4th Grade - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria that materials contain sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts.

The materials are coherently sequenced, with lesson parts connecting with previous learning. There is clear articulation of how work with previous texts, tasks, and skills relates to new learning. The materials include questions and tasks with most texts requiring students to analyze language, key details, craft, and structure. Most lesson parts allow for in-depth analysis for some aspects of language, key details, craft, and structure. Most lessons include question types that help students build understanding, and integrate ideas and knowledge across several days. Students utilize graphic organizers and an English Language Arts journal to analyze the text. Questions are sequenced from basic to more text-based and varied in type. Many of these skills are developed through the instructional tasks included in the PLUS format (Project, Learn, Use, Show) for each unit. Each unit and/or part requires a different analysis of the language, structure, story elements, and craft, yet ample amount of practice is built into the program and cyclical planning ensures that concepts are introduced, taught, and then practiced at a higher level later in the unit or in another unit.

The following series of daily tasks and question sets exemplifies a coherent and connected sequence:

• In Unit 1, Lesson: What’s Wrong with the Porpoises?, Part 1, students are asked to think about what problems the characters need to solve and answer the following question: “What details in the story, including pictures, help identify this problem?” The text structure of problem/solution is noted and students completed a Web Graphic organizer to break down the problem in the story. Later in Part 1, students connect the work with problem/solution text structure to build understanding of how details built into their writing can inform readers and help keep their attention. The materials state, “In reading Porpoises in Peril, you’ve noticed details that help explain the story. Some details told you about the characters, like animal-loving Reggie. Other details explained more about the problem. Noticing how authors present details will help you find effective ways of including details in your own writing.”
• In Unit 1, Lesson: What's Wrong with the Porpoises?, Part 2, students use details to go deeper in their understanding of characters. Directions state, “Last time, you used details in Porpoises in Peril to learn about the problem the Science Squad has to solve. This time, you will use details to learn more about the characters. Good readers pay attention to details about characters so they fully understand why characters do and say the things they do. Look at what the characters say, what they think, and what they do. All of these details are clues about what a character is like and how he or she is affecting the story.” These coherently sequenced questions help build students’ understanding.
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Story of How the Sea Became Salty, Part 2, the materials state, “In the last part, you used text details from the story to describe the setting. In this part, you will use details and examples to talk about the text.”
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Story of How the Sea Became Salty, Part 3, the materials state, “In the last part, you used details and examples to talk about the text. In this session, you will use dialogue to compare and contrast points of view in the story.”
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Story of How the Sea Became Salty, Part 5, the materials state, “In the last part, you found the theme of Why the Sea is Salty. Now, you’re going to read a story called The Lion’s Whiskers. You will write about the theme of the story.”

Evidence of the analysis of language, key ideas and details, craft, and structure include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Lesson: Understanding the Structure of Porpoises in Peril, Part 1, students are asked to pay attention to the order of events. This text structure is important in order for students to understand the events that occur in narrative texts. The materials state, “In Lesson 1, you spent a lot of time thinking about the details in Porpoises in Peril. Those details told you about characters and helped you understand the problem in the story. This time, you’re going to keep reading about the Science Squad. Their investigation is about to heat up! As you start the second half of Chapter 3, pay attention to the order of events. This order is called the sequence of events. Often, the author will leave you clue words to show you when a new event takes place. These words include first, next, then, and meanwhile. Events are one of the essential elements of a story, along with character and setting. To know what happens to the characters in a story, readers must pay attention to the sequence of events. Which events in this part of the story happen at the same time? Which details let you know this?How do the illustrations help you understand the sequence of events?” As students continue reading, they use a Sequence Chart to help them track the sequence of events.
• In Unit 1, Lesson: Understanding the Structure of Porpoises in Peril, Part 3, students learn why it is important to note author’s word choice: “Last time the Science Squad made a huge discovery. The group identified what was making the porpoises sick: Drake Darkly’s mining project. You learned this through the events in the story. This time, you will examine the author’s word choice. Look at how she describes actions and people. Pay attention to the words the characters say. Good readers pay attention to author’s word choice because it helps them more fully understand point of view and tone. As you read, use sticky notes to mark any words that stick out to you. They can be descriptive words or parts of dialogue. An author’s word choices can tell you a lot about the action in a story. Word choices affect the tone of what is happening in a story. An author chooses words carefully to make a story feel exciting, scary, serious, funny, and many other ways."
• In Unit 2, Lesson: The Story of How the Sea Became Salty, Part 3, students locate the following sentence: “The boy put his basket of salt in his father’s small boat.” On page 22 in Why the Sea is Salty, students are directed to the pronoun his and how this pronoun tells the reader the story is written in third person. Students are asked to explain how the sentence be different if the boy were telling the story.
• Unit 2, Lesson: The Story of How the Sea Became Salty, Part 4, students read chapter 7-8 in Why the Sea is Salty and respond to the questions: “Why was it written?; How do the events in these chapters help you answer the question, Why is the sea salty?” Students read to determine theme by answering the following questions: “How do the illustrations on pages 32-33 show what it was like for the giant when the ants crawled on the foot? What does the dialogue on page 33 tell you about the giant? What does this outcome suggest is the theme of the story?”
• In Unit 3, Lesson: Earthquakes!, Part 2, students use the text Earthquakes pages 10-13 to determine which details are most important by answering the following questions in the English Language Arts journal: "What key detail explains why most earthquakes in the United States occur in California? How does the map on page 12 help explain where most of the world’s earthquakes happen?"
• In Unit 4, Lesson: It will Poggle Your Mind, Part 2, students use the text The Tale of Two Poggles to understand how authors use word choice to help readers understand the details in the story. Students are tasked with reading Chapter 3 and answering the questions: "Why does the author choose the word grimmer to describe the inside of the factory? How does the author’s word choice add emphasis to other important details? Find three other examples."
• In Unit 4, Lesson: How Do Story Elements Connect in Lunch Money?, Part 4, students read the text Lunch Money and answer the following questions in the English Language Arts journal: “What new ideas about Maura are introduced through Mr. Z? Can you find details or text evidence to support Mr. Z’s ideas? From this, what can you infer or conclude about Mr. Z?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria that materials contain a year long, cohesive plan of writing instruction and tasks which support students in building and communicating substantive understanding of topics and texts.

At the beginning of each unit, background knowledge for content and writing skill areas is embedded into the first select lessons. As the unit continues, selected texts, writing tasks, writing stamina, and any projects increase in length and complexity. The learning guide gradually releases responsibility to students; from modeling and full support to independent completion with scaffolded support. Students demonstrate this understanding through a variety of instructional tasks within the PLUS structure (Project, Show, Use, Learn).

Throughout the units, students have multiple opportunities to respond using text-based evidence to support their answers. Students respond in their ELA Journals, through discussion with their learning guide, show their learning via interactive online tasks, and complete culminating projects that encompass a unit’s worth of knowledge. Students participate in shorter writing tasks and have opportunities to go back to the writing tasks to revise by adding content or incorporating the skill they are learning (e.g., description). In multiple units throughout, the smaller writing tasks are pieces of the culminating project. Each unit has an assessment or culminating task that at some point would have required interaction from all four literacy domains (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).

According to the Support Services document, “Instead of providing ancillary materials for Learning Guides, Calvert provides customers access to highly-trained, certified professional educators for any questions or needs that arise from the curriculum! Education Counselors have considerable experience in the classroom and are extensively trained on the curriculum. The Advisory Teaching Service (ATS) is an optional service that may be purchased from Calvert that enhances the services offered by education counselors.”

Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, TV’s Newest Reporter, students follow several steps to research and write a news report project that includes choosing one of these topics on which to report: "Climate change and its impact on the activities people do in summer and winter. Destruction of the rainforest, causing some plants and animals to go extinct. or The impact of recycling on the environment, such as keeping trash out of local bodies of water or the oceans."

Students develop a research question to narrow the topic, gather information to answer a research question, plan the report by organizing findings, write, revise, and edit the report, adding visuals that support the report. Finally, they deliver their report.

The final report needs to include: information based on research in at least five relevant, reliable sources; a well-organized report with a strong beginning, a well-developed body, and a strong end that includes clear explanation of scientific concepts and plentiful details; evidence of revision and editing to ensure that the report is effectively organized, uses precise language and domain-specific vocabulary, and is free of errors; at least one clear and effective visual that supports the information in the report; and delivery of the report that shows you speaking clearly, loud enough to be heard, with expression, and eye contact with the audience. Additionally during this unit, students also receive explicit instruction in summarizing and practice this skill in several lessons.

• In Unit 2, Lesson: How the Sea Became Salty, Part 1: Students write an opening paragraph for their own narrative. Students refer to Chapters 1 and 2 from the text Why the Sea is Salty to see a model of how a narrator tells events in a natural sequence. Students are directed to think about the guiding questions: “Where and when will my story take place? Who are the characters? What is the plot, or sequence of events?” to help develop their opening paragraph. In Part 2, students write a brief narrative that should involve an experience with nature. Students are directed to add details and dialogue in their narrative. In Part 3, students write a scene for the narrative that includes dialogue between two characters. The dialogue should reflect the situation the characters are in; show the unique, or special, traits of each character; show the relationship of the characters; an should help move the plot along.
• In Unit 2, Lesson: Fiction and Fact, Parts 1-5, students work on an opinion essay stating which of the two sections in Three Native Nations they found more interesting. Students begin the opinion writing in part 1, by writing the introduction, remembering to include the topic and a clearly stated opinion. In Part 2, students develop the main idea paragraphs which include supporting details. In Part 3, students analyze a visual that supports the main idea and opinion. Students add a paragraph to their writing that explains how the visual support the opinion. In Parts 4-5, students work on finalizing the opinion writing by checking for specific details that support the opinion, interesting sentences, strong and precise word choice, organization, and an impactful conclusion that stays with the reader.
• In Unit 3, Now Hear Me Out, students write an opinion-editorial for a newspaper. Students research an issue, choosing among the three following topics: "Should our community help people who are affected by a natural disaster? At what age should students be allowed to have social media accounts? How much time should students spend on tablets and smartphones?" Students then write a few paragraphs that explain what the issue is about. They form an opinion on the issue and write an opinion editorial that includes a call to action. A call to action encourages people to do something based on the opinion shared. Students have the option to submit their opinion editorial to a local newspaper. As the unit progresses, students practice other short writing exercises connected to a specific skill. They also build skills connected to the opinion-editorial project. For example, in Volcanic Eruptions, Part 3, students learn about paragraph writing and write an informative paragraph explaining what a volcanologist does. In Studying Volcanoes, Part 3, students write a draft about what life is like living in the shadow of a volcano. The task is to fully develop the topic so readers understand it. Students learn to present facts, definitions, and concrete details about the topic. They can also use quotations to help develop the topic in an interesting way.
• In Unit 4, Lesson: Everything You Wanted to Know About Money, Parts1-5: Students write an opinion essay in response to the question: “Which money system is better, the modern money system or ancient systems of bartering?" Students use the text from the lesson as information that can support their opinion. Within each lesson part, students are working on a part of the opinion essay. Each part of the essay directly relates to the work students are doing with the text during direct reading instruction and practice. For the opinion essay, students need to include an opinion statement that includes at least two or three reasons for the opinion with each reason supported with details from the text. Students should also include a strong introduction that directly states the opinion that engages the reader and a strong conclusion that restates the main argument and summarizes the reasons for their opinion.
• In Unit 4, Lesson: What Goes Into a Narrative, Parts 1-5, students write a personal narrative from beginning to end. In Part 1, students use descriptive details to write a narrative scene involving two characters trying to solve a problem. Students are tasked with brainstorming details about the characters and creating an outline of events in the story. Students will write two paragraphs describing a scene in the English Language Arts Journal. In Part 2, students read the text Lunch Money and complete a web graphic organizer to analyze the characters more deeply through the words and actions. Students write about an experience beginning with a prewrite using a Sequence Chart to put events in order and, then choose the transition words. Students’ narratives will include: a clear sequence of events that tell the story in the correct order, making sure to use transition words to show that order, the use descriptive details to clearly show the people involved and what happened. In Part 3, students practice making good word choices while writing a narrative about two characters who compete to sell a similar product, like Maura and Greg from the text Lunch Money. Students will begin with a brainstorm to determine characters, product, and setting including at least one interesting word choice, figurative language, or sensory detail that applies to each of the two characters and the product. Once the two paragraph prewrite is complete, students will write a draft. In Part 4, students write a sequel to Lunch Money in one or two paragraphs making sure to include the two main characters Greg and Maura. In the sequel, the characters will come into conflict when they share different opinions on what they want the new product to be. Students will complete a T-chart of the characters feelings during the pre-write process and then write a draft of the scene. In Part 5, students complete an assessment to apply the learning from the lessons by reading short book and analyze how the author uses dialogue to reveal characters’ responses to events or other characters and to develop events in the story.

The materials for Grade 4 meet the expectations for materials providing a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

The materials provide some ideas for independent reading. The Before You Begin section states there is a reading log. The lessons provide scaffolding opportunities to help foster independent reading. Guidance is provided through the teaching notes. The Before You Begin section says that the students will be reading two to three books per week outside their class texts.

The LEARN Card activities as students are encouraged and reminded to read books independently, while noting the titles of the books read in their Reading Log. In the Getting Started portion of the platform, the following information is provided for students:

“You should be working to read at least 2–3 books per week in addition to the books in your ELA course. Your Reading Log is a great way to see how much you have read and the kinds of books you enjoy reading. To create your Reading Log, make a table that contains the book’s title, author, number of pages, and the dates you were reading the book. Remember to keep your Reading Log up to date all year long, since you will refer to it in some of your lessons. To find texts to read outside of your classwork, you can use independent reading resources, or visit your local library and ask your librarian”.

Information about Independent Reading expectations is found in the “Before You Begin” portion at the beginning of the school year. Calvert suggests 30 minutes of independent reading per day of instruction. The Learning Guide is at liberty to decide when students actively engage in Independent Reading throughout the day.

Students are asked to keep a Reading Log as noted in the “Before You Begin” section. It is suggested that students read on average two to three books per week above and beyond curriculum expected materials and texts. A link is provided for the Learning Guide to assist in helping students find independent reading books at their level. The resource that is provided includes Lexile bands that are appropriate for each grade level and a listing of retail stores and online platforms to find books. No specific mention of titles is provided, only a list of suggested guidelines to support the Learning Guide.

In the “Before You Begin” materials, there is a section dedicated to “Reading Log.” Within this section there is a hyperlink to a document titled, “Independent Reading Resource.” This document is intended for the Learning Guide. It provides directives about text selection, a table with Lexile bands, and links to websites for book lists. Students are directed at different times during the units to apply a standard/skill they have learned during instruction to their independent reading. Students then complete self-selected reading and record their progress in their reading log. The Learning Guide has flexibility to have students read texts independently. Therefore, it would be up to the discretion of the Learning Guide, not the design of the curriculum. Teachers are provided limited instruction on how to support reader independence. Directives for both student and Learning Guide are repetitive. There is no pattern or routine to when students are given directives towards independent reading and the reading log.

• In the Getting Started Section of each unit students can access the protocols in the Independent Reading Resources Link under the Reading Log section. Criteria for independent reading selections is provided as well as the quantitative complexity measures for each grade level. This section also contains several resources containing reading lists and a Lexile website where Learning Guides can obtain quantitative complexity of a text. The materials state:
  
• "Texts are comprehended by your student while reading independently (or comprehended when read aloud to emergent readers)
• Encompass a wide breadth of topics, genres, formats, and challenges
• Include both fiction and nonfiction texts
• Be of interest to your student and allow him or her to explore new areas of interest
• Strive to meet quantitative complexity requirements for your student’s grade band"

Students are tasked with reading at least two to three books per week in addition to the books in the ELA course. Students create the Reading Log, make a table that contains the book’s title, author, number of pages, and the dates. Students are tasked with keeping the Reading Log up to date all year long, since it will be referred to it in some of lessons.

• In Unit 1, Lesson: What’s Wrong with the Porpoises?, Part 6, during independent reading outside of class students are tasked with thinking about the words the author chooses in the text and answering the question: "Why does the author choose one particular word and not a synonym that has a slightly different meaning?" Students are reminded to write the titles of books read in the Reading Log.
• In Unit 1, Lesson: Mary Anning: The Girl Who Cracked Open the World, Part 4, students are tasked with paying careful attention to how authors use domain-specific language. Students think about how authors introduce new terms and concepts. They may use text features, clear definitions, context clues, or examples. Students are asked, "How do these approaches help readers understand new words?" Students write the titles of books in the Reading Log.
• In Unit 1, Lesson: Structures and Details, Part 4, students are tasked with reading some fiction and some nonfiction so there is variety in what is being read. Good readers seek variety in order to appreciate many different ideas and points of view. Students write about why certain topics interest the student and write the reasons in the Reading Log.
• In Unit 2, Lesson: How the Stars Fell into the Sky, Part 5: In the section titled, Reading Log, students are reminded that when they read for fun, they can think about the words that an author uses and chooses. Students are provided the guiding question: “What does the choice tell you about the author’s message?” In the teaching notes for the Learning Guide, they are reminded to have students share the books they are reading independently and to encourage the student(s) to talk about word choice.
• Unit 2, Lesson: A Tall Tale of the Old West, Part 5: In the section titled, Reading Log students are reminded that they have been thinking a lot about figurative language. Students are directed to look for figurative language in their independent reading. Guiding questions include: "What do the similes and metaphors that they use mean? How do they make the story come alive? What feelings do they give you?" In the teaching notes for the Learning Guide, they are reminded to have students share the books they are reading and to encourage students to share the figurative language that was memorable or meaningful.
• In Unit 3, Lesson: Studying Volcanoes, Part 3, students are tasked with focusing on descriptive details that appeal to the sense in this text while reading independently in a student chosen book. Students keep an eye out for details that the author uses that help the reader see, feel, hear, taste, or smell parts of the scene being described. Students are asked, “How do these details make the writing come alive?” Students write the titles of books in the Reading Log.
• In Unit 3, Lesson: Earthquakes! Part 5, students are tasked with concentrating on details that the author puts into a story. Students are asked: “How does he or she describe the setting of a story? What clues can the reader get about what might happen from the way the author describes a town or a home?” Students write the titles in the Reading Log.
• In Unit 4, Lesson: How Do Story Elements Connect in Lunch Money?, Part 3, students are asked to note how characters, plot, and setting all interact within the chapters they have read in Lunch Money. Students are asked the following questions: “How does the introduction of Mr. Z suggest that he will be an important character in the story? What is the main point made about him in this introduction? How are Greg and Maura’s conversations in the math class in Chapter 7, at the nurse’s office, and in the math room in Chapter 8 affected by those two settings? How does the setting affect what Greg tells the nurse about how he got hurt? How is Maura affected by the setting over this event? How does Greg and Maura’s relationship change in these conversations?”
• In Unit 4, Lesson: All the News from Coyote School, Part 1: students are tasked with analyzing and reflect on story elements. Students are asked to consider the following questions as they read: “Describe the setting of “Gold.” What animals, colors, land, and weather are described? How is the setting for Coyote School News like the setting for “Gold?” Look at the specific descriptive words and at the pictures used What details in the story help you describe the Ramirez family?.” The teaching notes provide the following guidance for the Learning Guide to support fluency in student reading: “While your student is reading, assess his or her fluency. Explain that prosody is the patterns of rhythm and sounds found most typically in poetry. Reading for prosody means using the rhythm of words and the punctuation of lines of poetry to guide the reader to find complete units of meaning. If there is no punctuation at the end of a line of poetry, the reader should continue reading without pause. Model reading for prosody using the first stanza of “Gold.” Then, have your student read the rest of the poem aloud, showing similar awareness of the poem’s structure and rhythm.”