The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1g. 

Materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions. Students practice speaking and listening skills with Discussion Questions in each lesson, which are “open-ended questions designed to prompt student reflection on the day’s reading and to make connections between the text, larger social issues, and their own lives. Discussion questions often come at the end of lessons and are an opportunity to bring students together to speak and listen to one another.” Each unit also includes a full day of Socratic Seminar discussion. The protocols provided in the Academic Discourse section support students’ developing speaking and listening skills for a variety of discussions, including different formats of whole class, small group, and partner discussions. 

Materials provide teachers with many options for including discourse in the classroom and the freedom to choose which protocols are appropriate for their students; however, teachers do not always have specific guidance relating to which Academic Discourse protocol to use in each situation. The Academic Discourse section in the Teacher Tools includes varied protocols for the whole group, small group, and partner discussions; however, some individual lessons do not indicate specific protocols to use when students answer Discussion Questions. The materials provide some guidance for use of protocols with formal discussions such as Socratic Seminar, but it is not consistent in all lessons or units. Instructional supports and resources that help with engaging students in discourse, creating a classroom culture that supports conversation, and monitoring student growth are available for teachers consistently in the Teacher Tools and with additional Notes in some lessons. The Academic Discourse section provides teachers with four different resources for guiding and supporting students in developing speaking and listening skills. These resources are referenced and linked for Socratic Seminars across the units but not for informal discussion opportunities.

Materials provide varied protocols to support students’ developing speaking and listening skills across the whole year’s scope of instructional materials; however, protocols are not always readily available for teachers. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher Tools, Academic Discourse section, different types of protocols are provided. One example is whole-group discussion, which includes the following protocol: “Take a Stand gives students a chance to articulate and reflect on their opinions. Students are posed with a question that requires them to take a side. Students then work together to convince others why they picked a particular side. Students then present what they have prepared to the opposing side. 

  • Teacher or student poses a question where there are two opposing answers or a claim to be confirmed or rejected. 

  • Students think and record their answers. 

  • Teachers assign a side of the classroom for each side. 

  • Students move to the side of the room they most agree with. 

  • Students on each side take turns trying to convince the other side they are correct. 

  • After a set amount of time, students can switch sides to reflect new thinking.”

• In each unit, a Socratic Seminar is provided as a formal discussion, and students use one teacher-chosen, an open-ended question from the multiple Discussion Questions provided in the lesson. The same directions are provided for the teacher in the Notes section of each Socratic Seminar lesson: “Decide which Type of Academic Discourse you want to use in this lesson. We recommend a table-group discussion, fishbowl, or whole-class discussion. Then, choose which of this lesson’s Discussion Questions you are going to have students answer. Consider how much discussion time will be devoted to each question.”

• In Unit 2, Encountering Evil: Night, Lesson 9, students answer Discussion Questions: “Do you think that optimism or pessimism is a more useful emotion/perspective on the world? What is the difference between optimism and delusion?” There is no recommended protocol to use in the lesson plan.

• In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 24, students engage in a Socratic Seminar about Animal Farm by George Orwell. Six open-ended Discussion Questions are provided in the lesson and teachers choose one question. There are no teacher directions on whether all the questions are discussed in small group or partner discussions prior to the Socratic Seminar. Teachers can choose a protocol by accessing the Academic Discourse section in Teacher Tools; they are not included in the lesson. 

• In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 20, students engage in a Socratic Seminar about all the unit texts. Seven open-ended Discussion Questions are provided in the lesson and teachers choose one question. There are no teacher directions on whether all the questions are discussed in small group or partner discussions prior to the Socratic Seminar. Teachers can choose a protocol by accessing the Academic Discourse section in Teacher Tools; they are not included in the lesson. 

Speaking and listening instruction includes facilitation, monitoring, and instructional supports for teachers. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher Tools, Academic Discourse tab, the Overview states: “During effective academic discourse, students are engaging in high-quality, productive, and authentic conversations with each other (not just the teacher) in order to build or clarify understanding of a topic. To ensure that academic discourse is effective, teachers need to establish a classroom culture and routines that foster productive discourse.” Suggestions for Establishing a Strong Discourse Culture include creating shared norms in the classroom, modeling what a successful conversation looks like, and providing specific feedback to students. Following this statement, materials provide teachers with an overview of the linked resources: Preparing for Academic Discourse, Types of Academic Discourse, Tiers of Academic Discourse, and Monitoring and Supporting Academic Discourse. In the Types of Academic Discourse resource, materials provide teachers with specific protocols and directions to facilitate Whole Class Discussion, Small Group Discussion, and Partner Conversation. 

• In the Teacher Tools, the Monitoring and Supporting Academic Discourse document outlines ways that teachers can “progress monitor and support students’ development of key conversation and discourse strategies.” The document includes other suggestions for support, such as:

  • “Provide sentence frames for students to use. Sentence frames should help students articulate their thoughts. Include sentence frames that use a variety of sentence structures to ensure that students have multiple options.

  • Provide scaffolding questions. If students are unable to initially answer the original question, provide scaffolding questions that build students to the deeper understandings.”  

• In the Teacher Tools, the Tiers of Academic Discourse resource provides an explanation of each tier. Tier 1 describes how students clarify and share their thoughts. Materials provide information on three elements of instruction: Key Student Discourse Strategies, Key Teacher Talk Moves, and Sentence Frames. In Tier 2, students engage with the thinking of others; as with Tier 1, materials provide information on the three elements of instruction. In Tier 3, students critique and analyze the reasoning of others; as found in Tiers 1 and 2, materials provide information on the three elements of instruction. 

• In the Teacher Tools, the Monitoring and Supporting Academic Discourse resource includes an Overview statement: “The goal is that by the end of the year, students will be able to participate in academic discourse using strategies from all three components, allowing them to show a deeper and more nuanced understanding of key content. Based on data from progress monitoring, students may need additional support in order to effectively orally communicate key ideas. Use the suggested supports below to decide which support to add for the whole class or for subsets of students.” Materials provide teachers with the following downloadable tools to use in the classroom: Academic Discourse Rubric, Discussion Self Assessment, Discussion Peer Assessment, Socratic Seminar Recording Form, and End-of-Discussion Assessment. 

• In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 24, the Types of Academic Discourse and Tiers of Academic Discourse resources are linked within the lesson. The Types of Academic Discourse document provides teachers with a set of discussion types (e.g., whole class discussion, small group discussion, and partner conversations) with specific discussion strategies (e.g., Rally Coach, Fishbowl, and Take a Stand) and instructions on each. 

• In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 20, materials include Teacher Tools for guidance when deciding which Type of Academic Discourse to utilize in the classroom (table-group discussion, fishbowl, or whole-class discussion). Teachers can select which of the lesson’s Discussion Questions students will answer. Other Teacher Tools include guidance for Supporting Students with Academic Discourse, such as ensuring the transfer of knowledge: “Provide students with sentence frames. Provide students with sentence frames that reflect how their opinion or understanding may have changed. 

  • At first I thought, _____________________. Based on the discussion, I now think ____________________. 

  • Prior to the discussion I thought ____________________. My classmates ideas confirmed my ideas because _____________________.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1i. 

Materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing; however, materials do not provide ample time and tasks to build students’ literacy development in writing. The guidance is minimal for specific skills. Students complete on-demand prompts that connect to the discussions and activities for each lesson, and each unit includes process writing that spans more than one lesson. Specifically, students write longer essays to prompts that connect to the core and supplemental texts using the steps of the writing process. In some units, students use digital resources to conduct research and create digital materials for presentations. The Teacher Tools include multiple resources with further details on how to provide guidance on both process and on-demand writing, including planning and executing writing lessons and strategies for giving feedback. Within each lesson and student-facing materials, opportunities to edit and revise are present; however, instruction and practice of those skills do not exist beyond mentioning it as an objective. 

Materials include on-demand writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction; however, opportunities for students to revise and edit are minimal. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Encountering Evil: Night, Lesson 5, students read pages 40–53 from The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett and answer the Writing Prompt: “How does Anne’s new relationship with Peter change her perspective? What specific incidents and lines of text reveal this change? Provide at least two pieces of evidence from today’s reading to support your answer.” 

• In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, students consider “the purpose of a gutter in comic art” and support their answers with evidence. The writing opportunity connects to the reading of two texts “What is a Graphic Novel?” by Jessica Abel and “How to read a comic book: appreciating the story behind the art” by Alex Abad-Santos.

• In Unit 5, Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions, Lesson 15, students write three short responses connecting to the reading of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power by Al Gore and “The seven megatrends that could beat global warming: 'There is reason for hope'” by Damian Carrington. One question asks: “What evidence does Carrington provide to support these key points? Provide evidence from sections 1 and 7.”

Materials include process writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction; however, opportunities for students to revise and edit are minimal. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, Facing Prejudice: All American Boys, Lesson 25, the Objectives state that students revise their narrative for transitions, mechanics, and organization. During the task, students engage in creative writing and “feature a first-person narrator who tells a story about a conflict; this can be inspired by real life, including problems that you (or someone else) experienced. Investigate the gap between how people see themselves and how others see them.” The writing project takes place over four lessons. No further guidance is provided on how to revise.

• In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 25, students “Write a five-paragraph literary analysis that explores how rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, and logos) are used as propaganda,” connecting to Animal Farm by George Orwell. The writing task takes place over three lessons. During Lesson 27, students revise their essays for clarity, mechanics, and organization. No guidance is provided on how to revise. As homework, students check their work for the requirements utilizing the Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Essay Rubric. The rubric provides criteria for the introduction, three body paragraphs, and conclusion. There are also criteria available relating to Form and Style and Language and Mechanics. Teacher guidance includes, “Students who finish early may benefit from working as a peer-editor.” There is no guidance in the lesson or the materials for when or how teachers help students revise.

• In Unit 5, Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions, Lessons 17–19, students complete the culminating writing task where they “write a letter to your representatives (two senators and a representative) in Congress, educating them on climate change and urging them to take action.” In the three lessons, students gather information on their representative’s voting record, draft a thesis and body paragraphs, and revise and edit their letters for form and style, ensuring that they use strong clauses to connect ideas. No guidance is provided on how to revise.

Materials include digital resources where appropriate. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Encountering Evil: Night, Lessons 20–23, students research modern violent persecution and groups that are “currently under genocide alert” for a research presentation. They conduct research on a computer for the information and to “create a digital presentation” that uses slides to show their research.

• In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lessons 2–6, students receive a list of suggested topics from Iranian history and culture that match the lessons in the unit. The prompt states: “Working with your group, create a digital presentation.” This digital presentation must include slides, images, facts, statistics, and quotations from their research.”

• In Unit 5, Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions, Lesson 17, students gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources. Students “collect information on their representatives’ voting record on climate change” and write a letter to their “representatives (two senators and a representative) in Congress, educating them on climate change and urging them to take action.” 

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1j. 

Materials include opportunities for students to practice and apply different types of writing; however, the distribution does not reflect the requirements of the standards. Students write argumentative, informative, and narrative assignments, though the percentage of informative lessons is less than the percentage of argumentative and narrative lessons, reflecting a 40/20/40 split. All writing assignments are text-specific or text-dependent and are connected to a unit theme and/or yearlong theme. Materials include explicit instruction in the different types of writing, though the instruction is not directly included in the teacher's plans for each lesson. The resources are found in the Teacher Tools, Instructional Strategies for Writing Lessons (6–8) section. In addition, materials offer teacher support for planning instruction and guiding student thinking with example answers in each lesson and Notes that highlight areas where students might struggle. These Notes include suggestions for teaching and links to sources of support within and outside of the materials.

Materials provide multiple opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres/modes/types of writing; however, opportunities do not reflect the distribution required by the standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Materials include uneven distribution of writing types with the following percentages for the different modes of writing: 40% argumentative, 20% informative, and 40% narrative. The number of writing opportunities in each mode is four argumentative, two informative, and four narrative.

  • Percentage or number of opportunities for argumentative writing: Four units address argumentative writing. Approximately 40% of writing opportunities over five units are argumentative.

    • Unit 1: 1

    • Unit 2: 1

    • Unit 3: 1

    • Unit 4: 0

    • Unit 5: 1

  • Percentage or number of opportunities for informative/explanatory writing: Two units address informative writing. Approximately 20% of writing opportunities over five units are informative.

    • Unit 1: 0

    • Unit 2: 1

    • Unit 3: 0

    • Unit 4: 1

    • Unit 5: 0

  • Percentage or number of opportunities for narrative writing: Three units address narrative writing. Approximately 40% of writing opportunities over five units are narrative.

    • Unit 1: 2

    • Unit 2: 0

    • Unit 3: 0

    • Unit 4: 1

    • Unit 5: 1

• Explicit instruction in argumentative writing: Materials include Teacher Tools to provide Persuasive/Argumentative Writing Feedback and Support. For example, if students are struggling to create topic sentences that flow from the thesis statement, one “strategy is to work backward through specific evidence to build the main claim and the topic sentences. This can also be modeled by:

  • selecting a particularly persuasive line of evidence from the research

  • building next to a topic sentence that would flow from that evidence

  • finally crafting a thesis statement that would include the sub claim from the topic sentence as part of the comprehensive argument”

• Explicit instruction in informative/explanatory writing: Materials include Teacher Tools to provide Informational Writing Feedback and Support. One example includes if students are struggling to use transitional words, phrases, or clauses to manage the sequence of events, teachers can “Review and model how to use transitional phrases to manage the sequence of events.

  • Transitional words or phrases can be used to show there is a transition in time. (The next day, after a while, before long, late that afternoon, the next thing I knew, etc.)”

  • Transitional words and phrases can be used to show there is a transition in setting or location. (In our backyard, when we went upstairs, at the post office, behind the trees etc.)

  • Transitional words and phrases can be used to show a sequence of events or to show the connection between events. (At the beginning, as a result, it started when, as soon as, in the end, etc.)”

• Explicit instruction in narrative writing: The Teacher Tools include guidance to provide Narrative Writing Feedback and Support. For example, if students are struggling to develop a point of view or establish a context, teachers can prompt students to think about the following questions when brainstorming setting:

  • What is the main location?

  • Are there any features of the main location that make it unique and should be highlighted?

  • Are there activities or occupations that are unique and/or important to the setting?

  • Does the setting influence the mood?

  • How does the setting influence the character’s actions?

Different genres/modes/types of writing are distributed throughout the school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Students have opportunities to engage in argumentative writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 26, students “Write a five-paragraph literary analysis that explores how rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, and logs) are used as propaganda in the book.” The writing task requires students to introduce a claim and organize the reasons and evidence logically. 

  • Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 26, students must support the claim for the five-paragraph literary analysis with logical reasoning and relevant evidence from the text Animal Farm by George Orwell. The Writing Prompt includes the following guidance, “Support your argument with evidence from the text to develop your thesis.”

  • Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 1, Facing Prejudice: All American Boys, Lesson 12, students explain the ways that characters' lives are shaped by race and racism in the text All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Students practice the skill of using words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence as a supporting standard in the lesson.

  • Establish and maintain a formal style. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 5, Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions, Lesson 19, students revise letters for form and style, using strong clauses to create cohesion between ideas. The Writing Prompt asks students to “Use formal, concise language that communicates the urgency of the situation.” students practice the skill of establishing and maintaining a formal style as a supporting standard in the lesson.

  • Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 27, students draft an introduction and conclusion for the five-paragraph literary analysis. The Writing Prompt asks students to “Include a strong introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion for the essay.” Students practice providing a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented as a core standard in the lesson.

• Students have opportunities to engage in informative/explanatory writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aid comprehension. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2, Encountering Evil: Night, Lesson 20, students choose a group currently under a genocide alert, research that group, and consider how to use written text and images to produce a digital presentation. Specifically, students start with an introduction that will explain the background information about the genocide.

  • Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 2, the students work in groups to ”dive as deeply as you can into one specific aspect of Iranian history in order to create a presentation that will educate your classmates.”  Students include “accurate facts, statistics, and quotations,” “background on the topic,” and “a response or quotation from a witness and/or experts.”

  • Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2, Encountering Evil: Night, Lesson 20, students choose a group currently under a genocide alert, research that group, and consider how to use text and images to produce a digital presentation. As a part of this lesson, students are expected to develop a clear and organized presentation including showing the relationships between ideas. 

  • Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 2, the students work in groups to ”dive as deeply as you can into one specific aspect of Iranian history in order to create a presentation that will educate your classmates.” The presentations will occur in the first five minutes of the class period with correlating content. Students must include” any technical terms or definitions needed to understand the content.”

• Establish and maintain a formal style. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Encountering Evil: Night, Lesson 23, students present their findings about the group they studied who is currently undergoing a genocide. In this presentation, students are expected to demonstrate a solid knowledge of English grammar, using verbs in both active and passive voices.

• Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Encountering Evil: Night, Lesson 20, students choose a group currently under a genocide alert, research that group, and consider how to use text and images to produce a digital presentation. As a conclusion, students will make recommendations that their classmates can take to help.

• Students have opportunities to engage in narrative writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 1, Facing Prejudice: All American Boys, Lesson 22, students begin to write a narrative exploring perspective. For this assignment, students are explicitly directed to include a first-person narrator who “tells a story about a conflict.” 

  • Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 21, students must “Include dialogue” when crafting their narrative essay or comic. Students practice utilizing effective narrative techniques, and a Sample Response is available on Page 16 from the mentor text Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

  • Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 21, the Writing Prompt includes the requirement that students, “Include transitions between pals to indicate shifts in time and the relationship between events” if they select to create a comic, and a similar requirement is included for the essay, in that students must “Include transition words that indicate shifts in time and the relationship between events.”

  • Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 1, Facing Prejudice: All American Boys, Lesson 22, students begin to write a narrative exploring perspective. For this assignment, students are reminded to include “dialogue, descriptive details, and language that appeals to the five senses.” The Teacher Tools Writing section includes ways that teachers can support students who are struggling with these skills.

  • Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

    • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 21, the final requirement listed for students if they choose to create an essay or comic is “Include a conclusion that logically follows from the narrative.”

Where appropriate, writing opportunities are connected to texts and/or text sets (either as prompts, models, anchors, or supports). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, All American Boys, Lesson 12, students answer a Writing Prompt connected to the text, All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. The Writing Prompt states: “On page 215, Quinn writes, ‘The Invisible Man at Central High: Rashad.’ How do the authors develop the idea in today’s reading that Rashad is ‘invisible’? Write a two-paragraph response in which you provide two ways that the authors develop this idea, and provide evidence from pages 186–218 to support your answer.”

• In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 21, students write either an essay or a comic strip that narrates an important experience from their lives that changed them in some way. This experience connects to Marjane Satrapi’s memoir, Persepolis, where she describes growing up during the Iranian Revolution.

• In Unit 5, Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions, Lesson 10, the narrative writing task is based on synthesizing multiple texts in the unit. The prompt states: “You have read a number of nonfiction texts about the current and potential impacts of climate change on our planet. You have also read several examples of poetry and short stories that discuss the climate crisis and what the future might hold. Your task is to write your own cli-fi short story that provides an answer to the following question: What might life on this planet look like if we do not address the climate crisis? Using what you have learned about scientists’ predictions for our future, write a story that describes the experience of at least one main character who is attempting to navigate this new, inhospitable planet.” 

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1k. 

Although materials include opportunities for students to participate in writing tasks requiring analysis of and evidence from texts and other credible sources, explicit evidence-based writing instruction in the student lessons is limited to teacher guidance such as a sample writing response. Students engage in close reading tasks, develop claims for an intended audience, and support their position with evidence. Evidence used throughout the units comes primarily from texts included in the materials and independent research at times. Writing opportunities connect purposefully to the texts students are reading, and the tasks provide a means for building knowledge and writing skills across the school year. Students practice utilizing claims and support consistently, and rarely is writing done simply based on opinion. 

Materials provide opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence; however, materials provide limited opportunities across the school year for students to learn about writing using evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Encountering Evil: Night, Lesson 14, students read Night by Elie Wiesel and answer the Writing Prompt: “Compare the different reactions that Wiesel and his neighbor in the infirmary have to the news that the Red Army might be soon liberating Buna. What do their responses reveal about each person? Support your answer with two pieces of evidence from pages 78–81, and explain how they support your ideas.” Materials include a Sample Response for reference. The teacher does not provide students with explicit evidence-based writing instruction and materials do not offer any other teacher guidance for the writing prompt in the lesson.

• In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 3, students read pages 38–49 from Joseph Stalin (A Wicked History) by Sean McCollum and answer the Writing Prompt: “What does the revolution—and its aftermath—reveal about Stalin as a person and as a leader?” Students use “at least three different pieces of evidence” to support the claim. Materials include a Sample Response for reference. The teacher does not provide students with explicit evidence-based writing instruction and materials do not offer any other teacher guidance for the writing prompt in the lesson.

• In Unit 5, Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions, Lesson 13, students read the article, "Focusing on How Individuals Can Stop Climate Change Is Very Convenient for Corporations” by Morten Fibieger Byskov, and answer the Writing Prompt, in which they explain how the author responds to “conflicting evidence and viewpoints in their writing[.] Provide at least two different examples and carefully explain your thinking.” Students must focus on the counter-argument in the writing and explain how the author establishes it. Materials include a Sample Response for reference. The teacher does not provide students with explicit evidence-based writing instruction and materials do not offer any other teacher guidance for the writing prompt in the lesson.

Writing opportunities are focused on students’ careful analysis and claims developed from reading closely and working with evidence from texts and sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Facing Prejudice: All American Boys, Lesson 16, students read All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely and answer the question, taking the perspective of Quinn: “What does it mean to be an All-American boy?” To support their claim, students must include evidence from the text.

• In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 21, students read Animal Farm by George Orwell and watch a film by the same title. Then students answer the Writing Prompt: “Contrast the ways that Napoleon is depicted early in the novel and early in the film. Provide evidence from both the text and film to support your answer. Evaluate the director’s choices.”

• In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 23, students apply skills they have practiced when they complete the Unit Assessment. In Section 2 of the assessment, students write an essay in response to the prompt: “Why did Satrapi write Persepolis? What impact has this graphic novel had on readers and on the world?” Students provide textual evidence to support their position from texts “Why I wrote Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi and “Rereading Persepolis in 2020: What I’ve Learned” by Giovanna Centeno.  

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1l. 

Materials include limited explicit instruction for the grade-level grammar and usage standards, and based on the information provided in the lessons, students do not explicitly apply them in their writing. The grammar standards are listed as core standards in the Standards Map, are referred to in some lesson objectives, and are named in writing rubrics; however, the guidance for educators is minimal and not lesson-specific. Explicit instruction in the lessons is insufficient to ensure students meet all the grade-level grammar and usage standards with the necessary support for application in context. Within writing lessons, students have opportunities to notice how authors use language and its conventions; however, there are no specific lessons, protocols, or practice opportunities for students to learn and apply the skills. In Teacher Support, the Writing section addresses grammar in the Approach to Language and Grammar Instruction: “Fishtank ELA units teach grammar and language in context by integrating grammar and mechanics with craft and analysis. Students see how grammar and language help authors communicate specific ideas, and then learn how to use the same techniques in their Before writing.” This section also provides tips and a blank graphic organizer for students to use to create an Editing Checklist; however, this is not called out in the individual lessons within the units. The Teacher Tools encourage educators to provide opportunities for progress monitoring, including thinking about questions from Mechanically Inclined, such as “What have I done to teach this grammar of mechanics pattern?” The Teacher Tools are general, connecting to all grade levels and units. 

Materials include very limited explicit instruction of the grade-level grammar and usage standards and few include authentic opportunities for students to demonstrate the application of skills in context, including applying grammar and convention skills to writing.

• Students have minimal opportunities to explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Facing Prejudice: All American Boys, Lesson 22, the objective is to “translate the expectations of the writing task and analyze a mentor text.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.8.1.a and that they will “explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.” Materials do not provide any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill. This skill repeats in Lessons 23, 24, and 25 with different objectives.

• Students have minimal opportunities to form and use verbs in the active and passive voice. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Encountering Evil: Night, Lesson 20, the objective states that students will “outline the stages of genocide in preparation for creating a presentation.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.8.1.b and that they will “form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.” Materials do not include any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

• Students have minimal opportunities to form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive moods. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 25, the standard L.8.1.c is listed as a core standard, but the Lesson Materials do not address using indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive verbs.

  • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 2, the objective states that students will “formulate research questions about a topic.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.8.1.c and that they will “form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.” Materials do not provide any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill. This skill repeats in the standards list for Lesson 3.

• Students have minimal opportunities to recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 27, the objective states that students will “Revise essay for clarity, mechanics, and organization,” and references standard L.8.1.d. Materials do not include any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

  • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 4, the objective states that students will “compare new ideas to prior knowledge and reflect on new understanding.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.8.1.d and that they will “recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.” Materials do not provide any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill. This skill repeats in the standards list for Lesson 5.

• Students have minimal opportunities to use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 5, Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions, Lesson 17, the objective is to “identify the features of a successful letter to Congress, collect information on their representatives’ voting record on climate change, and begin to craft a strong hook.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.8.2.a, and that they will “use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break.” Materials do not include any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill. This skill repeats in Lesson 18 with a different objective.

• Students have minimal opportunities to use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 5, Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions, Lesson 17, the standard L.8.2.a is listed as a core standard, but “use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break” is not mentioned in the lesson materials. In Lesson 19, the objective is to “revise letters for form and style, using strong clauses to create cohesion between ideas.” At the end of the lesson, the standards identify that students should be working on L.8.2.b and that they will “use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.” Materials do not provide any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

• Students have minimal opportunities to spell correctly. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 5, Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions, Lesson 19, the objective states that students “revise letters for form and style, using strong clauses to create cohesion between ideas.” The lesson names L.8.2, demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing, as a core standard. Standard L.8.2.c is a supporting standard. Materials do not include any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

• Students have minimal opportunities to use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action, expressing uncertainty, or describing a state contrary to fact). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 6, the objective states that students “Logically organize the information in their presentations and include all required components.” Standard L.8.3.a is a supporting standard. Materials do not provide any other guidance for teaching or reinforcing this skill.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1m. 

Materials include a rationale for how vocabulary should be taught and how the publisher views vocabulary as part of a lesson; however, there is no explicit instruction on the vocabulary that is essential to understanding the text within lessons. Although vocabulary words and definitions are listed in each lesson, the words are not addressed during the lesson. Vocabulary is not part of questions and activities. Students have multiple opportunities to engage with domain-specific vocabulary words across units but do not have the same opportunity for text-based vocabulary in lessons. There is no mechanism that teachers can use to assess student learning around text-based vocabulary. Some guidance is provided for how vocabulary is structured in the units, how to teach vocabulary, and how to support a range of learners during vocabulary instruction. The Teacher Tools share a brief overview: “Within units, students build their academic vocabulary by learning and interacting with Tier II and Tier III vocabulary words that are essential for unlocking the meaning of the text, task, or topic.” Students interact with vocabulary words through reading, writing, speaking, and listening tasks. Teacher Tools include routines such as Explicit Instruction of Vocabulary and Implicit Instruction of Vocabulary. However, the lessons do not include sufficient guidance or reminders for teachers to ensure the routines support students in their vocabulary development and meet grade-level standards.

Materials provide some teacher guidance outlining a cohesive year-long vocabulary development component. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In each unit and lesson, vocabulary words are introduced before reading texts as necessary to understand the texts or the context surrounding them. 

• Within the units, vocabulary words are intentionally included in many ways, so students become familiar with them through repetition, such as the words being present in questions, used during discussions, and heard in teacher-provided sentence stems. Some words are revisited from previous lessons, and students are asked to use them to indicate authentic learning of the words. More often, once the lesson where the word is taught is passed, the word is not revisited. 

• The Teacher Tools include Vocabulary guidance to share the two types of words in the materials: words to teach quickly and drop-in and words to study in-depth. The guidance includes instructions for teachers to “decide if the words are inferrable or not inferrable” and encourage learning vocabulary “indirectly and unconsciously through daily reading, writing, listening, and speaking routines” rather than through explicit instruction. 

• The Vocabulary Teacher Tool shares the ways that students interact with vocabulary words within a lesson and across the unit, such as “Close reading moments are included within lessons to analyze the use of words in context” or “When applicable, vocabulary words are used in later units in key questions or as part of word banks and sentence frames.” 

• Materials include Explicit Instruction of Vocabulary guidance, which includes routines to introduce and review priority vocabulary. There is not sufficient guidance or reminders in the lessons to assist teachers.

Vocabulary is sometimes repeated in contexts (before texts, in texts) and across multiple texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Domain-specific vocabulary is taught across multiple units. For example:

  • Across multiple units, students learn about and analyze different types of irony. One type is verbal irony which is defined as “when a speaker's intended meaning is the opposite of what they literally say,” and the other is dramatic irony, which is defined as “a literary technique where the author provides information to the reader that the characters are not aware of, evoking humor, suspense, or tragedy.” 

    • In Unit 1, Facing Prejudice: All American Boys, Lesson 6, students read a selection from All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely to examine how the author conveys Rashad’s emotions through the use of verbal irony. 

    • In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 15, students read a chapter of Animal Farm by George Orwell to explore dramatic irony, answering this question: “How does Squealer gaslight the animals on pages 66-67 on the subject of beds? Provide evidence from these pages to support your answer, and explain how it is an example of dramatic irony—and the impact it has on the reader.”

  • Across multiple units, students learn about and analyze themes. 

    • In Unit 1, Facing Prejudice: All American Boys, Lesson 18, students encounter the academic vocabulary thematic topic when they determine themes in All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brandon Kiely and explain how the themes are developed over the course of the text. Students answer Close Read Questions, such as the following: “What thematic topics do Reynolds and Kiely explore in this text? Try to come up with at least five.” 

    • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 17, students determine themes in the text Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. Students answer Close Read Questions, such as “What thematic topics does Satrapi explore in this text?” The same definition is available as the one in Unit 1.

• Academic vocabulary words found in texts are introduced in units, but not always taught across multiple texts and lessons. For example:

  • In Unit 1, Facing Prejudice: All American Boys, Lesson 4, students learn the vocabulary word dehumanize as they watch the documentary “A Conversation about Growing Up Black” by The New York Times. Students answer a Close Read Question: “What does Jumoke mean when he says, ‘We’re starting to be dehumanized,’ at minute 2:54?” A definition is available as a reference: “To make someone feel or appear less than human; to deny that someone is fully human and treat them that way.” In Unit 2, Encountering Evil: Night, Lesson 10, students read Night by Elie Wiesel and revisit the word dehumanize when explaining “how the prisoners in Auschwitz-Birkenau were systematically dehumanized and stripped of their identities.” Students answer a Writing Prompt: “On page 37, Wiesel writes, ‘The child I was had been consumed by the flames. All that was left was a shape that resembled me. My soul had been invaded–and devoured–by a black flame.’ Find one example from today’s reading that demonstrates the impact of systematic dehumanization on Eliezer, explaining how his behavior and perspective have changed since arriving at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Provide quoted evidence and carefully explain your thinking. Close Read Questions include, “Find at least four places on pages 34–42 where the prisoners are dehumanized by the Nazis (and other prisoners in positions of power). Provide specific evidence to support your answer, and explain why this treatment is dehumanizing.” The Discussion Questions include, “Why do you think the Nazis worked so deliberately to strip people of their identities and dehumanize their prisoners?”

  • In Unit 3, Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History, Lesson 5, the word propaganda is introduced. The students read three articles, two of which use the word in their title. In the lesson, students study different forms of propaganda and do a project to help inform their classmates about the different forms propaganda can take. In Lesson 8, students create an infographic that shows their research on a specific aspect of propaganda. In Lesson 13, students analyze the impact of different propaganda techniques the pigs use in Animal Farm by George Orwell. The word reappears numerous times throughout the unit.

  • In Unit 4, Surviving Repression: Persepolis, Lesson 9, the word bleak is defined in the Vocabulary section. The word does not show up anywhere else in the lesson. Students may come across the word in their reading of Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi, but that is not explicitly stated or referred to by the teacher materials.

Attention is somewhat paid to vocabulary essential to understanding the text and to high-value academic words (e.g., words that might appear in other contexts/content areas). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Materials include a complete Vocabulary Glossary for each grade that notes the Part of Speech and Definition. The teacher can search for vocabulary words in the list, create a comprehensive list of all vocabulary words when “Select a Unit” appears, and create a list for each individual unit by selecting a specific unit. The Tier II and Tier III vocabulary words are broken down into the following categories: text-based, root/affix, and academic. For example, in Unit 1, the text-based vocabulary words are allegiance, ambivalent, amplify, dehumanize, disproportionate, dumbfounded, explicit, implicit, impeccable, naive, perceive, radical, surreal, synonymous, transfixed, and ubiquitous. The academic vocabulary words are author's purpose, colloquial language, connotation, enjambment, epigraph, figurative language, free verse, metaphor, mood, personification, point of view/perspective, structure, thematic topic, theme, and verbal irony. Even though the words are introduced, none of the lessons include explicit instruction on how to teach the vocabulary, and no specific words are identified as more critical than the others. Rarely are the words referenced or explicitly used again in the unit after they are initially taught, so, even though students use the words repeatedly during the lesson in which they are taught, they are not using them over the course of the unit.