6th Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for anchor texts being of publishable quality, worthy of careful reading, and consider a range of student interests.

Anchor texts are of publishable quality and worthy of careful reading.  They include works from award-winning authors, as well as traditional classics. They consider a range of student interests including but not limited to, surviving disaster and using your voice for social change.

• In Unit 1, Finding Courage, students read a lyric poem entitled, “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me,”  by Maya Angelou. This expressive poem is written by a well-known and award winning author, incorporating some figurative language and images that support the meaning of the text.
• In Unit 3, Surviving the Unthinkable, students read an excerpt from A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. Based on a true story, the main character in this novel deals with an internal conflict and asks himself tough questions which will be thought provoking to the reader. Photographs and maps help the reader better understand the challenges of South Sudan, which is the setting of the novel.
• In Unit 5, Never Give Up, students read “A Schoolgirl’s Diary,” an excerpt from I Am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick.  An autobiography and memoir, this excerpt engages students in discussing culturally relevant content and analyzing characteristics of an informational text. One of the authors, Malala Yousafzai, is a Pakistani Women’s Activist who was also the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner at age 16. 
• In Unit 6, Hidden Truths, students read “The Boatman’s Flute”  retold by Sherry Garland. This folktale is a Vietnamese folktale that allows students to explore a strong theme and see the connections of storytelling and a people’s culture.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials reflecting the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level.

Texts include a mix of informational and literary texts integrated throughout every unit. The variety of genres and text types include, but are not limited to the following:  science fiction, poetry, editorials, memoirs, dramas, informational articles, and folktales. For each of the six units, there are also suggested independent reading books that can be used to enhance or extend the provided reading selections.

The following are examples of literature found within the instructional materials:

• Unit 1, Finding Courage- “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me”- lyric poem by Maya Angelou
• Unit 2, Through an Animal’s Eyes- “Zoo”- science fiction story by Edward Hoch
• Unit 4, Discovering Your Voice- “Words Like Freedom- a poem by Langston Hughes
• Unit 6, The Prince and the Pauper- play by Mark Twain and dramatized by Joellen Bland 

The following are examples of informational text found within the instructional materials:

• Unit 1, Finding Courage- “Wired for Fear”- video by California Science Center
• Unit 2, Through An Animal’s Eyes- “Wild Animals Aren’t Pets”- editorial in USA Today 
• Unit 4, Discovering Your Voice- Excerpt from Brown Girl Dreaming- memoir by Jacqueline Woodson
• Unit 5, Never Give Up- Excerpt from Into the Air- graphic biography by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Bill Wylie

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for texts having the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and relationship to their associated student task.

Most anchor texts are placed at the appropriate grade level in the Current Lexile Band (860L-1010L) or the Stretch Lexile Band (925L-1185L) for grades 6-8. Texts below the stretch band increase in complexity due to qualitative features and associated tasks. Texts that are above the stretch band quantitatively have supports in place and associated tasks which enable students to access the text and demonstrate understanding. 

Examples of texts that have the appropriate level of complexity for Grade 6 include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Finding Courage, students read the short story, “The Ravine”. The Lexile level is 680L, which is below the Current Lexile Band for grades 6-8. The qualitative features increase the complexity which helps make it appropriate for grade 6. Qualitative features include some implied meaning and inferential reasoning. The language is moderately complex with some figurative or allusive language and some dialect or other unconventional language.
• In Unit 2, Through An Animal’s Eyes, students read a novel excerpt from Pax. The Lexile level is 880L, which is included in the Current Lexile Band for grades 6-8. The qualitative features of this text increase the complexity for students due to the greater demand for inference, a more complex point of view, and some figurative language.
• In Unit 5, Never Give Up, students read “A Schoolgirl’s Diary,” an excerpt from the memoir, I Am Malala.  The Lexile level is 820L, which is slightly below the Current Lexile Band for grades 6-8. The qualitative features require students to utilize inferential meaning in order to derive the author’s purpose and point of view. Students answer Notice & Note questions as they read, further honing skills around the relationships between ideas and informational text features such as footnotes and map keys.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials support students’ literacy skills (understanding and comprehension) over the course of the school year through increasingly complex text to develop independence of grade level skills (Series of texts should be at a variety of complexity levels).

Assessments provide teachers a good “picture” of reading ability increasing over the course of the school year.  The materials are designed with texts that increase in rigor and complexity, in turn increasing students’ literacy skills as they advance month-to-month and year-to-year. Careful attention is paid to the collection of anchor texts and the design of instruction with those texts and text sets. Students practice a variety of literacy skills including but not limited to: analyzing setting and character, analyzing how a character develops plot, analyzing structure, determining key ideas and details, identifying and analyzing point of view, making inferences, making predictions, citing evidence, analyzing structure, analyzing language, and publishing.

• In the beginning of the year, the students are making inferences in Unit 1, Finding Courage, while reading an accessible novel excerpt from The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. Questions are available in the margin of the Student Edition, including: “How does Parvana feel about herself at this moment, and how might it affect her future and the future of her family?” (14).
• In the middle of the year, students are making inferences in Unit 4, Discovering Your Voice, while reading an excerpt from Selfe: The Changing Face of Self-Portraits by Susie Brooks, which is at the high end of the grade level stretch band quantitatively. Students use the Notice & Note Contrasts and Contradictions strategies while reading the multimodal text. Some questions they are asked to consider are, “How does Ducreux’s painting contrast with other self-portraits you have learned about? Mark how the author describes Ducreux’s self portrait.” Then, students infer: “What might the artist wish to reveal about himself in this portrait?” (236).
• By the end of the year, students are able to infer themes in Unit 6, Hidden Truths, while reading and comparing two folktales, “The Boatman’s Flute” by Sherry Garland and “The Mouse Bride” by Heather Forest, that are appropriately complex for the grade level. Students analyze the texts and synthesize: “What have your comparisons revealed about possible themes in each folktale?” (500).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that anchor texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for purpose and placement in the grade level. 

Grade 6 instructional materials include a text complexity analysis for anchor texts and series of texts connected to them. There is an accurate rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level. The materials offer a range of texts appropriate for the grade level and qualitative features increase the level of thinking required of students with texts that fall below the stretch band quantitatively for students. The text complexity information is available consistently in the Teacher's Edition in the Plan and Text X-ray sections.

• In Unit 2, Through an Animal’s Eyes, students read an excerpt from the novel Pax by Sara Pennypacker. Quantitative analysis places the text at 880L. The qualitative features indicate that the ideas presented and structures used increase the level of complexity due to inferencing required of students and the complex point of view. 
• In Unit 3, Surviving the Unthinkable, students read an excerpt from the novel Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes with a quantitative measure of 570L. Qualitative measures increase the demand because it requires some inferential reasoning, has some figurative and allusive language, some dialect, and some references to other texts.
• In Unit 5, Never Give Up, students read a biographical mentor text excerpt from The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane by Russell Freedman. This 1100L text is utilized to show what a traditional biography looks like in comparison to the previously read graphic biography. The text uses technical language and requires students to determine the meaning of new words in context.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that anchor and supporting texts provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading to achieve grade level reading proficiency.

Students have the opportunity to read a diverse range of texts and genres throughout the school year. 

• In Unit 1, Finding Courage, students analyze four texts using the Notice & Note reading model. The first novel excerpt is from The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, the second is a poem “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” by Maya Angelou, the third is an informational text “Fears and Phobias” by kidshealth.org, and the fourth is a video viewing and analysis of “Wired for Fear” by the California Science Center. There are selection tests available following each reading and a Reading Studio is available online for additional support and instruction. Students then collaborate and compare an informational text “Embarrased? Blame Your Brain” by Jennifer Connor-Smith and a short story “The Ravine” by Graham Salisbury. The texts connect to a topic linking the selections to the essential question: “How do you find courage in the face of fear?” Independent reading selections are available for students as a Reader’s Choice. Selections for independent reading options in Unit 1 range in complexity from 760L-870L and are accessible to students at various levels. These include poetry, a short story, narrative nonfiction, and informationl text. The suggested pacing is 30 days to complete Unit 1 (1A-1D).
• In Unit 2, Through an Animal’s Eyes, students analyze three texts: an excerpt from the novel Pax by Sara Pennypacker, a science fiction piece entitled “Zoo” by Edward Hoch, and an excerpt from “Animal Snoops: The Wondrous World of Wildlife Spies” by Peter Christie. In addition, there are selection tests at the end of a series of lessons for each text, and resources such as Reading Studio to support students as they grow in reading proficiency. Students collaborate and compare while reading the following texts: “Animal Wisdom” a poem by Nancy Wood, “The Last Wolf” a poem by Mary TallMountain, “Wild Animals Aren’t Pets” an editorial from USA Today, and “Let People Own Exotic Animals” by Zuzana Kukol. The unifying essential question is: “What can you learn by seeing the world through an animal’s eyes?” Independent reading selections are available for students as a Reader’s Choice. Selections for independent reading in Unit 2 range in complexity from 810L-1190L and are accessible to students at various levels. These include poetry, short stories, speeches, informational texts, and arguments. The suggested pacing is 30 days to complete Unit 2 (90A-90D).
• Unit 4, Discovering Your Voice, students read a multimodal text, an excerpt from a memoir written in verse, a narrative piece that focuses on humor, poems, and two argument pieces. Students complete the Analyze and Apply section of the unit while utilizing the previously learned Notice & Note strategies as they read a multimodal text, an excerpt from a memoir in verse, and a narrative piece. Teachers determine whether students engage with the text independently, in a small group, or as a whole group, though instructions and guidance are provided for all options and include cloze read strategies. Students in small groups Collaborate & Compare two separate text sets. The first text set is comprised of two poems; the second text set is comprised of two argument pieces, one of which requires students to complete a mentor text read. Students independently conduct research on various topics connected to the readings throughout the unit, exposing them to informational articles. Independent reading selections are included for varying proficiency levels. The titles suggested are: “I Was a Skinny Tomboy Kid” by Luz VIllanueva, “Words are Birds” by Francisco X. Alarcón, “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, “On Dragonwings” by Lucy D. Ford, and “Carved on the Walls” by Judy Young. The independent reading texts suggested reflect variation in type of text. The Giver by Lois Lowry is a suggested novel pairing. The suggested pacing of the unit is 30 days (T27, 244A-244D).
• In Unit 6, Hidden Truths, students read varied genres of texts relating to the essential question, “What hidden truths about people and the world are revealed in stories?” The unit encompasses six texts and four independent texts. The students analyze two texts at the beginning of the unit. The first text is a book introduction from Storytelling by Josepha Sherman and then they read a play, The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain and dramatized by Joellen Bland. Students keep a Response Log throughout the unit where they collect evidence as they read. In the Collaborate and Compare section of the unit, the students read and compare two poems and two folktales. Students read two poems “Archetype” by Margarita Engle and “Fairy-Tale Logic” by A.E. Stallings. Then, they read and compare two folktales, “The Boatman’s Flute” retold by Sherry Garland  and ‘The Mouse Bride” retold by Heather Forest. Students with the digital feature have access to four independent texts: “The Golden Serpent” retold by Walter Dean Meyers (Fable), “Echo and Narcissus” retold by Lancelyn Green (Folktale), “The Fisherman and the Chamberlain” retold by Jane Yolen (Folktale), and “Urban Legends, Suburban Myths” by Robert Carroll (Informational Text). The suggested pacing of the unit is 30 days (418B-418D).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent/specific, requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text). 

The instructional materials for Grade 6 include questions, tasks, and assignments that are text-dependent over the course of the school year. Notice & Note Signposts are activities that guide students and assist them to analyze works of fiction or nonfiction.  Notice & Note Signposts activities include Contrasts and Contradictions activities. Also culminating projects, both oral and written, require students to draw from readings and notations to support their final assessments with evidence. Text-dependent questions, tasks, and assignments support students’ literacy growth over the course of the school year. The Teacher's Edition provide support for planning and implementation of text-dependent writing, speaking, and listening standards. In the Teacher's Edition, there are additional suggestions to prompt writing and discussion around the text with possible answers provided.

• In Unit 1, Finding Courage, teacher supports are in place for planning and implementation during the reading of The Breadwinner. Contrasts and Contradictions ask teachers to “Discuss with students Parvana’s context, or situation, due to the setting of the story. Have students note how the setting influences her contrasting feelings about her hair.” A Notice & Note question provides students with an opportunity to return to the text: “What contrasting feelings does Parvana experience in paragraph 34? Mark each of her feelings.” 
• In Unit 2, Through an Animal’s Eyes, students read an excerpt from Pax and respond by answering text dependent questions: Review paragraph 1. What details does the author use to describe key ideas about the fox? Review paragraph 18, especially the last sentence of the paragraph. How does point of view contribute to the character’s voice? Review paragraph 3. What do the fox’s memories suggest about the relationship between the boy and the fox? 
• In Unit 3, Surviving the Unthinkable, students view a documentary called “Salva’s Story” as a digital text. Students focus on features of a documentary such as animated graphics, voice-over narration, etc. After viewing, students answer questions such as: “Describe the purpose of the voice-over narration in ‘Salva’s Story.'” 
• In Unit 4, Discovering Your Voice, students reread paragraphs 12-23 of “What’s So Funny, Mr. Scieszka?” and mark the sequence of events as they occur in chronological order. Then they answer, “How do you think the way the text is structured supports the author’s main purpose for writing this text?” Students are guided to deeply analyze and appreciate various aspects of the text, including the relationship between text structure and author’s purpose. 
• In Unit 5, Never Give Up, teachers introduce students to Notice & Note Signposts during their reading of the text “A Schoolgirl’s Diary” from I Am Malala. Students learn the signposts Big Questions, Number and States, and Quoted Words: “What can you tell from the author’s use of quoted words? Mark the quoted words in paragraph 4.”
• In Unit 6, Hidden Truths, after reading “The Boatman’s Flute,” students contrast the behavior of the mandarin’s daughter in paragraph 18 with her behavior in paragraph 27. Why did the character act so differently in these two parts of the story? Text-dependent questions, tasks, and assignments consistently support students’ literacy growth over the course of the school year.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for having sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent/specific questions and tasks build to a culminating task that integrates skills (may be writing, speaking, or a combination).

Materials contain sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent questions and activities that build to a culminating task. Each unit has several tasks which include text-dependent questions and activities (speaking and writing) such as, but not limited to, the following:  Check Your Understanding, Analyze the Text, Collaborate and Compare, and Notice & Note. The culminating tasks are designed to help students synthesize and apply their learning from the unit in an engaging and authentic way through writing and speaking. 

• In Unit 1, Finding Courage, students read a set of texts containing “The Ravine,” and “Embarrassed? Blame Your Brain”. After reading, students work with a small group to synthesize themes that both texts share. Students complete a venn diagram with what they learned about the themes and main ideas in the texts, answer Analyze the Text questions in order to expand their thinking around the themes of the story, and continue exploring the main idea as they prepare a research presentation in the format of a panel discussion. Students are reminded to include information from reliable sources to support their ideas. 
• In Unit 3, Surviving the Unthinkable, students Collaborate & Compare and Analyze the Text to answer text dependent/specific questions such as, “How are the circumstances faced by the poem’s speaker and the novel’s narrator different? How are their responses to their circumstances different? What have you learned from these selections about what it takes to be a survivor?” This builds toward a culminating task in which students write a nonfiction narrative or memoir about what it took for them or someone they know to survive a disaster or difficult event. 
• In Unit 4, Discovering Your Voice, students consider Quoted Words, as one example of a Notice & Note signpost. Students think about why an author would quote a person or cite evidence from a source when reading and analyzing nonfiction. While reading independently from the Reader’s Choice list, the materials provide anchor questions for students. For example, “Why did the author use these numbers or amounts?” Students Collaborate and Share their findings with a partner from one of the independent readings. At the end of Unit 4, students create a multimodal argument as the culminating task. During the planning session the teacher will “Remind students they can use Quoted Words to include the opinions or conclusions of someone who is an expert on the topic of their argument.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials providing frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions (small groups, peer-to-peer, whole class) that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

The materials offer numerous opportunities for students to have evidence-based discussions across many texts in each unit. The groupings during the evidence-based discussions vary greatly, offering students the opportunity to engage in whole group discussions, peer-to-peer discussions, and various configurations of small group discussions. Evidence-based discussions are supported by explicit grouping directions and supports for struggling students within the Teacher's Edition. Specifically in the Plan section of each text in the unit there are specific protocols, sentence frames, and differentiated supports for different types of groupings. The Teacher's Edition also includes supports embedded throughout the student’s text encouraging the incorporation of academic vocabulary. Word Networks provide a means to introduce and discuss academic vocabulary with a partner to begin each unit. Speaking and Listening Studio is included following the reading of each text to prepare the students for collaborative discussions explaining and modeling roles of the members of the group. Then students participate in collaborative discussions and analyze and evaluate presentations.  

• In Unit 1, Finding Courage, students discuss features of the text using the key term subheading. After reading “Fears and Phobias,” students discuss with a partner how some of the subheadings can be rephrased as questions. Students should discuss: “How does rephrasing the subheadings into questions help them understand what the sections will be about?” 
• In Unit 2, Through An Animal’s Eyes, students complete and discuss a Word Network with a partner about the academic word benefit. Support is in place for modeling and the materials ask teachers to “...encourage them to include all the categories shown in the completed network, if possible, but point out that some words do not have clear synonyms or antonyms. Some words may also function as different parts of speech–for example, benefit may be a noun or a verb.” The materials include four other academic vocabulary words: distinct, environment, illustrate, and respond. After completing and discussing a Word Network for each academic vocabulary word, students will learn and practice the academic vocabulary throughout the remainder of the unit. 
• In Unit 3, Surviving the Unthinkable, after watching the documentary Salva’s Story, students Think-Pair-Share by first thinking and writing individually, discussing in pairs, and then sharing out their responses with the class: “How do you think Salva’s work has impacted the lives of people in South Sudan?”
• In Unit 4, Discovering Your Voice, students respond to the essential question “What are the ways you can make yourself heard?” following the reading of a true story “What’s So Funny, Mr. Scieszka?” Students discuss what they have learned from the text using their previous annotations and relevant details from the text. A reminder to students includes, “As you discuss what you learned from the text, be sure to use the Academic Vocabulary words. Check off each of the words that you use.” 
• In Unit 5, Never Give Up, students hold a small group discussion. They determine a possible central idea or main idea for the selection. The Teacher's Edition support implementation of these standards to grow students’ skills by giving suggestions such as but not limited to: “Remind group members that you are not looking for a topic. Instead, you are looking for a message that is central to the text.  Provide support for your ideas by citing evidence.” For English Learners, some of the following sentence frames are given for support: “I think this text is mostly about __________. I disagree because ___________.” 
• In Unit 6, Hidden Truths, after reading the poem “Archetype”, students paraphrase lines in a poem and have a group discussion to discuss the messages of “your favorite fairy tales or stories from childhood.” Teacher guidance is in place to assist students with the word paraphrase and English Learner Support is available to assist with academic vocabulary: “Tell students that the word paraphrase and several of the Academic Vocabulary words have Spanish cognates: paraphrase/parafrasis, period/periodo, tradition/tradicion…” In addition, there is guidance for teachers to assist students in having a group discussion and an icon is available in both the teacher and Student Edition to access “Participating in Collaborative Discussions in the Speaking and Listening Studio for more on having a group discussion.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching (including presentation opportunities) with relevant follow-up questions and supports. 

Students are engaged in speaking and listening tasks throughout each unit. Specifically, the Collaborate & Compare section of every unit has extensive opportunities for students to discuss with peers around the topic of the unit. These tasks are often accompanied by a checklist that guides and provides feedback to students on the speaking and listening standards. Additionally, at the conclusion of each unit, a culminating writing assignment (Writing Task) is accompanied by speaking and listening opportunities (Speaking and Listening Task). Supplemental speaking and listening resources are provided for teachers and students. In the Teacher's Edition, teachers are provided with prompts and guidance for supporting students’ discussion. For students, the online resource, ED, provides interactive videos on speaking and listening skills.   

• In Unit 1, Finding Courage, after reading the poem “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” by Maya Angelou, students have two opportunities to present a poem. They have the option of reading the poem aloud in different ways or chorally with a partner. Teachers are also directed to the Speaking and Listening Studio for more guidance. This is an online compilation of interactive videos that hone in on specific speaking and listening skills. 
• In Unit 2, Through An Animal’s Eyes, students Collaborate & Compare themes from “Animal Wisdom” by Nancy Wood and “The Last Wolf,” by Mary TallMountain. This includes a group analysis of the texts answering questions in which they will compare, infer, evaluate, and interpret. Then, students are given an opportunity to compare the texts in a collaborative group before presenting ideas to the class. Instructions include the protocol: “Identify points you agree on, and resolve disagreements through discussion, basing your decisions on evidence from the text.” The Speaking and Listening Studio is available online and offers additional assistance with giving a presentation.
• In Unit 3, Surviving the Unthinkable, after reading the poem “After the Hurricane” by Rita Williams-Garcia, students write a narrative poem about an event that they have witnessed or experienced and perform the poem at a class-wide poetry jam. Students are given a checklist to assist with their speaking that includes items like maintain eye contact, speak clearly, and use appropriate gestures.  The Teacher's Edition includes suggestions for educators to “model some examples of inappropriate presentations” and “make sure students practice.” English Learner support suggests that teachers have a group of students present one poem and help students with pronunciation if they are uncomfortable.
• In Unit 6, Hidden Truths, in the Collaborate & Compare section, after reading “The Mouse Bride,” retold by Heather Forest, students present their ideas about theme to their group. They support their ideas with evidence, ask questions and listen carefully, and respond with care, referring to the text for examples. After each group member has presented, students have a small group discussion on which themes seem most relevant to their lives and why.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g. multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate. 

The materials for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing. There are multiple opportunities throughout each unit for students to write about texts on-demand in shorter responses.  At the end of each unit, there is a process writing piece called the Writing Task. There are multiple times where students spend time researching their ideas and tying them back to written text. Opportunities for students to revise and/or edit are provided. Materials include digital resources where appropriate. Writing tasks and projects are aligned to the grade level standards being reviewed.

• In Unit 1, Finding Courage, after reading from The Breadwinner, students write an on-demand, formal, business letter to one of the aid organizations they researched, either Doctors Without Borders or International Committee of the Red Cross, requesting more information about the organization’s mission.
• In Unit 2, Through An Animal’s Eyes, students have multiple opportunities for writing connecting to texts they have read. These include writing a story, creating a storyboard, writing an informational essay, and writing an argument. At the end of the unit, students write and present an argument “about seeing the world from the perspective of an animal.” During the writing task, there are opportunities to revise and edit drafts, as well as use a rubric to evaluate the writing. 
• In Unit 3, Surviving the Unthinkable, after watching the video Salva’s Story, students write a summary of the main events. In this on-demand writing task, students review the video Salva’s Story several times and take notes on the events, jotting down dates provided. Students create a timeline to help them organize the events in chronological order. Then, students write the summary in their own words.
• In Unit 5, Never Give Up, as the culminating writing task, students write a biographical report about a well-known person from history who refused to give up. Students plan, develop a draft, revise, edit, and publish. A scoring guide and writing techniques support students in the writing process.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials providing opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards.  

Grade 6 materials provide multiple opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres/modes of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Students write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. In addition, students write informative/explanatory and narrative responses. These opportunities are often connected to text types and/or topics students have explored throughout the unit. Teachers and students can monitor their writing skills through writing tasks following the readings and the use of rubrics and checklists. 

• In Unit 1, Finding Courage, students write an informational essay comparing and contrasting fears and phobias following the reading of the informational text, “Fears and Phobias.” Then, students write an informational essay at the end of Unit 1 which focuses “...on a topic related to fear and how people respond to it.” A scoring guide is available for students to evaluate their work and to “write a paragraph explaining the reasons for the score he or she awarded in each category.”
• In Unit 2, Through An Animal’s Eyes, students have a variety of types of writing, including writing an argument. During the reading of “Wild Animals Aren’t Pets and “Let People Own Exotic Animals,” students identify claims in arguments and analyze evidence to practice these skills.  Following their learning, students “Take a position, pro or con, about owning the exotic animal you researched. Then, write a formal letter to a government official, supporting your position.” A reminder to provide evidence to support their position is available within the materials.
• In Unit 3, Surviving the Unthinkable, students write a nonfiction narrative at the end of the unit. The reading students complete prior to the task provides a model of how to successfully write a nonfiction narrative. Students read “Into the Lifeboat,” by Violet Jessop. This selection “is a memoir, a nonfiction narrative account” and will demonstrate “how a writer uses specific details, thoughtful word choice, and clear imagery  as well as well-placed commas to create an interesting and informative narrative.”
• In Unit 5, students write a biographical report as an end of unit task and following the reading of an excerpt from Into the Air, a graphic biography by Robert Burleigh and mentor text The Wright Brothers: How they Invented the Airplane. For the end of unit writing task, students “research and write a biographical report explaining why a well-known person from history refused to give up when faced with a crisis or difficult problems to solve.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information appropriate for the grade level.

Grade 6 materials provide frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence. Writing opportunities are focused around students’ analyses and claims developed from reading closely and working with sources. Annotations and shorter writing tasks take place consistently throughout the unit. At the end of every text, there is a section called Analyze the Text that proposes five short response questions and all require text support. The students use notes, answers, and annotation to add to an on-going Response Log. Students keep this Response Log throughout each unit to gather text evidence to support the culminating writing task. A culminating writing task (Writing Task) follows each unit, connecting to the essential question and topic. Materials provide opportunities that build students' writing skills over the course of the school year. Also, online resources are available which include interactive peer and teacher feedback with writing lessons and Level Up tutorials are available to focus on specific writing skills.

• In Unit 2, Through An Animal’s Eyes, students fill out a response log throughout the entire unit focusing on the essential question “What can you learn by seeing the world through an animal’s eyes?” Students collect evidence from each of the texts in the unit and are instructed to utilize this response log at the end of the unit as they write an argument responding to the prompt “Write an argument defending your ideas about what you can learn by seeing the world from an animal’s perspective?” Students are reminded throughout the writing process to include evidence from the varied texts to support their claim. 
• In Unit 3, Surviving the Unthinkable, students write an informational essay following the reading of an excerpt from the novel A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. The Writing Task asks students to explain how the setting shapes Salva’s experience and character. A Writing Studio for more on writing informative texts is available online and teachers can assign this to students. Requirements for the essay include but are not limited to: “Make sure your essay is guided by a thesis statement or clear controlling idea, and be sure to support your thesis with explicit and implicit evidence from the text.” 
• In Unit 5, Never Give Up, after reading the poem, “Speech to the Young: Speech to the Progress-Toward” by Gwendolyn Brooks, students are asked to Analyze the Text with a short written response. “What theme is the author conveying through this poem? How does she express this theme? Cite evidence to support your inference.”
• In Unit 6, Hidden Truths, students read The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, dramatized by Joellen Bland. After reading this scripted version of the classic, students “support their responses with evidence from the text.” Students Analyze the Text by writing in their notebook and respond to the following:  "Cite Evidence: Do you think Tom Canty is comfortable in his new role as the Prince? Cite evidence in the dialogue and stage directions that explains why or why not. Draw Conclusions: Review Scene 4. Based on the way Miles acts toward the Prince, what type of person do you think he is? Describe some of his character traits. Interpret: What types of information do the stage directions provide in the play? Give some examples. How do your examples help you visualize the action, guide you to adjust fluency (how quickly you read) and add to your understanding of the play?"

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials including explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context. 

Grade 6 materials include explicit instruction of grammar and conventions standards for the grade level, including all skills connecting to the anchor standards to ensure college and career readiness. In the materials, Notice & Note direct students to the Language/Grammar within the text. Explicit instruction is provided in the Teacher's Edition. Students improve their fluency with these language standards through practice and application in and out of context. Within all tasks, including culminating tasks, directions and rubrics for grammar and conventions are considered.  In the Teacher's Edition, there are lesson ideas for students who are struggling, as well as reminders for use of the Grammar Studio for interactive lessons on the language standards.  

• In Unit 1, Finding Courage, after reading “The Ravine” students have a second lesson on subordinating conjunctions with an increasing level of difficulty from the first lesson of identification of subordinating conjunctions. . “Write three pairs of relating simple sentences. Then, use a subordinating conjunction to connect the sentences in each pair. When you have finished, share your new complex sentence with a partner…” 
• In Unit 3, Surviving the Unthinkable, students read an excerpt from the novel, Ninth Ward. Prior to reading, the teacher is instructed to introduce subject and object pronouns and have students practice using them in complete sentences, noting the noun the pronoun refers to. After reading the selection, students analyze the examples of pronoun use from the text and then write their own sentences utilizing personal and indefinite pronouns. The students are directed to the Grammar Studio online for more practice with pronouns. 
• In Unit 4, Discovering Your Voice, after reading "Better Than Words: Say it with a Selfie" and “OMG, Not Another Selfie,” students learn how to correctly use commonly confused words. Explicit instruction is included in the Teacher's Edition. Students practice commonly confused words its/it’s, affect/effect, there/their/they’re and to/two/too in each of seven sentences.
• In Unit 5, Never Give Up, after writing the first draft for the culmination writing task, students have a grammar lesson in the editing stage of the writing process. For Unit 5, the focus is on adverbs and conjunctive adverbs.”Writers use adverbs and conjunctive adverbs to add variety and nuance, or shades of meaning, to their sentences.”