11th Grade - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that texts are organized around a topic/topics or themes to build students’ knowledge and their ability to read and comprehend and analyze complex texts proficiently.

The materials for Grade 11 are organized around topics or themes to build students’ knowledge and their ability to read and comprehend texts proficiently. Each of the six units has four Essential Questions that provide a theme for the unit with strands for deeper exploration. All of the text sets in a unit explore the Essential Question for the unit. Within the Analyze and Apply instruction, the mentor texts provide students the opportunity to read closely and examine the genre of writing which is also the end of unit writing task.  Supporting texts in each of the text sets including the Independent Learning sections provide information relative to the essential topic and culminating task. Many of the texts represent multiple and sometimes conflicting perspectives about the essential topic, and include a variety of styles, genres, and media. The lessons in each of these learning modalities include activities that further student comprehension of progressively difficult text. Students’ knowledge based on the specific topic/lens is deepened after every text is analyzed, based on supporting questions. Additionally, students display their knowledge in the completion of end of unit tasks that always include writing and often presenting in mixed media. 

• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 2, the title of the unit is Building a Democracy, which focuses on the revolutionary time period, and there are multiple Essential Questions presented: “What does oppression look like?” “How do we gain our freedom?” “How can we share power and build alliances?” and, “How do we transform our lives?” By the end of Unit 2, students must be able to compose a research report. The mentor text for this unit is Ron Chernow’s history writing “Thomas Jefferson: the Best of Enemies.” Within the Grade 11 textbook, students have been scaffolded from Grades 9 and 10 from one EQ per unit to four EQ’s per unit. Within the Teacher's Edition, there is a break down of each essential question that is referenced throughout the chronologically ordered Grade 11 textbook. For example, within the sidebar of the Teacher's Edition, under the EQ “How do we gain our freedom?” instructors are offered the following support for students: “Explain the meaning of freedom with students. What freedoms do they have that people in other countries may not? Are there any freedoms they don’t have that they wish they did? What would they be willing to sacrifice to keep the freedoms they have or to gain others?”  Throughout the unit, students read fiction and nonfiction texts that relate to the essential questions and overall topic of the unit--as is referenced by the unit title--Building a Democracy. The culminating writing and speaking/listening task directly relates back to the essential question and mentor text: “This unit focuses on what it takes to build and maintain a democracy, and how this relates to sharing power and building alliances among people and groups. For this writing task, you will write a research report--a type of informational writing grounded securely in careful research of a topic. Reports synthesize information from multiple relevant and credible primary and secondary sources. For an example of a well-written informational text you can use as a mentor text, review the article ‘Thomas Jefferson: the Best of Enemies.’” Students also end Unit 2 with a reflection task that directly requires them to revisit the EQ’s, reflect on their reading throughout the whole unit, and their cumulative writing task. 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3, the title of the unit is The Individual and Society, which focuses on literature of the American Renaissance, and there are multiple Essential Questions presented: “In what ways do we seek to remain true to ourselves?” “How do we relate to the world around us?” “What do we secretly fear?” and, “When should we stop and reflect on our lives?” By the end of Unit 3, students must be able to compose an explanatory essay. The mentor text for this unit is an excerpt from Richard Louv’s informational text Last Child in the Woods.  Within the Teacher's Edition, there is a break down of each essential question that is referenced throughout the chronologically ordered Grade 11 textbook. For example, within the sidebar of the Teacher's Edition, under the EQ “How do we relate to the world around us?” instructors are offered the following support for students: “Encourage students to discuss the ways they interact with others and with their physical environment. Ask them how have those interactions changed over time and why.”  Throughout the unit, students read fiction and nonfiction texts that relate to the essential questions and overall topic of the unit, The Individual and Society. The culminating writing and speaking/listening task directly relates back to the essential question and mentor text: “This collection focuses on understanding ourselves and the relationship among self, society and nature...For an example of a well-written explanatory essay you can use as a mentor text, review the excerpt from Last Child in the Woods.” Students also end Unit 3 with a reflection task that directly requires them to revisit the EQ’s, reflect on their reading throughout the whole unit, and their cumulative writing task. 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, the title of the unit is The Quest for Freedom, which focuses on the Civil War and its aftermath, and there are multiple Essential Questions presented: “When is self determination possible?” “What divides us as human beings?” “How do we face defeat?” and, “What is the price of progress?” By the end of Unit 4, students must be able to compose an argument. The mentor text for this unit is Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s argument Declaration of Sentiments.  For example, within the sidebar of the Teacher's Edition, under the EQ “What is the price of progress?” instructors are offered the following support for students: “Ask students how progress continues to affect the environment. Are the effects of progress always bad? What can be done to limit the adverse effects of progress?”  Throughout the unit, students read fiction and nonfiction texts that relate to the essential questions and overall topic of the unit, The Quest for Freedom. The culminating writing and speaking/listening task directly relates back to the essential question and mentor text: “This unit focuses on the continuing work of bringing freedom and justice to all members of American society...For an example of a well-written argument you can use as a mentor text, review Declaration of Sentiments.” Students also end Unit 4 with a reflection task that directly requires them to revisit the EQ’s, reflect on their reading throughout the whole unit, and their cumulative writing task. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet  the criteria that materials contain sets of coherently sequenced higher order thinking questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language (words/phrases), key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts in order to make meaning and build understanding of texts and topics.

The 11th grade text is split into two, with Units 1-3 in the first text, and Units 4-6 in the second. In both textbooks, the reading material is supported with opportunities for students to develop higher level thinking. This can be found in Notice & Note, as it asks students to analyze tone, examine and analyze author’s purpose, or look at language conventions and how they influence the text. At the beginning of each unit, there are four essential questions for students to consider as they read the selections, and at the close, students compose a cumulative writing task that requires students to address the essential question; students must also reflect on the unit within the Reflect on the Unit section, specifically Reflect on the Essential Question. Within Analyze Text, there are a variety of question types that require students to look not only at the initial structure but to make inferences about word choice, narrative voice, and structure. The questions and prompts in Analyze the Text provide a variety of complexities from DOK 1 through DOK 4. Students experience questions and tasks within the sidebar that require higher order thinking that occur after an annotation or margin note is made; by students directly touching and rereading the text and reflecting, they may then more adequately analyze, compare and contrast, synthesize, critique, and evaluate.  

• In the Student Edition, Unit 2, students read two texts: “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” by Phillis Wheatley, and “Sympathy,” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Students must complete the Collaborate and Present section. Within this section, students must complete four steps: 
• 1. Determine the important details 
• 2. Create theme statements: "Decide as a group what the theme or themes are in each poem. You can use a chart to organize your ideas."  
• 3. Compare themes: "Discuss with your group similarities and differences in the themes of the poems. Listen actively to members of your group, and ask each other to clarify any points that aren’t clear. Doing this will strengthen what your group presents to the class." 
• 4. Present to the class. 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 3, students read an excerpt from "Walden," an essay by Henry David Thoreau. Within the sidebar of the text, students are required to analyze the author’s craft by annotating first and then analyzing. Specifically, “Annotate: Mark an example of hyperbole in paragraph 5,” and “Analyze: What is Thoreau exaggerating in this sentence? What effect does this exaggeration have on the reader? What does this use of hyperbole reveal about Thoreau’s purpose?”
• In the Student Edition, Unit 4, students read the "Declaration of Sentiments" and "Speech to the American Equal Rights Association," then: 
• "Underline examples of repetition and parallelism in paragraphs 4-10. How does the use of these rhetorical devices emphasize important ideas in this section?"
• "Mark the actions Stanton says she and the other women will take. Why does Stanton include these details in her argument?"
• "Mark the reasons Truth says women ought to 'have their rights.' What is Sojourner Truth’s main claim? How do these reasons support her argument?"
• In Student Edition, Unit 4: The Quest for Freedom, students are asked to compare two arguments, “Declaration of Sentiments,” by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and “Speech to the American Equal Rights Association,” by Sojourner Truth. These texts are listed in the table of contents and the sidebar to the left reads “Compare Arguments.” Following the reading of both texts, students Compare Arguments to fill in a chart of each speech’s claim, evidence, appeals and call to action. Next students are asked four questions to discuss as a group: 
• "With your group, review the claims you cited in your chart. In what ways are the claims similar? In what ways are they different?"
• "Does each writer include enough evidence to support her claim? Are there other types of evidence they could have included to strengthen their arguments? Explain."
• "Explain whether each argument appeals to logic or to emotion. Cite evidence from the text in your response."
• "How does each writer strike a balance between arguing against something and arguing for something? How does including a positive call to action affect the argument?"
• In Student Edition, Unit 6, students are asked to read the letter, “My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew,” by James Baldwin. Before they begin reading the directions under Setting a Purpose, teachers ask students to see if they can identify the rhetorical devices Baldwin uses to convince his nephew to believe in himself. The section Analyze Rhetorical Devices says “in paragraph 4, mark words that are repeated at least twice” and “what effect does the use of repeated words have on the passage?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that materials contain a coherently sequenced set of text-dependent and text-specific questions and tasks that require students to build knowledge and integrate ideas across both individual and multiple texts.

Every single unit for the Grade 11 text includes an Essential Question (EQ) that students must track throughout each unit. All EQ’s are represented throughout each text and within all materials and tasks. Also, within every single unit, students must complete a Collaborate & Compare section, which requires students to individually evaluate, analyze, synthesize, etc. both texts, and students do this as they compare and contrast texts as well. Within the Collaborate & Present section, students complete small group work to better synthesize what they have learned across the two texts, while also utilizing previously gained skills throughout the unit and previous units. Within each Collaborate & Compare section, there are the following sections: Compare, Analyze, and Collaborate. Each of these section titles may vary depending upon the texts and text types, such as Compare Themes and Collaborate and Present. Students also build knowledge and integrate ideas across every individual text within the unit; students also usually compare texts further within the culminating task at the close of the unit.

• In the Student Edition, Unit 1: Foundations and Encounters, students are asked to read the poem “Upon the Burning of Our House by Anne Bradstreet. After reading the poem, students are asked on page 52 to “read another well-known poem that contains allusions to biblical stories, such as “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost. With a partner, discuss what the allusion adds to the poem and whether the use of allusion was similar or different from Bradstreet’s allusions. In which poem is the writer’s beliefs more evident? 
• In Teacher's Edition, Unit 1, the Essential Questions are:
• "Why are we bound to certain places?"
• "What motivates people to explore the unknown?"
• "What does it mean to be a stranger in a strange land?" 
• "What happens when cultures collide?"
• “Coming of Age in the Dawnland” by Charles C. Mann
• "Notice & Note: Mark the foreign phrase the author uses in the second sentence of paragraph 12. What clues in the sentence help you figure out the meaning of the phrase? Explain."
• "Mark a comparison in paragraph 6 of the diets of Patuxet and European citizens. What can you infer about the author’s purpose in including this comparison?"
• Analyze the Text:
• "DOK 4: Review instances in which Mann cites evidence from European primary sources from the 17th century. What does word choice and tone in the sources reveal about the opinions of these Europeans?
• DOK 4: What do you think was Mann’s overall purpose for writing this text? Did he successfully achieve that purpose? Cite reasons and evidence in your answer."
• Culminating task: "Write a literary analysis explaining how your chosen selection connects with the idea of being a stranger in a strange land or unfamiliar surroundings."
• In Teacher's Edition, Unit 2, within the Collaborate & Compare section, students read and compare the following texts: “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” by Phillis Wheatley, and “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Students complete a Get Ready section and Check Your Understanding section for each text. Once completing Dunbar’s poem, however, students complete the following sections: Research, Analyze the Text, Create and Present, and Respond to the Essential Question.  At the beginning of each text, before students are expected to read, there is also a Prepare to Compare section that will set students up for success in providing reminders, helpful tips, and suggestions while reading the text to be successful overall in the collaboration of both readings. 

Once students read both individual texts, and complete necessary tasks associated with both individual texts, students then must complete the Collaborate and Compare tasks, located within the Collaborate & Compare section. Students complete the following Compare Themes task: “With your group, complete the chart with details from both poems.” Students analyze for important details, voice and point of view, and sound devices; all of which can be located within the chart. 

Students will then complete the Analyze the Texts within the Collaborate and Compare section in groups, where they will discuss the questions below:

• “Contrast: Review the notes you made on voice in the chart. In what ways does voice differ between the two poems? Explain.”
• “Make Inferences: What inference(s) can you make about the attitude toward slavery and oppression expressed by each poem?”
• “Evaluate: Both poems rhyme. Which poem’s rhyme scheme did you find to be the most engaging? Explain why.”
• “Interpret: What role does religion or religious faith play in each poem? Cite evidence from the poems in your discussion.”  

Students then complete the Collaborate and Discuss section, where students get in groups and “...continue exploring the ideas in these texts by having a group discussion in which you evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each argument...” Students are given specific steps to follow as support.

• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 5: America Transformed, the Essential Questions are:
• “To what degree do we control our lives?”
• “ Why do humans cause harm?”
• “ What are the consequences of change?”
• “What makes a place unique?”
• Texts students read include:
• “To Build a Fire” by Jack London
• "Notice & Note: Mark the advice the “old-timer on Sulphur Creek” had offered to the man. What did the main character think of the warning initially, and what does he think now?"
• "Mark the point in paragraph 31 where the narrative shifts from the man’s perspective to the dog’s perspective. One naturalist idea is that humans are simply animals. How do the thoughts of the man and the instincts of the dog suggest that London view both as animals trying to survive?" 
• Analyze the Text:
• "DOK 3: What details from the story reflect what you know about realism? How do these details impact your understanding of the story?
• DOK 4: What moral dilemma does the man face when his second fire fails? How do this dilemma and his subsequent actions influence the plot? How does the setting enhance the seriousness of this scene?" 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, within the Collaborate & Compare section, students read and compare the following texts: “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” by Zora Neale Hurston, and an excerpt from The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Students complete a Get Ready section and Check Your Understanding section for each text. Students also complete the following sections for each text after reading: Research, Analyze the Text, Create and Discuss, Respond to the Essential Question, Critical Vocabulary, Vocabulary Strategy: Synonyms and Antonyms, Vocabulary Strategy: Word Families and Language Conventions: Sentence Variety, Language Conventions: Spelling.  At the beginning of each text, before students are expected to read, there is also a Prepare to Compare section that will set students up for success in providing reminders, helpful tips, and suggestions while reading the text to be successful overall in the collaboration of both readings. 

Once students read both individual texts, and complete necessary tasks associated with both, individual, texts, students then must complete the Collaborate and Compare tasks, located within the Collaborate & Compare section. Students must complete the following Compare Arguments task: “In a small group, complete the Venn diagram with similarities and differences between the selections.” 

Students will then complete the Analyze the Texts within the Collaborate and Compare section in groups, where they will discuss the questions below:

• “Compare: what are the differences between Wilkerson’s and Hurston’s descriptions of life in the South for African Americans? What ideas are emphasized in each text?”
• “Evaluate: Which of these texts would be more effective at convincing people that the treatment of African Americans during this time period was unacceptable? Explain your answer.”
• “Analyze: How do the Hurston essay and the excerpt from The Warmth of Other Suns address the difficulties of life for African Americans?”
• “Contrast: Contrast the experience of the man who asked for the receipt...to Hurston’s experience with town passerby… How do these passages relate to the message of each text?” 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that the questions and tasks support students’ ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic through integrated skills (e.g. combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).

There are many opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge of a topic through integrated skills. This can be a combination of reading, writing, speaking and listening. This can be found in Writing Tasks, Respond, Notice and Note, and other exercises throughout each reading assignment. These are meant to build upon the text and allow students to complete culminating tasks. Every unit is comprised of one or multiple Essential Questions. While the titles of the units hint at what each unit consists of, all readings, assignments, tasks, and culminating tasks are centered around the Essential Questions. Also located within the “Unit Tasks” section, is the “Reflect on the Unit” section where the topics, or Essential Questions, are revisited once more. All cumulative tasks are a combination of writing, speaking and listening, reading--or rereading--and all cumulative tasks reinforce all Essential Questions presented throughout the unit.

• In the Student Edition, Unit 2, Building a Democracy, students are asked to write a research report. The directions go on to explain that students can use the article “Thomas Jefferson: The Best of Enemies” in the unit to use as a mentor text. They also ask students to:
• "provide an introduction that catches the reader’s attention, clearly states the topic, and includes a clear controlling idea or thesis statement. 
• support main ideas with evidence from sources
• examine sources you use for credibility, bias and accuracy
• cite sources of any quoted text and ideas that are not your own
• organize information in a logical way
• connect related ideas effectively
• use appropriate word choice
• end by summarizing ideas or drawing an overall conclusion"
• Once students have completed the research report, they are asked to adapt it for presentation to their classmates. They are given a specific rubric along with guided steps to lead the through the presentation. 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, students are presented with four essential questions, and the unit title “The Quest for Freedom,” which focuses on the Civil War and the aftermath of the Civil War. Based on the Teacher's Edition, instructors must connect to the essential questions: “Read aloud the Essential Questions and the paragraphs that follow them. Open the discussion of each idea by having students respond to the questions that conclude each paragraph.” The EQ’s are as follows:
• When is self-determination possible?
• What divides us as human beings?
• How do we face defeat?
• What is the price of progress?

Located within the sidebar of the Teacher's Edition, instructors are supported with additional information regarding the EQ’s. For example: With the Essential Question, “How do we face defeat?” instructors are provided the following support commentary, “Ask volunteers to share instances in which defeat has led them to keep trying and finally succeed. How do they think their earlier defeat changed how they felt when they succeeded?”

• In Unit 4, students are presented with a culminating writing task where they must compose an argument; they are also responsible for debating an issue. The learning objectives can be found within the Plan section of the Teacher's Edition. For the writing task, the learning objectives are as follows in a bullet-pointed list, but not limited to: “Write an argument identifying current barriers to self-determination; Analyze a text for supporting evidence; Anticipate opposing arguments in a counterargument; Publish writing to share with an audience.” The learning objectives for the speaking task are as follows in a bullet-pointed list, but not limited to: “Adapt writing for a debate; Use effective verbal and nonverbal techniques; Participate in an informal debate; Participate in a discussion using the key terms claim and evidence.” Students will complete the following sections for the writing task: Plan, Develop a Draft, Revise, Edit, and Publish. 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 4: The Quest for Freedom, students are asked to write an argument. The directions also explain that students can use the "Declaration of Sentiments" as a mentor text. More specifically, students are asked to 
• "make a clear and persuasive claim
• ask questions that help develop your claim and research the answers by locating relevant sources and synthesizing the information they provide
• develop the claim with valid reasons and relevant evidence
• anticipate counterarguments or opposing claims and address them with a well-supported rebuttal or defense
• establish clear logical relationships among claims, rebuttals, reasons and evidence
• write a satisfying conclusion that effectively summarizes the claim
• demonstrates appropriate and precise use of language maintaining a formal tone
• correctly cite sources you use" 
• After finishing the argument, students are asked to adapt their argument for a classroom debate. The directions explain that students will listen to other debates, ask questions to understand the ideas and respond appropriately to each other. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, consistent approach for students to regularly interact with word relationships and build academic vocabulary/language in context.

At the beginning of every unit, students are presented with the Academic Vocabulary section, where students must complete a Word Network chart for five academic terms utilized and practiced throughout the entire unit, with most texts, and reinforced at the close of the unit within the culminating task. Also, before students read almost every single text, students are presented with the Critical Vocabulary section that presents five to ten words that are extremely important to the overall understanding of the text selection; students are required to practice these terms, just as they have with the Academic Vocabulary, by answering questions before and after reading the text. Students also experience a sidebar and footnotes per reading selection where they are further supported with unfamiliar vocabulary within the text being read. Within each unit, students are presented with the Collaborate & Compare section--where they must read two texts and compare--and vocabulary is also presented within this section and the tasks that follow. Another Critical Vocabulary section follows the reading and is used to check for understanding after reading. These tasks may be cloze sentences, using the words another way, answering questions containing the words, or other assessments.  Supports for English Learners in the Teacher’s Edition include notes about especially challenging words, phrases, or concepts that may need further explanation for language learners.

• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 1, within the unit introduction, students are presented with academic vocabulary titled Academic Vocabulary. Students practice and learn five words: adapt, coherent, device, displace, and dynamic. The directions are as follows: “Discuss the completed Word Network with a partner, making sure to talk through all of the boxes until you both understand the word, its synonyms, antonyms, and related forms. Then, fill out a Word Network for each of the four remaining words. Use a dictionary or online resource to help you complete the activity.” Within the sidebar of the Teacher's Edition, instructors are presented with the literal definitions of all five words and further support instructions. Students also reuse these unit vocabulary words within the cumulative task at the close of the unit.
• In the Student Edition, Unit 2, students read “Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. The Critical Vocabulary section presents the following words: summarily, effaced, presaging, malign, poignant, undulations, interminable, ineffable. Students complete a cloze activity for each word. For example: "Maya’s previously_____ joy was quickly _____ when she received the bad news." While reading, these eight words are presented in bold and defined in the margin. After reading, students underline words that are used incorrectly in sentences featuring the target vocabulary. “Carlito was asked to put up paintings on the newly effaced, white walls, which he did summarily - it took him the entire day.” Following this section is a vocabulary strategy: Etymology. The strategy is explained. Students apply the strategy to five other words from the text by explaining the connection between the definition of the word and is etymology using the clues provided.
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3, students read an excerpt from Walt Whitman’s iconic poem, “Song of Myself.” Within the sidebar of the Teacher's Edition, teachers must instruct students to do the following: “...turn to a partner to discuss the following questions. Guide students to include the academic vocabulary words analogy and denote in their responses. Ask volunteers to share their responses with the class.” The questions are as follows: “How does Whitman use analogies throughout the poems?” and “How can you make a distinction between the denotation and connotation of Whitman’s words?”
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, students are asked to read Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. In the sidebar under the heading When Students Struggle, the directions ask the teacher to “invite students to pick one or two paragraphs from the speech and note any words they are not sure how to pronounce. Have them look up the words to learn their correct pronunciations. Encourage students to note any silent letters or difficult letter combinations. Then, have students pair up and practice reading the paragraphs aloud to one another. Circulate among the teams to make sure words are being pronounced correctly.” 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 6, students read “Ambush” by Tim O’Brien. The Critical Vocabulary section presents the following words: platoon, grope, silver, ponder, peril, gape. Students demonstrate prior knowledge of the vocabulary words by matching the word with its definition. While reading, these six words are presented in bold and defined in the margin. After reading, students respond to questions featuring the target vocabulary. “She was disappointed to find only a small _____ of cheese.” Following this section is a vocabulary strategy: Connotation and Denotation  After the strategy is explained, students apply the strategy by working with a partner to list five words from the story that have a strongly positive or negative connotation, finding definitions and synonyms for each, and discussing how using synonyms with different connotations would affect the meaning.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that materials contain a year long, cohesive plan of writing instruction and practice which support students in building and communicating substantive understanding of topics and texts. 

Students develop substantive understanding of a central topic and of all texts in each unit through writing which is used throughout each unit to help students learn as well as show students’ understanding of the texts. Writing assignments are scaffolded so students will develop a sense of understanding of what they are reading before they begin writing. Within each text, students will complete smaller writing assignments such as answering questions in the section Analyze the Text or responding to the essential question. At the close of every single text read, students must compose a short response, short essay, or respond to questions regarding the reading; every reading is directly related to an Essential Question (EQ). For Grades 11 - 12, there are a total of four EQs per unit, which allows students more student-choice. After each text, students complete a more in-depth assignment under the heading Create and Discuss, which can have students complete an essay, respond to a writing prompt, or write in preparation for a discussion. There are several learning tools to help students develop more substantial writing habits which are included in the Language Conventions section. Finally, at the end of each unit, students are asked to complete a culminating writing task that synthesizes student understanding. This is a multi-step assignment that is carefully scaffolded for student success. In addition, students can write in response to the reflection questions at the end.

• In the Student Edition, Unit 1, students must compose a literary analysis. The process writing directions are: “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 must follow the guidelines below :
• “Make a clear thesis statement or claim.”
• “Give reasons for your claim in a logical order.”
• “Support your claim 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 Unit 1, the essential questions are as follows: “Why are we bound to certain places?” “What motivates people to explore the unknown?” “What does it mean to be a stranger in a strange land?” “What happens when cultures collide?” Within the final, culminating writing activity, students must then reflect on the EQs, regarding their writing overall and how the texts and their experiences relate to the EQs.
• In the Student Edition, Unit 2, students are asked to read the short story “A Soldier for the Crown” by Charles Johnson. After reading the text on page 139, students are asked to “write a three to four paragraph opinion essay about whether taking risks is worthwhile. Consider whether some risks are worth taking even if they could have serious consequences.” Additional directions tell students that, “in the first paragraph, introduce your opinion about taking risks. Use details from the text as well as real-life examples to support your view on taking risk. Include your own commentary to support your opinion. Include a strong conclusion that restates your opinion and summarizes your reasons.
• In the Student Edition, Unit 3, students read an excerpt of Walt Whitman’s iconic poem, “Song of Myself.” At the close of the reading, students must write an argument: “Whitman has been accused of being an ‘egoist,’ or overly focused on himself, by some readers of his poetry. Use your reading of the selections from ‘Song of Myself’ to write a three- or four-paragraph argument either supporting or refuting this claim.” In Unit 3, the essential questions are: “In what ways do we seek to remain true to ourselves?” “How do we relate to the world around us?” “What do we secretly fear?” “When should we stop and reflect on our lives?” 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 4, students are asked to read the Declaration of Sentiments by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. After reading the text, on page 409, students are asked to compare and contrast it with the Declaration of Independence. The directions explain that students should “formulate a thesis statement where you tell which argument you found the most effective. Determine your method of organization. Choose between the block method where you discuss one argument and then the other or the point-by-point method where you organize by discussing each argument one characteristic at a time. Be sure to evaluate the writer’s claims and the evidence that they used to support the claim. Discuss whether the evidence was convincing. Conclude with a statement that confirms your thesis statement and that flows from the evidence you cited.
• In the Student Edition, Unit 5, students are asked to read the article “Why Everyone Must Get Ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution” by Bernard Marr. After reading the article, students are asked to write a one paragraph argument “that the fourth industrial revolution will occur or the idea that the fourth industrial revolution will not occur.” The instructions also ask students to have a clear claim, include evidence as support, address one counterargument, and defend your claim against that counterargument. In Unit 5, the essential questions are as follows: “To what degree do we control our lives?” “Why do humans cause harm?” “What are the consequences of change?” “What makes a place unique?” 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 6, students are asked at the conclusion of the unit to write the culminating writing task of a personal essay. The example explains that students will “synthesize information from one or more of the texts and is connected to one of the Unit Essential Questions.” The instructions then give a series of characteristics that are found in strong personal essays as well as a writing plan, draft development, and explanation on how to revise, edit and publish their work. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria that materials include a progression of focused, shared research and writing projects to encourage students to develop and synthesize knowledge and understanding of a topic using texts and other source materials.

After each individual text is presented within each unit, students must complete the “Research” section that requires students to branch outside of the text, within the specific topic posed by the Essential Question. The purpose is for students to further research the elements discussed or introduced within or surrounding specific texts. Also located within the “Research” section are “Connect” and “Extend” tasks that reinforce synthesis and additional research. And, throughout each grade level textbook, at least one culminating activity between the six units requires students to compose an extensive research report.

• In the Student Edition, Unit 1, students are asked to read an excerpt from Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford.

• After reading the text, on page 64 under the heading “Vocabulary Strategy,” students are asked to think about the archaic vocabulary found in the writing.

• Then, students are asked to research the meaning of several archaic vocabulary words found in the text using several strategies listed in the text.

• Students are instructed to “identify each strategy you used and explain how it helped you find the word’s meaning.”

• In the Teacher's Edition,  Unit 2, students complete the cumulative writing task where they must compose a research report: 
• “This unit focuses on what it takes to build and maintain a democracy, and how this relates to sharing power and building alliances among people and groups. 
• For this writing task, you will write a research report...Write a research report exploring how the founding documents, systems, or fundamental principles facilitate shared power and constructive alliances in our democracy.” 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 3, students are asked to read the poem “In the Season of Change” by Teresa Palomo Acosta.
• After reading the poem, on page 248, students are given information on another text Acosta has written about an ethnic group called Las Tejanas.
• They are then asked to “research the meaning [of the terms below] to find out more about these groups. Complete the chart below.”
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, students read Second Inaugural Address, a speech by Abraham Lincoln, and are presented with the “Research” section: "Lincoln had a vision of a reunited and healing nation, but he was assassinated before he could put any policies in place. Research the aftermath of the Civil War. List two events that suggest the nation had begun to heal. Then, list two events that suggest the nations was still fractured.”  Students are given a chart for organizational support. 
• There is a “Research Tip” provided in the sidebar of the Student Edition: “Some issues pertaining to the Civil War are still divisive today. When researching, try to focus on scholarly sites. These sites generally have urls that end in .org or .edu. 
• "Be sure to evaluate any source for bias.” 
• There is also an “Extend” task presented within the “Research” section: “Choose one of the events you listed and research it more in depth. What were some long-term effects of this event? Share with the class what you learn.”
• In the Student Edition, Unit 5, students are asked to read two texts: an excerpt from The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and “Food Product Design” an excerpt from Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. 
• On page 556, students are asked to compare the author’s purpose. Specifically, the directions say “in a small group, complete the table with similarities and differences between the two authors, noting how these characteristics reflect their purposes. 
• Then, work together to write a paragraph comparing their purposes.” 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, students read “A Rose for Emily” and are presented with the “Research” section: “Miss Emily’s house and life are anchored in the 1870’s. Details about customs, transportation, and social behavior are woven throughout the story. Research what architecture, clothing, and manners were like in this period. Try to find information that matches details in the story. Record what you learn in the chart.”
• Students are given a chart that indicates the following sections: Architecture, clothing, and manners. 
• There is a “Research Tip” provided in the sidebar of the Student Edition: “In addition to searching for 1870s architecture, you could also search for Victorian architecture. The Victorian era was the period during which Queen Victoria ruled the British Empire. It lasted from 1837 to 1901 and had a tremendous effect on the United States.” 
• There is also an “Extend” task presented within the “Research” section: “Print images of the architecture and clothing of the period, and share the images with the class.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 11 (meet, partially meet, do not meet) the criteria that materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

Students are presented with an “Independent Reading” section within the Grade 11 textbook where they are required to use their understanding of the Notice & Note Signposts to aide in their reading, analysis, and deconstruction of their self selected independent reading texts. Within the “Independent Reading” section of the Teacher's Edition instructors are presented with English Learner Support and “When Students Struggle…” sections, as well as lexile levels to help instructors make a more quantitatively conscientious choice for students that struggle to select texts. Also, at the close of the paper copy of the textbook, students also must complete a “Collaborate and Share” section that requires students to discuss a summary of the text(s), signposts seen throughout, what they enjoyed, and a recommendation to a fellow student or group of students.

In addition, the online portal offers assessments after students have read each individual text that include text-reference based questions at the close of every independent reading; and the assessments include the Notice & Note Signpost skills and skills learned throughout the entire unit. And, each unit is centered around an Essential Question that is part of the design of the “Independent Reading” section of the textbook, as all texts in some way revolve around the concepts of the EQ(s). Also, each unit includes the “Suggested Novel Connection” novel that can be incorporated within the whole class model. Students can read this text independently, and unlike the shorter independent reading selections, the suggested novel is generally less complex than the whole class texts. Most students will be able to tackle this text independently, on their own.

In addition to the response log and annotations, each text in the independent reading collection is followed by an assessment which the teacher can assign. The assessment begins with selected response items and includes a short constructed response prompt as well as an extended response prompt. Questions in the assessment are primarily text-based items.

The texts in the independent reading collection represent a variety of modes, genres, and complexities which provides students the opportunity to build stamina through a volume of independent reading or to build strength by reading stretch-level texts.

In the Student Edition, ED Online, Unit 1 Independent Reading:

• Memoir: from The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday
• Poem: “To My Dear and Loving Husband” by Anne Bradstreet
• Historical narrative: from La relacion by Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
• Historical narrative: from The General History of Virginia by John Smith
• Poem: “New Orleans” by Joy Harjo
• Suggested novel: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 2, the Essential Questions are: “What does oppression look like?” “How do we gain our freedom?” “How can we share power and build alliances?” “How do we transform our lives?” The independent reading selections are:
• Speech: Speech to the Virginia Convention by Patrick Henry
• Public Document: An excerpt from The United States Constitution: The Bill of Rights
• Aphorisms: An excerpt from Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin
• History Writing: “Abigail Adams’ Last Act of Defiance” by Woody Holton
• Poem: “Democracy” by Langston Hughes
• Suggested Novel Connection: 1776 by David McCullough
• In the Student Edition, ED Online, Unit 3 Independent Reading:
• Essays: from Nature and from Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Article: “The Pointlessness of Unplugging” by Casey N. Cep
• Poem: “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe
• Poem: “Pastoral” by Jennifer Chang
• Suggested novel: Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, the Essential Questions are: “When is self-determination possible?” “What divides us as human beings?” “How do we face defeat?” “What is the price of progress?” The independent reading selections are:
• Letter: “Letter to Sarah Ballou” by Sullivan Ballou
• Diary: An excerpt from A Diary from Dixie by Mary Chesnut
• Speech: An excerpt 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 Martín Espada
• Suggested Novel Connection: Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• In the Student Edition, ED Online, Unit 5 Independent Reading:
• 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 novel: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, the Essential Questions are: “How do we deal with rejection or isolation?” “For whom is the American Dream relevant?” “When should personal integrity come before civic duty?” “What would we do if there were no limits?” The independent reading selections are:
• The following poems: “The Weary Blues” by Langston Hughes; “Song of the Son” by Jean Toomer; “From the Dark Tower” by Countee Cullen; “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps.
• Essay: “Martin Luther King Jr.: He Showed Us the Way” by César Chávez
• Essay: “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan
• Story Story: “Reality Check” by David Brin
• Article: “YouTube Stars Stress Out, Just Like the Rest of Us” by Neda Ulaby
• Suggested Novel Connection: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald