4th Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2b.

The materials include opportunities for students to respond to high-quality questions and tasks in writing or discussion. Many questions and tasks focus on main idea and details, as well as word choice and structure of the text. In each lesson, text-dependent questions are sequenced to increase an in-depth knowledge base of the key ideas and themes presented in texts. The majority of the text-dependent question sequences occur in the Engaging with the Text sections in each lesson. All of the texts, questions, and associated tasks build student knowledge to answer the Essential Questions that guide each unit. 

For most texts, students analyze key ideas and details according to grade-level standards. For example:

• In Literature Unit 2, Lesson 18, students read Chapter 35-37 of the core text, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. The lesson ends with a writing prompt: “What gift do the people of Moon Rain give Minli? Why is this gift an example of true generosity?” Students answer Key Questions to help them answer the prompt: “Ba begins to question if the fish was actually talking to him. Why? How does this make Ma and Ba feel? How are the characters and events in the story of The Greet Tiger and the Tea connected to earlier events?”

• In Social Studies and Science Unit 2, Lesson 12 after reading an excerpt of the core text, Liberty! How the American Revolution Began, students answer several Key Questions in order to describe what happened at the First Continental Congress at the end of the lesson.To prepare for that writing task, students answer questions: “Explain what happened at the First Continental Congress. What role did Spies play in the Revolution?”

• In Social Studies and Science Unit 5, Lesson 7, students analyze Let it Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters and answer Key Questions to build their knowledge on Harriet Tubman. Questions include: “How did Harriet feel when she found freedom? How does the author help the reader understand how Harriet felt? What is a reputation? Why was Harriet beginning to get a reputation among slaves and slave owners? Why was this both a good and a bad thing?”

• In Literature Unit 6, Lesson 5, students answer a series of questions about key ideas and details after reading a portion of Bud, not Buddy: “What does it mean to hop a train? How does Bud feel about the idea of hopping a train with Bugs?”

For most texts, students analyze craft and structure (according to the grade-level standards). For example:

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 1, Lesson 1, students begin reading the text, Unforgettable Natural Disasters, a Time for Kids Nonfiction Reader, and answer analysis questions: “Why does the author include the maps on pages 8-9? How do they help the reader better understand how the GDACS works?” 

• In Literature Unit 2, Lesson 5, after reading Chapters 7- 9 of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, students pick three descriptive sentences from the text that best describe how Minli, Ma, and Ba are feeling and why. Students analyze how the descriptions help the reader understand each character. 

• In Literature Unit 4, students are studying Greek myths for comparison. In Lesson 1, after reading various myths, students read an excerpt of Greek Myth Plays. Students prepare to write about how the story of “Echo and Narcissus” is highlighted in the play. In the Engaging with the Text section, students answer Key Questions prior to completing the written prompt to analyze craft and structure: “Who are the characters? Why would the author include all of the characters? What clues does the author give to help a reader better understand the emotion of each character? Compare and contrast the structural elements of drama with those of prose and verse.” 

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 5, Lesson 1, after reading Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans, students complete the Target Task: “Who is speaking in the prologue and who is the ‘honey’ whom she is addressing? Why did the author choose to tell history through this voice?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2c.

The materials contain questions and tasks that require students to analyze individual and multiple texts. In both Literature and Science and Social Studies units, lessons include a set of Key Questions to build knowledge around the unit topic. As the units progress, questions build to support various tasks and, by the end of most units, students compare the unit texts. The majority of questions are text-dependent or text-specific. Furthermore, tasks enhance the students’ knowledge base of the unit topic through questions, discussions, writing prompts, and at times, research. Within most units, there are multiple texts that offer varying perspectives and viewpoints while continuing to build knowledge of the unit topic or theme. Most questions are aligned to the standards, and the majority of units provide opportunities for students to gather information and analyze across multiple texts. 

Most sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. For example:

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 1, Lesson 12, students answer the questions: “What steps can be taken today to protect people and buildings from the threat of an earthquake? What challenges exist?” Before this writing prompt, students answer questions: “Why do cities differ in their preparation for earthquakes? What challenges do cities face when trying to prepare for earthquakes?”

• In Literature Unit 3, Lesson 1, students analyze a timeline in order to answer the question, “What was life like in Cuba in 1912?” Before answering this question in writing, students answer questions: “What was Cuba like from 1200-1526? Who was in control? What can you infer life was like during the time period? Were people treated equally?” Students answer similar questions for the time periods of 1530-1878, 1880-1910, and 1910-1924. 

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 3, students build a foundation for understanding the way in which the American government was formed and the way it is structured. In Lesson 2, students answer the writing prompt: “What plan did the Constitution make for the government of the United States? In your answer describe three or four key features of the new government.” Then, in Lesson 4, students read two texts, Building a Nation by Terry Miller Shannon and The Bill of Rights by David L. Dreier, to complete the writing prompt: “What is the Constitution of the United States? Why is it important?” 

• In Literature Unit 6, Lesson 7, students write about why Hoovervilles were created. Before this writing prompt, students answer questions, such as “What were living conditions like for black people during the Great Depression? Why? Why did people have to give up their homes?” 

Sets of questions and tasks provide opportunities to analyze across multiple texts. For example:

• In Science and Social Students Unit 2, Lesson 7, students answer the writing prompt, “How did the elites influence the poor and begin the Revolution?” Before this task, students read several pages from A Young People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn and answer questions: “What did the elites want the poor to do? What were the elites worried about? What did the elites want from the poor? What strategies did they use?”

• In Literature Unit 3, students read The Wild Book to explore the difficulties associated with learning disabilities and gain an understanding of Dyslexia. In Lesson 2, students describe how the narrator feels about word blindness. In Lesson 3, students use the video, “What is Dyslexia?”, to better understand the character in the novel. In this lesson, they answer the questions, “Why is learning to read so difficult for children with dyslexia? How does this connect with the narrator in The Wild Book?” In Lesson 4, students write a paragraph that explains what blindness is and how it impacts the main character’s life. 

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 5, Lesson 27, students read multiple unit texts, including Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America by Andrea Pinkney, Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson, and Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney to answer one of the unit essential questions. Questions include: “How have racist ideas and racism shaped the United States’ history and policies? What are some of the key events in United States history since the 1600s? How did each event impact life for African Americans?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2d.

The materials include culminating tasks at the end of each unit that requires students to demonstrate knowledge of the unit topic and mastery of the unit skills. To prepare students for the culminating task, similar tasks or questions are provided throughout the unit. Culminating tasks are varied across the school year. While the majority of culminating tasks include a writing component, they also give students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the unit topic and understanding of multiple standards through integrated skills including reading, researching, speaking, and listening. Most, but not all, culminating tasks require students to utilize information from unit texts or sources across the unit for completion. Some culminating tasks ask students to write about their own experience or beliefs, though students study literature and character development and use that knowledge to complete the culminating task. 

Culminating tasks are multifaceted, requiring students to demonstrate mastery of several different standards (reading, writing, speaking, listening) at the appropriate grade level, and comprehension and knowledge of a topic or topics through integrated skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening). For example:

• In Social Studies and Science Unit 1, Lesson 26, students complete a culminating task where they research a recent natural disaster and create a report that includes: how the natural disaster happened, what damage was caused by the natural disaster, and suggestions for providing support to those impacted by the disaster. Students combine speaking, listening, reading, and writing to complete the task. 

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 2, students answer the question, “Were the colonists justified in declaring independence and fighting the Revolutionary War? Defend your answer with two to three reasons why the colonists were right or wrong to declare their independence.”

• In Literature Unit 3, Lesson 18, students choose one of a suggested list of books and write a continuation of the story using what they have learned about characters and setting. Requirements for the continuation include: having a problem, climax, and solution; continuing the characters and setting from the original text; writing in the same point of view; and using dialogue and description to show how the characters are feeling. 

• In Literature Unit 6, Lesson 29, students complete the culminating task: “Compare and contrast the development of the theme in Bud, Not Buddy with other novels from the course by stating a claim and supporting it with evidence from multiple texts.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2e.

The materials in both Literature and Science and Social Studies units provide opportunities to help students achieve grade-level proficiency in writing by the end of the year. The Teacher Tools includes instructional strategies for teachers to utilize when providing explicit instruction and facilitating student practice throughout each stage of the writing process; however, opportunities for students to participate in the writing process is limited to periodic skill activities and focused writing at the end of each unit for approximately four to five days. Writing lessons incorporate a myriad of instructional strategies outlined in the Teacher Tools document. In each unit, the demands increase exponentially. At the onset of the academic year, the units focus on quality sentences and paragraph writing and gradually build throughout the year toward proficiency with essays. The use of evidence also evolves from students using direct quotations to citing and paraphrasing evidence. The Enhanced Lesson Plans ensure that students receive explicit and sequenced instruction to aid in developing grade-level writing techniques followed by ample time for practice. 

Materials include writing instruction that aligns to the standards for the grade level and supports students’ growth in writing skills over the course of the school year. For example:

• In the Literature Units, writing instruction aligns to the standards for Grade 4. All Literature Units include W.4.1 and W.4.3 as core writing standards as students regularly receive opinion and narrative writing instruction and complete tasks. In Science and Social Studies Units, all of the units focus on W.4.2, as students write informative pieces. They also focus on W.4.7 in Units 1, 3, and 5, and W.4.8 in all units as students research in order to effectively write an informative piece. Students engage in on-demand writing throughout the unit in response to their reading that prepares them for the final writing task for the unit. All writing standards are covered over the course of the year.

• In Literature Unit 1, students focus on sentence-level writing (expanding sentences), paragraph-level writing (brainstorming and creating strong outlines), and narrative writing. The Focus Areas for the Unit are identified in the Unit Launch. In Lesson 7 students start their unit-long writing about describing Marty. In this lesson, students learn how to brainstorm and find evidence about characters. Students also begin to learn about topic sentences. In Lesson 14 students return to their theories about Marty from Lesson 7 to “revise and built onto” their theories. Students find additional evidence from the text and revise their initial theories and brainstorms. Students then learn that the theories they brainstormed are examples of topic sentences. Students complete a Single Paragraph Outline. In Lesson 23, students spend two days interacting with the same prompt from Lesson 7 and Lesson 14. In the first lesson, students learn how to revise their theories and brainstorm about a character based on additional evidence, and in the second lesson, they complete a single paragraph outline with time for peer revision. In Lesson 24, students continue to work on drafting outlines with opportunities for peer revision. In later units, students will return to crafting outlines and paragraphs. In Lesson 26, students participate in a 5-day narrative writing project. This serves as their introduction to narrative writing for the course. There are 10 days of process writing across this unit.

  In Science and Social Studies Unit 2, students focus on crafting strong sentences, drafting strong paragraphs, and writing opinion pieces as outlined in the Unit Launch. In Lesson 5, students learn how to write paragraph summaries to summarize what happened during the Boston Massacre. In Lesson 6, students learn how to use subordinating conjunctions to make their writing more interesting and have a chance to revise previous Target Task writing. In Lesson 9, students review how to draft a single-paragraph outline in preparation for drafting in later units. In Lesson 11, students learn how to use subordinating conjunctions to make their writing more interesting with time for partner revision. In Lesson 14, students learn how to turn their drafts into paragraphs by writing more complex sentences. In Lesson 25, students have another opportunity to write a paragraph with time for partner revision. In Lesson 27, students spend 4-days writing an opinion piece. Students use what they learned in lessons 5, 6, 9, 11, 14, and 25 to craft strong paragraphs. There are 10 days in the unit dedicated to process-based writing. 

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 4, the writing focus is on building student skill in opinion writing. Lessons 6-10 provide students the opportunity to use what they are learning about different sources of energy to determine the pros and cons of each. Students write opinion pieces about the use of solar energy, hydroelectric dams, and nuclear power. After crafting opinions on each of these sources, students present an additional energy source before writing an opinion piece to convince community leaders to use one of the sources of energy. The majority of this unit offers students opportunities to practice and refine gathering evidence and opinion writing

• In Literature Unit 5, the Unit Focus Key Writing and Language Standards provides guidance for teachers to focus instruction on clearly stating an opinion, providing reasons that support an opinion, using appropriate transition words to connect your reasons, and including a concluding statement. Teacher guidance includes information on writing genre (opinion) and explaining what students are required to do in the lessons, such as brainstorm an opinion, decide on evidence that is the most convincing, and use appropriate transition words to connect their evidence.

Materials include a variety of well-designed guidance, protocols, models, and supports for teachers to implement and monitor students’ writing development. Examples include:

• The ELA Teacher Tools includes a link to a variety of guidance and support for teachers to implement writing in Grade 4. These include: 

  • Monitoring Student Writing Progress provides guidance on determining what skills should be taught by looking at previous lessons and student data. Teacher guidance includes maintaining a tracking system of student progress in writing throughout the year from assignment to assignment.

  • Writing Structures and Frameworks provides teacher guidance and protocols for teaching specific writing structures and frameworks including brainstorming and note-taking organizers, such as a Narrative Writing Brainstorm Template,  a Single Paragraph Outline, and Multiple Paragraph Outline. In addition, this section outlines that sentence level instruction is based off of The Writing Revolution by Judith C. Hochman and Natalie Wexler. 

  • Instructional Strategies for Writing Lessons provides multiple instructional strategies that teachers can use in implementing writing lessons. These strategies include Think Aloud, Teacher Model Writing, Analysis of an Exemplar, Analysis of a Non-Exemplar, Group Practice, Quick Practice, Analysis of Student Work, and Independent Practice.

  • Giving Writing Feedback provides information on how feedback should be given to students in each lesson including conferences, whole-class feedback, and peer feedback. There are also guides for how teachers can respond to common challenges at the sentence level, the paragraph level, for narrative writing, and informational writing.

  • Writing Rubrics provides rubrics for teacher use for each type of writing.

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2f.

The materials include opportunities for students to analyze topics, through research by using reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language skills throughout the academic year. The majority of short and extended research tasks occur in the Science and Social Studies units. A few lessons in the Literature units require students to analyze informational texts or multimedia sources to learn more about topics addressed in the texts. Students perform research tasks based on single and multiple texts and are encouraged to take notes or utilize graphic organizers. Students use the research to write, debate, discuss, or illustrate their learning. 

Research projects are sequenced across a school year to include a progression of research skills that build to mastery of the grade-level standards. For example: 

• In Social Studies and Science Unit 1, Lesson 26, students spend five days researching a recent natural disaster (volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes or wildfires). They create a report that includes how the natural disaster happened, what damage was caused by the natural disaster, and suggestions for providing support to those impacted by the disaster. Students can complete the project independently or with a partner. Students use websites like Newsela, Scholastic News, and Time for Kids. 

• In Social Studies and Science Unit 3, Lesson 28, students spend five days on a research project about an upcoming election to respond to the prompt, “Imagine you are allowed to vote in an upcoming election. In order to make an educated decision about who to vote for and why, you’ll need to do some research. Use a variety of sources to research and answer the questions: Who are the major candidates in the election? What does each candidate believe in?” Students use the information they collect to write an opinion paragraph on the person for whom they would vote. 

• In Social Studies and Science Unit 5, Lesson 28, students spend six days researching an African American hero to create a presentation for their class. Students choose one person they learned about and research the person’s childhood, adulthood, and lessons learned. Students are prompted to use the unit texts, Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters and Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America and the internet to complete the project.

Materials support teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge of different aspects of a topic. For example:

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 4, Lesson 9, the lesson plan includes a list of multimedia resources that allow teachers to build background knowledge and provide additional support students need to explain the pros and cons surrounding the use of solar energy. Students complete a brief research activity using online videos, articles, and photos about solar energy to support their comprehension of the core text, Energy Sources: The Pros and Cons.

• In Literature Unit 6, Lesson 10, students use Children of the Great Depression and Bud, Not Buddy to “write a multi-paragraph essay that describes what the Great Depression was and how the setting influences how the story unfolds.” 

Materials provide opportunities for students to conduct research projects that synthesize and analyze content tied to the topics under study as a part of the research process. For example:

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 3, Lesson 4, students use the texts, Building a Nation and The Bill of Rights, to build knowledge on the US Constitution. After reading and researching from the texts, they write a paragraph to answer, “What is the Constitution of the United States? Why is it important?”

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 4, Lessons 7-9, students spend two days in each lesson on opinion writing discussing the pros and cons of various renewable energy sources. For example, in Lesson 8, students use the text, Energy Sources, and additional multimedia sources, such as videos, articles, and photos to research hydroelectric dams. Students use the information gathered to practice opinion writing for the prompt, “What are the pros and cons surrounding the use of hydroelectric dams? What reasons and evidence does the author include?” This research is used as they complete a final task in the unit to convince community leaders to use a particular energy source. 

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 4, Lesson 11, students spend two days developing a group presentation after researching an additional energy source.

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2g.

The materials include instructional activities, student activities, assessments, and questions that are focused on grade level standards. Instructional activities encompass grade level standards and are the focus for the majority of instructional time. Students are engaged daily in discussions, text analysis, writing about texts or unit topics, or mid- and end-of-unit assessments, all of which align to Grade 3 standards. At the bottom of each lesson, it lists the core standards and the supporting or spiral standards. In addition, the lesson map lists the core standard. Every question on assessments indicates alignment to the appropriate standard. Materials also include a Standards Map that indicates when standards are addressed and spiraled in. 

Over the course of each unit, the majority of instruction is aligned to grade-level standards. For example: 

• In Literature Unit 2, the majority of instruction is aligned to the standards. For example, the reading instruction focuses on RL.4.2, RL.4.3, and RL.4.4. The writing lessons focus on W.4.1 and W.4.3. The unit also focuses on speaking and listening standards SL.4.1 and SL.4.2 and the language standards L.4.1 and L.4.2. 

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 4, reading instruction focuses on RI.4.2, RI.4.3, RI.4.7, and RI.4.8. Writing instruction focuses on W.4.1, W.4.2, W.4.8, and W.4.9. Instruction also focuses on the speaking and listening standards SL.4.1, SL.4.3, and SL.4.4. In this unit there is also a focus on several science standards. 

Over the course of each unit, the majority of questions and tasks are aligned to grade-level standards. For example:

• In Literature Unit 1, Lesson 4, students read a portion of Shiloh and answer Key Questions based on the text, which focus on standard RL.4.3. Questions include, “What plan does Marty come up with? Will his plan work? Why or why not? Describe life in Friendly, West Virginia. What evidence does the author include to show that Judd is hostile to both people and animals? What evidence does the author include to support the conclusion that Marty can't stop thinking about Shiloh? What does the phrase ‘drive me crazy’ mean?”

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 2, Lesson 10, students read about the Revolutionary War. The Target Task is a writing prompt that asks students to write their opinion based on the text: “King George stated, ‘Blows must decide.’ Based on what you know about both the British army and the militia, who would most likely win? Why?” The core standards in this lesson are RI.4.2 and RI.4.3. 

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 3, Lesson 13, students read a portion of Roses and Radicals: The Epic Story of How American Women Won the Right to Vote. The Target Task states, “Read the quote from page 15. ‘And to be a woman in 1840 was to be less than a man. Socially less, politically less, and, perhaps most of all, legally less.’ What evidence does the author include to support this point?” The questions and tasks in this lesson align to RI.4.2 and RI.4.3. 

• In Literature Unit 5, Lesson 21, students write a multiple paragraph outline to answer the question, “How does the way others view us impact the way we view ourselves”. This task aligns to multiple standards including L.4.1, L.4.2, and W.4.1. 

Over the course of each unit, the majority of assessment questions are aligned to grade-level standards. For example:

• In Literature Unit 1, Cold Read Assessment, questions include, “Identify two details that best show the setting of ‘Stray’” which aligns to the standards RL.4.1 and RL.4.3,  “Which statement best describes the main character between paragraphs 9 and 14 in the story?” which aligns to RL.4.3, “What does the detail ‘she rose up heavily’ show about the narrator?” which aligns to RL.4.3, and “What does the phrase rose up mean as it is used in the sentence?” which aligns to L4.5.

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 1, Cold Read Assessment, questions include, “How are surface waves different from tsunami waves? Use details from the text and diagram to support your answer” which aligns to RI.4.3 and “What could cause a tsunami to form?” which is aligned to RI.4.1. 

• In Literature Unit 5, Content Assessment, students answer, “What can we learn from Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key about what it means to be empathetic towards others?” which aligns to RL.4.3, W.4.1, L.4.1, L.4.2, and L.4.6

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 5, the Content Assessment states, “Analyze the illustration from page 2 of Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans. Explain what message the illustrator is trying to convey.” This assessment task aligns to RI.4.2, RI.4.3, RI.4.7, W.4.2, L.4.1, L.4.2, and L.4.6. 

By the end of the academic year,  standards are repeatedly addressed within and across units to ensure students master the full intent of the standard. For example:

• RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3, and RL.4.4 are covered as either core standards or supporting standards in almost all six Literature units. RL.4.2 and RL.4.3 are core standards in almost all standards units. RL.3.3 is also a core standard in the last Science and Social Studies Unit. 

• RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.3, RI.4.4, and RI.4.5 are covered in almost every Science and Social Studies unit. RI.4.3 is also a core standard in the final Literature Unit. 

• W.4.1 is a core standard in all but one standard. W.4.2 is in every Science and Social Studies unit and W.4.3 is in every Literature unit. W.4.8 is a core standard in every Science and Social Studies unit. 

• Speaking and listening standards are addressed in every unit, especially SL.4.1 which is covered in every Literature and Science and Social Studies unit. 

• Language standards are core and supporting standards across the year. L.4.1, L.4.2, and L.4.4 are in every unit.

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2h.

The materials include an implementation schedule that allows sufficient time to complete all components of the lessons and every unit in a given year. A schedule with time suggestions for each lesson is provided in the unit pacing guide. The plans explicitly state that there is time allowed for teachers to adjust lessons to meet the needs of their individual classrooms. Moreover, the total number of lessons can be completed in a traditional school year. Optional activities are present in the form of additional support to build knowledge, and enrichment activities align to the standards and enhance the daily objective.  

Suggested implementation schedules and alternative implementation schedules align to core learning and objectives. For example:

• The materials include an article with a sample daily schedule from 8:00-3:00 that includes the literature block, a math block, a specials block, a science and social studies block, another block for science or enrichment, independent reading, and time for a morning meeting and closing circle. Writing instruction is embedded within all Literature and Science and Social Studies units. 

• The Literature and Social Studies and Science lessons have three parts. According to the materials, the Building Knowledge and Skills section takes about 5 minutes, the Engage with the Text section takes about 30 minutes, and the Build Deeper Meaning section takes about 25 minutes. 

• The materials recommend that students participate in a 45 minute independent reading block each day. 

Suggested implementation schedules can be reasonably completed in the time allotted. For example:

• In Literature, there are 145 lessons with 162 instructional days. 

• In Social Studies, there are 124 lessons with 150 instructional days. 

• The materials specifically state, “we intentionally did not account for all 180 school days to allow teachers to fit in additional review or extension, teacher-created assessments, and school-based events.” 

Optional tasks do not distract from core learning. Optional tasks are for either remediation or enrichment and can be integrated into the existing lesson plan. For example:

• In Literature Unit 4, Lesson 5, students read about Pandora in the text, The Greek Myth Plays. The Opportunities for Enrichment section suggests, “Extend the lesson a day and have students act out the drama version of Pandora. Split the class up into groups and assign roles. Have each group practice their lines, adding correct intonation and movement.”

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 4, Lesson 6, students study various forms of renewable energy and write a paragraph on how the forms of energy keep a city running. The Additional Supports section states, “Review with students how to use appositives. Encourage students to include at least 2 appositives in their answer.” 

Optional tasks are meaningful and enhance core instruction. For example:

• In Science and Social Studies Unit 2, Lesson 7, students are studying the American Revolution through the text, A Young People’s History of the United States. The lesson includes three recommendations for optional tasks that enhance student learning. An Opportunities for Enrichment states, “Have students rewrite sections of Liberty! based on the information they learned in this lesson.” The Language Support task states, “Have students turn and talk prior to participating in the class discussion.” An Additional Support is to “help students understand the influence the elites had on the poor, close read the following key sentences.” 

• In Literature Unit 5, Lesson 8, additional questions are provided: “How does Joey feel after he has eaten the pie? Can he control his behavior?” There is also an enrichment opportunity that states, “Instead of answering the Target Task question, have students rewrite a section of the chapter from Mrs. Maxy’s point of view.”