11th Grade - Gateway 1

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for anchor texts being of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading. Included texts are engaging and attend to student interests.

Examples demonstrating the quality of texts include (but are not limited to):

• “Coming of Age in the Dawnland” by Charles C. Mann. This is the second of two texts that students compare and contrast for this unit. In this historical writing, Mann looks at the culture shock between Europeans and Native Americans using modern research on this period of history. It provides a more contemporary and engaging perspective on the historical topic which students will find interesting and thought-provoking. 
• "Letter to John Adams" by Abigail Adams. This is a letter written by John Adams’s wife who asks him to “remember the ladies.” It’s the first real feminist piece linked to the formation of the United States, as his own wife urges him to remember the women who are also fighting for liberation from Britain.
• "From Song of Myself "by Walt Whitman. Walt Whitman was an American writer during a time of great expansion. Whitman wrote about the American ideal and his own distress about current events such as the Civil War. The four poems selected for inclusion in this text reflect the essential question “In what ways do we seek to remain true to ourselves?”
• “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthorne is a canonical American author, grandson of a judge involved in the Salem witch trials. An essential question for the unit is “What do we secretly fear?” and this short story cleverly reveals community fears and suspicions when a minister chooses to hide his face behind a veil. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that anchor texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for purpose and placement in the grade level. 

The publisher provides the quantitative measure of each print text except poems as a Lexile measure. The Lexile Text Measure is listed in the teacher's edition as part of the instructional overview that prefaces each unit. The publisher explicitly describes the qualitative measures of the text in the “Plan” section before each text. Reader and task considerations for each text are explicitly described and include English learner support and suggestions for differentiation when students struggle. These supports are directly related to the content of the text, the qualitative elements.  Each text set is crafted to address an essential question, includes a mentor text for the end of unit writing task, and provides students an opportunity to engage in close reading and analysis of content building toward the final performance task. These elements of the Teacher's Edition illustrate attention to reader and task. 

Examples demonstrating this information:

In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 2: Building a Democracy

• The text set for the unit includes a public document, history writing, video, a short story, poems, an excerpt from an autobiography, an essay, and a historical letter.  Lexile measures range from 1000L to 1390L, representing the breadth of the grade band. 
• The mentor text is history writing, “Thomas Jefferson: The Best of Enemies" by Ron Chernow. The text measures 1340L and includes the following qualitative elements:
• "Ideas presented: requires weighing multiple perspectives; some analysis of bias and author’s motivations."
• "Structures used:  more complex, multiple perspectives may be presented; more deviation from chronology."
• "Language used: vocabulary not defined at point of use; mostly Tier II and II words; metaphor (rather than smilies) used more; multiple technical words may be used in one sentence."
• "Knowledge required:more complex problems; experiences may be less familiar to many; cultural or historical references."
• "English learner support includes use of cognates, identifying verb tenses, use of hyphens, and language conventions." 
• The end of unit writing task is to write a research report. 
• “Letter to John Adams” by Abigail Adams, 1180L, is paired with an excerpt from “Lean In”, an essay by Sheryl Sandberg, 1000L. 
• Abigail Adams:
• "Ideas presented: requires weighing multiple perspectives. Some analysis of bias and the author’s motivations. Some ambiguity." 
• "Structures used:  more complex, multiple perspectives may be presented; more deviation from chronology. Tables and figures support understanding.[sic, pg 168A]"
• "Language used: vocabulary not defined at point of use. Mostly Tier II and III words. Metaphor (rather than similes) used more. Multiple technical words may be used in one sentence."
• "Knowledge required: More complex problems. Experiences may be less familiar to many. Cultural or historical references."
• "English learner support includes learning new expressions, using cognates, making verbs and nouns from adjectives, language conventions, and understanding idioms." 
• Support for differentiation includes teaching voice and tone as well as reteaching an understanding of purpose.
• Sheryl Sandberg
• "Ideas presented: requires weighing of multiple perspectives. Some analysis of bias and author’s motivations. Some ambiguity."
• "Structures used:  more complex, multiple perspectives may be presented; more deviation from chronology. Tables and figures support understanding.[sic, pg 178A]"
• "Language used: vocabulary not defined at point of use. Mostly Tier II and III words. Metaphor (rather than similes) used more. Multiple technical words may be used in one sentence."
• "Knowledge required: More complex problems. Experiences may be less familiar to many. Cultural or historical references." 
• Both texts:
• English learner support includes learning new expressions, using cognates, making verbs and nouns from adjectives, language conventions, and understanding idioms. 
• Support for differentiation includes teaching voice and tone as well as reteaching an understanding of purpose.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that anchor and supporting texts provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading to achieve grade level reading proficiency.

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 include mentor and supporting texts that allow for students to engage in a range and volume of texts in order to achieve grade level reading. There are six units that revolve around an essential question for students and provide multiple texts.

Throughout the year, students are exposed to a wide variety of texts in both print and multimedia formats which are identified in the table of contents for each unit. Each unit begins with an Analyze and Apply section that uses one text as a “Notice and Note reading model” along with another text which serves as a mentor text followed by other supporting texts. The next group of texts, Collaborate and Compare, provide a comparative analysis of two different selections, both of which connect to the essential question but which may be different in “genre, craft, or focus”. In addition, there are independent reading selections which can be accessed with the digital edition. Finally, there are suggested texts provided which can give educators even more options for text selection.

• In Teacher's Edition, Unit 2: Building a Democracy, the following texts are provided: 
• Mentor Text: “Thomas Jefferson: The Best of Enemies” by Ron Chernow (history writing)
• Supporting texts:
• Public document: “The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson
• Video: American Experience: Alexander Hamilton by PBS
• Short story: “A Soldier for the Crown” by Charles Johnson  
• Autobiography: from The Autobiography by Ben Franklin
• Collaborate and Compare Texts:
• Poem: “On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley
• Poem: “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
• Letter: “Letter to John Adams” by Abigail Adams 
• Essay: From Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
• Independent Reading Texts:
• Speech: “Speech to the Virginia Convention” by Patrick Henry  
• Public document: from The United States Constitution: “The Bill of Rights”
• Aphorism: from Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin 
• Informational text: “Abigail Adams’ Last Act of Defiance” by Woody Holton
• Poem: “Democracy” by Langston Hughes  
• Suggested Nonfiction Connection: 1776 by David McCullough
• In Student Edition Unit 4, The Quest for Freedom, whole class reading
• Speech: “Second Inaugural Address” by Abraham Lincoln
• Letter: “To My Old Master” by Jourdon Anderson
• Image collection: Civil War Photographs
• Short story: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce
• History writing: “Building the Transcontinental Railroad” by Iris Chang
• Argument: “Declaration of Sentiments” by Elizabeth Cady Stanton (mentor text)
• Argument: Speech to the American Equal Rights Association by Sojourner Truth
• Poem: “Runagate Runagate” by Robert Hayden
• Autobiography: from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
• Independent reading
• Letter: “Letter to Sarah Ballou” by Sullivan Ballou
• Diary: from A Diary from Dixie by Mary Chesnut
• Speech: from "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July" by Frederick Douglass
• Spirituals: Go Down, Moses; Follow the Drinking Gourd; Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
• Poem: “Imagine the Angels of Bread” by Martin Espada
• Novel suggestion: Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• In Teacher's Edition, Unit 5: America Transformed, the following texts are provided 
• Mentor Text: “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin (short story)
• Supporting Texts:
• Short story: “To Build A Fire” by Jack London
• Essay: “The Lowest Animal” by Mark Twain ) 
• Article: “Why Everyone Must Get Ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution” by Bernard Marr  
• Poem: “Chicago” by Carl Sandburg 
• Collaborate and Compare texts: 
• Novel: from The Jungle by Upton Sinclair 
• Investigative journalism: “Food Product Design” from Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser  
• Independent Reading Texts:
• Short story: “The Men in the Storm” by Stephen Crane 
• Short story: “A Journey” by Edith Wharton
• Short story: “A Wagner Matinee” by Willa Cather  
• Article: “Evidence that Robots Are Winning the Race for American Jobs” by Claire Cain Miller 
• Article: “Healthy Eaters, Strong Minds: What School Gardens Teach Kids” by Paige Pfleger 
• Suggested Nonfiction Connection: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent/specific, requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text). 

The instructional materials include questions and tasks that require careful reading over the course of a school year. The majority of questions are text dependent and require students read closely for content and author’s craft, such as word choice. Students are required to reinforce their responses and answers to questions using evidence from specific texts that students are required to read. Questions are structured to support students learning to recognize signposts from Notice and Note strategies such as the significance of contrasts and contradictions. Each unit includes a mentor text with annotation and reflection tasks focused on the primary learning goal of the unit writing task.  Within each of the six units, students experience recurring sections, such as Analyze & Apply and Collaborate & Compare; these sections reinforce concepts, theories, ideas, and critical thinking directly related to each text read. Also, throughout each text, students experience a sidebar on the page that support student annotations to assist in going back to the text for future tasks that require students to re-engage with said text, and also within the sidebars, students are presented with questions that push them to infer, analyze, predict, summarize, among other skills, which directly relate to the passage(s) the sidebar note is next to.

Examples of how the materials approach text dependent questions include, but are not limited to:

• In Volume 1, Unit 1, students read the mentor text, an article, “A Desperate Trek Across America,” by Andrés Reséndez. At the close of the text, students must complete the Check Your Understanding section; there are three questions located within this section. Students must “Answer these questions before moving on to the Analyze the Text section on the following page:”
• "1. Why do the Spanish adventurers call the estuary near their campsite the 'Bay of Horses?'"
• "2. Why is the trip by raft so difficult for the Spaniards?"
• "3. What does Cabeza de Vaca do after returning to Spain the first time?"
• In Volume 1, Unit 3, students read an excerpt from “Song of Myself,” a poem, by Walt Whitman. Within the sidebar of the poem read, students are asked to annotate: “In lines 27 - 32, mark places where the poet expresses his thoughts directly.” Then, students must “Cite Evidence: How do these ideas relate to each other and to Whitman’s theme(s)?”
• In Volume 2, Unit 5, students read Carl Sandburg’s poem, “Chicago.” Within the Research section directly after the Analyze the Text section, students are asked to “Extend: What did Sandburg have to say in defense of his technique to the critics of his poetry and its ‘formlessness?’ Find a quotation that gives his perspective on poetic form and diction.”

Examples of how students are asked to draw on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text include:

• In Student Edition, Unit 1, students are asked to read the historical narrative “Of Plymouth Plantation” by William Bradford. In the sidebar Analyze Author’s Purpose, students are asked to mark three phrases in paragraph 4 that suggest a formal tone. Then, they are asked: “What can you infer about the author’s purpose based on his tone thus far? Cite text evidence in your response.”  
• In Student Edition, Unit 5, students are asked to read an article titled “Food Product Design” from the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. After students read the passage, they are asked to Analyze the Text in a series of five questions. The directions for this section ask students to “support their responses with evidence from the text.” The questions are:
• "What do the first two paragraphs suggest about author’s purpose?" 
• "Why does Schlosser include so much detail about his visit to the IFF plant in New Jersey?"
• "What are the similarities and differences between “artificial flavors” and “natural flavors?” Why does Schlosser explain the terms in such detail?"
• 'What might Schlosser want his audience to do after reading this selection?"
• "What is Schlosser’s purpose in listing all the chemical ingredients in a typical artificial strawberry flavor, like the kind found in a Burger King strawberry milkshake?" *For this final question, students are asked to look specifically at paragraph 17 for their response. 

Examples of tasks that support students in engaging with the text directly, drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text include:

In Student Edition, Unit 1

• A Desperate Trek Across America
• "Mark the words and phrases in paragraph 6 that come from a primary source. What does the information that is included add to your understanding of the explorers’ situation?"
• "Mark details in paragraph 11 that tell what Cabeza de Vaca does to survive the cold night. What does the quotation tell you about Cabeza de Vaca?"
• "Write an analytic response to the text that explains whether the writer finds Cabeza de Vaca admirable." 

In Student Edition, Unit 3

• Last Child in the Woods
• "Mark an example of irony in paragraph 6. What point does Louv make through the use of irony?"
• "Mark two significant details about the research that the author cites in paragraph 9. How do these details support the author’s key idea that children ought to reconnect with nature?"
• "How does Louv use contrasts - such as death and rebirth, broken and healing - to develop his essay’s main ideas in the excerpt from Last Child in the Woods?"

In Student Edition, Unit 5

• The Story of an Hour
• "Mark the clues in paragraphs 1-3 that indicate the point of view. Which type of third-person narrator is Chopin using? What is the effect of this point of view?"
• "Mark clues in paragraph 7 that describe the impact her husband’s death has had on Mrs. Mallard. How do you think Mrs. Mallard will cope after learning about the death of her husband?"
• "What is surprising about how the narrator describes Mrs. Mallard in paragraph 11 compared to the earlier description of her 'heart trouble?'"

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for materials containing sets of sequences of text-dependent/text-specific questions with activities that build to a culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding.

Each unit is organized around an essential question and a mentor text to guide students’ thinking around a topic. Close reading of the mentor text focuses on topic development and writer’s craft. Within each individual lesson, after every reading assignment, students are presented with various sections to complete to represent their understanding of the text and how their understandings and empathizing connects to the outside, “real” world; these tasks that build up to the cumulative tasks at the end of the unit consist of, but are not limited to, the following: Analyze the Text, Create and Discuss, Analyze Podcasts, Research, Create and Present, and Collaborate & Compare. The lessons include sequences of text-dependent questions that guide their understanding of the selections in the unit and build to the culminating writing task. Lessons leading up to culminating tasks require the demonstration of various skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 1, students compose a literary analysis: “In this unit, you have read works about early explorations in America. Andrés Reséndez based his article ‘A Desperate Trek Across America’ on Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca’s La relación, a first-hand account of the ill-fated Spanish expedition to Florida beginning in 1528. Although Reséndez’s narrative article on Cabeza de Vaca’s account is not a formal analysis, he uses several techniques which you can apply to the literary analysis you are going to create for your next writing task. As you write your literary analysis, you can use the notes from your Response Log, which you filled out after reading the texts in this unit.” The writing prompt is: “Write a literary analysis explaining how your chosen selection connects with the idea of being a stranger in a strange land or unfamiliar surroundings.” Students will complete the following sections: Plan, Develop a Draft, Revise, Edit, and Publish. And, students are required to include evidence and details from the text within their paper. Once students complete the cumulative writing task, they must participate in a panel discussion: “You will now adapt your literary analysis for presentation to your classmates. You will also listen to their presentations, ask questions to better understand their ideas, and help them improve their work.” 
• Students read “Balboa,” a short story by Sabina Murray. Students complete the Research section: “Balboa, from Spain, was just one of many European explorers who sailed during the late 1400’s and early 1500’s. With a partner, research other explorers of this time from the countries listed in the chart. Summarize why they are remembered.” After students complete the chart, there is an extension activity: “Find another source that mentions Vasco de Balboa. Find three facts about this explorer that were not reflected in the short story. Discuss with your partner whether the facts align with the depiction of Balboa in the story.” 
• Students read “A Desperate Trek Across America,” an article by Andrés Reséndez. Once students read the text, they complete the Create and Present section. Students must compose an analytic response: “Write a response in which you analyze the author’s view of Cabeza de Vaca.” Then students must present a response: “Prepare to present your response to a small group of classmates.” There are scaffolds located within the Create and Present section. 
• Within Unit 1, students read an excerpt from Of Plymouth Plantation, a historical narrative by William Bradford. Within the Create and Discuss section, students must compose an informational text: “Bradford’s account describes how the Native Americans helped the colonists adapt to life in New England. Write a three- or four-paragraph informational text that explains how the colonists and Native Americans confronted challenges together.” Students must then hold a group discussion: “With a small group, discuss how the relationship between Native Americans and colonists developed over time and what factors caused changes to occur.”
• In the Student Edition, Unit 2, The culminating task for the unit is to write a research report about how the founding documents, systems, or fundamental principles facilitate shared power and constructive alliances in our democracy and present an adaptation of the  research report. The mentor text is an article by Ron Chernow entitled “Thomas Jefferson: The Best of Enemies.”
• Students analyze the text and its structure then write an essay and present it. 
• Analysis includes syntax, diction, and irony.
• Research following the text directs students to learn about the Federalist Papers.
• Other research tasks students do during the unit prior to the culminating task include:
• Research laws passed in Britain in the years before the Declaration of Independence and the colonists’ responses.
• Research the Constitutional Convention.
• Research what happened to loyalists after the American Revolution. 
• Research Ben Franklin and identify some of his accomplishments.
• Identify at least one interesting fact or quote from several members of the Adams family, including John, John Quincy, Abigail, and Samuel. 
• These research tasks, related discussions, and writing build to the culminating task for the unit.
• In the Student Edition, Unit 4, the culminating task for the unit is to write an argument about a current barrier to self-determination and specify what should be done to remedy it so that self-determination is possible for more members of our society. Students then use the argument to debate the issue.
• The Mentor text is Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “Declaration of Sentiments.” Students analyze and evaluate the claim, supports, reasons, and evidence.
• Students compare the Stanton argument to Sojourner Truth’s “Speech to the American Equal Rights Association.” 
• Students analyze rhetorical devices including repetition, parallelism, and allusion.
• Students write a compare and contrast essay of these two texts. 
• Other activities that build toward the culminating task include:
• Analyze Lincoln’s “Second Inaugural Address” and write a letter in response. 
• Analyze archival Civil War photographs for their effectiveness in conveying the photographer’s purpose and sentiment. 
• Find another photograph and write a didactic placard.
• Research the use of spies during the Civil War.
• Research events in China which may explain why Chinese immigrants were leaving China and working to expand the United States by helping to build the railroad. Write a historical report.
• Students have opportunity with each text to explore the central theme of self-determination and develop content knowledge prior to beginning the culminating task. 
• In Student Edition, Unit 5, the culminating task is to write a short story that explores the questions of "To what degree do we control our lives?" and "What are the consequences of change?" These questions have been alluded to in prior units. 
• The mentor text for the unit is Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.” 
• Students research a classic American novel that was met with negative criticism then write a short story that takes place in an hour. 
• Other texts in the unit explore control such as Jack London’s “To Build a Fire.” 
• Students read other London stories and explain how nature and fate play critical roles in the stories.
• Students write a how-to guide about something they do well. 
• Change is also central to the text set including the Bernard Marr article “Why Everyone Must Get Ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution” and an excerpt from The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. 

In the Student Edition, Unit 6, students are asked to write a personal essay that synthesizes information from the texts and is connected to one of the essential questions of the unit. The context for the essay is that “Telling your story is a way to make new connections, bridge spaces, and break down walls.”

There are several tasks and questions throughout the unit that support this culminating writing task: 

• After reading the historical writing “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson, students are asked to analyze the text in several ways. Two of the questions on page 800 ask students to explain: 
• "What is the author’s message? What details support this message?"
• "How does Wilkerson’s use of language impact the way you perceive the treatment of African Americans? Cite text evidence in your response" 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for materials providing frequent opportunities and protocols to engage students in speaking and listening activities and discussions (small group, peer-to-peer, whole class) which encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

There are frequent opportunities where students are expected to participate in evidence-based discussions. After reading assignments, there are small group or one on one interactions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax. Specifically, within the online materials, students and instructors are presented with the Speaking & Listening Studio, where additional discussion supports are in place. Also, within the Teacher's Edition, at the beginning of most texts, when instructors are setting up the lesson, instructors are presented with two grouping strategies to support discussion titled Small-Group Options.  These opportunities can also be found in Respond sections after texts, where students are encouraged to work with a panel to discuss what they have learned from the text, as well as modeling the style of the reading assigned. This can also be seen in Critical Vocabulary sections in Respond at the end of a text, allowing students to model the language and syntax, as well as work with a peer. Speaking and listening instruction occurs frequently throughout the year and is supported through teacher resources and materials.

• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 1, instructors are presented with the section Make Inferences: “Remind students that the way characters act and respond to each other reveals important information about them. In creation myths, the way characters behave can also reveal important social values. Discuss how the creatures’ actions and reactions reveal the Iroquois’ positive feelings toward animals.” Instructors are given a possible student response. 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3, students read the poem “In the Season of Change,” by Teresa Palomo Acosta. Instructors are presented with the section Small-Group Options before the initial lessons, and instructors are presented with two options; one is as follows: “Reciprocal Teaching: Provide students with a list of comprehension question stems before they begin reading the poem. For example: ‘State ___ in your own words. What might happen if ___?’ As students read, have them write questions about the poem using the stems. Organize students into groups of three and have each student offer two questions to the group for discussion without duplicating each other. Have students discuss the questions and find evidence from the selection to support their responses.”
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3, students are asked to read “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  In the sidebar below the page titled Improve Reading Fluency, the teacher is directed to “have students work with partners to read paragraphs 45-47. First, use paragraph 45 to model how to read fictional text. Have students follow along in their books as you read the text with appropriate phrasing and emphasis. Then, have partners take turns reading the next two paragraphs aloud. Encourage students to provide feedback and support for pronouncing unusual or unknown words. Remind students that, when they are reading a story aloud for an audience, they should pace their reading so the audience has time to absorb and comprehend what is happening.” 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, students read the poem “Runagate Runagate” by Robert Hayden. Following the reading there is a sidebar at the bottom of the page titled “When Students Struggle….” The instructions instruct the teacher to “review the term allusion. Then, have students reread the poem. Focus on the allusion to Frederick Douglass in line 56. Ask: why might Hayden have alluded to Douglass in this poem? How is the subject of the allusion related to the topic of the poem? Does the allusion create positive or negative associations and feelings? Does the allusion help convey the theme of the poem. Have students work in small groups to analyze the allusion and write sentences that answer the questions." 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 5, students read Bernard Marr’s article, “Why Everyone Must Get Ready For the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Within the sidebar of the teacher’s edition, instructors are presented with two opportunities for whole class discussion:
• Language Conventions: “Have students annotate individually. Call on different students to explain the reasons for each instance of capitalization.” Instructors are presented with possible student responses.
• Critical Vocabulary: “Augment: The text notes that the capabilities of machines can be augmented, or increased, by connecting them to the Internet or to other systems. Ask students how augmented machines can lead to the creation of ‘smart’ factories.” Instructors are presented with possible student responses. 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 6, students are asked to read the short story “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. After they read, under the heading Create and Discuss it asks students to “discuss in a small group.” Specifically, it asks students to “discuss whether the townspeople bear any responsibility for what becomes of Emily.” In the Teacher's Edition on the same page in the sidebar to the right it reminds teachers that “as students discuss the topic of the townspeople’s responsibility, they should reference the story as much as possible." Also, it adds later that “during the discussion students should listen actively and speak using appropriate discussion rules.”
• Within the online materials, teachers and students are presented with the Speaking & Listening Studio. In this section, students are presented with interactive lessons regarding discussions:
• Participating in Collaborative Discussions: Overview
• Participating in Collaborative Discussions: Introduction
• Participating in Collaborative Discussions: Preparing for Discussion
• Participating in Collaborative Discussions: Establishing and Following Procedure
• Participating in Collaborative Discussions: Speaking Constructively
• Participating in Collaborative Discussions: Listening and Responding
• Participating in Collaborative Discussions: Wrapping Up Your Discussion
• Participating in Collaborative Discussions: Credits

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ listening and speaking (and discussions) about what they are reading and researching (shared projects) with relevant follow-up questions and supports.

Grade 11 speaking and listening tasks follow reading and viewing with a primary purpose of preparing and presenting reflections about the topic studied. Discussions serve mostly to provide feedback about a planned presentation or reflection to that presentation. Instead of in-test follow up questions, students are directed to the Speaking and Listening Studio for methods of evaluating tasks. Discussions encountered require students to go directly back to the text or reference evidence. In many cases, instructors are presented possible student responses for additional support. Sections where questions and supports are seen within the Student and Teacher's Editions are: Reflect on the Unit, Introduce the Selection and Quick Start, the Revise section within all major cumulative writing tasks, Create & Discuss, Applying Academic Vocabulary, Create and Discuss, and Collaborate and Present.  The Speaking and Listening Studio is a digital resource that provides a quick reference for students to address specific speaking and listening actions. The margin notes remind students to use the Speaking and Listening Studio for more information about the task. The Speaking and Listening Studio also provides an opportunity for targeted instruction and supports teachers to help guide students in speaking and listening areas.

Evidence that supports the rationale includes:

• In the Student Edition, Unit 2, students are asked to read the short story, “A Soldier for the Crown.” After they have read the text, students are asked under the heading Create and Debate to have a debate about Freeman’s “gamble” and if you think that gamble paid off. In the instructions it ask students to divide into two groups, find details from the text and listen closely to the opposing group’s ideas and present counter-arguments. In the Teacher's Edition on the same page, it also adds that educators can, as a prewriting activity, “instruct students to make a pro-con list for making a decision about which group they will join.”
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, students are asked to write a well-structured argument. After they have written an argument they are tasked with adapting their argument into a debate. The sidebar on the right side of the page explains that “as students adapt their arguments, suggest that they consider adding rhetorical techniques such as those that Stanton uses in ‘Declaration of Sentiments’”. It also tells teachers to remind students about adding vivid language, make sure they clearly link their debate points to their claims and reasons, use transition words and varied syntax and review gestures and vocal expression categories. Finally, it reminds teachers to “tell students they should practice making their points before the live debate.”
• In Student Edition, Unit 6, students are asked to read “Speech on the Vietnam War, 1967”. Following their reading under the heading Create and Discuss, students are asked to have a group discussion. The directions tell students to:
• "discuss King’s main points and how the evidence supports his points"
• "present examples of King’s rhetorical devices and how they enhance his argument"
• "listen carefully to the contributions of your classmates and adjust your view of King’s speech as needed"
• "evaluate King’s conclusions on the Vietnam War"

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g. multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate. 

For every text that students read or view, there is a writing task that either clarifies and deepens understanding of the text, explores the essential question, or helps prepare the student for the end of unit writing task. These are both long assignments with multiple drafts, short assignments for in class responses, focused projects, and other short answer responses. These can be found both before and after a reading assignment within each unit.  At the end of every unit, students must complete a cumulative writing task that emulates one of the following: short story, personal narrative, explanatory essay, literary analysis, argumentative essay, and research essay. These process writing tasks have multiple layers for support. On-demand writing assignments, including shorter, more focused writing projects, are found throughout all six units.  

Evidence of on-demand writing includes, but is not limited to:

• In Student Edition, Unit 2, students read the “Declaration of Independence,” a public document, by Thomas Jefferson. Within the Analyze the Text section, students must “Support [their] responses with evidence from the text.” Students are presented five questions that address different aspects of Bloom’s Taxonomy, where they must compose short responses. Examples of some of the questions are as follows:
• “2. Analyze: A logical appeal is a methods of argument based on evidence and reasons. Choose an example of a logical appeal in the Declaration and explain how it supports the thesis.”
• “5. Draw Conclusions: How does the structure of Jefferson’s argument support his purpose? Consider elements such as evidence and a call to action in your response.” 
• In Student Edition, Unit 5, students are asked to read the article, “Why Everyone Must Get Ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” by Bernard Marr. Before they begin reading they are asked in a Quick Start activity to “Think about a time when you went through a big change in your life. Did you have a sense that the change was going to happen? Take notes about what happened leading up to the change and how the change affected your life.”

Examples of process writing include, but are not limited to:

• In Student Edition, Unit 2, students must compose a literary analysis. The process writing directions are as follows: “In this unit, you have read just a few great works from the English Renaissance, with a focus on Shakespeare, the dominant literary figure of the period. Your next writing task will focus on what you have learned about the theme of revenge in Hamlet. Write a literary analysis of a scene in Hamlet that shows the hero struggling to overcome an internal or external conflict. You can use ‘Hamlet’s Dull Revenge’ by René Girard as a mentor text. As you write your literary analysis, you can use the notes from your Response Log to answer the question, ‘What can drive someone to seek revenge?’ which you filled out after reading the texts in this unit.” The prompt is as follows for the literary analysis: “Write a literary analysis of a scene in Hamlet that shows the hero struggling to overcome an internal or external conflict. The following support directions are put into place:
• “Make a clear thesis statement, or claim.”
• “Present key ideas, or reasons, in a logical order.”
• “Support key ideas with details and evidence from the text.”
• “Quote passages from the text.”
• “End your analysis with a strong conclusion.”

There are multiple steps in this process writing assignment:

• 1. Plan
• 2. Develop a Draft
• 3. Revise
• 4. Edit
• 5. Publish
• In Student Edition, Unit 3, students read an excerpt from Alexander Pope’s poem, “The Rape of the Lock.” Once students complete the reading of this text, they then must complete the Create and Discuss section, where they compose a rhymed satirical poem: “Think of a behavior common in our culture that you disapprove of. Write a short rhymed poem satirizing that behavior.” The following directional supports have been put in place:
• “Before you start composing, generate ideas through a short free write.”
• “Invent an imaginary incident as an example.”
• “Create humor through the use of elevated language, rhyme, and juxtaposition.”
• And, within the sidebar, the following support is listed: “Go to Writing as a Process in the Writing Studio for more help.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the the criteria for materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. (Writing opportunities incorporate digital resources/multimodal literacy materials where appropriate. Opportunities may include blended writing styles that reflect the distribution required by the standards.)

The text types students must compose that reflect the standards are short story, personal narrative, explanatory essay, literary analysis, argumentative essay, and research essay.  Students write after each reading or viewing experience. Most writing experiences are elements of the writing process and may be completed as a stand-alone product or part of a larger task or learning experience. Digital application is expected and some writing tasks are specifically designed for digital media. A few of the writing tasks are primarily visual, supporting learning about an element of written and spoken presentation: the graphic representation of an idea. Across the entire school year, students write six process essays that reflect deep understanding of the unit’s essential question and of the genre study within each unit.

End of unit writing tasks include: 

• Unit 1: Write an literary analysis (W1, W2).
• Unit 2: Write a research report (W2).
• Unit 3: Write an explanatory essay (W2).
• Unit 4: Write an argument (W1).
• Unit 5: Write a short story (W3).
• Unit 6: Write a personal essay (W2).

A representative example of how students engage with writing modes can be found in Unit 2:

• The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson: write an argument.
• “Thomas Jefferson: The Best of Enemies” by Ron Chernow: write an essay.
• American Experience: “Alexander Hamilton” (video) by PBS: write an essay.
• “A Soldier for the Crown” by Charles Johnson: write an argumentative essay.
• From The Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin: write an essay.
• “On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley and “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar: write a prose adaptation.
• “Letter to John Adams” by Abigail Adams and from Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg: write an essay.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for materials including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support sophisticated analysis, argumentation, and synthesis.

Each unit contains multiple opportunities for students to compose and refine research-based and evidence-based writing. Students are offered opportunities to evaluate and support claims both in formal assignments and informal in-class assignments. This can be seen in the Respond section of readings, where students have opportunities in both Research and Create and Present. In some texts, there are also opportunities to research and analyze in Respond to the Essential Question. This asks students to review annotations and notes to develop support for specific questions. The Teacher's Edition provides a road map of the year which is presented in six units. Each text - or sometimes pair of texts - in the unit is followed by both a brief research prompt and a writing assignment informed by the research. The on-demand writing tasks reflect development of skills necessary to complete the end of unit writing task.

• In the Student Edition, Unit 1, students read the short story “Balboa” by Sabina Murray. After students read the text, they join with a partner and research other explorers of this time from the countries of France, Spain, and Portugal. Then, they summarize why they are remembered. After that task, they find another source that mentions Balboa and find three facts about this explorer that were not written about in the short story. 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3: The Natural World. The essential question: What effect do we have on nature, and how does nature affect us?  The end of unit writing assignment, "students will write an explanatory essay about a specific aspect of nature and our relationship to it." Students use notes from the response logs to give clear examples and an explanation of human nature and nature.
• Students read a public service advertisement from The National Park Service called “Find Your Park.” This resource is a video, providing students the opportunity to analyze media. Students who struggle are encouraged to replay the video, starting and stopping as needed, to clarify understanding. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet  the criteria for materials including instruction and practice of the grammar and conventions/language standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application in context.

Each (written) text includes a Language Conventions section at the beginning of the reading that provides information about a convention relative to the text, and directions for what to look for while reading. Texts often include prompts in the margin notes to annotate and respond to the convention identified. After reading, students extend the learning with direct instruction of the language convention and practice by applying what they have learned. In the Create and Apply section, there is another heading labeled Language Conventions which provides additional instruction to students in that grammatical category as well as a “practice and apply” formative assessment in which students can demonstrate their understanding in that particular category. The Grammar Studio is a digital resources that provides students with additional information and practice about specific components of the grammar standards. Students explore spelling, punctuation, parts of speech, clauses, and more throughout the Studio. Teachers can assign specific lessons for students to study independently or in small groups. Teachers can also assign module assessments to track student progress with the topic/standard.

• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 2, students read the public document, “The Declaration of Independence,” by Thomas Jefferson. Students are presented with the Analyze the Text Structure section where they review structure in general, counterarguments, and syntax to emphasis ideas. Students must complete a chart to “record key ideas in each section of the text” in relation to structure and syntax. 
• Within the sidebar of the Teacher's Edition, instructors are presented with the following support: “...text structure is a main way writers of argumentative texts can create tone for their readers and reflect the author’s purpose…. Encourage students to look for places where the text structure intensifies the text or makes it more persuasive.” 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3, students must complete a culminating writing task: Explanatory Essay. The focus of this conventions and grammar exercise is to edit their work within the fourth task of the culminating writing task, Edit, that focuses on semicolon usage: “...He often uses semicolons rather than a comma and conjunction to mimic the way people think or speak and to create a rhythm in his writing. Semicolons also add clarity to writing and can draw attention to specific ideas or closely connect two ideas.” Within this section, students are presented with a chart to “Notice how Louv uses semicolons to connect ideas in Last Child in the Woods.” In the Teacher's Edition, in the sidebar, there are further supports and reminders for students.  Also, there are digital resources for students practicing semicolons in the editing phase of their explanatory essays: “Go to Semicolons and Colons in the Grammar Studio to learn more.” 
• In Student Edition, Unit 6, students read several selections including: “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. In the Before reading section students are told,  "A key decision in narrative writing is choosing an effective point of view, the narrative perspective from which events in a story are told. In 'A Rose for Emily,' Faulkner has selected the unusual first-person plural point of view, telling the tale from the townspeople’s perspective , which is reflected by his use of the pronouns we, us, and our. It offers the intimacy of a first-person narrative, but adds a sense of uncertainty because the narrator isn’t one person but a group of people." 
• "While reading: Annotate: Mark the pronoun that identifies the narrator in paragraph 43. Evaluate: What effect does the point of view chosen by the author have on the telling of the story?"
• "Apply: Try using first-person plural point of view to create a narrative of your own. Choose a group - a family for example, or a sports team - and describe, in a paragraph, an event or experience from their point of view. Be sure to use the correct pronouns - we, us, our, ours - in your narrative."