are asked to model writing through think alouds and to use mentor texts as supports for student writing. Also, teachers engage in weekly PLC meetings to discuss the progress of student writing and are provided a variety of questions and activities to monitor writing.

• In Unit 1, Week 4, teachers select passages from the Core novel or Core informational text that contain any euphemisms worthy of discussion to allow students to analyze author's use of euphemism and to discuss with a partner how euphemism helps to develop the themes of the text. Next in the lesson, students apply what they have read about and discussed in a constructed response using evidence from the text to support which figure of speech was the most important word choice the author made and why?
• In Unit 2, Week 6, students explore text structures for their own writing by examining selected Mentor Texts. Students refer to multiple texts during this process and are asked to consider a multitude of text structures so they can better be equipped to write their own. Student prompts focus on knowledge, analysis, evaluation, and comparison across texts and include questions such as: "How does the author organize his/her ideas? Which organizing structure(s) does s/he use? What is the purpose of each paragraph in the text? How does this paragraph fit into the organizing structure of the text? Why do you think the author grouped these specific supporting ideas/ details together into this paragraph? Is the organization clear and logical? Why or why not? What could the author have done to improve the organization of this text/section? Compare and contrast the organization of these texts. How are they all similar? Which one is the most effective? Why? How could you imitate this in your own writing?"
• In Unit 3: Genre Study Lab - Modern American Historical Fiction & American History, after analyzing multiple texts such as the Core Text The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, students spend week 5 and 6 drafting a comparative essay on their Core text and one other they have read. In Week 7, students do quick writes to practice fiction writing and in week 8 and 9 students draft, revise, publish, and present their own historical fiction narratives. Throughout the unit, students write analytical responses to the texts they are reading and share their writing with peers for feedback. The unit also includes teacher modeling of writing types and building narratives.
• In Unit 4: Argument Research Lab - Economics, after practicing writing different types of claims and supporting or refuting those claims, students spend weeks 6 and 7 drafting and revising their own argumentative essay that requires them to use evidence collected from their readings. During Weeks 8 and 9, students publish and present their arguments through a debate or mock trial. Throughout the unit, students write analytical responses to the texts they are reading and share their writing with peers for feedback. The unit also includes teacher modeling of writing types and building arguments.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that materials include a progression of focused, shared research and writing projects to encourage students to synthesize knowledge and understanding of a topic using texts and other source materials.

Over the course of the year, the four units of the ARC Core Framework require students to explore ideas and gather information to write informational reports, literary analyses, genre pieces, and arguments. Students develop knowledge of topics through research, and the three units that include research projects culminate with essays. While the materials do not provide a structure for including research from sources other than the books included with the materials, there is an expectation that students will find information online.

In each unit, students read core texts, teacher chosen texts, and independent reads selected from the publisher-provided leveled text sets to build a body of evidence. Unit activities require students to synthesize information by utilizing multiple graphic organizers, writing tasks, reader response tasks, and structured discussions completed as a whole group, within small groups, or as individuals. Generally, lessons allow time for students to engage in all three learning settings. Instructional materials provide students with daily independent reading, research, writing, and discussion opportunities per the model lesson framework.

The instructional materials provide opportunities for both “short” and “long” projects across grades and grade bands. Each grade level in Unit 4 has similar skills, objectives, and standards addressed. The progression of research skills do not change from grade level to grade level; however, progression is achieved through the complexity of text and topics students are reading about within each unit and the application those skills applied to the topics.

• While there are no research activities in Unit 1, students engage in a Literacy Lab. Instructional materials indicate that the purpose of the Literacy Lab is for students to “fall in love with reading through books,” (p. 48). During this unit, students do not engage in a substantial research project, but instead read modern pieces of literary and informational text to practice writing in a variety of genres and to build knowledge of literary elements, word choice, text analysis, discussion methods, and healthy writing practices.
• In Unit 2, students research major events and figures of the Civil Rights Era before selecting a specific person for closer study. Teachers are prompted on Week 1, Day 1 to tell students that they will become experts and write an informational book on the topic. Teachers can also recommend various ways for students to publish and present their findings such as blogs, news articles, slideshows, or dramatic interpretations. For this unit, students answer the following guiding questions across the 9-week research study: "1. Explain why the person was important to the history of Civil Rights. 2. Create a timeline of at least 10 key events in the person’s life and explain the importance of each event. 3. Explain how the person’s geographic location shaped his/her life, work, and perspective(s) 4. Describe two issues (racial, social, political, or economic) that were important to the person and explain their importance. 5. Describe an organization that was important to the person and explain why it was important. 6. Describe the role of the American government in this person’s life.”
• In Unit 3, Week 7, students begin the culminating project to write a short story that allows the student to apply their knowledge of the various literary elements that will be taught throughout Weeks 7, 8, and 9. There are frequent opportunities for shared learning. For example, in the lesson on Week 7, Day 2, students have a collaborative discussion. Student prompts center around author's use of dialogue, action, and description, and include:
  
  • "Dialogue: What can we learn from this dialogue about the characters? How does the author use specific words or punctuation to develop each of the characters involved?
  • Action: Where does the author use the actions of a character to reveal something about him/her? Explain.
  • Description: Where does the author describe something about a character? What specific words does s/he choose? How are these words important to painting the picture of this character?
  • Application: What is one thing this author did that I want to try in my own writing?"
• In Unit 4, beginning in Week 2, students engage in the first two of a series of progressive research questions. Students develop their understanding by selecting “(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.” Students learn the topic’s key concepts in Research Question 1 through a combination of shared reading, writing activities, and direct instruction in preparation for their independent research. Students will then read deeply, working to learn everything they can about their individual topics and the research question. In Unit 4, Week 3, students focus on a controversial issue they found in their research by identifying the two conflicting viewpoints, generating a claim and relevant evidence for each, and crafting an argument from one of these viewpoints that acknowledges and responds to the other. Students write a brief argument for their position that effectively acknowledges and responds to the other side in preparation for a series of mini-debates.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

Though students read a core set of texts in each unit, the materials are designed to offer students a voluminous amount of independent reading; students read independently every day in each unit. The publisher created its own text leveling and student reading leveling system, the Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA), in which students are able to choose books at their appropriate level. The Teacher’s Guide offers an overview of the reading program and page 30 of the Unit 1 Literacy Lab shows how each reading level from early grades to 12th grade builds on a specific reading skill.

Students have “Independent Reading in Leveled Libraries” daily in class for 20–40 minutes. In all four units, students are expected to read at least four novels in the genre/topic of study on his/her own (these can be any levels, from the Genre Library or elsewhere). Reading homework for all units is suggested to be at students’ independent reading level. A reading culture is outlined in the prefatory materials, which strives for 100% on-target in-class reading and 95% on-target home reading through specific routines. The framework provides two leveled texts sets - the 100 Book Challenge and the Hook Book Library - both of which are designed to help students find a book that is engaging and at their reading level. The independent reading books from these libraries may be below grade level, but the texts for in-class independent reading are at or above grade level. Other examples include:

• In Unit 1, during each daily Literacy Block laid out by the framework, students participate in 15-30 minutes of sustained independent reading in class. “Students practice applying today’s Focus to self-selected texts at a variety of levels. At least a portion of the reading is spent with texts within the Thematic Unit.” The framework also suggests a Weekly Goal: “Students read for 5 hours a week, with some time spent reading texts within the Thematic Unit and some time in complete free-choice. Reading time can be spread across the school day and/or at home." Unit 1, Week 4 introduces the Home Coach as a system to help students engage and remain accountable for their at-home reading. Teachers are instructed to “establish a connection with each student’s Home Coach. Organize a parent information session. Call homes. Use this week to: Determine who will serve as home coaches (parents, grandparents, older siblings, etc.). Help home coaches understand the goals of home reading, and ways to ensure success. Set up in-class support systems (e.g., enlisting volunteers) for students who may need a surrogate home coach. Build routines for taking books home.”
• In Unit 2, the Informational Research Lab, the same expectations is followed that was outlined in Unit 1. Students engage in daily independent reading of core texts and student-selected texts. At the beginning of the unit, students sample the leveled text sets to help determine their topic of study and choice of texts. The Unit 2 Introduction shares the expectation for reading in the inquiry-based units: “Read at least 30-60 minutes a day from self-selected texts, including texts on the topic and general wide reading.” Unit 2 also explains the framework for the Reader’s Workshop as the purpose of moving students to independence including a Focus for Independent Reading/Accountable Talk, and IRLA Conferences/Strategy Groups for Today.
• In Unit 3, teachers are given a focus for student’s independent reading during Week 1: “Transfer to Independent Reading” Focus for Independent Reading/Accountable Talk. Ask and answer the Key Question (or part of it): "Will constraints need to be placed on student choice to ensure they have texts that work with the Key Question/Concepts? (Common constraints: read at least one fiction book or one informational text on ____, or one biography, etc.) Don’t constrain choice for all 30 minutes. IRLA Conferences/Strategy Groups for Today." Teacher coaching focuses on: "1st: reading engagement, 2nd: strategic instruction to move reading levels Allocate time equitably, not equally—spend more/more frequent time with students who are furthest behind/making the least reading growth."