8th Grade - Gateway 3

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations that materials are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing.

• The Grade 8 curriculum is comprised of four eight-week modules.
• Four modules make up one year of instruction. Each grade level has six modules. Teachers can choose between an A and a B option for two of the modules.
• Within each module there are three units. Each module has the same sequence of units. Unit 1 is Building Background Knowledge, Unit 2 is Extended Reading and Research, and Unit 3 is Extended Writing. Modules are anchored by one or more books as a central text.
  • For example, in Module 4, Unit 1 focuses on analyzing author’s purpose and evaluating claims in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Unit 2 continues that focus, extending the research. Unit 3 focuses on writing a position paper: Which of Michael Pollan’s food chains would you choose to feed the U.S.?
• Materials include a curriculum plan located online at eleducation.org that lists the topic, focus, central texts, and major writing tasks in each module.
• Materials include a curriculum map located online at eleducation.org that includes a module description, assessments, and standards assessed for each module
• A module overview is found at the beginning of each module. The module overview explains the story of the module, lists standards assessed, and provides a week-at-a-glance planning chart. For example, the Module 2A, Unit 2 Overview is found on pages 2-7.
• There are unit overviews and a Unit-at-a-Glance located online at eleducation.org for each of the three units in each module.

Materials also include detailed daily lessons plans and supporting materials. Lessons are 45 minutes long for Grade 8. Teachers can download the MS Word version of the lesson plan files to modify them.

• All lessons have three sections: Opening, Work Time, and Closing and Assessment. For example, Module 2A, Unit 3, lesson 1 has the following parts: Opening (eight minutes) which is broken down into Collecting End of Unit 2 Assessments (five minutes) and Unpacking Learning Target (three minutes); Work Time (30 minutes) which is broken down into Unit 3 Mid-Unit Assessment (15 minutes) and Peer Critique of Draft Scripts (seven minutes); Closing and Assessment (seven minutes) and Homework.
• Each lesson includes the title which names the literacy skills students will work on as well as the content, long-term learning targets which name the standards addressed in the lesson, supporting learning targets that specifically name what learning will take place in the lesson, ongoing assessment to be used as formative assessments, an agenda to map out the day’s outline, and teaching notes that guide teachers on how to prepare for the lesson. Also included are both academic and content vocabulary list addressed in the lesson, lesson materials, a meeting student’s needs column to suggest differentiation and scaffolding, and all supporting materials that include student-facing materials to be distributed to students.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations that the teacher and student can reasonably complete the content within a regular school year and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.

• Each Module provides eight weeks of instruction. Four modules make up a year of instruction which provides 32 weeks of instruction. Teachers and students can reasonably complete the content within a 36-week school year.
• The total number of lessons of available for Grade 8 is 239. However, teachers are given a choice which two modules they want to exclude. For example, the teacher can select to complete Module 2A or Module 2B and Module 3A or 3B. Therefore, lessons range between 158 to 159 which is a reasonable amount of lessons to complete during a school year.
• This pacing allows for maximum student understanding. Additionally, time is built in for teachers to modify lessons to tailor to their student’s needs. The program allows flexibility for teachers to rely on professional judgment to modify pacing.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet expectations that the student resources include ample review and practice resources, clear directions, and explanation, and correct labeling of reference aids (e.g., visuals, maps, etc.).

Materials include but are not limited to graphic organizers, note catchers, text dependent questions, word-catchers, reference charts, anchor charts, unit assessments, supporting excerpts or texts, close read guides, jigsaw question strips, essay rubrics, reference aids, model writings, entrance and exit tickets, vocabulary words list and definitions, feedback forms, and writing prompts.

• In Module 3B, Unit 1, lesson 6, the student homework includes clear directions. The directions say "Reread Plessy v. Ferguson: Key Excerpts from the Court's Decision and answer the following questions to prepare for Fishbowl discussion."
• In Module 4, Unit 1, lesson 12, there is Criteria for Success included on the top of the student page and clear directions are included in steps 1-4 on the student worksheet.
• In Module 4, Unit 1, lesson 9, the directions are included in the charts to be completed by students. Such as "Explain how this piece of evidence is relevant to the claim."
• In Module 2A, Unit 1, lesson 17, students are provided with oral directions and modeling while they complete a graphic organizer with guided instruction from the teacher. Teacher notes provide specific directions.

Student resources include clear directions. Activities that are completed with teacher guidance have directions included in the teacher lesson plan notes. Resources that are completed independently or in small groups without direct teacher guidance include clear directions and explanations so that the task can be completed.

Reference aids such as glossaries, photographs, anchor charts, and handouts are clearly labeled as such at the top and in the teacher’s materials. Reference aids are labeled correctly.

• In Module 2B, Unit 2, lesson 14, a student-facing reference aid can be found on page 258.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for materials including publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment items.

Alignment to the CCSS-ELA is documented in multiple places in the curriculum. CCSS standards are documented on the 6-8 Grade Curriculum Map, at the module level, at the unit level, and in the teacher's notes for each lesson in the form of long-term learning targets. Alignment for all assessments are also provided in the curriculum Overview.

The grade-level curriculum map lists all assessments and which standards are being assessed. This map also includes a chart that illustrates which standards are being assessed in each module. These maps can be found for each grade level at eleducation.org.

At the beginning of each module there is a Week-at-a-Glance chart as well as a Unit-at-a-Glance chart that provides teachers with an overview of standards taught and assessed in each lesson. At the beginning of each module there is a module overview which includes a description of assessments which include the performance task, Mid-Unit Assessments, and End-of-Unit Assessments. This overview includes standards being assessed in each assessment. The performance task, mid-unit assessment, and end of unit assessment for each module includes alignment documentation of the standards addressed.

• In Module 2A, Unit 1, the Week-at-a-Glance chart is found on pages 12-18. The Unit-at-a-Glance is found on pages 37-44 and the Assessments Overview is found on pages 21-22.
• In Module 2B, Unit 2, the Performance Task provides long-term learning targets in the lesson (page 269).
• In Module 2B, Unit 2 Long term learning targets assessed are both in the lesson and on the student-facing material for the Mid-Unit assessment (pages 154, 159) and the End-of Unit assessment (pages 260).

Materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation for materials containing a teacher's edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

Materials include a teacher’s edition that provides teaching notes for each lesson. These notes provide an overview of the lesson, directives for the teacher, and explanations of what learning will occur. The notes also give suggestions of specific actions teachers can take to promote learning or plan for future learning. Materials also include student “listen for” statements in lessons. These "listen for" statements provide teachers with model student answers to ensure students are on target

• In Module 1, Unit 1, lesson 2, the teaching notes on page 59 suggest that teachers group students in heterogeneous groups during this first unit to intentionally support struggling readers and ELLs and to determine the groups ahead of time.
• In Module 2A, Unit 1, lesson 16 explains the purpose of the lesson on page 335. The notes explain the purpose of the lesson, what will happen in the lesson, and for the teacher to keep in mind that students will come back to the text that is used in this lesson.
• In Module 2B, Unit 1, lesson 2, the teacher is provided with a Close Reading Guide for teacher reference to be used during classroom discussion to ensure that students gain understanding of the text.
• In Module 3A, Unit 1, lesson 9, the teaching notes on page 226 clearly explain the purpose of the lesson, what will happen in the lesson, and suggests that teachers prepare for the lesson by deciding how to assign students a focus for discussion. The teacher is prompted to post three pieces of chart paper around the room with headings and to cut out quotes for work time.
• In Module 3A, Unit 2, lesson 5, the lesson includes a note to teacher to listen for student’s responses that demonstrate student’s ability to explain vocabulary and connect it to the events being discussed.

Technology is listed and/or suggested when appropriate.

• In Module 3A, Unit 1, the Performance Task Overview on page 33 lists a link to the Library of Congress and Teaching with Primary Sources as a resource for World War II and Japanese Internment. Http://ww.loc.gov/teachers/tps/
• In Module 2B, Unit 1, the Meeting Students’ Needs notes suggest teachers consider showing the clip of video that is being used for comparison students for a third time if they continue to struggle with recording similarities and differences while watching. It is also suggests that the teacher display graphic organizers on a document camera for students who struggle with auditory processing.

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Materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation of materials containing a teacher’s edition that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced literacy concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

Materials include teachers notes and other documents that explain and give rationales for teacher actions, accommodations, pacing, instructional materials, and resources.

• The "Preparing to Teach a Module: Guidance for Coaches and Teacher Leaders" document found at eleducation.org explains how to prepare to teach a module and give a guidance timeline with detailed direction.
• The "Assessment Design in Expeditionary Learning Grades 3-8 Curriculum" document outlines the step-by-step process for designing effective assessments aligned to the CCSS-ELA.
• The "Help Students Read Closely" document explains the close reading process and explicitly demonstrates how a teacher plans for a close read lesson.
• The "Writing Instruction in Expeditionary Learning Grades 3-8 ELA Curriculum" document explains the how and why of Expeditionary Learning’s approach to writing instruction.

Explanations and examples can also be found in the lesson narratives, the Meeting Student's Needs section, and in Preparation and Materials for each lesson.

• In Module 2B, Unit 1, lesson 16, teachers are provided with an explanation of what a character confessional writing piece is. The topic of the writing is explained in the Teaching Notes to ensure that teachers have a clear understanding of what is expected of students.
• In Module 3B, Unit 1, lesson 3 the teaching notes provides the teacher with notes about the three stages of Carlotta’s journey. The notes explain why each stage is introduced by song and how the songs help move the story along.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet expectations for materials containing a teacher’s edition that explains the role of the specific ELA/literacy standards in the context of the overall curriculum.

Materials include a document, “Preface to the Modules” found on eleducation.org. The preface includes an introduction to how the materials address the Common Core shifts as well as a detailed account of how the CCSS standards have a role in the curriculum.

• The introduction to the preface states, “Expeditionary Learning’s Grades 3–8 ELA Curriculum has been designed by teachers for teachers to meet the needs and demands of the Common Core State Standards: to address and bring to life the shifts in teaching and learning required by the CCSS. To prepare students for college and the workplace, where they will be expected to read a high volume of complex informational text and write informational text, the shifts highlight the need for students to learn and practice these skills early on. This curriculum has been designed to make this learning process engaging with compelling topics, texts, and tasks.”

Each module contains a Module Overview which provides a summary to show how different ELA standards are applied to develop knowledge and expertise in content areas.

• In Module 4, the overview states, “In this module, students analyze arguments and the evidence used to support arguments to determine whether sufficient evidence has been used and whether the evidence is relevant in support of the claim an author or speaker is making. They then research to gather evidence to make their own spoken and written arguments. Students will read Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma (930L), a literary non-fiction text about where food comes from and about making decisions about what food to buy and eat. They build background knowledge about what happens to food before it gets to the consumer, and the different choices the consumer can make when buying food while analyzing Michael Pollan’s arguments and the evidence he uses to support his claims. In Unit 2, students engage in a robust research project in which they further investigate the consequences of each of the food chains and the stakeholders affected in those food chains. To help students grapple with this issue, they use a decision-making process called “Stakeholder Consequences Decision-Making” (see the end of this document for details). This process will help students understand the implications of various choices, and will scaffold their ability to determine, based on evidence and their own values, to take a position on which food chain they would choose if they were trying to feed everyone in the U.S. Students finish the module by writing a position paper explaining which of Michael Pollan’s food chain they would choose to feed the U.S. and why, and creating a poster stating their position. This task addresses NYSP12 ELA Standards RI.8.1, W.8.1, W.8.1a, W.8.1b, W.8.1c, W.8.1d, W.8.1e and W.8.9.

Materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for materials containing explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identifying research-based strategies.

Materials include online resources found on eleducation.org that provide explanations of the instructional approaches and identify research-based strategies. The preface to the modules includes how materials address the Common Core shifts, provides research, explains the story and structure of the modules, and explains how the materials integrate reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language strands through lessons, assessments, engagement strategies, and differentiation.

• The “Introduction to Preface to the Modules: Introduction to Grades 3–8 ELA Curriculum” document states, “Some structures, approaches, and strategies may be new to teachers. The materials have been designed to guide teachers carefully through the process of building students’ skills and knowledge in alignment with the standards. The modules also have been designed to build teacher capacity, so that as teachers become more familiar with the structures and strategies, they can adapt the materials to the needs of their specific students.”
• The “Preface to the Modules: Introduction to Grades 3–8 ELA Curriculum” document states, "Expeditionary Learning’s instructional practices emphasize student inquiry, critical thinking, and craftsmanship. In these ELA modules, students engage in original research and deep interdisciplinary investigations of rich academic topics, using their learning to create authentic, high-quality, academic products to share with outside audiences."
• Materials provide links to other resources websites that include a research document, “The Importance of Increasing the Volume of Reading.” This document explains research that supports increasing the volume of reading as well as rigor and relevance.

Materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for materials regularly and systematically offering assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress. Each module incorporates seven formal assessments, in addition to daily opportunities to check for understanding via homework, entry and exit tickets, and in class assignments.

The formal assessments are broken into three categories which include Mid-Unit Assessments, End-of-Unit Assessments, and a Culminating Performance Task.

• Mid-Unit Assessments are on-demand, tied to standards addressed in the first half of the unit, are a checkpoint before teacher’s progress to the second half of the unit, and usually emphasize reading.
• End-of-Unit Assessments are on-demand, tied to standards addressed throughout the unit, assess understanding of both content and skills, and usually emphasize writing.
• Culminating Performance Tasks take place over the course of Unit 3, are tied to standards addressed across Units 1 and 2, are aligned to a mode of writing, always involve writing from sources and citing evidence, and always requires research to build and present knowledge.

Daily formative assessment opportunities are included in lessons as well as the unit overviews.

• In Module 2B, Unit 1, lesson 10, students are asked to reflect on their understanding using a thumbs-up if they understand how to answer a questions and a thumbs-down if they do not understand. Students are also given the option to present a thumbs-sideways if they are in the middle. The teacher then clarifies as needed.
• In Module 2B, Unit 1, the unit overview on pages 45-49 includes an “Ongoing Assessments” chart that list assessment opportunities in lessons. For example, Lesson 8 on page 47 lists the Mid-Unit Assessment and two examples of homework completed in former lessons.
• In Module 2A, Unit 2, lesson 15, the teacher is directed to consider collecting the Comparing and Contrasting Text Structures Note-Catcher to review so that misconceptions can be addressed in the next lesson.

Materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the requirement for assessments clearly denoting which standards are being emphasized.

Each formal assessment emphasizes the same standards as the accompanying lessons. Standards are also provided in the unit overview and other planning materials. Formative assessment occurs throughout unit lessons and are connected to the standards addressed in the lesson.

• In Module 1, Unit 2, the Final Performance Task: Introducing Final Performance Task and Analyzing Statistics centers on RL.8.1, RI.8.3, and SL.8.1. Standards are denoted on the assessment overview and in lesson 15 as long-term targets on page 294.
• In Module 3A, Unit 3, lesson 8, the Final Performance Task is located on page 139. In the section of Long-Term Goals, you will find the standards listed next to the kid-friendly written Learning Targets. Standards assessed are W.8.3, L8.1, and L8.5.
• In Module 4, Unit 1, lesson 7, the Mid- Unit Assessment "Analyzing Author's Purpose in Speech and Text" addresses the following standards that can be found in the lesson and multiple places including the overview and unit at a glance: RI.8.6, RI.8.6, SL.8.2, SL.8.2, and L.8.4.

Materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations of assessments providing sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.

Materials provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance.

• In Module 1, Unit 1, lesson 6, the teacher’s notes suggest that a teacher “Circulate to listen in and support students as they work. Listen for patterns of confusion in order to determine which specific questions to address whole group.”
• In Module 2A, Unit 2, lesson 13, the supporting materials include sample student essays for teacher reference which are aligned to the rubric given to both teacher and student in Lesson 11 for the “To Kill A Mockingbird Argument Essay.”
• In Module 3B, Unit 1, lesson 8 the teaching notes provide a link to the NYS Grade 8 two-point short response rubric and an example response in the supporting materials for teachers to refer to as they are assessing student performance.
• In Module 4, Unit 2, lesson 17, the supporting materials include a teacher’s reference position speech rubric to provide guidance for interpreting student performance.

Materials provide suggestions for follow-up.

• In Module 2A, Unit 1, lesson 4, the Meeting Students’ Needs column suggest that teachers should pair students who need more support together and give them a claim that has primary evidence found in the first four paragraphs instead of the entire speech.
• In Module 2B, Unit 2, lesson 12, the Meeting Students’ Needs column instructs teachers to use the QuickWrite activity from lesson 11 to decide if any student who did not understand how to write and argument essay should be pulled into a small group setting to reteach.
• In Module 3A, Unit 3, lesson 8, the teaching notes advise teachers to use the student’s self-assessment of the narrative writing rubric to decide which students should be pulled for a scheduled one-one-talk to help the student understand how to improve.

Materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation for including routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress.

Materials include an "Appendix: Protocols and Strategies" that includes multiple procedures to monitor student progress. Protocols and Strategies that focus on Checking for Understanding and Ongoing Assessment include Admit and Exit Tickets, Catch and Release, Cold Call, Equity Sticks, Fist-to-Five, Four Corners, Go-Around, Guided Practice, Human Bar Graph, No Opt Out, Presentation Quizzes, Red Light, Green Light, Tracking Progress, Turn and Talk, and White Boards. These protocols and strategies are used in the majority of lessons to monitor student progress.

Materials include routine checks embedded in lessons to help teachers monitor student understanding.

• In Module 1, Unit 3, lesson 4, students complete a self-assessment of their poems. The teacher collects these along with other student material to check for understanding.
• In Module 3A, Unit 1, lesson 3 students reflect on their learning by rating their mastery of the learning target using the Fist to Five protocol.
• In Module 3B, Unit 3, lesson 1, students complete exit tickets to quickly assess student knowledge from the day’s lesson.
• In Module 4, Unit 2, lesson 3 teachers are advised to collect researcher notebooks to monitor student understanding of the articles they read.

Materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for providing teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of range of learners so that the content is accessible to all learners and supports them in meeting or exceeding the grade-level standards.

Materials provide supports noted within the lesson and also in the Meeting Students’ Needs column to provide teachers with multiple strategies for supporting all learners. Resources are provided on eleducation.org to meet the needs of students.

• In Module 1, Unit 3, lesson 2, the Meeting Students’ Needs column explains that modeling for students provides a clear vision of the lesson’s expectations.
• In Module 2B, Unit 1, lesson 6, the Meeting Students’ Needs column states, “For some students, this assessment may require more than the 40 minutes allotted. Consider providing time over multiple days if necessary.”
• In Module 2B, Unit 2, lesson 5, the Meeting Students’ Needs column states, “Posting learning targets allows students to reference them throughout the lesson to check their understanding. The learning targets also provide a reminder to students and teachers about the intended learning behind a given lesson or activity.”
• In Module 3A, Unit 1, lesson 5, the Meeting Students’ Needs column suggests that teachers consider providing supported structure notes for students who struggle.
• In Module 4, Unit 1, lesson 5, the Meeting Students’ Needs column suggest having students pair up with someone else to compare their work, gain deeper understanding, learn from their peers, and improve their work.
• At eleduation.org, the document "Common Core Interventions for Adolescent Readers" suggests interventions for students who are struggling.

Materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet expectations for materials regularly providing all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level, or in a language other than English, with extensive opportunities to work with grade-level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards. All students engage in the same complex text. Scaffolds are provided so that all students can access the complex texts and meet or exceed grade-level standards.

Resources are provided on eleducation.org to meet the needs of students who are below grade level or an English Language Learner with opportunities to work with grade-level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards.

• The "Common Core Interventions for Adolescent Readers" document located on eleducation.org suggests interventions for students who are struggling.
• The "A Guide to Support English Language Learners" document located on eleducation.org provides strategies for scaffolding learning for students who read, write, speak, or listen in a language other than English.

Materials provide supports noted within the lesson and also in the Meeting Students’ Needs column to provide teachers with multiple strategies for supporting all learners.

• In Module 2A, Unit 2, lesson 9, the Meeting Student’s Needs column states, “Discussing and clarifying the language of learning targets helps build academic vocabulary. “
• In Module 2A, Unit 2, lesson 9, the Meeting Student’s Needs column states, “Providing models of expected work supports all earners but especially supports challenged learners; It may be appropriate for the teacher to guide the identification of the claim and reasons in the model essay. If so, display the model essay using the document camera and lead students through that process; and taking the time to explicitly teach students the expectations of a particular writing form gives all students more opportunity to be successful, but it is particularly supportive of ELL students and others who need additional support.”
• In Module 2B, Unit 1, lesson 11, teachers are advised to provide models of expected work to aid in the support of all learners but specifically for struggling learners
• In Module 3A, Unit 3, lesson 2 the Meeting Students’ Needs column states, “Consider creating a simplified version of the rubric if you are worried that some students may be overwhelmed by the amount of text on the page. As an alternative, give students the full rubric but tell them to concentrated only on that column.”
• In Module 3B, Unit 1, lesson 5, the Meeting Student’s Needs column states, “Especially for ELLs and struggling readers, consider providing additional support around the multiple meanings of the word “justice” throughout the module. Students may need clarification that “justice” in this case does not refer to fairness, or a legal process: it is a title used for the judges of the Supreme Court.”
• In Module 4, Unit 2, lesson 5, the Meeting Students’ Needs column suggest that ELLs and other studetns may benefit from visual representations of the four food chains.

Materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations of providing ample opportunities for teachers to use grouping strategies during lessons.

Grouping strategies are explained in detail in the document "Appendix: Protocols and Strategies."

• The Appendix includes grouping protocols and strategies such as Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face, Carousel Brainstorm, Chalk Talk, Concentric Circles (Inner Circle/Outer Circle), Discussion Appointments, Final Word, Fishbowl, Gallery Walk/Hosted Gallery Walk, Give One, Get One, Move On (GoGoMo), Infer the Topic, Interactive Word Wall, Jigsaw, Mystery Quotes, Peer Critique, Praise, Question, Suggestion, Quiz-Quiz-Trade, Rank-Talk-Write, Say Something, Science Talks, Socratic Seminar, Take a Stand, Tea Party, Think-Pair-Share, and World Café.

Lessons include grouping strategies regularly during instruction.

• In Module 1, Unit 1, lesson 4, students are grouped heterogeneously for regular discussion to provide a collaborative and supportive structure for reading complex texts and close reading of the text.
• In Module 1, Unit 1, lesson 7, students are group into a “Modified Jigsaw” to reread and summarize a section of the article and then share it with their peer groups.
• In Module 2A, Unit 1, lesson 4, students work in four teams to jigsaw on evidence-based claims in a speech.
• In Module 2B, Unit 1, lesson 7, students work in pairs to complete a graphic organizer that is used to introduce the text, A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• In Module 3A, Unit 2, lesson 12, students work with a partner to answer questions and then walk around the room to talk with students form other pairs using their notes.
• In Module 4, Unit 2, lesson 4, students Think-Pair-Share to discuss the purpose of creating Cascading Consequences charts for each food chain.