6th Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectations for core texts (anchor) being of publishable quality and worthy of careful reading and considers the range of students’ interests. Many of the central (anchor) texts have won awards or are written by award-winning authors. Many of the core texts have won awards or are written by award-winning authors. Core and anchor texts include a variety of genres and consider a range of students’ interests, including, but not limited to, adventure stories, argumentative topics, natural disasters, mythology, folktales, mystery, and fantasy. Texts are rich in language, engaging, and relevant. Furthermore, texts present universal and multiple multicultural themes which integrate other content areas.

The following are texts that represent how these materials meet the expectations for this indicator:

• In Unit 1, students read the text, Found: The Missing Book 1 by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This action-packed science fiction story weaves high-tech science into an exciting plot that will engage students. Students also read Gone Missing: A Book of Strange Disappearances and Unexplained Events by John Townsend. This nonfiction book will intrigue students as they will view snapshots of unsolved disappearances either at sea, lighthouses, or people who simply vanished seemingly from thin air.
• In Unit 2, Earth’s Changing Crust: Plate Tectonics and Extreme Events by Rebecca Harman, details a journey to the center of the Earth to help students answer questions about Earth’s formation. This text is rich in content vocabulary and worthy of careful reading. Students will also have the opportunity to choose from a variety of engaging text exemplars around the topic of Geology such as “Mountains of Fire: Volcanoes Inside and Out” by Spencer Christian and Antonia Felix, “The Fracas Over Fracking” from Odyssey Magazine, and “Volcano!” by Bill Haduch.
• In Unit 3, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. This is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This series is a New York Times Bestseller and has won several awards including being named ALA Notable Book for 2005, Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2006, and Child Magazine’s A Best Book of 2005. This text’s allusions to mythology and adventure format would be of high interest for students.

In Unit 4, the text Exploring Africa by Deborah Underwood answers questions about Africa using detailed maps and information about plants, animals, weather and natural resources. This text is engaging for Grade 6 students. In addition, three anchor texts are explored in this unit. Africa is Not a Country is a collection of narratives where students can learn about culture of Africa through first person narratives; Modern Africa, which contains several pictures that contribute to the text and African Culture which uses charts/ graphs/ maps to convey information.

The instructional materials for Grade 6 meet the expectations for materials reflecting the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards. For example, the Grade 6 materials include a Hook Book Static Library of engaging texts to hook readers, paired core texts, genre studies, and thematic sets of books centered around science and social studies themes. In addition, a 100 Book Challenge Rotating Classroom Library for daily practice at the appropriate level of challenge is provided.

Anchor texts and supplemental texts include a mix of informational and literary texts reflecting the distribution of text types required by the standards. A wide distribution of genres and text types as required by standards are evident, including realistic fiction, myths, nonfiction (including persuasive articles), science and social studies informational text, fantasy, retold classics and historical fiction.

The following are examples of literary texts found within the instructional materials:

• In Unit 1, students read the text, Found: The Missing Book 1 (Science Fiction) by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
• In Unit 2, students read the text, Night of the Howling Dogs (realistic fiction) by Graham Salisbury and the text, Quake - Disaster in San Francisco (historical fiction) by Gale Langer Karwoski.
• In Unit 3, students read the text, Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief (adventure fiction) by Rick Riordan and Egyptians Myths Legends, (myths) by Fiona McDonald.
• In Unit 4, students read the text, The Door of No Return (historical fiction) by Sara Mussi.

The following are examples of informational texts found within the instructional materials:

• In Unit 1, students read the text, Gone Missing: A Book of Strange Disappearances and Unexplained Events (Nonfiction - Mystery) by John Townsend.
• In Unit 2, students read a series of text exemplars that includes text such as “What Is the Theory of Plate Tectonics?” by Craig Saunders and “Movement at Plate Boundaries” by Fionna Watts.
• In Unit 3, students read texts, such as D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d'Aulaire and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire and Tales of the Seven Wonders, by Paula Reece.
• In Unit 4, students read the texts, Africa (informational) by Deborah Underwood and Life in Ancient Africa (nonfiction) by Hazel Richardson.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectations 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 with flexibility so that consumers can choose and interchange multiple texts sets based on the topics and levels desired. Accompanying task and resource materials are not text-specific so that they apply across multiple text sets and grade bands. The instructional year begins with a literacy lab that is intended to capture readers' attention with engaging text. The text sets are designed so that students will have access to numerous texts at all reading levels that are read in small and whole group as well as independently. The philosophy of the publishers is self-directed learning and reading through literacy and research labs.

Quantitative and qualitative information for anchor texts is provided in the Teacher’s Edition or online in SchoolPace, and the numerous text sets that accompany each unit are leveled according to the publishers framework--IRLA. The publishers state: “The Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA) is a unified standards-based framework for student assessment, text leveling, and curriculum and instruction. The IRLA includes every Common Core Standard for Reading, both in literature and informational text, as well as those Language standards key to reading success, for students in grades PreK through 12.”

Examples of text that are of the appropriate level of complexity for the grade level include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Geology, the core text is a Geology Exemplar Pack. This is an exemplar pack created by the publisher that includes texts at varied levels. The majority of the texts are within the Grade 6-8 grade band when looking at the quantitative, qualitative as well as reader and task. Students read, Volcanoes, Danger from Beneath the Earth (Grade 9 IRLA level) but appropriate as a Grade 7-8 book because the text is easy to follow with one general concept throughout. The text includes several examples of discipline-specific vocabulary. Students also read Good Things Are Worth Waiting For Lexile 680 (quantitative) which is in Grade 2-3 band; however, it is leveled as Grade 5 because of the complex organization of the text and several discipline specific terms that are crucial to understanding the text (quantitative). At the end of the unit, students will pick one topic on which to become an expert. The task of researching the topic and writing an informational book is aligned to the texts that students will read.

• In Unit 3, Mythology, students read texts such as Tales of the Seven Wonders by Paula Reece (IRLA 7th-8th), D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire: Lexile 1070 (IRLA - 6th), and Religion in the Ancient World: Illustrated Guide by Elizabeth Breuilly (IRLA - 7th-8th). These texts are of the appropriate complexity for Grade 6. After reading and analyzing a range of models, students will use the concepts they have obtained through their readings to craft constructed responses and one essay analyzing multiple texts in this genre as well as publish a short story/picture book in the genre.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectations that materials support 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).

ARC provides students with access to leveled texts which address a range of science, social studies, history, and literary topics across all grade bands. Rigor of text is appropriate in aggregate over the course of the school year and students will engage with texts at varying levels from unit to unit.

The Publisher Notes explain that the leveled libraries provided with each unit will increase in complexity throughout the school year. The Field Guide explains that students work independently in these libraries; however, teacher guidance supports them to continue to raise their reading levels. Students have access to multiple texts that measure below, at, or above grade level. Scaffolding is not text-specific, but focuses on the skills needed to access texts in that genre (informational text, fantasy novels, argument essays, etc).

The Field Guide (Teacher Manual) directs the teacher to “...read and discuss at least two related grade-level texts, one literature and one informational (texts may be drawn from a school/district’s existing texts and/or those supplied with this unit).” While grade-level texts are recommended there is limited guidance to help schools or teachers choose grade-level texts, apart from the IRLA (Independent Reading Level Assessment Framework) system that accompanies the program.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectation that anchor and series of connected texts are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level. The American Reading Company (ARC) utilizes their IRLA (Independent Reading Level Assessment) System, drawing on the three measures of text complexity, to level texts. The publisher states, “To determine reading level, every book is double-blind, hand-leveled using the three legs of text complexity and located on our developmental taxonomy of reading acquisition. Books in every collection wear a brightly colored sticker identifying their placement within the IRLA's color-coded leveling system.”

Each book has a sticker as to how it was leveled by the IRLA’s System.

For example, Unit 2: Geology. Students read the core text Volcano by Bill Haduch.

• Quantitative Measure: 1070L (6th-10th)
• Qualitative Measure: Purpose/Structure: Middle High. The purpose is implied, but can be inferred. There are explicit connections between ideas.Language: Middle High. There is a dense amount of volcano-related vocabulary (e.g., crater, lava flow, pyroclastic flows, lahars).Knowledge Demands: Middle High. The text requires a basic understanding of geology.
• Purpose and Rationale for Placement: All texts are to help students answer the Essential Question: Why does geology matter?
• Additional exemplars are provided in this unit that “explore themes related to geology and culture, draw from a variety of disciplines and genres, and were selected because they are robust enough to sustain interesting conversations.”.

Additional texts to accompany the core texts are to be chosen from the Thematic Leveled Research Library in order for students to research their individual topics. These texts have stickers that reflect the IRLA system’s level.

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

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities for students to engage in reading a variety of texts to become independent readers at their grade level. Texts address diverse cultures, differing historical periods as well as other content areas such as the sciences. Within each unit of study, a variety of books are offered at different levels, as indicated by the company’s IRLA leveling system. Reading Log Sheets are provided within units to support the continuation of Independent Reading (divided by Fiction and Nonfiction to keep students reading a variety of types of books). Students are given a choice on what book to read, what subtopic to research, what topic to write about, which position to support. Research Lab Baskets: The books are organized by reading difficulty. The basket color and the matching stickers show you where each book belongs. The baskets are arranged from least complex to most complex. Students select 3–5 books from a variety of levels.

Instructional materials also identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in a volume of reading as they grow toward independence:

• The 100 book challenge is a clear indicator/opportunity for students to engage in a volume of reading.
• The ARC Literacy Lab Overview and Unit is focused on getting students engaged in reading and getting them in the habit of reading independently.
• Reading Log Sheets are provided within the other units to support the continuation of Independent Reading and the amount of reading they are actually doing.

Materials include a mechanism for teachers and/or students to monitor progress toward grade level independence:

• Teachers are given explicit direction and guidance in Unit 1 toward determining student’s IRLA for teachers to monitor progress toward grade-level independence. If utilized, this will help students choose “just right” books and progress to achieve grade-level reading experiences.
• Reading Log Sheets are provided within the other units to support the continuation of Independent Reading (divided by Fiction and Nonfiction to keep students reading a variety of types of books) which helps them monitor their progress with what they are reading.
• Students complete tasks and teachers check on a daily basis for understanding and completion of task. The guide suggests asking these two questions:
  • What else do students need to learn from this text in order to master this concept?
  • Is there a common misunderstanding to address?

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet expectations 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). Materials for the literacy and research labs provide graphic organizers and instructional support tasks for students to engage with text as well as collect textual evidence that builds toward a research topic or literary theme. The general format reading questions (Research Questions), graphic organizers. and instructional tasks are designed to be used across multiple thematic units and across grade levels.

Example text dependent questions include:

• What claim(s) are the authors making? Underline the sentence that best states their claim. Do you believe them?
• What evidence do S. Christian and A. Felix provide to support their claim? Did anything surprise you about what you read?
• Where do they explain their reasoning on how this evidence leads to their claim?
• Why do the authors include the qualifier “on the planet”?
• According to the text, why will the future Earth be as quiet and cold as the Moon? What evidence supports your answer?

Additional texts within the unit have questions that are text specific to a genre of text. For example, after a student/teacher has chosen a text of a specific genre, students are to answer the following questions:

• How does this episode propel the action and how is it important to the conflict(s)?
• What does this episode reveal about the characters?
• How does this episode explore a key issue or reveal the author’s position?

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectations that materials contain sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent questions and activities that build to a culminating task that integrates skills to demonstrate understanding. Questions and tasks are organized for students to gather details or practice skills needed for the culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding. Culminating tasks require students to gather details or information using research questions and graphic organizers to write a story or report instead of utilizing specific texts.

The reading for each unit works to extend students’ knowledge of topics. The culminating tasks are research projects which require students to gather information.

Examples include:

• In Unit 1, students read and discuss multiple texts and use knowledge gained to write both a narrative and argument essay process writing.

• In Unit 2, text sequenced dependent questions build to a task requiring students to become an expert on a topic. Students are to select a geological process or product to research and be able to describe it by responding to these questions:
  • Describe this geological process/product including how it is made; explain the theory of plate tectonics.
  • How does plate tectonics determine where this process/product is most likely to be located?; create a timeline showing Earth’s history in geologic time.
  • How is the concept of geologic time important to the study of geology and your process/product?
  • Draw a diagram of the Earth showing the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. How does this process/product impact each of the systems?; How is this process/product important to human societies? In what ways have scientists and engineers worked to control this process/product?
  • By the end of this unit, students will become an expert on one geological process and publish final projects.

• In Unit 3, a novel study uses mini lessons and shared/close reading of grade level novels to teach the literature standards and literary analysis. Students read from a leveled library of books in this genre and informational texts related to the genre. Teacher materials include a genre card with a list of questions and students are directed to read as many myths as possible and use the guide to discuss the stories and the cultures that created them. The culminating task is for students to create their own myth.

• In Unit 4, there is scaffolding of activities to build to the culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding, with a sequencing of questions that build toward an argument essay and formal debate or mock trial.
  • In Week 1 students select research topics
  • In Weeks 2-5 students answer research questions including, author's perspective and purpose, conflicting viewpoints, and Aristotle’s rhetoric.
  • In Week 5 students analyze argument mentor texts.
  • In Weeks 6-7 students draft, revise and edit and argument essay.
  • In Weeks 8-9 students publish and present an argument essay for a formal debate or mock trial.

The instructional materials for Grade 6 meet the expectations of materials providing multiple opportunities for students to practice their speaking and listening skills in concert with their practice in reading for understanding. Students are provided multiple opportunities to work with partners to have evidence-based discussion across the year.

The Literacy Lab Overview for Unit 1 indicates Speaking and Listening Standards are integrated across all four Units of Study. Page 14 of the Literacy Lab Overview for Unit 1 indicates that the Speaking and Listening Standards 1, 2 and 3 are integrated across all four units of study and page 15 of Literacy Lab Overview indicates Speaking and Listening Standards 4, 5, and 6 are integrated across all 4 units of study.

On page 50 of the Literacy Lab Overview is a 20-35 minutes daily Read/Write/Discuss Complex Text component. During this time there are options for a whole group, grade-level shared reading/writing or students can work in small groups/pairs to practice applying the day’s focus to the shared text or to writing.

Providing students opportunities to have evidence-based discussions is found on page 112 of the Literacy Lab Overview in Unit 1. The Accountable Talk section guides the teacher to have students share which books hooked them, which did not and why, using text evidence to support their opinions. During the Partner Share component, teachers are asked to model the partner share routine they expect students to participate in every day and to spend extra time establishing this routine. Teachers are guided to give explicit direction on how students can share appropriately (e.g., turn to face your partner, one person speaks at a time, active listening, etc.). Next, teachers are provided with a protocol for students to use when working with a partner.

In Unit 2, Geology, multiple lessons provide teachers with direction and opportunities to hone in on both content-specific vocabulary such as continents, crust, core, and Pangea and academic vocabulary, such as gradually, dense, and consistently.

On page 39 of the Geology Unit, students are assigned a partner to work with for this unit and are encouraged to partner share their prior knowledge about the topic. Definitions of accountable talk and evidence-based discussion are provided in materials. For this particular lesson, teachers are guided to teach/model the partner share routine expected for students to participate in every day and to spend extra time establishing this. ”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.” Teachers are guided to explain to students that “every day, you will talk with your peers about what you are reading, writing, and thinking.” The lesson for this day proceeds with a partner share and group share activity and a rubric is provided for reflection and accountability.

Sharing Out/Presentation of work/projects at the end of each unit are prevalent in these materials. For example, at the conclusion of the Geology Unit, teachers are guided to give students options for presentation/sharing. They may choose to share their expertise of research questions with their partners or as elaborate as creating a living history/science museum and inviting the community. In peer reviews, students ask to read each other’s stories, sign their names to a list of readers, and make one or two positive comments about the book. For evaluation/reflection teachers are guided to have students reflect on their own writing and score it using the Final Project Scoring Rubric and to think about their goals for the next project.

In Unit 3, World Mythology, on page 50 of the World Mythology Unit provides tips for conversations. These tips include Conversational Moves: Our conversation should deepen and extend our thinking about the topic.

• "I agree/disagree with ___ because..."
• "I think the author is trying to..."
• "I infer that ___ because..."
• "I noticed that..."
• "I can connect/relate to that because..."
• "I'd like to go back to what ___ said about..." "I wonder..."
• "Do you think that..."
• "The lesson we can learn is..."
• "I was confused when..."
• "I predict that..."
• "The main idea might be..."

The majority of conversation in week one of the Mythology Unit focuses on students sharing ideas for topics with one another. On day 5, the conversation shifts toward peer review in which students read their paragraph to their partner and the partner has to identify the author’s claim, evidence, and reasoning, tell one thing their partner did well in his/her argument and why, and one thing their partner could do to improve his/her argument and why? This type of accountable talk is ongoing throughout other weeks of this unit.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectations that materials support students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading (or read-aloud) and researching (shared projects) with relevant follow-up questions and supports. Students have multiple opportunities over the school year to demonstrate through speaking and listening what they are reading (or read aloud) and researching through text-dependent discussions in each unit. Students regularly engage with the teacher during a Read Aloud (listening) and with the teacher and peers in whole group discussions around the Read Aloud text.

Opportunities to talk and ask questions of peers and teachers about research, strategies, and ideas are present throughout the year. At the end of each unit, students demonstrate their learning through speaking and listening opportunities. Most lessons in the units provide opportunities for the teacher to pose questions and guide class discussion and opportunities for students to share with peers.

A daily component, as indicated on page 50 of the Literacy Lab Overview, is a discussion of complex texts. The materials provide teachers with guidance on accountable talk using partner share and group sharing guidelines. Teachers are given directions on how to model the routines for students to participate every day such as, “Teach/model the partner share routines you expect students to participate in everyday” and “Every day you will talk with your peers about what you are reading, writing, and thinking. Today, when you talk about what you read, please practice using this format.“ A practice rubric is included.

In Unit 2, students engage in a 1-minute partner share to share the day’s focus. Then students will engage in a Group Share/Debate answering the questions, “Who learned something important about this Research Question? Or Who found new information or a new perspective related to the issue/controversy we’ve discussed?” Other aspects of speaking and listening found within this unit include, but are not limited to:

• In Week 1, on Day 1, a 5 point response rubric will be used daily to guide students through their discussion of their reading, writing, and thinking.
• In Week 1, on Day 2, the 5 point response rubric will be used to guide the students to share their most interesting example of bias identified in their book.
• In Week 2, on Day 4, after completing Research Question #2 students share the central idea, supporting ideas, and key supporting details for each supporting ideas of one example of a text.
• In Week 4, on Day 2, a 6 point response rubric will be used to guide students’ writing to answer the prompt. What is a central idea of this text? How does the author use supporting details to develop this central idea? Student pairs share their responses and give feedback based on the rubric.

In Unit 4, students learn about argument. Aspects of speaking and listening found within this unit include, but are not limited to:

• In Week 1, on Day 2, students are introduced to Toulmin’s Argument Framework (claiming/evidence/reasoning), to practice and improve argument skills over the course of the unit.
• In Week 1, on Day 4, students present a book to evaluate and justify using for their research.
• In Week 2, on Day 5, students participate in Debate Games to practice constructing arguments that connect claims, evidence, and reasoning through oral debates.
• In Week 4, on Day 5, using the arguments students developed during Debate Games, they will use and categorize the evidence as an appeal to logos, ethos, or pathos to develop points for a mini-debate.

The instructional materials for Grade 6 meet the expectations that materials include a mix of on-demand and process, grade-appropriate writing (e.g., grade-appropriate revision and editing) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate. Most of the curriculum embeds a variety of writing types throughout the school year that includes a mix of both on-demand and process writing.

On-Demand Writing is included on a daily basis as students respond to prompts about what they are reading. Culminating writings are built from the daily writing prompts as students select which pieces to develop into longer essays. Included in materials are suggestions and guidance for multiple draft development for these longer essays. In the introductory materials of each unit there is a daily expectation that students write to text. Students are regularly writing to text and what they are reading/researching. The final writing/project in each unit is one that is taken through the phases of the writing process (drafting, revising, editing, and publishing).

Writing is a daily occurrence in the Literacy Lab. On the first day, students establish the purposes for writing. For example, teachers tell students, “For the next four weeks, you will write every day and share some part of what you’ve written with a partner. You will write fiction and nonfiction about yourself and about other things.” Students are asked to Write to Task/Prompt Goals such as, 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. The teacher’s guide directs the teacher to select argument and narrative prompts each week so that by the end of the unit, students have several pieces in each mode from which to select ones they would like to publish.

In Unit 2, Students keep a “writer’s notebook.” For example, on page 50 in the Genre Unit study in the teacher’s guides, the teacher is reminded to tell students to, “Stop periodically to remind them to write down what they are thinking, feeling, and wondering (and share with their partners when appropriate).” Then, immediately following, students are asked to share their writing with their peer and discuss it. The next day students move to a more formal style of writing as they respond to a prompt. “What about the setting will be most important to this book? Why? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.” Finally, at the end of each week in a genre unit, students write a constructed response. On page 75, students are asked to respond to this prompt: What is the most defining literary element in __(genre)__? Why? Use evidence from multiple texts to support your answer. The process from week one repeats for the first 4 weeks in the genre unit.

In Unit 3, the unit begins with students picking a research question from a card. Students spend the next six weeks answering the research questions. Students will then compile all of the constructed responses in order to write a final essay.

In Unit 4, students learn history content as they learn to make and evaluate proficient arguments. Students respond to weekly constructed responses and complete a research essay on a self-selected topic and chose something controversial regarding it and support their position.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectations for materials providing opportunities for students to address different text types of writing (year-long) that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Materials are organized around four units of study. There is a major emphasis on writing throughout all of these units of study and four different types of writing are emphasized in each unit which provides opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply four different genres/modes of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Students write expository essays, literary analysis, argumentative speech, narrative, and informative pieces.

Examples of different writing opportunities in the materials include:

• In Unit 1, Literacy Lab, students write narratives. In Week 5, students begin to review the narratives that they have written thus far and choose one to publish. They rework it scene by scene so that each scene plays its role in advancing the plot/communicating the theme(s). They spend week 5 revising and editing their narratives.

• In Unit 2, Geology, the focus of this unit is building informational knowledge around a topic and writing an informational book to demonstrate that knowledge. For example: Throughout this unit, students are given weekly Independent writing opportunities in which students review their reading and write their own notes related to the day’s Research Question on an informational text. Students work through graphic organizers, called FPO (final project organizer) throughout this unit and write an informational piece for their final project.

• In Unit 3, World Mythology, students will write four very short essays (constructed responses) and one longer literary essay analyzing multiple texts in this genre as well a write a short story/picture book in the genre. Lesson one states, “For the last four weeks, we have been reading, writing, and thinking about the __(genre)__ genre—specifically about themes in this genre. Now each of you has become expert enough to have something to contribute to the field of literary analysis. Over the next two weeks, you will each write an essay in which you make a claim based on a connection you’ve discovered between our Central Text and one of the texts in the genre you read independently.”

• In Unit 4, Africa, students will write a research-based argument essay. Each student engages in a carefully scaffolded, extended research project, taking a final written product in the selected genre through the entire writing process from note-making to publication.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectations for writing being embedded in every unit and every Day as students learn, practice, and apply using evidence from the texts they are reading either as a whole class or independently. The program addresses evidence-based and evidenced-supported writing in every unit.

In Unit 1, Literacy Lab, there are opportunities for students to write on a daily basis about what they are reading by using specific text evidence to support their ideas. Various graphic organizers are provided that help students organize their thoughts before the daily writing. During the Units of Study, students are expected to engage in Research Writing for 20-40 minutes based on the daily Independent Reading.

Unit 1 examples include:

• On page 49, Literacy Lab Overview Writing Goal: By the end of this Unit, students will have practiced writing in a variety of genres, both in response to text and writing like the authors they read.
• On page 60 of Week 1 Overview Writing: Students write daily. The teacher uses student writing as evidence and a feedback loop for assessing the success of literacy block instruction.
• On page 211, Write to Task/Prompt: Choose 1-3 prompts that relate to the reading work in some interesting way. Make sure to choose both Argument and Narrative prompts across the Weeks so that students have several pieces in each mode from which to select ones they’d like to publish.
• On page 239, Goal: Students generate multiple pieces in multiple modes from which they will select two to publish in Weeks 5 (narrative) and 6 (argument).

Unit 2: Geology Informational Writing Instructional Framework examples include:

• On page 20, Overview: Students practice reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence in order to produce a final written product demonstrating their expertise in both the Unit and their individual research topics.
• On page 39, Introduction: We are going to spend the next nine Weeks reading, writing, and talking about the big ideas in __(Unit)__. Each of you will pick one topic on which to become an expert. You will research this topic and write an informational book about it.
• By the end of this Unit, you will:
  • 1. Be an expert on __(Unit)__.
  • 2. Be an expert on your research topic.
  • 3. Write and publish an informational book on your topic.

Unit 3: Genre Instructional Writing Framework examples include:

• On page 35: We are going to spend the next nine Weeks becoming experts in __(genre)__. In this Unit, you will:

1. Read, analyze, and write about one novel in this genre with the class.
2. Read at least four novels in the genre on your own.
3. Write four constructed responses and one longer literary essay analyzing multiple texts in this genre.
4. Write and publish a short story/picture book in the genre.

• On page 128: In pairs, students use the “Factual Basis” graphic organizer to collect and analyze the factual basis for the Central Text.
• On page 200: Today, you will have a chance to demonstrate your understanding of how authors develop themes through the plot by writing a short essay in response to the following prompt: What is a central theme of our Core Novel? How is it conveyed by particular literary elements?

Unit 4: Argument Writing Instructional Framework examples include:

• On page 45: We are going to spend the next 2 weeks reading, writing, and arguing about the big ideas in __(Unit)___. Each of you will pick one topic on which to become an expert. You will research this topic and write a research-based argument essay about it. By the end of this Unit, you will
  1. Be an expert on __(Unit)__,
  2. Be an expert on your research topic,
  3. Find something controversial in your research topic, take a position on this issue, and make a well reasoned, well-researched argument supporting your position.
• Page 78 (Week 1, Day 4): Set a prompt in response to the text that provides students an opportunity to state a claim and support it with evidence and reasoning. Claim: There is/is not enough information in our Research Library to support my research on…, Evidence, Reasoning
• In Week 5: Argument Mentor Texts are used to prepare students to draft their essays next Week, select short argument text(s) to serve as mentor texts for analysis this Week. Introductory and culminating sections of informational texts, editorials, and transcripts of speeches can provide suitable examples of argument writing.
• The emphasis on ongoing constructed responses and research writing opportunities are focused around students’ analysis and claims developed from reading closely and writing with texts/sources. It is through the multiple writing to text opportunities that students are able to build their writing skills over the course of the school year. The students are required to make claims and reasons and discuss these before they write. All of the shorter writing times are used to decide what they want to write about in the longer research paper that is the culminating task for these units.

The four units provide students opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses and well-defended claims.