8th Grade - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria that materials contain a coherently sequenced set of text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts. While materials do contain text-dependent questions, questions are focused on literacy skills rather than knowledge building. In addition, there is no clear explanation of how integration of skills or knowledge builds from unit to unit, with limited guidance available for teachers. While questions may support a general understanding of the texts themselves, they do not support building students’ knowledge about the content or topics/themes introduced by the texts.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Raymond’s Run, students are asked to respond to after reading questions categorized into comprehension, text analysis, and extension and challenge questions. Comprehension questions include “What nickname have the big kids given Squeaky, and why?” . Text analysis questions include “The plot of “Raymond’s Run” revolves around Squeaky’s desire to win the May Day race. Using a diagram like the one shown, note the events that happen at each stage of the plot. How is the conflict resolved?”This unit also requires students to complete a prediction chart and track as they read. Students complete vocabulary in context tasks. Students also analyze visuals and practice grammar within context.These questions support an understanding of the text but do not build knowledge beyond the text.
• In Unit 7, students read “Pecos Bill” a tall tale retold by Mary Pope Osborne. Questions include:
  • What is a folk hero?
  • Which of young Bill’s and his father’s qualities are exaggerated?
  • What is funny about why the mountain lion attacks Bill?
  • Why do you think the leader of the Hell’s Gate Gang immediately makes Bill the gang’s leader?
  • How does the author hep you get to know what Pecos Bill is like?
• Also in Unit 7, students read the text,”One Last Time” by Gary Soto. Questions include:
  • What can you learn from a job?
  • What do Soto’s statements about work tell you about his attitude toward field work?
  • What effect does the author’s work environment have on his life away from work?
  • What choice does Soto make at age 15?
• These two texts come only a few days apart, yet are minimally connected in terms of knowledge or ideas. These questions support an understanding of the text but do not build knowledge beyond the text. Similarly, there is no task that asks for students to connect or integrate their learning across the texts.
• Questions that integrate knowledge from multiple texts are limited to some integration of the skills in the section titled Reading Comprehension check at the end of the each unit.
  • In Unit 5, students read “The Lesson of the Moth” and “Identity”. Students answer the following question after reading both poems: “In “the lesson of the moth” what is the moth’s attitude about the price of beauty? In “Identity,” what is the speaker’s attitude about the price of beauty? Explain whether you think their views are more similar or more different.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts. Although each unit includes a variety of Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words, the units and texts do not work in unison or in coherence in order to build the academic vocabulary of students. Even though the texts that are used are of good quality and provide students with a variety of vocabulary to study, there is no coherence between the texts to ensure that students are seeing and engaging with the same words multiple times either in or across texts. There is no year-long guidance for teachers regarding vocabulary development. Evidence of this includes, but is not limited to:

• Approximately 5 academic vocabulary words are provided at the beginning of each unit. The teacher guide also provides definitions for these words under the Differentiated Instruction heading. The materials direct teachers to use additional materials found in the Resource Manager, including worksheets to help students develop fluency with these terms.
• According to the teacher guide, www.thinkcentral.com also includes video and PowerNotes, audio support, ThinkAloud models and WordSharp vocabulary tutorials as well as interactive review and remediation.
• Within each text, key vocabulary words are noted, with definitions for students to reference. Teacher suggestions for working with these words include, “have pairs of students define these words using context clues and a dictionary. Have them pronounce each word out loud several times.
• Each lesson also includes a Vocabulary In Context exercise. For the text, “The Story of Ceres and Proserpina (Unit 6),” students fill in the blanks with vocabulary words to complete sentences that create vivid setting for the myth. For this story, it is suggested that the teacher pre teach vocabulary before having students complete an accompanying worksheet independently.
• Throughout the materials, students are regularly encouraged to “Own the Word.” To facilitate this learning, the teacher is given guidance about key aspects of each word, as well as affixes, synonyms, etc.
• Unit 2, students complete a Character Traits Web p.175. Vocabulary in Context p.177. Reluctant Readers share answers with partners/groups p.179. Vocabulary support provided to struggling readers p.180. Advanced learners are provided a small group option where they diagram the plot of a story p.184. Advanced learners work in groups to discover theme p.186. Students complete an academic vocabulary in writing activity.
• Unit 5, advanced learners work with partners to discuss how they might recast ”Good Night” p.605. Students compare and contrast the rhythm of poems and explain p.606. Struggling readers use a two column chart to record comparisons p.608. Teachers organize small groups and assign poems to group members p.609. Teachers distribute copies of poem to help students add correct punctuation to clarify meaning and to read questions and statements differently. Advanced learners form debate teams p.620.
• Unit 8: Facts and Information, at the beginning of the unit the Academic Vocabulary is explained and shared. For example, the text says in the sections titled “Teach”, “Part 1: Text Features: in the first column in a three column chart list the text Features…”. In the section titled, “Vocabulary in Context” the teacher’s guides provides activities to increase use of academic vocabulary with in the directions under, “Academic Vocabulary in Writing”.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria that materials support students’ increasing writing skills over the course of the school year, building students’ writing ability to demonstrate proficiency at grade level at the end of the school year. While the writing materials are aligned to the Common Core State Standards, they are limited to the Writing Workshop at the end of each unit. The writing workshop consists of a writing task, idea starters, essential information, planning/prewriting with examples, drafting, revising, analyzing a student's draft, editing, and publishing. There are few protocols, and the skills do not increase over the school year. Also, students only practice the writing type once during the school year and the units do not build writing skills before the final writing workshop. There are few tools for teachers and students to track growth, and no detailed structure on modeling and teaching writing. Evidence of this includes, but is not limited to:

• In Unit 3, students complete a Comparison-Contrast Essay during the Writing Workshop. The writing task states, “Write a comparison-contrast essay in which you describe the similarities and differences between two subjects, such as fictional characters, real people, places, or events.” While there are resources provided to the student and teacher in this section of the text, it is not adequate to cover the whole course of the unit.
• At the end of Unit 5 students write an Online Feature Article. The Writing Task states, “Write an online feature article about a topic, person, or event that interests you.” Writing practice throughout the unit includes, but is not limited to,”
  • Students read “the lesson of the moth” and “Identity” and respond to the prompt, “Choose one of the ‘characters’ from the poems-Archy, the moth, or the speaker in ‘Identity’. Write a paragraph answering the question, ‘Does beauty matter?’ from the point of view of this character.”
  • Students read “It’s all I have to bring today--” and “We Alone.” Students respond to the prompt, “In four or five paragraphs, compare and contrast how this theme is expressed in the poems.”
  • Students read “Not My Bones” and an excerpt from Fortune’s Bones and respond to the prompt, “In a paragraph, compare and contrast the treatment of Fortunes’ life and legacy on pages 653-654 with Marilyn Nelson’s treatment of the same subject in her poem ‘Not My Bones.’”
  • Students read “Boots of Spanish Leather” and “The Song of Hiawatha” and respond to the prompt “Choose one of these poems and rewrite it as a one- or two- page short story that would appeal to teenagers today. Change or add details about the setting, characters, and conflict. Consider using dialogue to make the events seem real.”
  • While there are opportunities for students to write throughout the unit, they are typically just on demand writing tasks and they do not prepare the students to complete the writing workshop at the end of the unit.
• At the end of Unit 9 students are given the writing task “Write a persuasive essay in which you assert a strong claim on an issue and use reasons and evidence to persuade your audience to agree with you.” While the prompt mentions making a claim and backing it up with evidence, the materials should be asking the students to complete argumentative writing instead of persuasive writing.
• Writing instruction “tasks” are included at the end of each unit:
  • Unit 1: Personal Narrative
  • Unit 4: Short Story
  • Unit 8: Procedural Text

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria that materials include a progression of focused research projects to encourage students to develop knowledge in a given area by confronting and analyzing different aspects of a topic using multiple texts and source materials. Opportunities for research are limited, and focused mainly in the final unit. There is no clear and cohesive progression through the course of the year.

In Unit 10 students practice how to research a topic by following a group of students as they look for information about inventors. Students are walked through the research process from start to finish, including how to develop research questions, use library and media resources, evaluate information and sources, including from primary and secondary sources, formulate a major research question, prepare a source list, collect data and produce a research essay. They are asked to go through the same process individually on a topic of their choice. The Power of Research, students participate in a “Research Strategies Workshop followed by a Writing Workshop. Student complete one several writing tasks throughout the units prior to the final unit but do not provide the necessary increase in skills to accomplish the last unit Research project. The unit includes, but is not limited to, the following goals:

• Ask and answer research questions
• Use search terms effectively
• Use library and media center resources to find print and digital sources
• Choose primary and secondary sources
• Evaluate information and sources, including nonfiction books, periodicals, and Web sites
• Conduct your own research
• Write a research paper
• Make a research presentation

While these goals are addressed in the unit, this is the end of the year and gives the students very little opportunity for practice throughout the year.

Most units include at least one quick research task. They are typically included under the title “Extension and Challenge”. They include, but are not limited to,:

• Unit 1, after reading “Raymond’s Run” students complete the task, “According to Squeaky, Raymond has a “big head.” Find out more about hydrocephalus, the condition he has. With the medical advances of today, is there a treatment or cure for hydrocephalus? What is known about the causes of it? Present your findings to the class.”Teacher guidance states “Students’ reports should include answers to the questions and show draw information from reliable sources.”
• Unit 3, after reading “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” students complete the task, “Conduce some research about Johnny Clem, a real drummer boy at the Battle of Shiloh, or about another hero or battle of the American Civil War. Share your findings with your classmates.” Teacher guidance states “Students may choose to do their reports on figures such as Robert E. Lee, Ulysses Grant, or a drummer boy, such as Robert Henry Hendershot.”

These short research projects are vague in their expectations for the students and the teacher is not provided enough information to help the students complete the tasks without added materials.