4th Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2b.

Materials include anchor texts with accompanying Mini-Lessons in which students discuss and write their answers to text- dependent questions or tasks that address word choice, text structure, academic and figurative language, main ideas, and key details of the text. Within the Mini-Lesson students frequently hold Constructive Conversations which include text-based prompts. Daily lessons, close-reading texts, and the student e-Notebook include opportunities for students to respond to questions. Strategies and Skills incorporate the language of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Most questions and tasks fully align to the Strategies and Skills and correlated standard, while other questions and tasks partially align to the correlated standard.

For most texts, students analyze key ideas and details (according to grade-level standards). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, the Strategies and Skills page of the Teacher Resource System indicates that students will learn about explaining events or ideas in a text within a problem/solution structured text. For example:

  • In Week 2, Lesson 4, students read “The State Government and Its Citizens” by Lisa Simone. Students practice identifying key details to determine the main idea. The teacher briefly models this, referring to the Determine the Main Idea anchor chart. Students then practice the skill with a partner to complete a graphic organizer for a section of the text. 

  • In Week 2, Lesson 8, students close read “The State Government and Its Citizens” by Lisa Simone and discuss their responses to the following Constructive Conversation prompt: “Reread paragraph 2. Explain how the Constitution helped solve the problem of states needing help with issues that affect only the people in a particular state.” During independent time, students write a response to the first Apply Understanding question, which refers to a sidebar in the text: “Reread the passage from The Federalist written by James Madison. What problem did the Constitution solve by giving the power to declare war to the federal government and not to the states? Make an inference as to why this power was given to the federal government.”

• In Unit 8, the Strategies and Skills page of the Teacher Resource System indicates that students will refer to details and examples in the texts to draw inferences and summarize the text.  Although students identify key details and summarize texts, students do not “[d]etermine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details,” as required by the standards. For example:

  • In Week 2, Lesson 4, students summarize the nonfiction text Volcanoes by Brett Kelly. During the Constructive Conversation, students work with a partner on the following task: “Reread the section “Inside Earth” and the diagram and caption on page 13. Identify and underline key details about volcanoes. Discuss the key details you underlined and then write a summary of the section in the margin of your text. Summarize in your own words.” During Apply Understanding, students independently read paragraphs 8–9 of “A Famous Eruption,” annotate key details, and write a summary of the section.

For most texts, students analyze craft and structure (according to grade-level standards). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, the Strategies and Skills page of the Teacher Resource System indicates that students will use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words.  For example: 

  • In Week 1, Lesson 12, students read “Dorothy Meets the Scarecrow ''a brief excerpt from The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical (music by Charlie Smalls, book by William F. Brown). The teacher models understanding how words in a text signal emotion, actions, or states of being: “Reread paragraphs 2 and 4. Use context clues to identify and explain the differences between the words ‘gazed’ (paragraph two) and ‘looking’ and ‘see’ (paragraph four).” During Guided Practice, students “[r]eread paragraphs 4 and 14 [and use] context clues to identify and explain the differences between the words ‘surprised’ (paragraph 4) and ‘puzzled’ (paragraph 14).” The mini- lesson concludes with a Turn and Talk, during which students “[i]dentify the words and phrases the author uses in paragraph 4 to reveal that while a living scarecrow is unusual, the one Dorothy and Toto meet doesn’t frighten them.” During independent work, students write a response to the following Apply Understanding question: “What is a connection to other texts or to real life that you made as you read ‘How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow’? Which details helped you make the connection?” This question does not connect to the lesson focus or correlated standard that addresses determining the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text.  

• In Unit 9, the Strategies and Skills page of the Teacher Resource System indicates that students will describe the overall structure of events in a text (cause/ effect).  For example:

  • In Week 1, Lesson 4, students reread the text Seattle: Up and Down—and Up Again by Alexandra Hansom-Harding. During the Constructive Conversation section, students use text structure to help develop an answer to the following  question: “What caused Seattle’s economy to grow over the years? Cite specific cause/effect text structures you used to develop your answer.”  Students share with the class how identifying and understanding cause/effect text structure helped them understand why and how Seattle’s economy grew.  During the Apply Understanding section of the lesson, students write a paragraph identifying one economic cycle and explain how it impacted Seattle. Students should cite one related cause and effect in their response.

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2c.

Materials provide opportunities for students to answer questions that support knowledge building. Each instructional day includes a reading mini-lesson designed to build content knowledge and practice literacy skills and strategies using the anchor texts. Each week, the student e-book also includes a Build Knowledge Across Texts question in which students respond to a prompt to synthesize information or analyze multiple texts. The majority of questions included in the Constructive Conversation, Apply Understanding, and Build Knowledge sections require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas within individual texts, as well as across multiple texts. Questions connect to topics or themes and texts for each unit, allowing for analysis through discussion and writing tasks. Materials provide questions and prompts in direct teaching mini-lessons, small group or paired tasks, and independent work time. 

Most sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, the Strategies and Skills introduction in the Teacher Resource Systems indicates that students will interpret information presented visually:  sidebars, charts, and photos. For example:

  • In Week 1, Lesson 7, students practice interpreting information presented visually and quantitatively in a text. The short read text is “Solving Problems” by Lisa Benjamin, a text which includes pictures with captions, a sidebar, and a pie chart. After a brief teacher model, students use the Annotate, Pair, Share method to “[r]eread paragraph 2 as well as the sidebar, ‘Helping After Irma.’ Identify information in the sidebar that connects to information in the text. Underline the related details in both places.” Then, students participate in a Turn and Talk about one of the following questions: 

    • “According to the information in the text, sidebar, and pie chart, which branches of government contributed to repair hurricane damage like that shown in the photo on page 5?” 

    • “How did the text and text features of ‘Solving Problems’ add to your understanding of the ways that all levels of government provide services that promote the well‑being of society?”

During independent work, students answer this Apply Understanding question, “What is the important information in the sidebar ‘Helping After Irma’ on page 4? Cite the important details you found and explain how you distinguished them from unimportant information.” This question does not support students “explain[ing] how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears,” as required by the standards. 

• In Unit 9, the Strategies and Skills introduction in the Teacher Resource Systems indicates that students will explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support points in a text. For example:

  • In Week 2, Lesson 10, students read “Natural Resources and Workers” by Alexandra Hanson-Harding and examine how an author uses evidence to support an author’s position. Students work with a partner to “evaluate how well the author supports her claim that Texas lost total control of the oil industry starting in the 1930s. Cite specific reasons and evidence in your answer.” Then students complete a Turn and Talk to answer the following question: “The author makes the point that the state of Texas was ‘forever changed’ when oil was struck at Spindletop in 1901. How have the economy and communities in Texas been influenced and shaped by the resources discovered there?” Finally, students independently respond to the following prompt: “Evaluate how well the author supports her claim that Florida’s climate brought resources, jobs, and businesses to the state. Cite specific evidence and reasons in your answer.”

Most sets of questions and tasks provide opportunities to analyze across multiple texts as well as within single texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• In Unit 2, the Strategies and Skills introduction in the Teacher Resource Systems indicates that students will compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes in stories. Although students compare and contrast the characters and structure of the texts, students do not “[c]ompare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures,” as required by the standards. For example:

  • In Week 1, students read two versions of the same story: “Dorothy Meets the Scarecrow, ''a dramatic script excerpt from The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical (music by Charlie Smalls, book by William F. Brown), and a prose excerpt from the original book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. After reading both texts, students complete two writing tasks to analyze across both texts. Students respond to the following prompts: 

    • “Short Read 1 and Short Read 2 both feature Dorothy and the Scarecrow. How do the play and the story present the characters differently? Cite text evidence to support your answer.” 

    • “Think about the play format. Compare the excerpt from The Wiz to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. How does a dramatic script differ from traditional prose? Write down two ways.”

• In Unit 10, the Strategies and Skills introduction in the Teacher Resource Systems indicates that students will integrate information from two texts to speak knowledgeably on a topic. For example:

  • In Week 2, Lesson 12, students closely read “Power Restored in India” by Abby Leiberman and “The Power of Electricity” by Katie Furgang, two texts that include descriptions of blackouts that occurred almost 50 years apart. After closely reading, students search for similarities and differences in the causes and effects and use what was learned to synthesize information. 

  • In Week 3, Lesson 9, students integrate ideas in the texts “Benjamin Franklin: The Dawn of Electrical Technology” by Laura McDonald and “Two Forgotten Electrical Inventors” by Alexandra Hanson-Harding. Students engage in a discussion to answer the following question: “How would our world be different without the contributions of Benjamin Franklin, Nikola Tesla, and Hertha Marks Ayrton? Integrate evidence from ‘Benjamin Franklin: The Dawn of Electrical Technology’ and ‘Two Forgotten Electrical Inventors’ to support your ideas.” Then students work independently when responding to the question, “What qualities does a person need to make important scientific discoveries? Integrate evidence from the lives of Benjamin Franklin, Nikola Tesla, and Hertha Marks Ayrton to support your ideas.” 

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2d.

All units conclude with a culminating activity based on the unit’s Essential Questions that develops throughout the unit. Students learn about a topic or theme that is integrated throughout close readings and knowledge building texts; however, access to knowledge building texts cannot be ensured for all students as these readings occur during small group instruction. Most culminating tasks involve multiple literacy skills; however, the tasks follow a standard format that does not vary across the year. The format includes holding a Constructive Conversation about the central topic/essential question and completing a Write to Demonstration Knowledge task, which entails responding to each Enduring Understanding in the unit. The culminating task, conversations, and writing take place across the last two days of the unit. Students begin planning their culminating task product during a mini-lesson; however, students are typically expected to complete the task for homework or during independent time. On the last day, students hold a Constructive Conversation about the unit topic during the whole group time, and then complete the Write to Demonstrate Knowledge independently. 

Culminating tasks are evident across the year and multifaceted, requiring students to demonstrate mastery of several different standards (reading, writing, speaking, listening) at the appropriate grade level, and comprehension and knowledge of a topic or topics through integrated skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, Week 3, students begin working on their culminating task product which is writing a short plan to solve a community problem by choosing a level of government to help. Materials provide a model paragraph about keeping a park trail clean for student use. The Build Toward a Culminating Task section in Lesson 10 includes this question, “What levels of government do you think should solve your community problem? Why?” For independent work and homework, students complete their plan. In Lesson 14, students complete the remaining culminating task activities, including holding a Constructive Conversation about the essential question and what they learned about government and influence in daily life. During independent time, students complete the Write to Demonstrate Knowledge portion of the task on each Enduring Understanding listed for the unit. As students write a response in their e-notebook for each understanding, the directions for the task prompt students to use the texts they have read and the research they have done for their Research and Inquiry Projects. 

• In Unit 6, Week 1, students complete the first step of their culminating task, which is to “write a plan to overcome challenges.” Students engage in a discussion about the challenges the characters faced in the week’s reading selections and how each story presented the challenges. Then students identify the challenges, determine if they were real challenges, and list two of the challenges that real people might face. Materials provide a Choose Challenges to Write a Plan strategy for students needing more support. In Week 2, Lesson 14, students discuss the challenges Hercules faced and how the human challenges are presented differently in another text. Students then look over the reading selection and write down qualities that helped the characters overcome the challenges. In Week 5, Lesson 10, students discuss what made this week’s reading selection a quest, how the selections presented positive and negative traits, and how this compares to the Hercules quest. Then students think about the qualities that helped the characters overcome challenges and choose one trait to focus on. Students complete the tasks for homework. Directions for the task include creating a step-by-step plan on how the focused character trait can help to overcome challenges. Students must include the trait and how it is helpful and describe a challenge that this trait would help overcome. Students use the Blueprint and text annotations in the unit wrap-up. 

• In Unit 10, Week 1, students complete the first step of their culminating task, which is to “create a questionnaire.” Students engage in a discussion about the massive blackout in India and how “Benjamin Franklin used science to change the way people thought in the 1700s.” Then, students identify three questions they might ask people about electricity. might face. Materials provide an Ask Questions About Electricity strategy for students needing more support. In Week 2, Lesson 14, students discuss why people need electricity, ways to convert electricity, and Fujimura’s ideas from the week’s reading selections. Then students think about not having electricity and brainstorm two or three questions about how people might deal with no electricity. In Week 3, Lesson 10, students discuss Hertha Marks Aryton and her “contribution to the field of electricity,” including the AC current. Then, students brainstorm and write two questions about inventors in the field of electricity. Students complete the task for homework. Directions for the task include narrowing down their questions, creating a questionnaire in an easily usable format, and giving it to three to four people. Students use the Blueprint, text annotations, and questionnaire in their economic choice to complete the unit wrap-up.

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2e.

Materials include writing instruction aligned to grade-level standards, including explicit writing instruction and application opportunities aligned to the distribution of writing text types called for in the Standards. Writing mini-lessons occur daily for at least 15 minutes depending on the instructional time block used. Each unit focuses on writing in response to text-based prompts or process writing. The program uses a repetitive instructional process, rubrics, and protocols for all writing across grade levels. In addition to mentor texts, materials provide instructional resources for teacher use such as anchor charts, writing checklists, modeling scripts, and potential  student responses. 

Materials include writing instruction that aligns to the standards for the grade level and supports students’ growth in writing skills over the course of the school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Materials include a K–6 year-long writing plan in the Program Support Guide. This one-page plan provides a brief overview of each unit writing focus, the Research and Inquiry Project, and on-demand opportunities in the reading materials. The Program Support Guide also includes a Skills Scope and Sequence that indicates which writing types students will focus on each week.

• Writing instruction follows a repetitive process. During Week 1, the teacher and students analyze a mentor writing text, and the teacher models various skills. Although short writing mini-lessons include teacher modeling and guided practice, the lessons do not embed time for students to write, peer review, revise, and publish work. Students are expected to complete these tasks during independent time. During Week 2, the teacher continues modeling skills students will need as they begin planning and drafting a writing product. During Week 3, students finalize, revise, and publish their work. While materials provide rubrics for peer and teacher evaluation, these rubrics are the same across all grades.

• The distribution of writing modes required by the standards is as follows: 30/35/35 opinion/informative or explanatory/narrative writing. Materials reflect an approximate 28/36/36 balance. Each unit focuses on one type of writing. 

  • In Unit 1, there are 15 lessons on informative/explanatory writing, leading students to use facts and evidence to plan, draft, revise, and edit informative essays on a prompt related to observing nature.

  • In Unit 2, there are 15 lessons on opinion writing, leading students to state opinions about characters and support their opinions with evidence from the text.

  • In Unit 3, there are 15 lessons on informative/explanatory writing, leading students to write an informative/explanatory essay on a topic related to government.

  • In Unit 4, there are 15 lessons on narrative writing, leading students to write their own narratives.

  • In Unit 5, there are 15 lessons on opinion writing, leading students to write an opinion essay on a technology related issue. 

  • In Unit 6, there are 15 lessons on writing to text based prompts: informative/explanatory, opinion, and narrative writing.  

  • In Unit 7, there are 15 lessons on narrative writing, leading students to write a narrative.

  • In Unit 8, there are 15 lessons on research writing, in which students choose a topic related to Earth Science, select sources, and plan, draft, revise, and edit texts, incorporating facts and details from the sources. 

  • In Unit 9, there are 15 lessons in which students conduct research, create a multimedia presentation, and present it to their peers.  

  • In Unit 10, there are 15 lessons on poetry writing. In which students study mentor poetry and draft, revise, and edit their own poems.  

Instructional materials include a variety of well-designed guidance, protocols, models, and support for teachers to implement and monitor students’ writing development. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Each unit provides daily mini-lessons for writing which include teacher modeling supports, anchor charts, writing checklists, mentor writing prompts and source texts, strategies, graphic organizers, and additional instructional materials. Materials follow a similar design, lesson template, pacing structure, and protocol list across Grades 3–6. The mini-lessons occur daily but recommend short time frames for instruction. Lesson language and expectations for writing are similar across all grades. For example: In Unit 5, the additional materials include an opinion essay writing checklist, a two-column chart, a sources checklist, a note-taking chart, and a rubric.  

• Each Unit Assessment includes a 4-Point Assessments rubric. The rubric is consistent across all the writing tasks, with only the type of writing changing. For example, the rubric for the informative/explanatory essay is listed below. The rubric for the opinion essay is exactly the same with the exception of the change in writing type from “informative/explanatory” to “opinion.”

  • “It is clearly organized and effectively incorporates details from sources.

  • It has all of the features of informative/explanatory writing. 

  • The writer follows rules of grammar and sentence structure.

  • The writer follows conventions of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2f.

Materials include both short embedded research tasks and longer research projects. At the end of each unit, students have the opportunity to complete a three-week Research and Inquiry Project for the first four units and a six-week project in the remaining six units. Research projects follow six steps: Choose, Explore, Interpret, Create, Present, and Reflect. Materials include explicit instruction on a progression of research skills according to grade-level standards. The research tasks and research projects are not embedded in the instructional plan for the daily lessons. Recommendations for incorporating the projects in the curriculum include using small group/independent time, homework, and other content time such as the science or social studies instructional block. Some units include shorter embedded research tasks, such as researching topics for writing and evaluating sources, that usually connect to the unit’s writing tasks.  

Research projects are sequenced across a school year to include a progression of research skills that build to mastery of the grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Students recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Guidance for the Research and Inquiry Projects for each task includes six mini-lessons focused on the following topics: Choose, Explore, Interpret, Create, Present, and Reflect.  

    • Step 1: Choose: The focus of this mini lesson is on choosing a topic.   The teacher introduces the project, sets a purpose, guides topic choice, introduces the Research and Inquiry Project Tool, sends off, and wraps up.  

    • Step 2: Explore: The focus of this mini lesson is on students generating questions and gathering sources. The teacher sets a purpose, guides question design and source selection, sends off, and wraps up.  

    • Step 3: Interpret: The focus of this mini lesson is on researching and taking notes. The teacher sets a purpose, guides research and fact gathering, sends off, and wraps up.  

    • Step 4: Create: The focus of this mini lesson is on designing and constructing the research project. The teacher sets a purpose, guides design and creation, sends off, and wraps up.

    • Step 5: Present: The focus of this mini lesson is on sharing and building knowledge together. The teacher sets a purpose, guides preparing and presenting, sends off, and wraps up.

    • Step 6: Reflect: The focus of this mini lesson is on assessing and self-reflecting. The teacher sets a purpose, guides self-assessment and self-reflection, sends off, and wraps up. These six steps are repeated for each of the Research and Inquiry Projects completed with little variation, other than the topic. For example:

      • In Unit 1, the research project is to create a field guide entry by researching something in nature, gathering facts, creating and designing a field guide entry, presenting their project, and then reflecting. In Mini Lesson 2, the teacher models generating questions and exploring sources. The teacher guides question design and source selection during a think aloud using the Question, Search, and Decide strategy. This strategy “helps design guiding questions, search for reliable and trustworthy sources, and choose which sources will be most useful.” First, the teacher chooses a sentence step and adds the topic. Next, the teacher confirms this guiding question does not have a yes/no answer. The teacher then models searching through the sources available with the guiding questions in mind, choosing sources they think will be useful. Finally, the teacher models narrowing the sources by reviewing the sources with the guiding questions in mind and picking two sources they think will best help answer the guiding questions. In Mini Lesson 3, the teacher models researching and taking notes during a think aloud using the Read, Interpret, Jot strategy.  The teacher models reading a source, thinking about whether the information helps answer the guiding question, and writing down the information if it fits the guiding question.  

    • In Unit 4, the research project is to create a project that includes facts and details about an animal that appears in and at least two visual displays. In Mini Lesson 2, the teacher models generating questions and exploring sources. The teacher guides question design and source selection during a think aloud using the Question, Search, and Decide strategy. This strategy “helps design guiding questions, search for reliable and trustworthy sources, and choose which sources will be most useful.” First, the teacher chooses a sentence step and adds the topic. Next, the teacher confirms this guiding question does not have a yes/no answer. The teacher then models searching through the sources available with the guiding questions in mind, choosing sources they think will be useful. Finally, the teacher models narrowing the sources by reviewing the sources with the guiding questions in mind and picking two sources they think will best help answer the guiding questions. In Mini Lesson 3, the teacher models researching and taking notes during a think aloud using the Read, Interpret, Jot, Categorize strategy. The teacher models reading a source, thinking about whether the information helps answer the guiding question, writing down the information if it fits the guiding question, and sorting the facts and details into the appropriate categories.   

    • In Units 9–10, the research project is to create a multi-media report on a chosen city of the world. In Mini Lesson 2, the teacher models generating questions and exploring sources. The teacher guides question design and source selection during a think aloud using the Question, Search, List, and Decide strategy. First, the teacher chooses a sentence step and adds the topic. Next, the teacher confirms this guiding question does not have a yes/no answer. The teacher then models searching through the sources available with the guiding questions in mind, choosing sources they think will be useful. After that, the teacher models listing the available sources and including needed information for citations. Finally, the teacher models narrowing the sources by reviewing the sources with the guiding questions in mind and picking two sources they think will best help answer the guiding questions. In Mini Lesson 3, the teacher models researching and taking notes during a think aloud using the Read, Interpret, Jot, Categorize strategy. The teacher models reading a source, thinking about whether the information helps answer the guiding question, writing down the information if it fits the guiding question, and sorting the facts and details into the appropriate categories. In Mini Lesson 4, the teacher models designing and constructing the research project using the read, create, list strategy. As part of the list section, the teacher models citing sources by making a list of the print and digital sources listed. 

Materials support teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge of different aspects of a topic. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Each unit contains a Knowledge Blueprint in which the students gather information related to the Enduring Understandings for the unit. While reading each text, the students add information to the Blueprint. The information added to the Blueprint builds over the course of each three-week unit, allowing students to build knowledge on the unit topic from various sources. The Blueprint also contains critical vocabulary that is used and referenced various times throughout the unit.

• The Research and Inquiry Projects include the following teacher supports:

  • Research and Inquiry Project Tool for students to complete as they plan their project. The teacher can use the tool to focus students on the research step they are on. The tool can be interactive; the teacher can write notes or reminders to students during the project. The teacher can also use the tool to assess students at the end of the research project.

  • Strategy bank tools that explain the various strategies included in the mini lessons, such as Talk, Jot, Choose; Question, Search, Decide; Read, Interpret, Jot; Read, Design, and Create; Plan, Present, and Ask; an Question, Remember, Jot

  • Addressing the needs of multilingual learners

  • Making time for research and inquiry

  • How to group students:  Flexible grouping to promote learning

  • Using the Research and Inquiry Project Tool to support and assess students

• In Unit 3, Week 1, the teacher conducts a mini-lesson on evaluating online sources. Materials include a script to support the teacher with modeling how to evaluate sources. The script directs the teacher to display the Sources Checklist and go over the vocabulary of the chart; terms include expert, reliable, and up-to-date. The teacher explains that an expert would have knowledge about the topic; sites from a government, education, and nonprofits would likely be reliable; and the most current material will also most likely be reliable. 

Materials provide opportunities for students to synthesize and analyze content tied to the texts under study as a part of the research process. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Students conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Unit 5, Week 1, students write an explanatory essay about an opinion related to the area of science or technology. In Lesson 3, students begin their research by brainstorming topics. Teachers guide the brainstorming session by giving students the Opinion Essay Writing Checklist Topic anchor chart. This anchor chart provides students with a checklist as they research and write their essays. In Lesson 6, students find and evaluate sources to use for their research.  In Lesson 9, students take notes from online sources.   In Lesson 11, students take information from their note taking chart and plan how to organize this information in their opinion essay planning guide.  In Week 2, Lesson 6, students incorporate their research into their essay to support their opinion.  In Week 3, Lesson 13, students complete their opinion essay.  

  • In Unit 7, Week 1, students begin research in order to write a historical fiction piece. In Lesson 6, students brainstorm possible time periods for their writing. The teacher models the brainstorming process by displaying a three-column chart with the headings Time Period, Story Ideas, and What Readers Might Learn. In Lesson 9, students work independently with sources to “...flesh out the setting of their stories with accurate historical details.”  In Lesson 11, students organize information from their research.  In Week 3, Lesson 13, students complete their writing piece.  

• Students draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, students write an explanatory essay in which they describe the appearance and behavior of woodpeckers, based on relevant facts and details from “A Bird’s Free Lunch” and “The World of Woodpeckers.” In Week 1, Lesson 6, students use the two texts to find facts and details related to the topic.

  • In Unit 8, Week 1, Lesson 9, students engage in a lesson on how to take notes from a print source. Teachers display a Modeling Research Notes Chart and then models finding relevant information from a credible source and then how to correctly write a direct quote and paraphrasing notes. Students then engage in guided practice and during independent time they begin collecting notes on their topic. In Lesson 9, students engage in a lesson on how to take those notes and organize them for their research project. Teachers model by using a Planning Guide and saying, “ Let’s look again at some of the notes I took for my research project. I want to present my information in the order that makes it easiest to understand. As I arrange my notes, I’m going to identify where each fact should go in my essay. My second note addresses what a blizzard is. That’s good information for an introduction, so I’ll place that information first. My third note also describes something about blizzards, so I’ll put that one next. That leaves my note that tells a story about a blizzard in Iran.” Students engage in guided practice and then in their independent time they begin to organize and plan with their notes.

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2g.

Materials include instruction, questions and tasks, and assessments aligned to grade-level standards. Students have opportunities to answer questions about illustrations, plot, and characters. Students practice activities such as comparing and contrasting charts, retelling details, and answering standards-aligned questions about texts. At times, students focus on comprehension strategies that may not align to standards. Although the reformatted Correlation of Benchmark Advance to the Common Core Standards chart illustrates when standards repeat across the year, it is unclear which learning target aligns to the instructional content and questions and tasks within each lesson. 

Over the course of each unit, the majority of instruction is aligned to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• All Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are taught in the school year according to the reformatted Correlation of Benchmark Advance to the Common Core Standards chart. Materials use general learning goals rather than CCSS, which sometimes focus on skills that are implied within the standards. It is unclear which portions of the lesson align to the learning goals listed.       

  • In Unit 1, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 4, during the Model portion of the lesson, the teacher reads paragraphs 1–7 of “Starting Off” by Eddy Harris and creates a three-column chart with the headings Paragraphs, Key Details, and Main Idea. The teacher models how to distinguish between relevant and less relevant details. The teacher states the main idea and explains how the details support it. During the next lesson, the teacher models summarizing the text. This instruction aligns to RI.4.2: “Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.”

  • In Unit 5, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 1, after using the Define/Example/Ask routine to introduce words from the text, “Rise of the Drones” by Dang Nguyen, the teacher introduces the purpose of the lesson: “For an argument to be valid, or logical, a writer must back up claims with evidence. Today we will read two sides of an argument and evaluate whether the writers have included important information that is on-topic and supports and develops a position.” Students read and annotate the text and hold a brief conversation with a partner about important and unimportant details from the text. The teacher models a fix-up strategy: read more slowly and think about the words. The fix-up strategy does not align to a grade-level standard. 

  • In Unit 7, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 5, the teacher models how to identify compare and contrast text structure. While modeling how to respond to the practice task, the teacher circles signal words in “Rail Tycoons” by ___ that help them understand the chronology. The teacher also circles the word Despite, as it “signals that a contrast will follow” the paragraph’s first sentence. The teacher identifies comparisons and contrasts throughout the text. This instruction aligns to RI.4.5: “Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.”  

Over the course of each unit, the majority of questions and tasks are aligned to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Questions and tasks are mostly aligned to the skills addressed in each of the lessons. While many of the skills support the standards, not all skills are standards-aligned. Students typically answer one or two leading questions during the lesson and two to three questions independently per core text. Questions are not labeled according to the standards and teachers would have to determine the alignment on their own.

  • In Unit 1, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 12, during Guided Practice, students explain  how similes and metaphors contribute to meaning while reading portions of “The Reeds and the River” by Cao Wenxuan, translated from the Chinese by Helen Wang. Students use the Why Do You Think That protocol while working with a partner to respond to the following prompt: “Reread paragraph 5 to identify and analyze another example of figurative language. What two things does the author compare? Does he use a simile or a metaphor, and how do you know?” This task is aligned to L.4.5a: “Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.”

  • In Unit 4, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 14, students have a constructive conversation. They use the questions in the “Real-World Perspectives:Constructive Conversation” section on page 30 of Understanding Different Points of View to have the conversation in a small group. They need to share and clarify their ideas, and build upon the ideas of others. This task is aligned to SL.4.1: “Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

  • In Unit 9, Build-Reflect-Write, under Apply Understanding, students answer the question, “Think about the mental images you made of Cesar Chavez as you read What two adjectives would you use to describe him? Cite text evidence to support your choices.” This question does not align with grade-level standards.

Over the course of each unit, the majority of assessment questions are aligned to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Teacher materials include a Weekly and Unit Assessment tab that includes the print version of three assessments for each unit. Materials also provide an Answer Key and Item Rationales document that indicates the DOK level, standard alignment for each assessment question, and rationales for correct and incorrect answers. Occasionally, the standard listed does not fully align to the assessment question. 

  • In Unit 3, Week 1, Assessment, students read a short informational text about keeping restaurant kitchens safe. Question Three is a two-part multiple choice question aligned to RI.4.1 and RI.4.5. Part A asks “What overall structure does the author use to organize information in this passage?” and Part B asks “Which sentence from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?” Part A of the assessment question aligns to RI.4.5: “Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.” Part B of the assessment question aligns to RI.4.1: “Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.”

  • In Unit 10, Unit Assessment, students read two short passages and answer multiple-choice, short answer, and longer response writing items including, but not limited to:

    • “How would electric trucks change shipping in the United States, and how would electric race cars change car racing? Write two or three sentences to explain. Use details from both passages to support your answer. (DOK 3, RI.4.9)” This assessment question aligns to RI.4.9: “Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.”

    • “Write a cinquain poem about a form of transportation or any other interesting subject. Be sure to follow the format of a cinquain. Also use vivid adjectives and strong verbs to describe your subject. (DOK 4, W.4.3)” This assessment question does not align to W.4.3: “Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.”

By the end of the academic year, standards are repeatedly addressed within and across units to ensure students master the full intent of the standard. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• RL.4.2 is taught in Units 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8 according to the reformatted correlation chart: “Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.”

  • In Unit 2, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 4, students summarize a text. The teacher models how to summarize a drama by summarizing the introduction through page four. During guided practice, students work in pairs to “Read the text from where Dorothy asks ‘What do you want brains for?’ on page 4 to the end. Underline story details, and then summarize that portion of the text. What conflict is resolved in this part of the text? What is the theme?” During independent time, students summarize a previously read text. 

  • In Unit 4, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 4, during Guided Practice: Annotate, Pair, Share, students read and annotate paragraphs 5–9 of “Ready to Race” by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Students look for and summarize key events. Then, students “write a theme based on details in their summaries and the summary [they] created during modeling.”

  • In Unit 8, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 12, students reread stanzas 2–4 in “Negotiations with a Volcano” by Naomi Shihab Nye and “underline clues that support the poem’s theme.” While in their partner groups, students discuss their annotations and “reflect on how this poem adds to their understanding of how Earth’s natural processes impact people’s lives.” While students determine the theme of the poem, they do not summarize the text. 

• RI.4.4 is taught in Units 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 according to the reformatted correlation chart: “Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.”  

  • In Unit 3, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 2, students chorally read paragraphs 36–39. The teacher pauses the choral reading, points to the word apparently, and models how to use context clues to define the word. The teacher reminds students to use their “knowledge of common word parts, such as vowel‑r syllables, and context clues to sound out and determine the meanings of unfamiliar words as they read this week.”

  • In Unit 7, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 4, students use context clues to determine the meaning of domain-specific words. During a Constructive Conversation, students “[r]eread paragraphs 6–7 of ‘The Chinese Railroad Workers.’ Identify and annotate context clues that help you determine the meaning of the words roadbed and blaster. Identify whether the context clues are restatements or definitions.” During independent time, students use context clues to determine the meaning of the words testifying, exclusion, and banned. 

  • In Unit 10, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 12, during Constructive Conversation, students “[r]eread paragraphs 3–6 of ‘Benjamin Franklin: The Dawn of Electrical Technology,’ [by Laura McDonald] and annotate the context clues that help [them] determine the meaning of the words conducted, hypothesis, and spark.” Afterwards, students use the context clues to write definitions of the words and check their definitions using a dictionary.