The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for having sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent/specific questions and tasks build to a culminating task that integrates skills (may be writing, speaking, or a combination).

Materials contain sets of text-dependent questions and activities which Learning Guides can utilize to support students with culminating tasks. While text-dependent questions are included, many text-dependent questions are surface level and do not build towards completion of the culminating task. Some units include a culminating unit task called a project that requires students to gather details or information to write a specific genre of writing at the end of the unit while other units include a writing task.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, students write an opinion-editorial, or op-ed. Students educate an audience on an issue, and then explain the students’ own opinion. The op-ed closes with a call to action for the audience. Students choose from the following topics: "Do animals such as your pets and those in zoos have rights? Should everyone in your community be required to recycle? Should you be able to choose if you want to go to school?" In the reading assignments, students study word choice, analyze graphics, and how authors organize ideas. In Unit 2, Lesson: Real Life Superheroes, Parts 1-9, students read Real Life Superheroes and find cause-effect relationships in the section of text regarding Rosa Parks. In part 4, students apply the learning by finding cause-effect relationships in the section on Thomas Barnardo and writing a two to three paragraph essay. Students consider the following questions while reading: “Why do you think the author chose the heading 'A New Venture' for the second paragraph on page 15? What are some hardships Thomas Barnardo experienced? Which part of the text tells you this?” In Unit 2, Lesson: The Road to Freedom, Parts 1-8, students are prepared to write the opinion section of their op-ed. While reading the text in Part 1, students consider the following questions: “Why do you think the writer chose a conversational tone for this text? Who is the narrator for this story? How does Emma being the narrator enhance the telling of her story? What event disrupts Emma’s parents’ plans to go north, and what inference can you make from Emma’s description of this event?
• In Unit 3, the project requires students to apply the knowledge they have gained from reading texts about space and the universe to write a science-fiction story with space/universe as the setting. The story must also include the student as the main character. Throughout the unit, students read narratives about the solar system and recent discoveries in space. Students answer text-dependent questions throughout the unit such as: "What do you think the main characters are like so far? What can you infer from these opening pages about the setting? How does the author help readers understand unfamiliar words? What is the purpose of the boldface terms like universe on p. 5? How do the illustrations help you understand the text?" For this project, students do not necessarily need to use texts from the unit to complete their science fiction story.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching (including presentation opportunities) with relevant follow-up questions and supports.

Students have opportunities in each lesson to share with the Learning Guide answers to questions, graphic organizers, and written pieces. A speaking and listening guide is available that provides the criteria for speaking and listening and suggestions for the Learning Guide. However, these suggestions are not directly linked, referenced, or modeled during lessons/lesson parts.

The materials contain some activities for students to engage in speaking and listening activities but do not provide many opportunities for follow-up questions, supports, or appropriate feedback from the Learning Guide. Questioning opportunities are provided between the student and Learning Guide, but do not provide opportunities for students to engage in peer conversations to develop answers unless there is more than one student together during the lesson. Additionally, there are few opportunities for students to build presentation skills.

• In Unit 1, Lesson: Finding the Theme in Night of the Spadefoot Toad, Part 3, students reflect on the topic in the story of new surroundings. They review a conversation between Frankie and Ben about new surroundings where Frankie reveals he’s moving in the summer. Students are asked to write answers to the following questions in their ELA Journal: “How does the conversation between Ben and his dad on page 179 relate to the topic of new surroundings? Why is this topic so important in the story? On page 188, why is Mrs. Kutcher surprised that Ben hasn’t finished his report about the desert? What does Ben say in response? How is Ben’s response connected to what happens on the bus? How do these conversations and events combine to reveal one of the book’s themes?” After completing the questions, students are asked to share them with their Learning Guide.
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Road to Freedom, Part 1, students read chapter 1 of the text, The Road to Freedom. After reading, students are asked to respond in the ELA Journal to the questions: “How does Emma being the narrator enhance the telling of her story? What event disrupts Emma’s parents’ plans to go north, and what inference can you make from Emma’s description of this event?" After students respond, they are directed to “discuss the answers with the Learning Guide.” The teaching notes provide the Learning Guide with details from the text that support the answers to the questions. No protocols, strategies, or follow-up questions are provided to support the discussion.
• In Unit 4, Lesson: Explore, Explore, Explorers, Part 4, students read pages 16-19 of the text, Explorers: Triumphs and Troubles. Students respond in the ELA Journal to the questions: “How were Pizarro and Orellana expeditions similar to and different from the journey of Cortes? Who was El Dorado, and why were the conquistadors looking for him? Why did Pizzaro split his group and send Orellana and others down the river? What did Orellana do after leaving Pizarro?" After students respond they are directed to “discuss them (questions) with your Learning Guide.” The teaching notes provided to the Learning Guide provide the details from the text that students should have referenced or included in their responses. No protocols, strategies, or follow-up questions are provided to support the discussion.

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for materials including explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context.

Materials include instruction of most grammar and conventions standards for the grade level. Although students learn about the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections, opportunities are missed for students to explain the function of each of these. Opportunities are missed for students to use verb tense to convey states and conditions and to recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense. In addition, opportunities are missed for students to use underlining, quotation marks or italics to indicate titles of works, to expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style or to compare and contrast the varieties of English used in stories, dramas, or poems.

Materials include limited instruction of grammar and conventions standards for the grade level. For example:

• Students have opportunities to explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Road to Freedom, Part 4, students learn about the function of prepositions and are provided a list of common prepositions. Students are given an explanation of prepositional phrases. Students are asked to use two prepositions in the above list to write sentences about Chapter 4 of The Road to Freedom and underline the prepositional phrases that were used.
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Road to Freedom, Part 4, students learn about the use and function of interjections. Students are given examples of common interjections: Hurray!, Wow!, Oh!, Oh no!, Hey!, Yum!, Yuck!, Uh-oh!, Ouch!, Aha!, and Psst! Students are also given examples of how an interjection can be followed by or follow another sentence that explains the context: "Hurray! We finally reached Canada!"
• In Unit 4, Lesson: Sail to the Americas, Part 2, students learn about the use and function of correlative conjunctions, examples are given in sample sentences. Students look at pages 74–75 of the text and write two sentences about the disagreements between Columbus and his crew. Students are asked to make sure each sentence should use one pair of correlative conjunctions and to read the sentences aloud to their Learning Guide.
• Students have opportunities to form and use the perfect verb tenses (e.g., I had walked, I have walked, I will have walked). For example:
• In Unit 1, Lesson: Washed Up!, Part 4, students learn about the use and function of the perfect tenses and examples. Students write sentences that use all three perfect tenses and underline the verbs that make up the perfect tense in each sentence.
• Students have opportunities to use verb tense to convey various times and sequences. Opportunities are missed for students to use verb tenses to convey various states, and conditions. For example:
• In Unit 1, Lesson: Rain Forest Food Chains, Part 2, students learn about the use and function of verb tense in showing the time an action happened and that there should sentences should contain verb agreement.
• Students have opportunities to recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense. For example:
• In Unit 3, Lesson: Jess and Layla’s Astronomical Assignment, Part 3, the materials state, “Verb tenses relate to the time an action in a sentence occurs. Unless you are talking about a sequence of events, your verbs should have the same, or consistent, tense throughout a piece of writing. Here the verb tense in both sentences is consistent. Both sentences are written in future tense. Astronomers will continue to study Neptune and Uranus. They will learn more and more about these planets from the data they collect. Here is another example of consistent verb tense. Both of the following sentences are written in past tense. Scientists once classified Pluto as a planet. Later, astronomers placed Pluto in a new category, dwarf planets. In your ELA Journal, write two sentences using consistent verb tense. Underline the verb and identify the verb tense you used."
• Students have opportunities to use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor). For example:
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Road to Freedom, Part 5, students learn about the use and function of correlative conjunctions and are given some common correlative conjunction pairs.
• Students have opportunities to use punctuation to separate items in a series. For example:
• In Unit 2, Lesson: Real-Life Superheroes, Part 7, students learn about the use and function of commas in a series. Students are given an example from the text: "The police arrested, fingerprinted, and jailed Rosa Parks." Students are also given an example that includes three adjectives: "Rosa Parks believed that the practice of segregation was not reasonable, necessary, or fair." Students then write two sentences answering these questions with a list of three things: "What are the most interesting items you see in your room? What are your favorite weekend activities?" Students are reminded to use commas after each item and before the conjunction that precedes the last item.
• Students have opportunities to use a comma to set off the words yes and no, to set off a tag question from the rest of the sentence, and to indicate direct address. For example:
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Great Migration, Part 2, students learn about the use and function of commas when they are used at the beginning of a sentence that begins with an introductory words, phrases, or clauses.
• Students have opportunities to spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed. For example:
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Great Migration, Part 1, students notice words that end in the suffix -ous while they read. Students write the words outrage, fury, prestige, mystery, and nerve and add the suffix -ous to each. Students check the spelling and meaning of each word in a dictionary. Students then write a sentence using each new word.

Materials include opportunities for students to demonstrate application of skills both in- and out-of-context. For example:

• In Unit 4, Lesson: Exploring Text Structure and Relationships of Ideas, Part 4, students learn about the function and use of prepositional phrases and compound objects. Students identify the prepositional phrases and compound objects in given sentences. Students are then asked to write two sentences about the journeys of two explorers from the text that include a prepositional phrase with a compound object.

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for materials, questions, and tasks address grade-level CCSS for foundational skills by providing explicit instruction and assessment in phonics and word recognition that demonstrate a research-based progression.

Materials provide instruction of irregularly spelled words, syllabication patterns, and word recognition consistently over the course of the year and instruction of word solving approaches (e.g., graphophonic and syntactic) to decode unfamiliar words. However, there are missed opportunities for explicit instruction in word analysis skills and word solving approaches (e.g., graphophonic and syntactic) to decode unfamiliar words. Also, students are provided limited opportunity to apply skills in guided practice or to demonstrate proficient use of the skill. There are no direct assessments of word analysis skills.

Materials contain limited explicit instruction of irregularly spelled words, syllabication patterns, and word recognition consistently over the course of the year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Lesson: Can Ben Find a Home in His New Home?, Part 2, includes a “more to explore” card on using the suffix -ly. Materials state, “The root word for slowly is the adjective slow. You can add -ly to many adjectives to make an adverb. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Slowly is an adverb that tells you how Ben pronounced the word 'Sonoran.’” Students are instructed to fill in sentence frames by changing the given adverb into an adjective, identifying the word the adverb describes, and telling what the new adverb means. There is not an indication of if this is to be done orally or in writing. Teacher notes provide answers.
• In Unit 1, Lesson: Finding the Theme of Night of the Spadefoot Toads, Part 2, students are instructed, “Look at the word central on p. 164 of Night of the Spadefoot Toads. Write central in your ELA Journal and underline cent. Cent is a Latin root meaning 'center.' How does the meaning of cent help you figure out what central means? Look at other words with Latin roots: terrarium on p. 21, library on p. 109 and incredible on p. 139. What are the Latin roots? What is the meaning of each? Look the words up in a dictionary. Write your answers in your ELA Journal. Then, use each of the four words in a sentence of your own.” Teacher notes explain the meaning of the roots that the student is covering and instruct Learning Guides to check sentences the student has written for accuracy.
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Great Migration, Part 1, students learn about the suffix -ous. The word courageous is used to explain that words with the suffix -ous normally describe qualities that someone or something has. Then students write the words outrage, fury, prestige, mystery, and nerve, add the suffix -ous to each, and check the spelling and meaning of each word in a dictionary. Students write a sentence using each new word.
• In Unit 3, Lesson: George’s Secret Key to the Universe, Part 5, students learn about the endings -s, -ed, -ing. The materials explain that adding endings can alter a base verb’s spelling. Spotted and wriggling are used as examples. Students are directed to notice the change in the base word: “When the endings were added, the t of spot was doubled and the e in wiggle was omitted.” Students write the words moved, moving, shaking, and believed and explain how the base word’s spelling changed in each word.
• In Unit 4, Lesson: Let’s Explore Explorers!, Part 2, materials state, “A morpheme can be a root word, a prefix, or a suffix. For example, in the word foreigner, both the root foreign and the suffix -er are morphemes. Foreign means 'born in or belonging to another place,' and -er mean 'one that is.' Together, foreigner means ‘one who is born in or belongs to another place.’ When you add a suffix to a root word, you are combining morphemes. Sometimes you can just add the suffix to the end of the root word. That’s what happens with foreigner. Other times, you may have to drop a final letter or two from the root word before adding the suffix. You might even have to change one letter to another.” Students are instructed to find four words that consist of a root word morpheme and a suffix morpheme and “write (1) the word, (2) the morphemes in the word, (3) the meaning of each morpheme, (4) the meaning of the word made from the morphemes, and (5) any spelling rule or change that had to be followed to add the suffix to the base word.” Teacher notes provide sample answers.

Limited assessment opportunities are provided over the course of the year to inform instructional adjustments of phonics and word recognition to help students make progress toward mastery. For example,

• In Unit 3, Lesson: Our Mysterious Universe, Part 4, the materials contain a link to a game “Pack up the Skills” with instructions to practice Greek and Latin roots in Module B, Zone 3 of the game. The link however connects with Module A that has three games available or “zones.” Zone 1 is focuses on prefixes and has students sort words based on the meaning of the prefix in the word. They have a time limit to sort their words into the column that matches the prefix definition and click submit with immediate feedback on accuracy provided. Zone 2 is the same game but with suffixes.

Materials lack explicit instruction of word solving strategies (e.g., graphophonic and syntactic) to decode unfamiliar words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Lesson: Can Ben Find a Home in His New Home?, Part 4, the materials state, “Good readers stop to figure out the meanings of words they have not seen before. What can you do when you read a new word? Here are some things to try: Look closely at the word. Can you break in into parts? Look for clues on the page. A detail might help you figure out the word’s meaning. Look in a dictionary.” Students are instructed to find the word deflated in their text, break it into syllables, and look for clues as to what the word means. They then look up the meaning in the dictionary, write the definition, and write two sentences with the word. Teacher notes state to check sentences for accuracy.
• In Unit 3, Lesson: Jess and Layla’s Astronomical Assignment, Part 5, the students explore how synonyms help them understand unfamiliar words. Materials state, “As you read narrative text, you may read words that you have not seen or heard before. One strategy for understanding a new word it to look for its synonym in a thesaurus. A synonym is a word that means the same thing. Look up each of the vocabulary words below in a thesaurus. Compare the word to its synonyms. How is each word similar or different from its synonyms?”
• In Unit 4, Lesson: Let’s Explore Explorers!, Part 2, students learn about morphemes and spelling patterns. The materials explain that “the smallest unit of language that has meaning is called a morpheme. A morpheme can be a root word, a prefix, or a suffix. For example, in the word foreigner, both the root foreign and the suffix -er are morphemes. Foreign means 'born in or belonging to another place,' and -er mean 'one that is.' Together, foreigner means 'one who is born in or belongs to another place.'" Students are asked to "write (1) the word, (2) the morphemes in the word, (3) the meaning of each morpheme, (4) the meaning of the word made from the morphemes, and (5) any spelling rule or change that had to be followed to add the suffix to the base word."
• In Unit 4, Lesson: Looking Beyond the Horizon, Part 5, the students learn about spelling words that include ti, ci and -ous correctly. The materials explain how these combinations sound in words: Making the /sh/ sound in impatient, condition, facial, and vicious; making the / ǝs / sound in wondrous and barbarous.
  Students are directed to pronounce each of the words. They then scan the text to find at least three other words with the ti, ci, and -ous spelling patterns that make these sounds. Students write them in their ELA Journal, circling the letters that make the /sh/ or /ǝs/ sound and then read them to the Learning Guide. For more practice with these spelling patterns students can play the Packing Up Skills Game.

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for materials, lessons, and questions provide instruction in and practice of word analysis skills in a research-based progression in connected text and tasks.

Materials provide opportunities for the students to learn, practice, and apply word analysis skills in connected texts and tasks. However, opportunities are missed for students to receive explicit instruction in word analysis skills. Additionally, materials contain no evidence of students being assessed in their ability to apply word analysis skills.

Limited and varied opportunities are provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to learn, practice, and apply word analysis skills in connected texts and tasks. For example:

• In Unit 1, Lesson: Finding the Theme of Night of the Spadefoot Toads, Part 2, students learn about how Greek and Latin roots help to figure out the meaning of a word. Students are directed to the text to identify Latin roots in four words, determine the meaning of the word, and then look the word up in the dictionary. Students are to use each of the four words in a sentence of their own.
• In Unit 1, Lesson: Living Wild Among Skyscrapers, Part 2, students learn about and use the suffixes -tion and -ion. The materials explain that -tion and -ion make verbs into nouns. Students are directed to look at the base word and suffix to determine the meaning of the word. Students then look for words in the text with the suffix -tion or -ion, write them in their ELA Journal, determine a meaning, and discuss this with their Learning Guide. Students then are given the following words: construction, location, and protection. They are expected to pronounce and define the words, then correctly determine the suffix for each word in your ELA Journal and discuss the answers with their Learning Guide.
• In Unit 2, Lesson: Comparing Texts about Heroes, Part 6, the materials state, “In the book ‘Operation Clean Sweep’, the words yanked and pulling were used in sentences on p. 68. The words yank and pull have shades of meaning, or similar meanings. Using a dictionary and context clues, decide how the meanings of the words are similar and different. Write sentences in your ELA Journal that show the differences in the meanings of yank and pull. Now, use a dictionary to identify the shades of meaning in these word pairs: small/tiny, dirty/filthy, and great/astounding. Write sentences that show the shades of meaning.”

Materials do not include word analysis assessment to monitor student learning of word analysis skills.

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for instructional opportunities are frequently built into the materials for students to practice and achieve reading fluency in oral and silent reading, that is, to read on-level prose and poetry with accuracy, rate appropriate to the text, and expression.

Materials include opportunities in each unit and each sub-unit for students to read grade-level text for purpose and understanding. However, opportunities are missed for students to use context to confirm a word or self-correct through rereading. Additionally, opportunities are limited to assess students ability to read accurately, with appropriate rate, or with appropriate expression.

Limited opportunities are provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to demonstrate sufficient accuracy and fluency in oral and silent reading.

• Students have limited opportunities to read grade-level text with purpose and understanding. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
  
• In Unit 1, Lesson: Living Wild Among Skyscrapers, Part 1, students read grade-level nonfiction narrative to determine the main idea and supporting key details.
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Road to Freedom, Part 1, students read The Road to Freedom to determine the theme.
• In Unit 3, Lesson: Jess and Layla’s Astronomical Assignment, Part 1, students read Jess and Layla’s Astronomical Assignment and answer the following questions: "What do you think the main characters are like so far? What can you infer from these opening pages about the setting?"
• In Unit 4, Lesson: Let’s Explore Explorers!, Part 2, students read Explorers: Triumphs and Troubles to analyze cause and effect relationships.

Materials lack support in reading of prose and poetry with attention to rate, accuracy, and expression, as well as direction for students to apply reading skills when productive struggle is necessary.

• Students have limited opportunities to read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. For example:
• In Unit 2, Lesson: Comparing Texts about Heroes, Part 1, students are instructed to read a poem called “Harriet Tubman.” Materials state, “As you read ‘Harriet Tubman,’ think about these questions: How does the poet use structure and form in the poem? How does the form help express the theme? How is the structure of the language different from standard English? How does the poem’s use of repetition emphasize the theme? Now, read 'Harriet Tubman,' in the Text Collection, Unit 2, Poems. When you are done, write the answers to the questions. Then, discuss them with your Learning Guide.” Teacher notes state, “The poem is written in five four-line stanzas, with a one-line stanza as the final line. The main stanzas follow an ABCB rhyme scheme. Lines like ‘Harriet Tubman didn’t take no stuff’ show Tubman’s strength, and the strong rhythm helps emphasize that strength, the theme of the poem. The language used in the poem is very casual and sometimes sounds like the dialect of the American South. The repetition emphasizes Tubman’s fierce personality and her lack of fear.”

Materials no not include support for students’ fluency development of reading skills (e.g., self-correction of word recognition and/or for understanding, focus on rereading) over the course of the year (to get to the end of the grade-level band).

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with limited information of students’ current fluency skills and provide teachers with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery of fluency.

• In Unit 1, Lesson: Can Ben Find a Home in His New Home?, Part 1, the teacher notes state, “While your student is reading, assess his or her fluency. Reading at an appropriate rate is reading not too fast, not too slow. It keeps listeners interested. Have your student follow along as you read the first one to two pages of Night of the Spadefoot Toad aloud at an appropriate rate from. Then, have your student read the next two pages aloud at an appropriate rate.”
• In Unit 3, Lesson: Jess and Layla’s Astronomical Assignment, Part 1, the teacher notes instruct, “While your student is reading, assess his or her fluency. Explain that reading accurately means pronouncing all the words correctly and also reading without adding, changing, or leaving out words. Reading accurately helps a listener follow a story. Have your student follow along as you model reading aloud accurately from p. 7 of Jess and Layla’s Astronomical Assignment. Then, have your student read, focusing on accuracy as they read aloud another portion of the text.”
• In Unit 3, Lesson: Finding Theme in the Astronomical Assignment, Part 1, the teacher notes instruct, “While your student is reading, assess his or her fluency. Explain that reading with expression means using your voice to express the feeling and meaning of the words. It helps a listener stay interested in a story and understand how characters feel."