8th Grade - Gateway 2

The Grade 8 materials are connected by and organized into modules with grade-level appropriate topics. At the beginning of each module, guiding questions and big ideas are presented to thematically tie anchor and up to eleven supporting texts together. The texts build knowledge and vocabulary; they provide opportunities to comprehend complex texts across a school year. Academic and domain-specific vocabulary are introduced at the beginning of some lessons. Related narrative and expository texts are placed together to encourage students to make meaning of the texts; a variety of text types related to the topic are presented to build knowledge. Several nonfiction and fiction texts are used in reading, writing, speaking, and listening learning experiences. Differentiated supplemental texts, supports, and extensions provide learners at multiple levels with independent reading opportunities. 

Examples of how modules are organized around a topic include:

• In Module 1, students read texts about Latin American folklore. The anchor text, Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, and supplemental texts support students to apply knowledge in various ways including answering Guiding Questions such as: “Why do we see evidence of myths and traditional stories in modern narratives? How and why can we modernize myths and traditional stories to be meaningful to today’s audiences?” Students also examine figurative language in the text. In Unit 1, Lesson 2, academic vocabulary terms gist and determine are introduced.

• In Module 2, students read texts about food choices and its impact on personal health and the environment. The anchor text, The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and supporting texts build knowledge about the topic. Guiding Questions include the following: “Where does our food come from? How do we analyze arguments about how food should be grown and processed?” In Unit 2, Lesson 2, students are introduced to the academic term, credibility, and the domain-specific vocabulary term, search terms.

• In Module 3, students read texts about the history and impact of the Holocaust. The anchor text is a graphic novel, Maus by Art Spiegelman, and supplemental texts allow students to reflect on their learning and demonstrate their knowledge in a small group discussion and presentation. In Unit 1, Lesson 2, domain-specific terms about graphic novels are introduced: graphic novel, panel, and speech bubble.

• In Module 4, students read texts about the history and effects of Japanese American internment. The anchor text, Farewell to Manzanar by James D. and Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, and a supplemental text help students answer the following Guiding Questions: “What were the causes and impacts of Japanese American internment camps? How can people effectively apply the lessons of internment to their own communities?” In Unit 3, Lesson 1, students are introduced to the academic vocabulary term, annotate.

Throughout the year, students analyze the structure, language, point of view, and characters of anchor texts in order to determine theme and central idea. The skills are practiced in various activities that include reading, writing, speaking, and listening and are embedded in students’ work through discussions, activities such as Language Dives, and collaborative anchor charts in the student workbook. Tasks are logically organized and increase in complexity over the course of a module and year. The materials place emphasis on comparison and synthesis of ideas, particularly providing opportunities to compare and contrast the ideas and concepts in the supplemental materials to the anchor texts.

Examples of questions and tasks include, but are not limited to: 

• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 5, students read an excerpt from Latin American Story Finder and complete a chart with a series of questions that address the following key ideas and details: “What is the central idea of this text? How does the author develop this idea?” The chart offers scaffolding by providing three main ideas and requiring students to provide the supporting details. A fourth main idea box is left blank, and students determine their own main idea and add the supporting details. After completing the chart, students orally summarize the article with a partner.

• In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 2, as students read The Omnivore’s Dilemma, they complete a chart on the author's purpose and point of view. For each section of the text, students determine the author’s attitude toward the topic and collect evidence such as words or ideas that helped them determine the author’s purpose. They determine the point of view,  support with text evidence, and explain how the author’s point of view adds to their understanding of the topic. Students do the same exercise for three conflicting viewpoints in the text.

• In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 4, students read a passage from Maus I and answer the following questions: “How would you describe the tone the author’s words create on page 23, panels 5 and 6 when Vladek says: ‘But this isn’t so proper, so respectful...I can tell you other stories but such private things, I don’t want you should mention.’ What does this reveal about Vladek’s character?  What evidence makes you think so? In your response be sure to include a description of the tone that Vladek’s statement creates, evidence from the text that supports your description of Vladek’s tone, and an explanation of what the statement reveals about Vladek’s character.”

• In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 2, students read Farewell to Manzanar and complete a chart to track the connections among and distinction between ideas, individuals, and events. Then students determine the author’s methods from a list of techniques including allusion, categories, description, metaphor, simile, anecdote, dialogue, and reflection. Then they explain one of the connections or distinctions from each chapter. The first few chapters include sentence starters and examples, but later chapters do not include these scaffolds.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 2c. 

Texts and instructional activities are included to develop student knowledge about topics in science, social studies, arts, and technology. They read, discuss, and write about a topic across a module to integrate knowledge across multiple texts. The materials encourage students to provide evidence from text, show thorough understanding of concepts, and think creatively about applying the concepts. Reading tasks, question series, and culminating tasks provide coherent opportunities for analysis. The materials also provide guidance for teachers in supporting students’ integration of knowledge and ideas through Teacher Supporting Materials, ELL supports, and Additional Resources guides.

Examples of ways students integrate knowledge include, but are not limited to: 

• In Module 1, students read supplemental texts to help them understand Latin folklore that is presented in the anchor text, Summer of the Mariposas. Students complete graphic organizers while reading to build vocabulary and answer questions to build knowledge and better understand the anchor text. For example in Unit 1, Lesson 5, after reading “The Latin American Story Finder,” students complete a graphic organizer with vocabulary tasks, main idea and supporting details tasks, and a culminating activity with the question:  “According to the author, how do magical Latin American folktales help people who have concerns in their own lives?”

• In Module 2, students read texts and complete activities to increase their knowledge of “Food Choices.” Guiding Questions include the following: “Where does our food come from? How do we analyze arguments about how food should be grown and processed?”  Students read the anchor text, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and supplemental texts, including “Sticking Up for Coke, Sort of” and “Food Desert.”  For the End-of-Unit Assessment, students write an argument essay to defend a claim about how communities can make healthy food choices. The module ends with displays of learning, such as students write an argumentative essay about the food choices they think would most benefit their community, and present their claim to an audience.

• In Module 3, students read texts and complete activities to increase their knowledge of the Holocaust. Guiding Questions include the following: “What was the Holocaust, and how did it occur? Why do we remember it? How did victims and survivors respond, and how can we honor their voices?” Students read the anchor text, Maus I, and supplemental texts, including “The Holocaust: An Introductory History” and “1994, Miep Gies”.  For the End-of-Unit Assessment, students write a narrative depicting a fictional interview with an imaginary upstander during the Holocaust. The module ends with displays of learning, such as students “create a graphic panel based on a narrative, and present it to an audience.”

The Grade 8 materials include culminating tasks that require students to demonstrate their knowledge of a topic through integrated literacy skills. The culminating tasks, identified in the program as Performance Tasks, occur at the end of each of the four modules and allow students to apply their learning in experiential ways. Performance Tasks have authentic audiences, including classmates, school peers, and the wider community. They require students to demonstrate comprehension and application of the module’s topic through mastery of several different standards including reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language skills. The topics and anchor texts of each module together support the integration of Habits of Character, a key component of the curriculum which focuses on habits such as perseverance, responsibility and compassion.Throughout the course of each module, students complete coherently sequenced text-dependent questions to build knowledge and prepare them for the complexity of the Performance Task.

Examples of how culminating tasks build knowledge and integrate skills include:

• In Module 1, the Performance Task is a Class Website: Folklore of Latin America. In Unit 2, students research a “monster” from Latin American folklore and write an additional chapter for Summer of the Mariposas. In Unit 3, students write an essay comparing the original depiction of another “monster” from Latin American folklore with a modernized depiction from their Unit 2 narrative essays.  For the Performance Task, each student creates a webpage for the new scene and essay which are organized on a class website showcasing all of the work. The focus of web pages is on content rather than style; students follow a model website and criteria list.

• In Module 2, the Performance Task is a Roundtable Presentation of Food Choices. In Unit 2, students research to answer the question, “How might climate change contribute to food shortage?” Then they participate in a desktop Teaching Protocol to share research about how the topic of choice impacts access to healthy food. In Unit 3, they write an argument essay to defend a claim about how communities can make healthy food choices. For the Performance Task, students create an infographic and a three-minute oral presentation of the argument essay from Unit 3. Students share their infographics in a roundtable presentation with an authentic audience of classmates, teachers, families, and community members.

• In Module 3, the Performance Task is a Create and Present a Graphic Panel Depiction of a Fictional Holoocaust Upstander. In Unit 3, students write a narrative depicting a fictional interview with an imaginary upstander during the Holocaust. For the Performance Task, students create graphic panels to represent a key moment of the narrative and write a reflection. Students present their panels to an audience and answer questions about their work.

• In Module 4, the Performance Task is an Activists Assembly: Focus Group on Applying Lesson from Japanese Internment. In Unit 2, students write a literary argument essay to evaluate the effectiveness of the choices made in the film, Farewell to Manzanar, in conveying the text using points, evidence, and reasoning to support a claim and to address a counterclaim. In Unit 3, they participate in a collaborative discussion about the overarching lessons that can be learned from Japanese American Internment and how the lessons are embodied in the redress movement. They deliver a presentation in triads about the research on how community organization embodies lessons from Japanese Internment today. For the Performance Task, students host and participate in the Activist Assembly. In discussion groups made up of two triads of students and visitors, students revisit and refine their research and then collaboratively discuss the question, “What are the most effective and meaningful ways to apply lessons from internment in our own community?” First, they discuss and record key ways in which organizations are applying lessons from internment. Then, they discuss and record ideas for how community members can apply lessons from Japanese American internment in their own community using an activist anchor chart. As an extension activity, the anchor charts and information about the organizations students researched are part of a display at the school so that others can learn where and how to contribute to their communities.

The Grade 8 materials align to the standards for the grade level and support writing growth over the course of the school year. Across the grade levels, the program uses the read-think-talk-write cycle. First, students analyze a model to help them understand how to effectively communicate their thinking about the content. Next, students write a practice piece that is similar to the model with direct instruction and support. Finally, using what they’ve learned, students write an independent piece. During this three-step process, students meet with their peers and teacher for further guided instruction and support. Process pieces are heavily scaffolded with well-designed lesson plans, models, exemplars, and protocols to support student writing. After each process piece, students complete an on-demand parallel writing piece with fewer scaffolds to assess understanding. Student materials include scaffolds such as Note-Catchers, checklists, and Reflection Guides to help them monitor their progress toward grade-level standards. Materials include suggestions for keeping “Track Progress” folders for students and teachers to monitor writing progress. Despite the extensive scaffolds, students make few choices about the organizational tools that work for them, and the writing tasks at the end of the year are similarly scaffolded as those at the beginning.

Examples of a year-long plan for writing to meet standards include:

• In Module 1, Unit 3, students write a compare and contrast essay comparing the original depiction of another “monster” from Latin American folklore with a modernized depiction from Unit 2 narrative essays. Throughout the units, students complete lessons that support them to write the essay. In Lesson 4, students use a Note-Catcher to compare depictions of La Llorona in “La Llorona” and in Summer of the Mariposas. In Lesson 5, students “choose strong evidence to support their contrast of the original myth of La Llorona and McCall’s reimagined telling.” In Lesson 7, students complete a Language Dive to determine how an author introduces a topic in order to prepare to write their own focus statements.

• In Module 2, Unit 3, Lessons 4-12, students write both a practice argument and an assessment argument essay that defends a healthy food choice that they want their community to make. Students use The Painted Essay® template to examine a model argument essay. The template requires students to color-code parts of the essay depending on purpose. Materials include an argument writing checklist, an anchor chart, and graphic organizers to support students. Lessons include instruction on writing an introduction that captures a reader’s attention, provides context, and states a clear claim.  It also includes composing proof paragraphs that include reasons, evidence, and reasoning; writing an effective counterclaim paragraph; using transitions to show the relationship between ideas; and writing a conclusion that restates the claim and reflects on its importance.  Materials include Note-Catchers and graphic organizers to support students’ writing development. Students track their progress in argument writing by frequently referring to the Argument Writing checklist in the Student Materials. After students write the practice essay with a partner and scaffolding, they write an independent argumentative essay in an on-demand task using the same graphic organizers as they used while writing the process essay in the unit.

• In Module 3, Unit 2, Lessons 1-7, students write a pair of literary analysis informative essays, comparing and contrasting the structure and meaning of poems to Maus I.  Students use The Painted Essay® template to examine a model informative essay. The template requires students to color-code parts of the essay depending on purpose.  Materials include an informative writing checklist, an anchor chart, and graphic organizers to support students. Lessons include instruction on writing an introduction that captures a reader’s attention, provides context, and previews the focus and points of the essay; composing proof paragraphs that include robust evidence and effective elaboration; using transitions to sequence ideas; and writing a conclusion that restates the focus and reflects on its importance. Materials include Note-Catchers and graphic organizers to support students’ writing development. Students track their progress in informative writing by frequently referring to the Informative Writing Checklist in the Student Materials. After students write the practice essay with scaffolding, they write an independent informative essay in an on-demand task using the same graphic organizers as they used while writing the process essay in the unit.

• In Module 4, Unit 2, students write a literary argument essay analyzing the effectiveness of the choices made in the film, “Farewell to Manzanar.” Students determine a claim, gather evidence, provide reasoning that supports the claim, and address a counterclaim. Throughout the unit, students complete lessons that support them to write the essay. In Lesson 10, students examine the parts of a model argument essay and explain the purpose of each. The lesson also includes students using an Argument Writing Checklist and attending to the organization and development of an essay.  In Lesson 11, students use their knowledge of the element of an argument essay to create a plan for their practice essay. Additionally, students use a Think-Pair-Share protocol to discuss the topics of their essays. In Lesson 12, students draft an introduction that includes a hook to engage readers. They are provided with feedback to strengthen the introductions of their essays.  Students track their own progress in Argument Writing by frequently referring to the Argument Writing Checklist in the Student Materials. After students write the practice essay with a partner and heavy teacher scaffolding, they write an independent argumentative essay in an on-demand task using the self- selected supports they need.

The Grade 8 materials provide multiple opportunities across the school year to develop research skills based on grade-level standards. Students engage in activities requiring them to research both primary and secondary sources for the purpose of further understanding the anchor text or topic of the module. Materials support teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge on a topic via provided resources such as anchor texts within the unit and book lists for independent student research. Shorter and longer research projects are included as well as assessments to check development of research skills. Many useful supports for the student and teachers are included as guides through the research process, research mini lessons for teachers, and peer support for students.

Examples of short and long research projects and activities include, but are not limited to: 

• In Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 7, students prepare to research a “monster” from Latin American Folklore. They review using effective search terms, determine the relevance and credibility of sources, gather information, paraphrase and quote, and cite sources during lesson activities led by the teacher.

• In Module 2, Unit 2, Lessons 2-6, students research GMOs for a case study assignment. They learn about search terms, credible sources, and conduct research. In Lesson 6, they complete a research assessment in which they get a new research question and use their skills to answer questions and take notes. 

• In Module 2, Unit 2, Lessons 1-12, students participate in an Extended Research Project that culminates in an informative essay. They conduct research protocols around the question, “How do GMOs Influence Our Access to Healthy Food?” They are provided informational texts, model essays, Note-Catchers, and other graphic organizers and rubrics as guidance and feedback during the research process. 

• In Module 3, Unit 3, students read provided resources to learn about Voices of Upstanders. They use the information to write an interview narrative from the perspective of an upstander to the Holocaust. In Unit 1, Lesson 10, students use class time to synthesize ideas about the theme of Maus I with questions such as: “What are the one or two most important or prominent themes you saw developed in Maus I? What makes you think that? How can we paraphrase these two themes? How would you state these themes in your own words? How are these themes developed throughout Maus I?” 

• In Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 18-19, students write a literary argument in which they evaluate the effectiveness of the film, Farewell to Manzanar, in conveying a significant idea from the text. They use reasons, evidence, and reasoning to defend their stance and address a counterclaim.

• In Module 4, Unit 3, students conduct research to learn more about activist organizations relating to Japanese American internment in their communities. In Lessons 6–12, students call a local organization and interview a representative of that organization. The materials include guidance for teachers to support students as they engage in these interviews.  The research contributes to the culminating task which is a presentation about “how a community organization embodies lessons from Japanese American internment today.”

• In Module 4, the Performance Task requires students to research local activist organizations that connect to the lessons learned from Japanese American internment.  During an Activist Assembly, students share their information and synthesize their learning throughout the unit with classmates and community members. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 2g.

The Grade 8 materials spend the majority of instructional time on content that falls within grade-level aligned  standards; however, several key standards in Reading Informational Text are assessed only once. Specifically, the majority of Reading Literary Text standards are taught at least twice, while the Informational Text standards (RI.8.2, RI.8.3, RI.8.5, RI.8.7, RI.8.8, RI8.9) are taught and practiced in several lessons, they are assessed once. The standards alignment is documented in teacher planning materials. Each lesson segment is aligned to grade-level standards with grade-level appropriate questions and tasks; assessments cover the key standards taught in each module. The program is organized so students encounter skills and topics with increased complexity that reinforce previous learning. The materials also are presented in a logical sequence and repeated in a way to address the full extent of the standard. Optional materials are rare, though there are opportunities for diverse learners to meet the standards through scaffolded questions, activities, and assessments rather than providing less rigorous instruction. A few questions and tasks per module focus on the curriculum’s habits of character teachings and learner-based reflections; however, most are directly standards-based. Consideration is given in the program to ensure students understand the quality of the standards, how they are addressed, and how individual students feel about their progress toward meeting standards.

Examples of how the curriculum is arranged include:

• Key standards (RL.8.1, RI.8.1, RI.8.10, W.8.4, W.8.6, W.8.10, L.8.4, L.8.5, L.8.6) are taught and assessed to some degree in at least three modules.

• In each module, students track their progress several times on the standards. For example, in Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 5, students use a chart to track how they feel they are performing on the standards. Both teacher and student provide a written reflection concerning progress toward the standards. 

• In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 14, students “identify advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to present information on local sustainable food,” aligned to the standard RI.8.7. During the lesson, students answer questions: “What mediums have we discussed as we have reread sections of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and explored new texts? What medium(s) are most helpful to you, as a learner, when analyzing information or learning about a topic?” Then, they analyze excerpts from The Omnivore’s Dilemma and a short video, “What You Can Do,” to answer questions about the “motive, purpose, and advantages and disadvantages of mediums.”

• Some lessons contain questions about the habits of character. In Module 3, Unit 3, Lesson 1, the materials address the habits in questions: “The text says, ‘For their actions, Vos and her husband received the title ‘righteous people’ in 1992.’ What makes Johtje and Aart Vos righteous people? Why do you think they helped 36 people? How did you feel about Johtje and Aart Vos as you read their story? Why?” While the second half of the questions are not standards-aligned, they do not represent more than 20% of provided questions.

• For the Module 4, Mid-Unit 2 Assessment, students answer multi-part questions that require them to analyze connections, distinctions, and point of view in Farewell to Manzanar: “What method do the authors use in the last paragraph on page 168 to make a connection between Jeanne’s experience of interment and her life afterward?” (RI.8.1, RI.8.3), Which statement best represents the connection between Jeanne’s experience of internment and her life afterward as conveyed by the answer in Part A?” (RI.8.3), “What sentence from pages 165-177 best conveys the answer in Part A?” (RI.8.1, RI.8.3).

• Some ELL support provides access to grade-level content. In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 7, ELL Materials include a scaffolded graphic organizer with sentence starters and occasional multiple choice options to support ELLs in completing the same task as the rest of the class. 

• Some ELL support reduces cognitive demand. In Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 2, supports include problematic sentence starters and multiple choice questions, such as “Based on your discussion in our previous lesson, what are some of the key structural elements of Maus I?” The options include, “A. Spiegelman uses his father’s flashbacks to portray a chronological recounting of his life.  B. Spiegelman uses a flash forward technique to preview his father’s life in this future.”  Then, the materials provide the sentence starter “The flashbacks to a chronological plot structure of Maus I emphasize…” By using the sentence starter to answer the previous question, materials undermine providing access to grade-level thinking and content.

• In Modules 1 and 3, students have multiple opportunities for instruction in and practice of writing narrative texts.

• In Modules 2 and 4, students have multiple opportunities for instruction in and practice of writing arguments.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2h.

The Grade 8 materials are organized to balance time and resources throughout the course of a year; however, because individual lessons and tasks may take longer than the curriculum estimates, it may not be possible to complete all modules in a school year. The materials provide 36 weeks of instruction, which does not allow for any variation in the schedule including state testing, assemblies, etc.  There are four modules that are each designed to last eight to nine weeks and include two assessments. Each module consists of three units. At the beginning of each unit, a time frame is given in weeks and daily sessions. Each lesson is designed for a 45-minute instructional day. Each lesson includes a time allotment for each of the four to six daily activities, aligned to core learning and standards-based objectives. At the lesson level, the requirements of the tasks would likely take longer than the allotted time. Most suggested times do not seem possible for students achieving below honors level. Standards are scaffolded to increase rigor and relevance over the course of a given year. While no optional activities are listed, diverse learners have scaffolds embedded in the lessons to assist with understanding which likely would take longer than the allotted time. Your Curriculum Companion offers a section called, “How Can I Stay on Track and on Target With My Pacing” to assist teachers in the pacing of the day, the unit, and the module.

Examples of implementation guidance and ways the program timelines may not allow for full implementation include, but are not limited to:

• In all modules, most lessons are divided into the following segments: Opening, Work Time, Closing Assessment, and Homework. The allotted times for each segment would be challenging especially for novice teachers. For example, in Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 2, the plan suggests that the Work Time segment of the lesson takes 35 minutes. This includes an introduction to how to read a graphic novel for ten minutes, students previewing the anchor text for ten minutes, and reading Chapter 1 of the anchor text for 15 minutes. The anchor text preview includes a student Think-Pair-Share activity that should be completed within the ten minute segment. 

• In Module 1, Unit 2, the Teacher Edition a suggested pacing of two weeks or 11 days is suggested to complete the unit. 

• In Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 3, students read and analyze “Psychological Effects of Camp,” a text at the high end of the Lexile level for the grade band.  Materials allot 20 minutes to read a small section of the text with a jigsaw group, working to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary and determining a central idea. Students share out the central idea of each section and write a summary of the section that they read. These activities would likely take longer than 20 minutes.

Examples of information for alternate implementation to maintain alignment to the standards include, but are not limited to:

• In each lesson, teachers are given suggested scripts to read prior to teaching. Your Curriculum Companion suggests using a printed version of the lesson and to “mark it up with a highlighter or use sticky notes to keep yourself focused and to aid a smooth delivery.” For example in Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 3, the Teacher Edition includes a script marked in red and italicized font to help teachers quickly identify and concisely give directions in the interest of pacing and clarity.

• In the Module 1 Performance Task, options for students include creating an audio version of their narrative and creating their own artwork for their webpages to illustrate their narratives. The Performance Task also includes options for teachers to give time for students to peer review each other’s narratives and have a “website launch event” to showcase their narratives.

• In Module 2, optional tasks to introduce The Omnivore’s Dilemma and the content of the module include inviting people involved in food production (farmers, grocers, etc.) to share with the class, visiting a farm or farmer’s market to learn about local food, and inviting community members to share how they make decisions about what they eat.  

• In Module 3, Unit 2, standards are organized and scaffolded across the unit to increase rigor and relevance toward mastery of the lesson. For example, Lesson 8 (L8.1c) Using Verb Mood Organizer, Lesson 9 (L8.1c) Selected and Constructed Response Questions: Verb Mood and Voice, and Lesson 10 (L8.1c) Entrance Ticket - Read summary of supplemental text and answer constructed response questions concerning verb mood and voice.