9th Grade - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 9 are organized around topics or themes to build students’ knowledge and their ability to read and comprehend texts proficiently.  Every unit revolves around an Essential Question (EQ), or multiple EQ’s. Throughout all units, students read fiction and nonfiction texts that relate to the essential questions and overall topic of the unit. Instructors are presented with additional supports for whole-class instruction in preparing students to think critically, metacognitively, and with empathy towards the EQ’s and their outcomes.  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 The Struggle for Freedom, and the Essential Question (EQ) is “How do people find freedom in the midst of oppression?” By the end of Unit 2, students must be able to compose a research report. The mentor text for this unit is an excerpt from Margot Lee Shetterly’s history writing Hidden Figures. All texts within Unit 2 revolve around the following concept found within the sidebar of the Teacher's Edition: “Ask a volunteer to read aloud the Essential Question. Then allow students to reflect on the question for a moment. Have them discuss whether people in various communities might view what it means to be free or oppressed differently.” Throughout the unit, students read fiction and nonfiction texts that relate to the essential question. The culminating writing and speaking/listening task directly relates back to the essential question and mentor text: “This unit focuses on how people find freedom in a society that oppresses them. For this writing task, you will write a research report. For a research report, you gather information from a number of different, valid sources about a specific topic and write about what you have discovered. For an example of a well-written research report you can use as a mentor text, review the selection ‘Hidden Figures.’” Students also end Unit 2 with a reflection task that directly requires them to revisit the EQ, reflect on their reading throughout the whole unit, and their cumulative writing task. 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 2: The Struggle for Freedom, the essential question is “How do people find freedom in the midst of oppression?”. Also, in the key learning objectives written for the unit it says that students will “analyze rhetorical devices, text structure, literary devices, setting and theme, poetic language, setting and purpose and multi-modal texts.” Throughout the unit, students read several kinds of texts to answer the essential question and achieve the learning objectives. For example, they will read “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. and a podcast from John Lewis as well as the short story “The Censors” by Luisa Valenzuela, a poem about Booker T. Washington and W.E.B DuBois by Dudley Randall, and a comparison between an excerpt from Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi and Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi. The mentor text for the unit is an excerpt from Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly and the culminating writing tasks ask students to write a research report and create a podcast which connects to the texts previously mentioned.
• In Teacher's Edition, Unit 5, the title of the unit is A Matter of Life or Death, and the Essential Question (EQ) is “What does it take to survive in a crisis?” By the end of Unit 5, students must be able to compose an argument. The mentor text for this unit is an argument by Lane Wallace, titled “Is Survival Selfish?” All texts within Unit 5 revolve around the following concept found within the sidebar of the Teacher's Edition: “Ask a volunteer to read aloud the Essential Question. Have students pause to reflect. Prompt them for examples of recent environmental crises they’ve seen in the news, such as hurricanes, wildfires, or tornadoes. How did people endure those events? What might it take to survive a crisis of a different nature?” Throughout the unit, students read fiction and nonfiction texts that relate to the essential question. The culminating writing and speaking/listening task directly relates back to the essential question and mentor text: “This unit explores the idea of survival and what it takes to endure an extreme situation. Look back at the texts you read, and think about the events that place the people and characters in danger and what their reactions are. Then decide for yourself whether the desire for survival can be selfish. Write an argument that explains your position, using evidence from at least two texts in this unit. For an example of a well-written argumentative text you can use as a mentor text, review Lane Wallace’s ‘Is Survival Selfish?’” Students also end Unit 5 with a reflection task that directly requires them to revisit the EQ, reflect on their reading throughout the whole unit, and their cumulative writing task. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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.

At the beginning of each unit, there are four essential questions for students to consider as they read the selections. At the close of every unit, 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. Students make meaning and build understanding around the essential question, which is the topic. Within Analyze the 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 1, after reading, students are asked to:
• 1.  Reflect on the Unit page 81
• Reflect on the Essential Question
• Reflect on your Reading
• Reflect on the Writing Task
• In the Student Edition, Unit 2, students read an excerpt from Reading Lolita in Tehran, a memoir, by Azar Nafisi, and an excerpt from the graphic novel, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, by Marjane Satrapi. Within the Unit 2 directory, the textbook notes that these two texts and tasks and assignments within the section, part of Compare Across Genres, occur after the Analyze & Apply section of the unit. Within the Collaborate and Compare section, under Analyze the Texts, students answer four questions that address various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, in order: Connect, Compare, Analyze, and Synthesize. The questions are as follows:
• "1. Connect: How is the way the authors communicate with readers similar and different in the texts?"
• "2. Compare: What information is presented in both texts?"
• "3. Analyze: What is the effect of using language only, as opposed to combining language and images? Are any aspects of the story gained by using images and/or lost by using fewer words in a graphic novel?"
• "4. Synthesize: What have you learned from these sources together about the status of women in Iran since the Iranian Revolution?"
• In the Student Edition, Unit 2, students are asked to read the historical writing from the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. Before reading under the heading Quick Start students think about “what do you know about opportunities that were once closed off to African Americans, women, or other minorities? Name some jobs a woman or an African American might not have been able to apply for in the past.” As students are reading in the sidebar titled Contrasts and Contradictions, it asks to students to “mark parts of the text in paragraphs 15-17 that show a contrast or contradiction between how much the African American female mathematicians were needed and how they were treated.”   
• In the Student Edition, Unit 3, students read the informational text, “With Friends Like These…” by Dorothy Rowe. Within the sidebar students are presented with a Summarize and Paraphrase Texts section. Students must complete two tasks within this section: “Annotate: Mark a sentence that you find long or confusing in paragraphs 1-3.” And, “Interpret: Paraphrase the sentence. How does the sentence you chose relate to the ideas in the first three paragraphs? Explain your answer.”
• In the Student Edition, Unit 5, students read the mentor text, “Is Survival Selfish?” by Lane Wallace. Within the Analyze the Text section, students respond to the following questions:
• "3. Critique: Review the list of rhetorical devices in the Get Ready Section of this selection. Identify at least two that Wallace uses in her argument. Are they effective in advancing her argument? Explain."
• "4. Evaluate: Reread paragraph 12. As evidence for Wallace’s claim, is this paragraph valid and relevant? Explain." 
• "5. Notice & Note: In the final paragraph, Wallace writes that there can be “a fine line between smart and selfish,” and that “sometimes there’s no line at all between the two.” What does she mean by this apparent contradiction? How does her conclusion restate her claim? Note the sentence at the beginning of the selection that states this claim." 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 6, students are presented with the following Essential Question (EQ): What drives us to take on a challenge? This EQ is also represented in the Teacher's Edition to reinforce instructors to connect all texts back to the EQ: “Homer’s The Odyssey can be read from many different perspectives. One is as a study of what drives the hero Odysseus to take on challenges…” In the Teacher's Edition, this occurs at the start of every text. Students must connect the text, tasks and assignments completed throughout, back to the EQ at the close of every reading. For example: “Review your annotations and notes on the selection from The Odyssey. Then, add relevant information to your Response Log. As you determine which information to include, think about: Odysseus’ motivations as he takes on challenges; flaws that hold Odysseus back on his quest to return home; how cultures might influence what people take on as challenges. At the end of the unit, use your notes to help you write an explanatory essay.” The explanatory essay prompt that follows all texts and tasks in Unit 6 is as follows: “Write an explanatory essay about how an activity described in one of the unit selections meets the human need for challenge.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 9 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 Teacher's Edition, Unit 2, within the Collaborate & Compare section, students read and compare the following excerpts of texts: Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi, and Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, by Marjane Satrapi, translated by Anjali Singh. For each text, students complete a Get Ready section, Check Your Understanding section, Analyze the Text section, Research section, Create and Present section, and Respond to the Essential Question section. 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. In small groups, students must “discuss the common elements in the two selections. Take notes in the [chart] about the author's purpose, message, and use of language. On your own, write a few sentences describing your personal reactions to reading about the same general topic in the two genres. Which genre did you prefer? Why?”  

Students will then complete the Analyze the Texts within the Collaborate and Compare section:

• “Connect: How is the way the authors communicate with readers similar and different in the texts?”
• “Compare: What information is presented in both texts?”
• “Analyze: What is the effect of using language only, as opposed to combining language and images?...”
• “Synthesize: What have you learned from the sources together about the status of women in Iran since the Iranian Revolution?”

Students then complete the Collaborate and Present section, where students must get in groups and “continue exploring the ideas in these texts by collaborating to create a graphic novel version of the excerpt from Reading Lolita in Tehran.” Students are given specific steps to follow as support. 

• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3, the essential question is: How do we form and maintain our connections with others? Students read:
• “With Friends Like These...” by Dorothy Rowe
• "Notice and Note: What phrase indicates the author is introducing contrasting details in paragraph 5? Mark it in the text. How does the contrast in this paragraph illustrate the importance of validation?
• In paragraph 10, circle an example of how a friendship can be risky. Underline one example of how a friendship can be helpful. How can the contrasting examples you marked be expressed as a key idea?"
• Analyze the Text:
• "DOK 4: In paragraph 12, the author discusses people’s capacity to accept change. Why does she introduce these ideas immediately before the section “Falling Out?”
• DOK 4: What information challenged, changed, or confirmed what you already knew about friendship? Paraphrase key ideas and details from the text in your answer." 
• “Loser” by Aimee Bender (mentor text)
• "Notice and Note: Mark identical or similar words and phrases that repeat in the last two paragraphs. What do the words and phrases tell you about the young man’s thoughts?
• Mark verbs that signal a flashback. How does the author use these flashbacks to connect to the young man’s talent?"
• Analyze the Text:
• "DOK 2: In fiction, a foil is a character whose personality and attitude contrast sharply with those of another character. How does the character of Leonard act as a foil for the young man?
• DOK 4: Do you think the author has created a complex character in the young man? Is he a believable character, even with his unusual gift?"
• Culminating task: Write a short story about an event that reveals something about how we connect with each other.
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, within the Collaborate & Compare section, students read and compare the following poems: “Having It Both Ways,” a sonnet by Elizabeth Jennings, and “Superheart,” a sonnet by Marion Shore. For each text, student complete a Get Ready section and Check Your Understanding section; however, for Shore’s sonnet a Research section, Analyze the Text section, Create and Discuss section, and Respond to the Essential Question section are included. 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 chart below to examine the two poems. Be sure to support your ideas with text evidence,” within the Compare Poems section. Students will fill in sections regarding “Theme, or Message about Life,” “Tone,” “Mood,” and “Use of Language.”

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

• “Compare: ...Compare the mood, the feeling or atmosphere created; and the tone, or attitude each writer takes toward the topic of love. In what ways are they similar or different?”
• “Interpret: What is the theme of each poem? Try to state each theme in one sentence. Cite text evidence in your discussion.”
• “Critique: ...Which poem do you think uses language more effectively? Why? Use text evidence to support your opinion.”
• “Evaluate: Does one poem tell the ‘truth’ about love better than the other? Discuss using text evidence as well as what you have observed or read about love.”

Students then complete the Collaborate and Present section, where students must get in groups and “continue exploring the ideas in these texts by collaborating on a sonnet.” Students are given specific steps to follow as support.

• In Teacher's Edition, Unit 5, the essential question is: What does it take to survive a crisis? Students read:
• “The Leap” by Louise Erdrich
• Notice and Note: What mementos from her past life does the narrator’s mother keep? Why do you think this might be the case?
• In paragraph 6, mark lines that reveal the daughter’s feelings about her mother. What does she admire about her mother?
• Analyze the Text:
• DOK 2: Reread paragraph 26. What does the narrator learn? What inferences can you make about the story’s theme or themes?
• DOK 3: Compare the description of the trapeze accident with the description of the house fire. What do these descriptions reveal about the mother’s character?
• “Is Survival Selfish?” by Lane Wallace (mentor text) 
• Notice and Note: Mark the sentence in paragraph 10 that shows something unexpected happened. Does this unexpected event support or refute the author’s claim?
• In paragraph 3, underline a statement the author can build on to create a full claim. How do the rhetorical devices in the questions that precede the statement set up the author’s claim?
• Analyze the text: 
• DOK 4: Wallace writes that “the number one determining factor for survival is simply whether people hold it together in a crisis or fall apart.” Is this an example of a claim, a reason, or evidence? Explain with an example from the text. 
• DOK 4: Reread paragraph 12. As evidence for Wallace’s claim, is this paragraph valid and relevant? Explain. 
• Culminating task: Write an argument stating your position on the question “Does survival require selfishness?”
• In Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, within the Collaborate & Compare section, students read and compare the following texts: “The Journey,” by Mary Oliver, and an excerpt from The Cruelest Journey: 600 Miles to Timbuktu by Kira Salak. For each text, student complete a Get Ready section and Check Your Understanding section; however, for Salak’s excerpt, a Research section, Analyze the Text section, Create and Discuss section, and Respond to the Essential Question section are included. 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 “Review both selections and consider how you might answer the questions. To develop your response, complete the graphic organizer below.” The organizer includes the following: “Purpose,” “Message,” “Text Structure,” “Language,” and “Personal Connection.” 

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

• “Connect: What similarities do you see between the journey described by Salak and the journey discussed in the poem?”
• “Compare and Contrast: How would you describe each writer’s purpose? How are Salak’s and Oliver’s purposes similar and different?”
• “Infer: How does each author use language to effectively convey her point?”
• “Synthesize: What have you learned from these sources together about how to take on a challenge?”

Students then complete the Collaborate and Present section, where students must get in groups and “continue exploring the ideas in these texts by collaborating on a response to the text.” Students are given specific steps to follow as support.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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).

In the 9th grade text, 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 & 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. Within the Grade 9 and 10 textbook, students are presented with one essential question to focus on throughout the entirety of each unit.

• In the Student Edition, Unit 1, questions and tasks that support the student’s ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic through integrated skills include:
• Write a personal essay
• "Write a personal essay about how differences between people can be opportunities rather than obstacles. Be sure to:
• Write an introduction that catches the reader’s attention and presents the topic of the essay
• Write about an event from your own life or something you’ve noticed in the world around you
• Use transitions to connect related ideas
• Use appropriate register, vocabulary, tone and voice
• End by sharing your insights about the value of diversity in a school, community or a country"
• Create and Debate - Booker T. and W.E.B. Du Bois
• "Assess the viewpoints: Expand on the chart you used in the research activity to define the pros and cons of each man’s position on the issues listed.
• In your opinion, what are the strengths and weaknesses of each man’s position on the issues of education, life goals, and civil rights/political power?
• How do you think each man would feel about the same issues if he were alive today?
• Conduct additional research as necessary."
• "Conduct a debate; Work with your classmates to conduct a team debate on the ideas of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. Use the ideas and information you gathered and conduct additional research to prepare your arguments. Then, hold your debate in front of your class. 
• Speak in a loud, clear voice so everyone can hear and understand you. Use a formal tone and appropriate vocabulary.
• Stand up straight and make eye contact with your opponents and your audience. Use facial expressions and natural gestures to add emphasis to your words.
• Use evidence from your research to support your arguments. Adjust your views in light of persuasive evidence from your classmates.
• Listen actively while others are speaking and don’t interrupt.
• Evaluate your preparation for and participation in the debate." 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 2, students are presented with one essential question, and the unit title “The Struggle for Freedom.” Based on the Teacher's Edition, within the sidebar, instructors must connect to the essential question: “Ask a volunteer to read aloud the Essential Question. Then allow students to reflect on the question for a moment. Have them discuss whether people in various communities might view what it means to be free or oppressed differently. Prompt them to give examples of past events where an oppressed group achieved freedom. Can freedom be reached the same way each time? Have them consider why that may or may not be possible” The EQ is as follows:
• How do people find freedom in the midst of oppression?
• In Unit 2, students are presented with a culminating writing task where they must compose a research report; they are also responsible for creating a podcast. 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 a research report about an event or person(s) connected to the struggle for freedom; Develop a focused, structured draft of a research report. Use the Mentor Text as a model for a thesis statement and precise, vivid details; Publish writing to share it with an audience.” The learning objectives for the speaking task are as follows in a bullet-pointed list, but not limited to: “Adapt a research report into a podcast; Present a research report podcast to an audience; Listen actively to a multimedia presentation.” Students will complete the following sections for the writing task, as well: Plan, Develop a Draft, Revise, Edit, and Publish. 
• Within the same section of the Teacher's Edition, “Unit 2 Tasks,” students must reflect on the Essential Questions once both culminating tasks are complete: “As you were planning your research report, you reviewed your thoughts about the reading you have done in this unit. Now is a good time to reflect on what you have learned.” Some of the questions posed in the “Reflect on the Unit” section are as follows: “How do people find freedom in the midst of oppression? How has your answer to this question changed since you first considered it when you started this unit?”, “What are some examples from the texts you’ve read that show how people find freedom?”, “From which selection did you learn the most about finding freedom in the midst of oppression?”, “What improvements did you make to your report as you were revising?”, and “What changes did you need to make to your report to make it work as a podcast?”
• In the Student Edition, Unit 2: The Struggle for Freedom, the essential question is: How do people find freedom in the midst of oppression? The learning objective for this unit is to analyze the structure of an argument and the rhetorical devices that make it more persuasive.
• At the end of the unit, students are asked to write a research report. Specifically they are asked to “gather information from a number of different, valid sources about a specific topic and write about what you discovered.” The general topic is “Throughout history, people in many societies have fought for the freedom and equality they were denied.” Students are instructed to use the mentor text for the unit, from Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly to aid in their thinking. In addition to this assignment, students are asked to adapt their research report into a podcast that their classmates can listen and respond to. 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 4, the essential question is: How can love bring both joy and pain? At the end of the unit, students are asked to write a literary analysis based on the essential question. Specifically, the context for the analysis reads, “Love is an emotion that is easy to feel but sometimes difficult to endure.” Further directions explain that students should:
• provide an introduction…
• develop a comparison using examples from the texts
• organize central ideas in a logically structured body
• use appropriate register, vocabulary, tone and voice
• use transitions to create connections between sections of your analysis
• end by summarizing ideas or drawing an overall conclusion
• Besides the mentor text, students are told to use the notes made in their response  log throughout the unit and to “look back at the texts in the unit and consider the aspects or characteristics of love that are represented in each text.”
• In Student Edition, Unit 5, students are asked to write an argument. Specifically, the directions ask students to “look back at the texts you read and think about the events that place the people and characters in danger and what their reactions are. Then decide for yourself whether the desire for survival can be selfish. Write an argument that explains your position using at least two texts from the unit. For an example of a well-written argumentative text review Lane Wallace’s ‘Is Survival Selfish?’” Following that assignment, students are also asked to prepare to deliver their argument as an oral presentation.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 Teacher's Edition, Unit 1, students are presented with academic vocabulary titled Academic Vocabulary. Students practice and learn five words: enforce, entity, internal, presume, and resolve. 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: The Struggle for Freedom, on the first page of the unit, students are asked to look at a specific word under the heading Academic Vocabulary. For this unit, the word in the instructions is decline (the other four words are provided but not explained). The instructions tell students to “study the word network to learn more about the word decline. Then they are given its definition, synonyms, antonyms, the word root, related words and a clarifying example. Following that, they are given a prompt which says “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.” 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 2, students read “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. The Critical Vocabulary section presents the following words: default, desolate, degenerate, inextricably, redemptive. Students complete a cloze activity for each word. For example: If you _____ on a loan, your personal credit rating will be affected. While reading, these five words are presented in bold and defined in the margin. After reading, students respond to questions featuring the target vocabulary. “Look back at paragraph 5. Why does King say that American has defaulted on its promise?” Following this section is a vocabulary strategy: Antonyms. The strategy is explained. Students find an antonym for each of the vocabulary words then write a sentence to demonstrate understanding. 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3, students read Yasunari Kawabata’s short story “The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket.” Students are presented with critical vocabulary in the section titled Critical Vocabulary. The words in this section are as follows: lozenge, loiter, emanate, sheepish, discernible. The directions are as follows: “To see how many Critical Vocabulary words you already know, use them to complete the sentences.” Students are given five sentences to complete, and instructors are presented the answer key within the Teacher's Edition sidebar. There is also an English Learner Support section within the Teacher's Edition sidebar: “Tell students that two of the Critical Vocabulary words have Spanish cognates: discernible/discernible and emanate/emanar.”
• In Student Edition, Unit 4, students read “The Price of Freedom” by Noreen Riols. The Critical Vocabulary section presents the following words: seductive, demented, hordes, sabotage, infiltration, decoy, adulate, annihilate. Students demonstrate understanding of the words before reading by responding to questions using these words. For example: "How would pretending to adulate help infiltration?" While reading, these eight words are presented in bold and defined in the margin. After reading, students respond to questions featuring the target vocabulary. “Which of the following could be described as seductive? Danger or sadness.” Following this section is a vocabulary strategy: Foreign Words. The strategy is explained. Students apply the strategy by identifying foreign words or phrases in a sentence then writing a new sentence with that word.  For example: "Alone, away from all others, the two lovebirds had a tete-a-tete with their heads held close to each other to listen to every word." 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 5, students read Louise Erdrich’s short story, “The Leap.” Students are presented with critical vocabulary in the section titled Critical Vocabulary. The words in this section are as follows: encroach, extricate, constrict, comply, tentative. The directions are as follows: “Answer the questions, using a dictionary or thesaurus as needed. Make sure answers reflect understanding of each Critical Vocabulary word’s meaning.” Students are given five sentences to complete, and instructors are presented the answer key within the Teacher's Edition sidebar. There is also an English Learner Support section within the Teacher's Edition sidebar: “Model pronouncing the vocabulary words, telling students to listen carefully to the consonant clusters cr, str, and pl…”
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, students are asked to read the epic poem The Odessey by Homer. In the sidebar at the bottom there is a box titled “When Students Struggle.” The mini-lesson is on the pronunciation of Greek names. It explains to students that they should organize into groups of four, write the character names on the cards and then quiz each other on the pronunciation. 
• In the Student Edition, Unit 6, students read “Archaeology’s Tech Revolution Since Indiana Jones” by Jeremy Hsu. The Critical Vocabulary section presents the following words: innovation, GPS, artifact, infrared, forensic analysis. Students complete a cloze activity for each word. For example: The _____ camera produced high-contrast photographs. While reading, these five words are presented in bold and defined in the margin. After reading, students respond to questions featuring the target vocabulary. “The automobile was once an innovation. Is it still?” Following this section is a vocabulary strategy: Use References. The strategy is explained. Students apply the strategy by using a reference to define or explain topics referenced in the article such as curator, isotopes, and Google Earth.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 9 - 10, there is one EQ per unit. 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. 

For each end of unit writing assessment, there is a revision guide which reflects building skill of writing and of exploring a topic. The six revision guides provide evidence of the progression of writing skills. 

• In the Student Edition, Unit 1 revision guide, the end of unit writing task is to write a personal essay that responds to the essential question. In unit one, students evaluate the use of the active and passive voices to determine effective use. They also evaluate the point of view the author uses to develop a story or perspective. To require students to practice these skills they have learned through reading, the revision guide includes questions to ask with tips and techniques for revising. 
• "Have I told an event from my life in a clear, coherent way?
• Underline time clues. 
• Add words and phrases that make the time order clear." 
• "Have I used the active voice whenever possible?
• Note any use of passive voice.
• Change passive to active voice if the active voice would be more effective." 
• "Is the first-person point of view used consistently?
• Note anywhere the point of view changes.
• Change third-person pronouns to first-person pronouns as necessary." 
• In Student Edition, Unit 2 revision guide, the end of unit writing task is to write a research report about one event, or a person or group of people, connected to the struggle for freedom. In unit two, students evaluate arguments and text structures.  The revision guide includes questions to ask with tips and techniques for revising the help students focus on using the skills they have evaluated in the reading throughout the unit. 
• "Does my introduction clearly state the thesis?
• Underline the thesis statement. 
• Reword the thesis statement to make it clearer. If necessary, narrow the topic."
• "Are my main ideas organized in a clear and logical way? 
• Highlight each main idea. Underline transitions.
• Reorder ideas so that each one flows easily to the next. Add appropriate transitions to connect ideas and clarify the organization."
• "Do I support each main idea with relevant details?
• Underline each supporting fact, definition, example, or quotation.
• Add facts, details, examples, or quotations to support ideas."
• In the Student Edition Unit 4, after reading the poems “Having it Both Ways” and “Superheart” by Elizabeth Jennings, students are asked to compare the two. Then, on page 405 students are asked to write a sonnet. The instructions ask them to decide on a topic, freewrite about it, develop a plan, plan the sonnet and then compose one, making sure to stay true to the sonnet form. 
• In Student Edition, Unit 5, students compose an argument. The directions are: “This unit explores the idea of survival and what it takes to endure an extreme situation. Look back at the texts you read, and think about the events that took place and people and characters in danger and what their reactions are. Then decide for yourself whether the desire for survival can be selfish. Write an argument that explains your position, using evidence from at least two texts in this unit. For an example of a well-written argumentative text you can use as a mentor text, review Lane Wallace’s ‘Is Survival Selfish?’ As you write your argument, you will want to look at the notes you made in your Response Log.” The prompt is: “Write an argument stating your position on the question ‘Does survival require selfishness?’” There are additional supports listed regarding citations and evidence collection, narrowing the research topic, and organization among other aspects. There are multiple steps in this process writing assignment:
• 1. Plan
• 2. Develop a Draft
• 3. Revise
• 4. Edit
• 5. Publish
• In the Student Edition, Unit 6 revision guide, the end of unit writing task is to write an explanatory essay about how an activity described in one of the unit selections meets the human need for challenge. In unit six, students analyze the epic hero, technical texts, and language.  The revision guide includes questions to ask with tips and techniques for revising. 
• "Does the text evidence support the ideas in each paragraph?
• Underline each supporting fact, definition, example, or quotation.
• Add facts, details, examples, or quotations to support ideas."
• "Does the conclusion effectively summarize ideas?
• Underline the restated thesis or summary of ideas in the conclusion.
• Add a restatement of the thesis or summary of the essay’s ideas."
• "Is the style appropriately formal, including domain-specific vocabulary?
• Notes slang or informal word choices. Underline domain-specific terms. 
• Replace informal language. Add scientific or academic language as appropriate."

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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, after reading the short story “Once Upon a Time” by Nadine Gordimer, students are asked under the heading “Research” to “Research and read a few well-known fairy tales, and write a summary for each fairy tale.
•  Record what you learn in the chart, citing your sources. Then share your findings with a partner and discuss the structure and characteristics of each fairy tale. 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 2, students are presented with the “Research” section: “It’s one thing to read a speech, but it’s even better to listen to it or to be an audience member. Find a version of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech, in audio or video form. On the chart, explain what you noticed in the audio or video version, and how that is different from what you noticed in the text.” 
• Students are given a chart that indicates differences between the text version and audio/video version, with “What I Noticed” and “Impact on Me.”
• There is a “Research Tip” provided in the sidebar of the Student Edition: “The best search terms are very specific. Along with King’s name, include the name of his speech and the form you want, such as text, image, or video, in order to find exactly what you are looking for.” 
• There is also a “Connect” question presented within the “Research” section: “In paragraph 9. Dr. King says that people ask civil rights activists, ‘When will you be satisfied?’ Reread the paragraph and write a response about how this main idea in that part of the speech applies today. Share your response with a small group. 
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, students are presented with the “Research” section: “Several intelligence agencies formed in the United States and Great Britain during and after World War II. For example, in 1942 the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was established in the United States. Research the jobs people did at these agencies. Record what you learn in the chart.” 
• Students are given a chart that indicates “World War II Agencies” and “Jobs Employees Performed.”
• There is a “Research Tip” provided in the sidebar of the Student Edition: “Be careful when choosing sources for your research. Make sure the websites you use are reliable and relevant to your search.”
• There is also an “Extend” task presented within the “Research” section: “In 1954, the Soviet Union formed its own security agency, the KGB. With a partner, research how KGB agents operated against intelligence agents from other countries during the Cold War.”
• In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, students read an excerpt from The Odyssey and are presented with the “Research” section: “Like other classic epic poems, The Odyssey was spoken before it was written. This great adventure was passed down orally from generation to generation. Find two audio recordings of The Odyssey and listen to the parts you have read in this unit. Pay attention to elements of prosody--timing, phrasing, emphasis, and intonation--the readers use. Use the chart below to make notes about how the audio version makes the action and/or the characters more vivid; and how it helps you better understand the text.” 
• Students are given a chart that indicates differences between the audio version 1 and audio version 2, with “How It Increases My Enjoyment of the Text” and “How It Helps Me Understand the Text.”
• There is a “Research Tip” provided in the sidebar of the Student Edition: “When researching audio recordings, keep in mind that some readings may be of higher quality than others. A classic such as [the text] has been recorded by several organizations and actors with varying success. Look for audio recordings with positive reviews or those that have received awards.” 
• There is also an “Extend” task presented within the “Research” section: “With a small group, create your own audio recording of the selections from The Odyssey in this unit. When planning your own recording, integrate the qualities you appreciated the most about the two recordings you researched. Play your recording for the class.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meets 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 9 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, Unit 1, students are given the choice of reading “Oklahoma Bombing Address” a speech by Bill Clinton. 
• Students are given the following prompt before they begin the piece: As you read, think about the purpose of President Clinton's speech. Make an inference from the first paragraph about the audience he is addressing; and how his audience would have shaped the president's message.
• In the Student Edition, Unit 1, students are given the choice of reading the poem “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes. 
• Before reading the text, students are asked the following: “As you read, pay attention to how the speaker describes himself; and what he thinks about his relationship to white people.”
• In the Student Edition ED Online, Unit 1 Independent Reading: 
• Poem: “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa
• Blog:  “Making the Future Better, Together" by Eboo Patel
• Speech: “Oklahoma Bombing Memorial Address” by Bill Clinton
• Short Story: “Night Calls” by Lisa Fugard
• Poem: “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes
• Suggested novel: Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
• Within the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, The independent reading selections are as follows:
• Myth: “Pyramus and Thisbe” an excerpt from The Metamorphoses by Ovid
• Sonnet: Sonnet 71 by Pablo Neruda
• Science Writing: An excerpt from Why Love Literally Hurts by Eric Jaffe
• Short Story: “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” by W.D. Wetherell
• Suggested Novel Connection: Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper
• In the Student Edition, ED Online, Unit 5 Independent Reading:
• Article: “Adventures Change, Danger Does Not.” by Alan Cowell
• Memoir: from An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina
• Poem: “Who Understands Me But Me” by Jimmy Santiago Baca
• Speech: “Truth at All Costs” by Marie Colvin
• Informational text: from Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales
• Suggested novel: Monster by Walter Dean Myers