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2020

Into Literature

Publisher
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Subject
ELA
Grades
6-12
Report Release
11/07/2019
Review Tool Version
v1.0
Format
Core: Comprehensive

EdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.

Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Meets Expectations

Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.

Usability (Gateway 3)
Meets Expectations
Key areas of interest

This score is the sum of all points available for all foundational skills components across all grades covered in the program.

The maximum available points depends on the review tool used and the number of grades covered.

Foundational Skills
NC = Not Claimed. The publisher does not claim that this component is addressed in the materials.
NC
Building Knowledge
90/96
Our Review Process

Learn more about EdReports’ educator-led review process

Learn More

Note on review tool version

See the top of the page to confirm the review tool version used for this report:

Report for 10th Grade

Alignment Summary

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the expectations of alignment. Rigorous, engaging texts are high quality and are organized to be the central focus of lessons while supporting students’ knowledge building. The materials support student growth in reading, writing, speaking and listening, and developing language skills over the course of the school year, with attention to close reading and analysis of texts, topics, and themes. The materials also meet the expectations for instructional supports and usability, with guidance for differentiation and program design for implementation.

10th Grade
Gateway 1

Text Quality

28/32
0
15
28
32
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Meets Expectations
Gateway 3

Usability

33/34
0
23
30
34
Usability (Gateway 3)
Meets Expectations
Overview of Gateway 1

Text Quality & Complexity and Alignment to Standards Components

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the expectations for high-quality texts are the central focus of lessons, are at the appropriate grade-level text complexity, and are accompanied by quality tasks aligned to the standards of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language in service to grow literacy skills. Texts are worthy of students’ time and attention, are of quality and are rigorous, meeting the text complexity criteria for each grade, although there are missed opportunities to address instructional goals in below level and stretch texts. Materials support students’ advancing toward independent reading and provide opportunities for rich and rigorous evidence-based discussions and writing about texts to build strong literacy skills.

Criterion 1.1: Text Complexity and Quality

12/16
Texts are worthy of students' time and attention: texts are of quality and are rigorous, meeting the text complexity criteria for each grade. Materials support students' advancing toward independent reading.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criterion for texts are worthy of students’ time and attention, are of quality and are rigorous, meeting the text complexity criteria for each grade. Materials support students’ advancing toward independent reading.  Anchor texts are of publishable quality, worthy of careful reading, and consider a range of student interests, and the materials reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level. While text sets represent a broad range of complexities, from well below the band and into the stretch level, there is a variance in the opportunities to address instructional goals in texts that fall below grade level in comparison to stretch texts. Although the materials represent a variety of modes, genres, and complexities to support students’ literacy skill development, there is no staircase of complexity.  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 and students have the opportunity to read a diverse range of texts and genres throughout the school year.

Indicator 1A
04/04
Anchor/core texts are of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading.

The materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria for anchor texts being of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading. Texts range in a variety of topics and student interests.

Examples include, but are not limited to:  

  • An excerpt from Texas v. Johnson Majority Opinion by William J. Brennan. This is one of two comparison texts for this unit. In this court opinion, the Supreme Court explains why they have ruled to strike down a law that made burning the American flag illegal. The text is complex and the content is engaging. 
  • “Coming to our Senses” by Neil Degrasse Tyson. This is a text that is a mentor text for a science essay. It takes a realistic approach to scientific principles, but is not overly didactic.  
  • “Carry” by Linda Hogan. This poem continues the exploration of the natural world by contrasting the life-giving and life-taking qualities of water. It rounds out an exploration of nature and the complex relationship to human existence.
  • "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury. This science fiction text is staple of many high school classrooms. 
  • "The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 years" by Sonia Shah. This is a piece of investigative journalism that deals with the global issue of malaria, humanity, and expansion. This text requires students to look outside of their worldview.
Indicator 1B
Read
Materials reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level.
*Indicator 1b is non-scored (in grades 9-12) and provides information about text types and genres in the program.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria for materials reflecting the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level.

The Grade 10 materials include a distribution of text types and genres that are appropriate. There are slightly more literary than informational texts students encounter over the course of the year. 

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

  • Unit 1--“What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?” by Etgar Keret
  • Unit 2--“A Contribution to Statistics” by Wisława Szymborska
  • Unit 3--“My Life as a Bat” by Margaret Atwood
  • Unit 4--“The Hawk Can Soar” by Randi Davenport
  • Unit 5--“A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury
  • Unit 6--The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare

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

  • Unit 1--“American Flag Stands for Tolerance” by Ronald J. Allen
  •  Unit 2--The World as 100 People by Jack Hagley
  • Unit 3--Find Your Park by National Park Service
  • Unit 4--“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Unit 5--From "Total Eclipse" by Annie Dillard
  • Unit 6--“Shakespeare and Samurai (and Robot Ninjas?)” by Caitlin Perry
Indicator 1C
02/04
Texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade level (according to quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria for texts having the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis.  

The entire text set for the unit, including those in the independent reading section, represent a broad range of complexities from well below the band to reach into the stretch level. Some of the texts that fall below grade level provide only superficial opportunities to address the instructional goals while the stretch texts are well supported with appropriate strategies for whole class and small group study. In each unit, independent reading selections are often more complex, even far more complex, than instructional texts

Examples of texts and associated tasks that support grade-level expectations include but are not limited to the following:

  • In Unit 1, students read “By Any Other Name” by Santha Rama Rau, 1120L. This text is in the stretch Grade 10 lexile band. The structure of the text is also somewhat complex as it offers dual perspectives.
  • In Unit 1, students read “American Flag Stands for Tolerance” by Ronald J. Allen, 1170L.  This text is an informational argument, and while it is short--totalling nine paragraphs--it is within the stretch lexile grade band and is qualitatively appropriate. 
  • In Unit 3, students read “Carry” by Linda Hogan. This is the comparison text to “The Seventh Man” discussed above. This poem is a strong companion piece to “The Seventh Man” and uses free verse and symbolism to make its points. Despite the simple language used in the poem, the themes and devices make it qualitatively appropriate for the grade band.
  • In Unit 4, students read a passage from “Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin” by Mohandas K. Gandhi, 1210L. This is the mentor text for the unit. The text is also written by a well-known historical figure. Although the text is challenging, there are many instructional supports to help guide students in their thinking.

Some texts fall below or above the measures of appropriate rigor for the grade and grade band. Examples include,but are not limited to: 

  • In Unit 3, students read “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle, 1170L. This text is the mentor text for Unit 3. It is a non-fiction explanatory essay about nature which students will use as a model for their own writing at the end of the unit. The vocabulary and poetic language Doyle uses may be difficult for students, and the teacher may have to provide extra support. 
  • In Unit 4, students read “The Hawk Can Soar” by Randi Davenport, 790L. This text is below grade level quantitatively and qualitatively. 
  • In Unit 4, students read “The Briefcase” by Rebecca Makkai. 860L. The text is quantitatively low, and the qualitative measures are at grade level. 
Indicator 1D
02/04
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).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria for materials supporting 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).

The Grade 10 materials represent a variety of modes, genres, and complexities to support students’ literacy skill development, but do not provide a staircase of complexity. Instead, each of the six units includes a broad variety of texts supported by consistent and regular instruction and practice. Each unit begins with a lesson about Notice and Note strategies which help students recognize elements of both literary and informational texts that author’s use regularly.

Each unit includes a text set read and discussed as a whole class, a text set read and discussed in small groups, a text set for independent reading from which students can select texts, and an optional novel. Each unit is organized around an essential question and all texts are related to the topics necessary to respond to the essential question. 

Overall, the six units do not present a continuous progression of text complexities, but each unit does represent development of grade level literacy skills with texts that represent a variety of complexities, from below to above the recommended grade band. 

In the beginning of the year, in Unit 1 the students are assigned to read the short story “What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?” by Etgar Keret and this text also serves as the Notice & Note reading model. The text falls below the grade level complexity, but it does focus on the essential question for the unit. In addition to this text, students are reading “By Any Other Name” by Santha Rama Rau which serves as the mentor text and is appropriate for the grade level along with the poem “Without Title” by Diane Glancy. Students are also comparing the court opinion Texas v. Johnson and the editorial “American Flag Stands For Tolerance” which are grade-level appropriate and are supported with questions and analysis tasks for students. Finally, the independent reading texts for this unit include a memoir, poem, short story and argument piece which are all grade level appropriate along with the suggested novel connection Frankenstein by Mary Shelley which is slightly above grade level. Each text in the unit is given appropriate supports including analysis questions and individual writing tasks.  

In Unit 2,  students read a wide range of texts with varying lexile levels: “Coming to Our Senses” a science essay by Neil deGrasse Tyson (1310L); the Mentor Text, “The Night Face Up” a short story by Julio Cortázar (1210L); “Mirror” a poem by Sylvia Plath (n/a); “The World as 100 People” an infographic by Jack Hagley (n/a); and “A Contribution to Statistics” a poem by Wisława Szymborska (n/a). For the culminating activity at the close of the unit, students must compose a short story, and they utilize the Mentor Text,  “The Night Face Up” a short story by Julio Cortázar (1210L), for support: “For an example of a short story you can use as a mentor text, review the story ‘The Night Face Up.’”

Throughout Unit 2, each text selection offers the following sections: “Get Ready,” “Check Your Understanding,” and “Respond.” Within these sections, there are tasks such as but not limited to “Analyze the Text,” “Research,” “Create and Discuss,” and “Respond to the Essential Question.” And, the independent reading selections, some of which are a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét “By the Waters of Babylon” and an excerpt from the informational text by Simon Singh Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe, are within the same Lexile range of “not available” to 820L to 1270L.

Indicator 1E
02/02
Anchor texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for purpose and placement in the grade level.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that anchor texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for purpose and placement in the grade level.

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

Examples demonstrating this information:

In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3: The Natural World

  • The unit 3 text set includes short stories, an essay, a poem, and a public service advertisement. The Lexile range is 910L - 1170L, which falls mostly within the grade 9 band. 
  • The mentor text, “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle measures 1170L.  The qualitative measures include;
    • "Ideas presented: many explicit; also implied meanings and extended metaphors."
    • "Structures used: primarily explicit; some implicit coherence between paragraphs."
    • "Language used: many Tier II and III words; figurative language including metaphors and similes."
    • "Knowledge required: some complex concepts; biology subject matter may not be familiar to all."
    • "Differentiation for this text includes understanding denotation and connotation."

In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, Absolute Power

  • The unit 6 text set includes the entire play Macbeth, a film clip, a short story, a manga (graphic text), and a book review. Only two of these texts are accompanied by quantitative measures, appropriate to the media. 
  • “The Macbeth Murder Mystery” by James Thurber is a short story with a Lexile measure of 580L. This is far below the grade level and included in the set as an example of satire providing a sophisticated genre study relative to the weighty play referenced in the satire. This information is part of the “Plan” section of the teacher’s edition.
    • "Ideas presented: multiple levels of meaning."
    • "Structures used: simple, linear chronology; one consistent point of view."
    • "Language used: some unfamiliar language and sentence structure."
    • "Knowledge required: some literary knowledge useful."
    • "The English learner supports include the use of cognates, identifying antecedents, and using pronouns correctly." 
Indicator 1F
02/02
Anchor and supporting texts provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading to achieve grade level reading proficiency.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that anchor and supporting texts provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading to achieve grade level reading proficiency.

The materials reviewed for Grade 10 include mentor and supporting texts that allow for students to engage in a range and volume of texts in order to achieve grade level reading. There are six units that revolve around an essential question for students and provide multiple texts.

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

  • In Teacher's Edition, Unit 2: How We See Things, the following texts are provided: 
    • Notice and Note Reading model: “Coming to Our Senses” by Neil DeGrasse Tyson (science essay)
    • Mentor Text: “The Night Face Up” by Julio Cortazar (short story)
    • Supporting texts: “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath (poem) 
    • Collaborate and Compare texts: “The World as 100 People” by Jack Hagley (infographic) 
      • Poem: “A Contribution to Statistics” by Wislawa Szymborska 
    • Independent Reading Texts: “Before I got my eye put out” by Emily Dickinson (poem)
      • Essay: “What Our Telescopes Couldn’t See” by Pippa Goldschmidt 
      • Informational text: from Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe by Simon Singh
      • Short story: “By the Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benet
    • Suggested Novel Connection: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  • In Student Edition, Unit 4: Hard-Won Liberty, whole class reading
      • Argument: Letter From a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.
      • Poem: “Elsewhere” by Derek Walcott
      • Memoir: The Hawk Can Soar by Randi Davenport
      • Argument: from Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin by Mohandas K. Gandhi. Mentor text
      • Documentary film: from Gandhi: the Rise to Fame by BBC
    • Independent reading
      • Speech: from Speech at the March on Washington by Josephine Baker
      • Short story: “The Book of the Dead” by Edwidge Danticat
      • Poem: “Cloudy Day” by Jimmy Santiago Baca
      • History writing: from Crispus Attucks by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    • Suggested novel: Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King Jr. 

Criterion 1.2: Alignment to the Standards with Tasks and Questions Grounded in Evidence

16/16
Materials provide opportunities for rich and rigorous evidence-based discussions and writing about texts to build strong literacy skills.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criterion for materials provide opportunities for rich and rigorous evidence-based discussions and writing about texts to build strong literacy skills. Most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent/specific, requiring students to engage with the text directly, while sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent/specific questions and tasks build to a culminating task that integrates skills. The materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax, while also supporting students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching (including presentation opportunities) with relevant follow-up questions and supports. The materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate. The materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards and include frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information appropriate for the grade level. The materials also include explicit instruction of the grade-level grammar and conventions standards as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context.

Indicator 1G
02/02
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 reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent/specific, requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text). 

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

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

  • In Student Edition, Unit 1, students read the mentor text, a memoir, By Any Other Name, by Santha Rama Rau. Within the Analyze the Text section, students are given questions that ask them to support their “responses with evidence from the text:”
    • "2. Cite Evidence: Name two ways in which the Indian girls who have been at the school for a while imitate the English girls. How do these examples reflect the historical context of the memoir?"
  • In Student Edition, Unit 2, students must compare two texts: “The World as 100 People,” an infographic by Jack Hagley, and “A Contribution to Statistics,” a poem by Wislawa Szymborska. Within the Collaborate & Compare section, under Analyze the Texts, students must discuss questions in groups. For example:
    •  "Compare: What are the similarities between the infographic and poem?"
    • "Contrast: What are the differences between the two?"
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 3, “My Life as a Bat,” Create and Present,
    • "Write an analysis - write a 3-4 paragraph essay in which you compare and contrast the facts that you found in your research and those that were included in the selection."
  • In Student Edition, Unit 4, students read “The Briefcase,” a short story by Rebecca Makkai. At the close of the text, students complete the Check Your Understanding section; there are three questions located within this section. Students must “Answer these questions before moving on to the Analyze the Text section on the following page:”
    • "1. Why does the chef have the professor’s briefcase?" 
    • "2. What is the chef’s strategy for survival?"
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 5, students read “A Sound of Thunder” and do the following:
    • Making inferences - There is a graphic on page 345 to help students understand text details and predictions to make an inference
    • Analyze - "Why do you think the consequences are so severe? Make a prediction about what Eckels will do later in the story based on the official’s warning." 
  • In Student Edition, Unit 6, students read The Tragedy of Macbeth, a play, by William Shakespeare. Within the sidebar of the student text, students must annotate: “Mark words in the Captain’s speech that reveal Macbeth’s character traits.” Then, students must predict: “What kind of person is Macbeth?”

Evidence showing how students draw on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text includes:

  • In Student Edition, Unit 1, students read the mentor text, a memoir, By Any Other Name, by Santha Rama Rau. Within the Analyze the Text section, students Infer: "Based on the last paragraph, explain how Santha views the conflict with the headmistress. How does this view fit the author’s purpose for writing this memoir?"
  • In Student Edition, Unit 2, students are asked to read the short story, “The Night Face Up,” by Julio Cortazar. At the beginning of the text students are asked in the section Setting a Purpose to “pay attention to the details that help you develop a mental image of the story’s two cultural and historical settings.” Then, on the next page, in the sidebar titled Analyze Plot Structure, students are asked to “mark several details in paragraph 2 that help establish the setting of the first parallel plot.” Then, they are asked the question: “Based on these details, how would you describe the tone of this part of the story? Cite evidence in your answer." 
  • In Student Edition, Unit 3, students are asked to read the poem, “Carry,” by Linda Hogan. Before they begin, in the section Analyze Symbol and Theme, students are presented with the definition of what a theme is, how to determine it and what a symbol is. Then, they are asked to pay attention to how the author uses these devices in the poem by filling out a chart. The three categories at the top are “Text Evidence to Consider,” “Examples,” and “Analysis and Questions.” The three rows are labeled “metaphors and similes that create strong images,” “descriptive details that create a mood or feeling,” and “personification that conveys feelings or emotions.” 
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 6, the entire play of Macbeth can be found. There are multiple analysis, Notice & Note, Interpret for meaning, Check your Understandings and guiding questions throughout the entire Chapter and play.
Indicator 1H
02/02
Materials contain sets of sequences of text-dependent/ text-specific questions with activities that build to a culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria for materials containing sets of sequences of text-dependent/text-specific questions with activities that build to a culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding.

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

  • In Student Edition, Unit 2, the culminating tasks are to write a short story that reveals things to be different than they first appeared then adapt the story to create a podcast. 
    • The mentor text for the unit is “The Night Face Up,” a short story by Julio Cortazar. 
    • After reading, students write an analysis of the story’s central theme about human nature and human experience. The task is to explain how the topic is developed through details in the essay. 
    • While reading “Coming to Our Senses” by Neil deGrasse Tyson, students are directed to pay attention to the five senses as presented by the author. After reading, students research a scientific topic and write an explanation. 
    • Students read “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath which is surprising as it is written from the mirror’s perspective. Students then write a poem from the perspective of someone or something else in the poem. This is direct practice of developing the essential element of the culminating task. 
    • Students collaborate to explore statistics, different ways to present statistics, and how to make sense of statistics. They write a letter to someone identified within their study of statistics. This prepares students to consider the possibilities of various perspectives or points of view. 
  • In Student Edition, Unit 3, the culminating tasks are to write an explanatory essay about a specific aspect of nature and our relationship to it then deliver a multimodal presentation of the adapted essay. The mentor text is an essay by Brian Doyle, “Joyas Voladoras.” Students are directed to pay attention to author’s purpose and how the arrangement of the ideas makes the reader think and feel. 
    • Students research the heart and record information in a graphic organizer. 
    • They then write an explanation.
    • Unit 3 includes two short stories, a poem, and a public service announcement. All address the relationship between humans (or a human) and the natural world.
    • Students read “My Life as a Bat” by Margaret Atwood then research facts about bats. They write a compare and contrast essay to explore and explain Atwood’s story and fact.

In Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, students must compose an argument: “This unit explores the idea of freedom, what it means, and what people have done to become free. For this writing task, you will write an argument that reveals what freedom means to you. For an example of a well-written argumentative text you can use as a mentor text, review Gandhi’s ‘Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin’ or King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail.’ As you write your argument, you will want to look at the notes you made in your Response Log after reading the texts in this unit.” And, the prompt is as follows: “Write an argument about what freedom means to you.” Students will complete the following sections: Plan, Develop a Draft, Revise, Edit, and Publish. Students are required to include relevant evidence and valid reasoning. Once students complete the writing task, students must adapt their argument for a presentation. 

    • Within Unit 4, students read Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Within the Analyze the Text section, students are asked questions that follow Bloom’s Taxonomy. Examples are, but are not limited to, the following: 
      • “1. Analyze: How does King define just and unjust laws? To what opposing view is he providing a counterargument? Consider how defining certain laws as unjust provides an incentive for his readers to support his actions.” 
      • “4. Analyze: Discuss whether King uses valid reasoning when he states that ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ What evidence does he provide to support this idea? What appeal does he use?”
    • Students also read Derek Walcott’s poem, “Elsewhere.” Within the Create and Discuss section, students compose an analysis: “Write an analysis that argues the effectiveness of Walcott’s poem. Might it stir readers to find out more about the problems that exist ‘elsewhere?’ Why or why not? Cite evidence from the poem and your own experience.” 
    • Students read Gandhi’s “Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin” in Unit 4. Within the Create and Discuss section, students compose an analysis: “Overall, how would you evaluate the strength of Gandhi’s argument?” For this portion of the Create and Discuss section, students are given an outline for what is expected in the first and second paragraph for the short essay response. Then, students are to share information: “Now that you have read and analyzed ‘Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin’ and researched another event of civil disobedience, meet with a partner to share what you have learned about civil disobedience. Delve deeper into the information by doing the following: 
      • Support the information you share using pictures or timelines.
      • Take notes during your discussion.
      • Ask and respond to questions as needed.”
  • In Student Edition, Unit 5, the culminating activity is to write a research report about how humans respond to changes in nature or life. Students have the opportunity throughout the unit to explore the power of nature and human reactions. The mentor text is a science writing from The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years by Sonia Shah. While reading, students are directed to note the sources that the author uses to provide details. Students then investigate methods to prevent the spread of disease and write an informational brochure to inform the public. 
      • Other texts in the unit include an essay, a short story, two poems, and a clip from a documentary film. 
    • Students read an excerpt from the Annie Dillard essay “Total Eclipse” then research other accounts of the 2017 eclipse and write a comparison of those accounts with Dillard’s.
    • Students read the poem “5 p.m.,Tuesday, August 23, 2005,” an account of Hurricane Katrina, by Patricia Smith. They compare figurative language in the poem to details from research and write a literary analysis of the poem. 
    • Students watch clips from a documentary film about changes caused by rivers and tides. They then write a reflective essay about changes in nature and changes in culture or human behavior.
Indicator 1I
02/02
Materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols to engage students in speaking and listening activities and discussions (small group, peer-to-peer, whole class) which encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria for materials providing frequent opportunities and protocols to engage students in speaking and listening activities and discussions (small group, peer-to-peer, whole class) which encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

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

The evidence can be found:

  • In the Student Edition, Unit 1, Writing Task, "Publish: Finalize your essay and choose the best way to share it with your audience. Consider these options: 
  1. If your audience is your classmates, present your essay as a speech to the class, or post it as a blog on a classroom or school website.
  2. If your audience is one person, send your essay as a letter.
  3. If you wrote for members of a certain community - for example, younger children or people who enjoy the same activities or face the same challenges as you - ask permission to post your essay to website or share it in person where appropriate." 
  • In the Student Edition, Digital Resources for Grade 10, they have access to a Speaking and Listening Studio. Once students access that studio, they could go to one of the resources that is titled: “Participating in a collaborative discussion--what makes a strong discussion.”

Under that category students have to do the following:

  • "Decide whether each behavior is likely to be constructive or disruptive to a group discussion."

Then, students are asked to listen to several sound clips that model a sample discussion. Then they are asked questions about what they hear. The questions include: 

  • Which group members “seemed prepared for and supportive of this discussion”?
  • "How did participants collaborate to enrich this part of the discussion?"
  • “What constructive responses does the group have to Justin’s unconstructive behavior
  • "Which of the participants is working to keep the discussion on track?”
  • "Which are examples of strongly collaborative behavior as these participants wrap up their discussion? Finally students are given examples of constructive and destructive discussion behavior."
  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 2, students read “Coming to Our Senses,” an essay by Neil deGrasse Tyson. At the bottom of the sidebar, teachers are presented with the section, Close Read Screencast, where the following instructions are presented: “Modeled Discussion: In their eBook, have students view the Close Read Screencast, in which readers discuss and annotate paragraph 3. As a class, view and discuss the video. Then have students pair up to do an independent close read of an additional passage--Tyson’s restatement of his central idea (paragraph 17). Students can record their answers on the Close Read Practice PDF.”
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 3, students are asked to read the essay, “Joyas Voladoras,” by Brian Doyle. After reading the essay, students are asked under the heading Critical Vocabulary to “use the critical vocabulary words to answer each question. Discuss your responses with a partner.” The three questions include:
    • "In what ways might a tightrope walker be affected by how taut the line is?"
    • "What is an experiment that might leave you feeling harrowed?"
    • "How can felled refer both to cutting down trees and to feeling strong emotions?"
  • In Student Edition, Unit 5, Analyze and Apply, “Total Eclipse,” by Annie Dillard.
    • Style is the particular way literature is written to produce a desired effect. Some of the key elements that contribute to style include word choice, tone, sentence structure.
    • Research the 2017 eclipse and write a comparison to the author’s account. Have a discussion and share your opinion. 
  • In Student Edition, Unit 6, at the very beginning of the unit on page 393, students are given five different academic vocabulary terms to focus on: comprise, incidence, predominant, priority, and ultimate. For each of the terms, students are asked to provide the definition, synonyms, antonyms, word root or origin, related words and clarifying example. The text models this activity for them by using the word compromise. After students complete that activity on their own, under the heading Write and Discuss students are asked to “discuss the completed compromise 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.” 

Evidence is found throughout the six units in the Analyze and Apply section.  Examples include, 

  • In Student Edition, Unit 1, Collaborate & Compare, “American Flag Stands for Tolerance” by Ronald J. Allen.
    • Analyze rhetoric. Common rhetorical devices include the following: parallelism, antithesis, shifts, logical fallacy.
    • You have read multiple opinions about the topic. Use your knowledge to form an opinion, and debate the issue. 
  • In Student Edition, Unit 1, Analyze and Apply, “Without Title,” by Diane Glancy.
    • Make inferences about theme. In addition to historical and cultural details, here are some other keys to inferring the theme of a poem: title, repetition, changes, and shifts
    • Create a narrative that depicts the daily life of family in the poem. Present your narrative. 
      • Speak using appropriate volume, pauses for effect, and meaningful gestures to enhance your ideas.
      • Request feedback from listeners on your delivery and ideas. 
  • In Student Edition, Unit 3, Analyze and Apply, “Joyas Voladoras,” by Brian Doyle.
    • Analyze structure. Track main ideas, details, and central ideas with key details. 
    • Write an explanation of research findings. Evaluate your research process and sources. 
    • Participate in a panel discussion. Support your own ideas in the discussion with the information from your research. 
  • In Student Edition, Unit 3, Collaborate & Compare, “The Seventh Man” Haruki Murakami.
    • Analyze symbol and themes. Recurring symbols make up a pattern called a motif. Symbols and motifs help develop a text’s theme. 
    • With some of your classmates, discuss the story’s use of symbols and motifs, and work together to write a statement of them that combines your perspectives. 
      • Listen actively and respond appropriately to other group members, and ask clarifying questions if you’d like more information about what they’re thinking. 
  • In Student Edition, Unit 5, Collaborate & Compare, Rivers and Tides, by Thomas Riedelsheimer.
    • With a small group, discuss your opinions about the connections between changes in nature and changes in human beings.
Indicator 1J
02/02
Materials support students' listening and speaking (and discussions) about what they are reading and researching (shared projects) with relevant follow-up questions and supports.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ listening and speaking (and discussions) about what they are reading and researching (shared projects) with relevant follow-up questions and supports.

Materials in the Grade 10 curriculum provide ample opportunities for rich and rigorous evidence-based discussions about texts to build strong literacy skills. All discussions encountered required students to go directly back to the text, reference evidence, or repeated reading and analysis; and in many cases, instructors are presented possible student responses for additional support. Sections where questions and supports are seen within the Student and Teacher's Editions are: Reflect on the Unit, Introduce the Selection and Quick Start, the Revise section within all major cumulative writing tasks, Create & Discuss, Applying Academic Vocabulary, Create and Discuss, and Collaborate and Present.  The Speaking and Listening Studio is a digital resource that provides a quick reference for students to address specific speaking and listening actions. The margin notes remind students to use the Speaking and Listening Studio for more information about the task. The Speaking and Listening Studio also provides an opportunity for targeted instruction and supports teachers to help guide students in speaking and listening areas.

  • In the Student Edition, Unit 1, students are asked to read the editorial, “American Flag Stands for Tolerance,” by Ronald J. Allen. After reading, under the heading Create and Present, students are asked to “Debate the Issue.” After writing an opinion statement as individuals, the directions explain that students should:
    • “Form debate teams. One side should argue ‘Burning the Flag should be protected as free speech under the First Amendment.’ The other side should oppose this argument. If all the students in your class agree, choose a group to take the opposite side and find evidence to support it.” 
  • In Student Edition, Unit 6, from Manga Shakespeare: Macbeth by Robert Deas and Richard Appignanesi/”Shakespeare and Samurai (and Robot Ninjas?),” by Caitlin Perry, students:
    • "Deliver a Pitch. The Tragedy of Macbeth has been adapted to many different media, such as movies and manga. What kind of media adaptation of the play would you like to see? Deliver a pitch - a persuasive presentation to someone who can fund a project. 
      • Anticipate questions that the potential funders might ask you and prepare answers to those questions. 
      • Present your pitch to your group and answer their questions about your ideas. After other group members deliver their pitches, ask them to clarify anything you don’t understand about their ideas."
Indicator 1K
02/02
Materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing grade-appropriate writing (e.g. grade-appropriate revision and editing) and short, focused projects.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g. multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate. 

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

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

  • In the Student Edition, Unit 3, after reading, “Find Your Park” PSA: The National Park Service, students are asked to:
    • "Research one National Park: What features does it have?Why should people visit? What audience might enjoy it most? Record what you learn about your chosen park in the chart, and then create a poster advertising it." 
    • "Write a letter to the editor advocating for a new National Park. Your proposed park may be a real place you have visited or a place you imagine. Your letter should be brief - about 100 - 200 words long."

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

  • In the Student Edition, Unit 2, the final writing task for students is to write a short story. The directions ask students specifically to write a short story “in which things are revealed to be different from how they first appeared.” It also directs students to begin by “introducing a setting, narrator, main character and distinct point of view,” have an “engaging plot with a central conflict,” use a variety of techniques for character development, suspense, plot and theme, include description and end with a “logical and satisfying” resolution. After those instructions, students are shown how to organize their ideas, develop a draft, revise and edit, as well as publish. 
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 4, students must compose an argument. The process writing directions are: “This unit explores the ideas of freedom, what it means, and what people have done to become free. For this writing task, you will write an argument that reveals what freedom means to you. For an example of a well-written argumentative text you can use as a mentor text, review Gandhi’s ‘Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin’ or King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail.’ As you write your argument, you will want to look at the notes you made in your Response Log after reading the texts in this unit.” The prompt is: “Write an argument about what freedom means to you.” Students must follow the  guidelines below:
    • “Make a clear, specific claim.”
    • “Develop the claim with valid reasons and relevant evidence.”
    • “Anticipate and address counterclaims, or opposing arguments, by providing counterarguments.”
    • “Use transitions to link reasons and evidence to the claim.”
    • “Maintain a formal tone through the use of standard English.”
    • “Conclude by effectively summarizing the argument and leaving readers with a thought-provoking idea.”

There are multiple steps in this process writing assignment:

    • 1. Plan
    • 2. Develop a Draft
    • 3. Revise
    • 4. Edit
    • 5. Publish
Indicator 1L
02/02
Materials provide opportunities for students to address different types/modes/genres of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Writing opportunities incorporate digital resources/multimodal literacy materials where appropriate. Opportunities may include blended writing styles that reflect the distribution required by the standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria for materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. (Writing opportunities incorporate digital resources/multimodal literacy materials where appropriate. Opportunities may include blended writing styles that reflect the distribution required by the standards.)

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

In the Student Editions, End of unit writing tasks:

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

Examples of how the materials support students engagement with different writing types can be seen in these representative examples:

In the Student Edition, Unit 1, in-unit writing tasks

  • “What, of this Goldfish, Would You Wish?” by Etgar Keret: write a fable.
  • “By Any Other Name” by Santha Rama Rau: write a poem.
  • “Without Title” by Diane Glancy: write a narrative.
  • From Texas v. Johnson Majority Opinion by William J. Brennan and “American Flag Stands for Tolerance” by Ronald J. Allen: write a letter to the editor.

In the Student Edition, Unit 3 in-unit writing tasks

  • “My Life as a Bat” by Margaret Atwood: write an analysis.
  • Joyas Voladoras by Brian Doyle: write an explanation.
  • “Find Your Park” by National Park Service: write a letter to the editor.
  • “The Seventh Man” by Haruki Murakami and “Carry” by Linda Hogan: write a vignette; write a free-verse poem.
Indicator 1M
02/02
Materials include frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support sophisticated analysis, argumentation, and synthesis.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria for materials including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support sophisticated analysis, argumentation, and synthesis.

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

Specific evidence of how materials include frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing include, but are not limited to:

  • In the Student Edition, Unit 3, students are asked to read the poem “Carry” by Linda Hogan. After reading the text, they look online for photographs of “surprising occurrences in nature.” Then they record their findings, the source it came from, and a brief description as well as an explanation of what makes the picture unusual. Then, they share their research with a partner, examine the photos for any alterations, and find new photos if necessary. 
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 6, students are asked to read the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. At the end of the play they research film and television adaptations of Macbeth and if possible, view a clip of one of these other adaptations. Then, they compare and contrast that clip with the version they saw with the text as well as record the atmosphere conveyed. Students record all their findings in a chart provided.
Indicator 1N
02/02
Materials include instruction and practice of the grammar and conventions/language standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application in context.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet  the criteria for materials including instruction and practice of the grammar and conventions/language standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application in context.

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

  • In the Student Edition, Unit 2, students are asked to read the science essay, “Coming to Our Senses” by Neil deGrasse Tyson. After students read the text, they are given a mini-lesson on parallel structure under the heading Language Conventions. In the passage, students are given a definition of parallel structure, a sentence from the text that uses parallel structure, and then further explanation on its usage. Finally, students are given further instructions under the heading Practice and Apply. In this section, students have to write one to two paragraphs that express their support on the issue “Do you believe it is important for humans to explore space?”. Then, they are given further instructions to “use parallel structure both within a sentence and between sentences by starting or ending two sentences in similar ways. When you are finished, share your sentences with a partner. Ask your partner to mark the examples of parallel structure.”
  • In Student Edition, Unit 2, students read several selections including: “The Night Face Up” by Julio Cortazar. Before reading students learn that a "complex sentence has an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence; a dependent, or subordinate, clause cannot. Complex sentences like the one below from the story show the relationship between ideas or events:
    • "When he saw that the woman standing on the corner had rushed into the crosswalk while he still had the green light, it was already somewhat too late for a simple solution." 
    • "In the example text, the dependent clause is underlined twice and the independent clause is underlined once. This complex sentence reflects the character’s thought process." 
    • "While reading: (prompt in margin notes) Annotate: Place brackets around the second-to-last sentence in paragraph 10. Underline the independent clause within this sentence. Then circle the dependent, or subordinate clause". 
    • "Apply: Take a closer look at a piece of your own writing, such as the writing you did in response to “The Night Face Up.” Revise it by combining shorter sentences to create three complex sentences. Check for and correct any fragments or run-on sentences in your work." 
    • "End of unit task: write a short story"
      • "Edit: Use complex sentences.  A complex sentence includes an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses." 
  • In Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, students are asked to read the argument “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. Before reading the text, students are given a mini-lesson on the difference between parallelism and repetition. Then, following the text, students are given definitions of parallelism and repetition then a chart with examples from the text as well as effects. Finally, under the heading “Practice and Apply”, students are asked to “locate other examples of repetition and parallel structure in King’s letter and consider their effects. Then look back at the speech you wrote in this selection’s Create and Present activity. Revise your speech to include an example of repetition and parallelism. Discuss with a partner the effects of your revisions.” In addition, the teacher sidebar provides teachers with additional instruction on the nuances between the two terms and where there are additional examples to be found.   
  • In Student Edition, Unit 5, students are asked to read the short story “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury. Before reading the text, students are given a grammar mini-lesson on the word transition along with a model from the story. Specifically, the Teacher's Edition explains to teachers that they could “Point out other examples of cause and effect transition words”. Then it explains that when students encounter transitions, they should ask “What is the important detail here? What kind of change has it produced? Following the text, students are again provided with the definition of the term, several examples and a Practice and Apply section that reads, “Revise your time travel story to add at least two transitional phrases that show cause-and-effect relationships. Discuss with a partner how each transition improves the meaning, flow and cohesion of your writing.”
  • In Student Edition, Unit 5, students read several selections including: 
    • “A Sound of thunder” by Ray Bradbury
      • Authors use transitions, or connecting words, to show readers how the details in a paragraph are related. Some common transitions show relationships of comparison and contrast. Other transitions point out a cause-and-effect relationship.
      • While reading: (prompt in margin notes) Annotate: In paragraph 38, number the steps in the cause-and-effect sequence chain, and mark the transition words that connect the steps. Analyze: What point is Travis trying to impress on the travelers? How do transitions emphasize this point?
      • Apply: Revise your time travel story to add at least two transitional phrases that show cause-and-effect relationships. 
Overview of Gateway 2

Building Knowledge with Texts, Vocabulary, and Tasks

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the expectations for materials build knowledge through integrated reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language. The materials build students’ knowledge across topics and content areas; however, academic vocabulary instruction is not intentionally and coherently sequenced to consistently build students’ vocabulary. Questions and tasks build in rigor and complexity to culminating tasks that demonstrate students’ ability to analyze components of text and topics. Reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills are taught and practiced in an integrated manner.

Criterion 2.1: Materials build knowledge through integrated reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.

32/32
Indicator 2A
04/04
Texts are organized around a topic/topics or themes to build students' knowledge and their ability to comprehend and analyze complex texts proficiently.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 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 10 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 fiction and nonfiction texts that relate to the essential questions and overall topic of the unit. 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 Student Edition, Unit 3: The Natural World, the essential question is “What effect do we have on nature, and how does nature affect us?” Also, in the key learning objectives written for the unit it says that students will analyze structure in fiction and non-fiction, language and style, media techniques, purpose, symbol and theme, plot and free verse. Throughout the unit, students read several different kinds of texts in order to answer the essential question and achieve the learning objectives. For example, students will read the short story “My Life as a Bat” by Margaret Atwood and watch the public service announcement “Find Your Park” by the National Park Service. In addition, they will compare the short story “The Seventh Man” by Haruki Murakami to the poem “Carry” by Linda Hogan. The mentor text for this unit is “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle and the culminating writing tasks are to write an explanatory essay and deliver a multimedia presentation which connects to students’ understanding of the texts read for this unit. 
  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3, the title of the unit is The Natural World, and the Essential Question (EQ) is “What effect do we have on nature, and how does nature affect us?” By the end of Unit 3, students must be able to compose an explanatory essay. The mentor text for this unit is an essay by Brian Doyle, titled “Joyas Voladoras.” All texts within Unit 3 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 on their relationship with nature. Then ask for examples of how they interact with nature and how it interacts with them. What are the effects of the interactions? Prompt them to consider whether these interactions create a mutually beneficial relationship. Do they take more from nature than they give?” 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 our relationship with nature and wildness. For this writing task, you will write an explanatory essay focusing on one aspect of nature. In it, you will give a clear explanation of this aspect of nature and our relationship to it. For an example of a well-written explanatory essay you can use as a mentor text, review the essay ‘Joyas Voladoras.’” Students also end Unit 3 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 Student Edition, Unit 5: Responses to Change, students are asked the essential question “How do changes around us reveal who we are?” Also in the key learning objectives for the unit it says that students will analyze non-fiction, style, text structure, purpose and audience, plot and setting, word choice, media techniques, purpose and theme. Throughout the unit, students read several different kinds of texts in order to answer the essential question and achieve the learning objectives. For example, students will read an excerpt from Total Eclipse by Annie Dillard as well as the short story “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury and the poem “5 p.m. Tuesday, August 23rd, 2005” by Patricia Smith. In addition, students will be comparing a clip from the documentary film Rivers and Tides to the poem “Sonnets to Orpheus, Part Two, XII” by Rainer Maria Rilke. The mentor text for this unit is from the text The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 years by Sonia Shah and the culminating writing task asks students to write a research report which they have to pull evidence from texts mentioned in this explanation previously.  
  • In Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, the title of the unit is Absolute Power, and the EQ is “What are the sources of true power?” By the end of Unit 6, students must be able to compose a literary analysis. The mentor text for this unit is a book review by Caitlin Perry, titled “Shakespeare and Samurai (and Robot Ninjas?).” All texts within Unit 6 revolve around the following concept found within the sidebar of the Teacher's Edition: “Ask a volunteer to read aloud the Essential Question...Prompt them to give examples of ‘true power.’ Point out that students will likely have different opinions about what power is. Then ask students to discuss what sources of power may be.” Throughout the unit, students read fiction and nonfiction texts that relate to the essential question. And, the culminating writing and speaking/listening task directly relates back to the essential question and mentor text: “This unit focuses on human ambition and our eternal quest for power. What makes the character of Macbeth remarkable is that he’s not a monster; he begins as someone we can empathize with, which makes his fall all the more shocking. Review the texts in this unit, including Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. Then write a literary analysis that explains how one aspect of Macbeth’s character represents a universal human trait. For an example of a well-written literary analysis you can use as a mentor text, look at the review ‘Shakespeare and Samurai (and Robot Ninjas?)’.” Students also end Unit 6 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.
Indicator 2B
04/04
Materials contain sets of coherently sequenced higher order thinking questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language (words/phrases), key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts in order to make meaning and build understanding of texts and topics.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 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, students are asked to read the poem, “Without Title,” by Diane Glancy. Before students begin reading the text they are asked to “think about ways in which the life of the speaker’s father is different from the traditional life of his people.” In the sidebar as the poem begins, under the section Analyze Setting, students are asked to “mark details in lines 1-4 that reveal the historical and cultural background of the speaker’s father” and to answer the question: “why does the speaker begin by sharing details that no longer apply to her father’s life”.
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 2, students read “Mirror,” a poem by Sylvia Plath. Within the sidebar, students must analyze figurative language through annotations and analysis: “Annotate: What does the mirror compare itself to in the second stanza? Mark the words and phrases that help you understand this comparison” and “Analyze: How would you describe the mirror’s attitude toward the woman?”
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 3, students read Linda Hogan’s poem, “Carry,” and Haruki Murakami's short story, “The Seventh Man.” At the close of both readings, students must complete the Analyze the Text section where students must discuss their responses to the short response questions in groups:
    • "1. Compare: What themes did you discover in both 'The Seventh Man' and 'Carry?' How do the authors’ attitudes toward those themes differ?" 
    • "2. Evaluate: Both authors use symbolism. Choose a symbol from each text ad evaluate how the author uses it to enrich the text."
    • "3. Connect: How did creating mental images help you understand both texts? Cite examples from each text when explaining." 
    • "4. Compare: Reread the biographies of Murakami and Hogan. How might their cultural backgrounds--Japanese and Native American, respectively--or geography have shaped their attitudes toward the topic of nature?"
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 4: Hard Won Liberty, it is stated in the table of contents under the section Collaborate and Compare that students need to compare accounts centering around the leader Gandhi. One is an argument, “Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin,” by Mohandas K. Gandhi and the other is a documentary film, Gandhi: The Rise to Fame. On the first page of the two texts the Student Edition explains again to students that “as you read the letter and view the documentary, notice how Gandhi presents his argument to Lord Irwin and how the film portrays the resulting nonviolent protest. How do these different formats affect your understanding of Gandhi’s leadership in a movement to bring justice to the Indian people? After you review both selections, you will collaborate with a small group on a final project.” Then, under the heading Compare and Debate, it asks students to debate the question “Which format communicates Gandhi’s ideas more effectively, the letter or the film?”
  • In Student Edition, Unit 5, students read Ray Bradbury’s short story, “A Sound of Thunder.” Within the sidebar of the text, students must analyze language conventions through annotation and analysis: “Annotate: In paragraph 38, number the steps in the cause-and-effect sequence chain, and mark the transition words that connect the steps” and “Analyze: What point is Travis trying to impress on the travelers? How do transitions emphasize this point?”
Indicator 2C
04/04
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.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 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 10 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 texts: "The World as 100 People," an infographic by Jack Hagley, and “A Contribution to Statistics,” a poem by Wisława Szymborska. For each text, student complete a Get Ready section and Check Your Understanding section; however, for Szymborska’s poem a Research section, Analyze the Text section, Create and Discuss section, and Respond to the Essential Question section are also 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 “In a small group, complete the charts to track the details and their effect on the message of the infographic and the poem,” within the Compare Details section. Students will fill in sections regarding “Literacy,” or “Housing,” “Internet,” and “Poverty,” for “The World as 100 People.” For “A Contribution to Statistics,” students will complete the sections, that are details from the text, in the chart: “able to admire without envy--eighteen,” “not to be taken lightly--forty and four,” “capable of happiness--twenty-something tops,” and “worthy of compassion--ninety-nine.”

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

  1. “Compare: What are the similarities between the infographic and poem?”
  2. “Contrast: What are the differences between the two?”
  3. “Evaluate: How are the purposes of the texts similar? Different?”
  4. “Synthesize: What have you learned about the world’s population from these two texts?”

Students then complete the Collaborate and Present section, where students must get in groups and “continue exploring the ideas in these texts by researching more statistics and using them to create a multimedia presentation.” Students are given specific steps to follow as support.

  • In the Student Edition, Unit 3, students are asked to read two texts, the poem “Carry” by Linda Hogan and the short story “The Seventh Man” by Haruki Murakami. Before reading the poem, the directions explain “Both ‘The Seventh Man’ and ‘Carry’ feature water as an irresistible natural force. As you read “‘Carry” think about how the poet’s exploration of water and its strength echoes details from the short story. How do the speaker of the poem and the narrator of the story feel about water? How are their feelings similar?” Following the reading of both pieces, students compare the texts. Specifically the directions say, “Now you will create a project showing your understanding of how Murakami and Hogan both use the topic of water to express themes about our world….what messages about the world would they like to pass along to an audience as they gaze at the water? Create a two-sided piece of artwork expressing their messages.” After their pieces are created, the instructions also say that students should consider how the topic of water “allowed two writers working in different genres to express universal ideas about our world. Support your ideas with quotations from both texts as you present your artwork.” 
  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, within the Collaborate & Compare section, students read, watch, and compare the following texts: Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin, an excerpt from a letter by Mohandas K. Gandhi, and Gandhi: the Rise to Fame, a BBC film documentary. For the excerpted letter, students complete a Get Ready, Check Your Understanding section, a Research section, Analyze the Text section, Create and Discuss section, and Respond to the Essential Question section, Critical Vocabulary section, and Vocabulary Strategy: Denotations and Connotations section; within the BBC documentary students complete a Get Ready, Analyze Media section, a Research section, a 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 (or watch) 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 “In a small group, complete the Venn diagram to show some similarities and differences in the information, arguments, ideas, and points of view presented in the letter and the film. One example is completed for you,” within the Compare Accounts section. 

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

  1. “Interpret: ...What can you infer from those word choices about the purposes of each account?”
  2. “Evaluate: ...Why is this an effective way to organize a biography but not an argument, as was presented in the letter?”
  3. “Compare: What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of both the letter and the film?”
  4. “Synthesize: How do the film and letter work together to create a fuller picture of Gandhi than either could alone?”

Students then complete the Compare and Debate section, where students must get in groups and “continue exploring the ideas in these different formats by participating in a debate to answer this question: Which format communicates Gandhi’s ideas more effectively, the letter or the film?” Students are given specific steps to follow as support.

  • In Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, within the Collaborate & Compare section, students read and compare the following texts: “Shakespeare and Samurai (And Robot Ninjas?),” by Caitlin Perry, and an excerpt from Manga Shakespeare: Macbeth by Robert Deas and Richard Appignanesi. Students complete a Get Ready section for each text. Once completing the book review, however, students complete the following sections: Check Your Understanding, Research, Analyze the Text, Create and Discuss, Respond to the Essential Question, Critical Vocabulary, Vocabulary Strategy: Word Roots, and Language Conventions: Parentheses.  At the beginning of each text, before students are expected to read, there is also a Prepare to Compare section that will set students up for success in providing reminders, helpful tips, and suggestions while reading the text to be successful overall in the collaboration of both readings. 

Once students read both individual texts, and complete necessary tasks associated with both, individual, texts, students then must complete the Collaborate and Compare tasks, located within the Collaborate & Compare section. Students must complete the following Compare Across Genres task: “...To better understand her analysis of the book, revisit the chart you used to record graphic novel elements while reading. Does Perry address any of these elements? If so, what is her assessment of how the authors of the manga handled them? Use a chart like the one below to describe Perry’s analysis of the manga…” 

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

  1. “Analyze: what evidence does Perry give for her positive feelings toward the excerpt from Manga Shakespeare: Macbeth? How does she present this evidence to portray it in a positive light?”
  2. “Evaluate: How would Perry have change the graphic novel?...”
  3. “Infer: What do you think Perry would say about the airplane in the first frame of the graphic novel?”
  4. “Connect: What does Perry think of similar work, in which a familiar text is explored in a different medium and context? What do you think are benefits of these kinds of works?”

Students then complete the Compare and Present section, where students must get in groups and “deliver an argument agreeing or disagreeing with Perry’s assessment of the manga version of The Tragedy of Macbeth.” Students are given specific steps to follow as support.

Indicator 2D
04/04
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).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 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 10th 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 and Note, and other exercises throughout each reading assignment. These are meant to build upon the text and allow students to complete culminating tasks. Every unit is comprised of one or multiple Essential Questions. While the titles of the units hint at what each unit consists of, all readings, assignments, tasks, and culminating tasks are centered around the Essential Questions. 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, Ourselves and Others, students are asked to write a personal essay as their culminating task. The directions explain that they will “write a personal essay about engaging with others despite differences”. Also, they explain that students can look at the mentor text “By Any Other Name” a memoir by Santha Rama Rau for guidance on this topic.The context for this task reads, “Engaging with those who are different than you can be difficult, but it can also create a new understanding of who you are.” The directions also explain to “write an introduction that will grab the reader’s interest. Describe a single, meaningful experience in vivid detail. Use appropriate verb tenses to orient the reader in time. Conclude with the insight you gained from the experience.”
  • Within the same Unit of the Teacher's Edition, “Unit 1 Tasks,” students must reflect on the Essential Questions once both culminating tasks are complete: “When you were writing your explanatory essay, you synthesized your ideas 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: “What effect do we have on nature, and how does nature affect us? 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 our relationship with nature?”, “From which selection did you learn the most about how nature affects us or how we affect nature?”, “What improvements did you make to your essay as you were revising?”
  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3, students are presented with one essential question, and the unit title “The Natural World.” 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. Have students pause to reflect on their relationship with nature. Then ask for examples of how they interact with nature and how it interacts with them. What are the effects of these interactions? Prompt them to consider whether these interactions create a mutually beneficial relationship. Do they take more from nature than they give?” The EQ is as follows:
    • What effect do we have on nature, and how does nature affect us?
    • In Unit 3, students are presented with a culminating writing task where they must compose an explanatory essay; they are also responsible for delivering a multimedia presentation. The learning objectives can be found within the Plan section of the Teacher's Edition. For the writing task, the learning objectives are as follows in a bullet-pointed list, but not limited to: “Write an explanatory essay about an aspect of nature and people’s relationship to it; Use the Mentor Text as a model for writing an engaging introduction and using a narrative structure to present information; Revise drafts, incorporating feedback from peers; 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 an explanatory essay into a multimedia presentation; Deliver a multimedia presentation to an audience; Listen actively to a multimedia presentation; Use increasingly complex and specific language to present ideas orally.” Students will complete the following sections for the writing task, as well: Plan, Develop a Draft, Revise, Edit, and Publish. 
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 5: Responses to Change, students are asked to write a research report. The directions read that students should “choose three texts from the unit. Identify a way in which humans respond to major changes and conduct research about it. Synthesize your findings in a report that develops a clear thesis.” Further directions also include that students should “research their work and keep careful notes about your sources, narrow your topic so that it addresses a specific research question, clearly structure your ideas and subtopics linking them with transitions, smoothly integrate researched information and cite sources correctly, use precise word choice and an appropriately formal tone and style, end by summarizing your information or drawing a conclusion.” Students are provided with a list of the texts that were read during the unit as well as multiple graphic organizers to help guide their thinking and structure their essay.
Indicator 2E
04/04
Materials include a cohesive, consistent approach for students to regularly interact with word relationships and build academic vocabulary/ language in context.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, consistent approach for students to regularly interact with word relationships and build academic vocabulary/language in context.

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

  • In the Student Edition, Unit 1, students read “Texas v. Johnson Majority Opinion” by William J. Brennan. The Critical Vocabulary section presents the following words: computation, implicit, reaffirmation, resilience. Students complete a matching activity for each word. While reading, these four words are presented in bold and defined in the margin. After reading, students choose the vocabulary word associated with four situations. “Our grandparents renewed their wedding vows on their 45th anniversary.” Following this section is a vocabulary strategy: Words from Latin. The strategy is explained. Students apply the strategy by identifying the Latin root of some of the target vocabulary, determining another word from the same root, writing a definition and identifying the part of speech, then using the word in a sentence.
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 1, students read “American Flag Stands for Tolerance” by Ronald J. Allen. The Critical Vocabulary section presents the following words: icon, sanctity, dogma. Students complete a matching activity for each word. While reading, these three words are presented in bold and defined in the margin. After reading, students respond to questions featuring the target vocabulary. “Which do you consider more of an icon, a statue of a past national leader or a very popular musician?” Following this section is a vocabulary strategy: Connotations. After the strategy is explained, students apply the strategy by finding the words reverence, crucial, and rage in the text then determining the connotation of each. “Look up each word and its synonyms. Try using one of the synonyms in place of the word. How does it affect the meaning of the sentence? Discuss and write down the purpose of the author’s word choices. Base your answers on the word’s connotations.”
  • In Student Edition, Unit 2, students are asked to do several activities with vocabulary and language after reading the short story “The Night Face Up” by Julio Cortazar. The first section is critical vocabulary where students are asked to “answer each question in a complete sentence that demonstrates your understanding of the meaning of each critical vocabulary word.” Then, they are given a vocabulary strategy: Denotation and Connotation. Students are asked to find three specific words in the short story and then focus on their connotation and denotation,
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 3, students read “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle. The Critical Vocabulary section presents the following words: taut, harrowed, felled. Students select a synonym for each word to demonstrate prior knowledge. For example, "taut: uncomfortable or stretched."  While reading, these three words are presented in bold and defined in the margin. After reading, students respond to questions featuring the target vocabulary. “In what ways might a tightrope walker be affected by how taut the line is?” Following this section is a vocabulary strategy: Denotation and Connotation. The strategy is explained. Students apply the strategy by working with a partner to brainstorm at least two synonyms for the words frigid, mad, and churn. Students note the connotation of each original word, and discuss how the connotation of each synonym changes the meaning of the original sentence.
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 3, students read “The Seventh Man” by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin. The Critical Vocabulary section presents the following words: frail, entranced, delirium, sociable, premonition, permeate, sentiment, reconciliation. Students complete a cloze activity for each word. For example: "The musty odor of my wet dog began to _____my room." While reading, these eight words are presented in bold and defined in the margin. After reading, students respond to questions featuring the target vocabulary. “How could you help a frail person at the grocery store?” Following this section is a vocabulary strategy: Figurative Language . After the strategy is explained, students apply the strategy by working with a partner to identify figurative language from examples provided and determining whether it is simile, metaphor, or personification. Then students find other examples from the story and discuss. 
  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, in the Collaborate & Compare section of Unit 4, students read an excerpt from Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin, an argument by Mohandas K. Gandhi. Within the Critical Vocabulary section, the directions are as follows: “To preview the Critical Vocabulary words, fill in the blank with the word that best completes each sentence.” The words are as follows: unpalatable, unadulterated, humility, iniquitous, peremptory. 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 three of the Critical Vocabulary words have Spanish cognates: humility/humilidad, iniquitous.inicuo, and peremptory/perentorio.”
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 5, students read a passage from “Total Eclipse” by Annie Dillard. The Critical Vocabulary section presents the following words: wane, saturate, hue, recede. Students complete a cloze activity for each word. For example: "As the falling tide began to ____, we gathered shells left behind." While reading, these four words are presented in bold and defined in the margin. After reading, students respond to questions featuring the target vocabulary. “If daylight began to wane, would it be morning or evening?” Following this section is a vocabulary strategy: Figurative Meaning The strategy is explained. Students apply the strategy by explaining the meaning of the figurative language in examples selected from the text such as, “The sun simply shaves away; gradually, you see less sun and more sky.”
  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, students read Shakespeare’s tragedy, The Tragedy of Macbeth. Within the Teach section of the Teacher's Edition, and the Shakespearean Drama section of the Student Edition, students learn all important terminology regarding Shakespearean Drama, such as tragedy, dramatic irony, soliloquy, aside, blank verse, verse dramas, and iambic pentameter. Also within this section of the Teacher's Edition, specifically, there are a plethora of English Learner Supports regarding Shakespearean vocabulary that students are expected to see within the reading; these vocabulary supports are present throughout the entire reading within the Teacher's Edition on corresponding Student Edition pages. Within the reading of Macbeth, students must revisit the Academic Vocabulary learned in the introduction to the unit at the very beginning of Unit 6, specifically the words comprise and incidence. The directions are as follows: “Have students turn to a partner to discuss the following questions based on Act II. Students find other examples from the story and discuss. 
Indicator 2F
04/04
Materials include a cohesive, year-long plan to support students' increasing writing skills over the course of the school year, building students' writing ability to demonstrate proficiency at grade level at the end of the school year.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 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.

  • In Student Edition, Unit 1 revision guide, the end of unit writing task is to write a personal essay that explores a time when you had to decide how to interact with others. In unit one, students analyze archetypes, literary devices, historical context, author’s purpose, evaluate evidence, and analyze rhetoric.  The revision guide includes questions to ask with tips and techniques for revising. 
    • "Is a single event told in a clear sequence? 
      • Underline words and phrases that provide time and sequence clues. 
      • Add words and phrases that make the sequence of events clear.
      • Are relationships among people and events clear?
      • Circle names of people, places, or events. Highlight where each is defined or explained.
      • Add explanations about people, places, or events that make their connection to your experience clear. 
      • Does the essay reveal why the experience was significant?
      • Underline comments, thoughts, and feelings in your conclusion. 
      • Add statements and reflections that explain the event’s significance." 
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 4, students are asked to write an analysis after they read “Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin” by Mohandas Gandhi. Specifically, the instructions ask students to write a paragraph analysis of his claims, reasons, evidence, and rhetoric. Students also need to be able to provide textual evidence for their analysis and then explain in a second paragraph why “this argument failed to persuade the Viceroy to change the conditions imposed on the Indian people.” The EQ for Unit 4 is “What do we need in order to feel free?”
  • In Student Edition, Unit 5, revision guide, the end of unit writing task is to write a research report about a specific way humans respond to changes in the world or in their own lives. In unit five, students analyze literary nonfiction, text structure, purpose, audience, style, media techniques, and word choice. The revision guide includes questions to ask with tips and techniques for revising. 
    • "Is the body of the report logically organized and linked with transitions?
      • Note the topic addressed in each part of the report. Underline transitions that link sections or show sequence. 
      • Rearrange information as needed to provide a clearer organizational pattern. Add transitions that link ideas."
    • "Are quotations smoothly integrated into sentences that provide context?
      • Underline sentence parts that provide context for quotations from sources.
      • Revise sentences containing quotations to add context.
      • Are sources correctly cited for quotations and facts that are not common knowledge?"
    • "Mark quotations and facts. Mark their citations in footnotes or endnotes."
    • "Add correctly formatted footnotes or endnotes to cite the sources of tacts or quotations as needed." 
  • In Student Edition, Unit 6, students must compose a literary analysis. The directions for this cumulative writing task are: “This unit focuses on human ambition and our eternal quest for power. What makes the character of Macbeth remarkable is that he’s not a monster; he begins as someone we can empathize with, which makes his fall all the more shocking. Review the texts in this unit, including Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. Then write a literary analysis that explains how one aspect of Macbeth’s character represents a universal human trait. For an example of a well-written literary analysis you can use as a mentor text, look at the review ‘Shakespeare and Samurai (and Robot Ninjas?).’ As you write your analysis, you will want to look at the notes you made in your Response Log after reading the texts in this unit.” The prompt is: “Write a literary analysis using multiple texts to explain how one aspect of Macbeth’s character represents a universal human trait.” There are additional supports listed regarding citations and evidence collection 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 Unit 6, the essential question is “What are the sources of true power?” Within the final, culminating writing activity, students must then reflect on the EQ, regarding their writing overall and how the texts and their experiences relate to the EQ.

  • In SE Unit 6, at the end of the unit students are asked to write a literary analysis. The directions explain that students should “write a literary analysis that explains how one aspect of Macbeth’s character represents a universal human trait.” After the directions, students are provided with traits of an effective literary analysis, as well as a specific writing plan, an organization structure, how to revise, exit and publish their work.
Indicator 2G
04/04
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.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 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, How do we engage with others while staying true to ourselves?  students read “By Any Other Name” by Santha Rama Rau. "Setting a purpose: As you read, think about how the author’s experiences remind you of your own experiences or other experiences you have heard or read about." "Research: How do you think Santha Rama Rau would answer Juliet’s question, 'What’s in a name?' How important do you think a person’s name is to his or her sense of identity? Find out more about a situation in which someone’s name has been changed, either by their choice or someone else’s.
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 3: What effect do we have on nature, and how does nature affect us? Students read “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle. "Research: Think about the topic of the heart.  What do you wonder about it? Pose a question and decide how you will go about answering it. Try multiple search methods and examine multiple sources as you research answers to your question. Notice how effective each source was in answering the question."
  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, students read “The Hawk Can Soar” and are presented with the “Research” section: “The author of ‘The Hawk Can Soar’ suffers from a degenerative disease. Learn about another degenerative disease. Develop a plan for your research, such as determining general keywords and formulating a question to answer. Use a chart such as the one below to track how your plan and question change as you gather more information.” 
    • Students are given a chart that indicates the following sections: Initial question, revised question, what I learned, two best information source sections, and how my plan changed. 
    • There is a “Research Tip” provided in the sidebar of the Student Edition: “If you’re not sure where to start your search, try searching for a list of degenerative diseases and then consider what interests you. For example, a baseball fan might choose to learn more about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and how it affect Lou Gehrig.” 
    • There is also a “Connect” task presented within the “Research” section: “In paragraph 9, the author states, ‘I slowly begin to disappear from view.’ With a small group, discuss what people with the disability you researched do to keep from ‘disappearing,’ as well as what others can do to see the person.”
  • In the Student Edition, Unit 5: How do changes around us reveal who we are? Students read a passage from “Total Eclipse” by Annie Dillard. "Research: Many witnesses have written their own accounts of solar eclipses. Research eyewitness accounts of the 2017 total solar eclipse that was visible in much of the United States. Summarize what you learn during your research, and document the sources using a standard method of citation." 
  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, students read Macbeth and are presented with the “Research” section: “When you finish reading a Shakespearean tragedy, sometimes you are left with more questions than answers. What do you wonder about after reading this play? Conduct research to explore the question of your choice about Macbeth. In the chart, record your question and the answers you find.” 
    • Students are given a chart that indicates where questions and possible answers should go.
    • There is a “Research Tip” provided in the sidebar of the Student Edition: “Publishers of Shakespeare’s plays often have additional information about each play on their websites. Some biography websites can also provide insight into Shakespeare’s writings. Be sure to check the validity of the information and use websites that can be trusted.” 
    • There is also a “Connect” task presented within the “Research” section: “In Scene 8, Macbeth says that it is impossible to kill him. He thinks this because the Witches told him that no man born of a woman can slay him. With a small group, discuss the ways in which people are misled by what other people tell them about dangers they may face.”
Indicator 2H
04/04
Materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 (meet, partially meet, do not meet) the criteria that materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

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

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

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

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

  • In the Student Edition, ED Online, Unit 1 Independent Reading: 
    • Memoir: from The Pleasure of Reading by Kamila Shamsie
    • Poem: “Magic Island” by Cathy Song
    • Short story: “The Wife’s Story” by Ursula K. Le Guin
    • Informational text: “America: The Multinational Society” by Ishmael Reed
    • Suggested novel: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4, the Essential Question is as follows: “What do we need in order to feel free?” The independent reading selections are:
    • Speech: An excerpt from Speech at the March on Washington by Josephine Baker
    • Short Story: “the Book of the Dead” by Edwidge Danticat
    • Poem: “Cloudy Day” by Jimmy Santiago Baca
    • History Writing: An excerpt from Crispus Attucks by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    • Suggested Novel Connection: Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King Jr. 
  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, the Essential Question is as follows: “What are the sources of true power?” The independent reading selections are:
    • History Writing: An excerpt from Holinshed’s Chronicles by Raphael Holinshed
    • Argument: “Why Read Shakespeare?” by Michael Mack
    • Poem: “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
    • Drama: Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 2 by William Shakespeare
    • Suggested Novel Connection: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Overview of Gateway 3

Usability

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the expectations for instructional supports and usability indicators.  The materials are well designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. The materials support teacher learning and understanding of the Standards, as well as offer teachers resources and tools to collect ongoing data about student progress on the Standards. Teachers are provided with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so that they demonstrate independent ability with grade-level standards. The materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning, and digital materials are accessible and available in multiple platforms.

Criterion 3.1: Use & Design

08/08

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criterion for materials are well designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. The teacher and student can reasonably complete the content within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding. Student resources include ample review and practice resources, clear directions, and explanation, and correct labeling of reference aids. The materials include a publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment items. The visual design is not distracting or chaotic, but supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.

Indicator 3A
02/02
Materials are well-designed (i.e., allows for ease of readability and are effectively organized for planning) and take into account effective lesson structure (e.g., introduction and lesson objectives, teacher modelling, student practice, closure) and short-term and long-term pacing.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. 

The materials in Grade 10 contain six different units which are all designed around an essential question. The units are titled: Ourselves and Others, How We See Things, The Natural World, Hard-Won Liberty, Responses to Change, and Absolute Power. Each unit contains a section called “Analyze and Apply” with a variety of different text genres to explore the question, a section titled “Collaborate and Compare” which has students comparing two pieces, a selection of independent reading and a culminating writing task. Within each unit there is also one text that is designated as a “Notice and Note Reading Model” and another that is identified as the “Mentor Text” for that unit. At the beginning of each unit in the Teacher's Edition there is a page titled “Instructional Overview and Resources”. On this page there is the suggested pacing for the unit along with the pacing for each text and the culminating writing task. Each unit launches with an explanation of the essential question and a specific quotation that connects to this point as well. After the unit begins, teachers are able to guide their students through each text which is followed by learning strategies throughout the text, a “Check Your Understanding” activity that asks students multiple choice questions on the text, “Analyze the Text” which asks students more thoughtful questions on the passage, a “Research” section that asks students to research something in connection with the text and “Create and Present” which asks students to apply what they have learned.

  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 2: How We See Things, students are asked to read the poem “A Contribution to Statistics” by Wislawa Szymborska. The launch of the lesson on page 12 explains that “This poem uses the same approach to analyzing people as the infographic (which was in the previous lesson) does. Watch for similarities and differences between the details Szymborska and Hagley choose as you read.” The students then perform a series of tasks which include reading, speaking, listening and writing skills. In addition, students complete a ‘Collaborate and Compare” section that asks them to look at both of the texts mentioned in the instructions in greater detail. 
  • In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 4: Hard-Won Liberty, students are asked to read “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This text is considered the “Notice & Note” reading model for the unit. Before reading the text, students are given a reading model with specific signposts that they should be looking for. Specifically, the instructions explain: “You are about to read the argument “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”. In it, you will Notice & Note signposts that provide clues about the argument’s claims and evidence. Here are a key question and two signposts to look for as you read this argument and other nonfiction writing.” Following these instructions, students then perform a series of tasks which include reading, speaking, listening and writing skills. 
  •  In the Teacher's Edition, Unit 6, students are asked to read the “The Macbeth Murder Mystery”. Before reading the text, students are instructed that “as you read, compare what you know about the plot and characters of Macbeth with the American woman’s retelling of the story. What basic facts does she get right?”  Following these instructions, students then perform a series of tasks which include reading, speaking, listening and writing skills.
Indicator 3B
02/02
The teacher and student can reasonably complete the content within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that the teacher and student can reasonably complete the content within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.

Within the textbook, there are six units of study. Per unit, the suggested pacing is thirty days, and the days allotted to certain lessons, for pacing, depend upon the text, text type, tasks, etc. required of students. Larger texts such as Shakespearean plays, novels, excerpts from novels, epic poems, and larger short stories are text selections with tasks that instructors will need to spend more time with their students on, and this is reflected in the pacing guide. The “Collaborate & Compare” section, where students are comparing two texts, usually require the longest time period of focus; this is so that each text and task allows students to gain the maximum understanding of content. For Grades 11 and 12, students experience two “Collaborate & Compare” sections where each are three to five days--totaling similarly with Grades 9 and 10. What stays consistent in terms of pacing, regardless, is the Independent Reading and End of Unit sections--two and three days. The Unit Introduction also is consistent totalling one day. The suggested pacing and overview of unit can be found in the “Instructional Overview and Resources” section. 

Within Unit 1, the texts are consistent with the following days: 

  • Unit Introduction: 1 day
  • “What, of this Goldfish, Would You Wish?”: 5 days
  • “By Any Other Name”: 6 days
  • “Without Title”: 4 days
  • From Texas v. Johnson Majority Opinion / “American Flag Stands for Tolerance”: 9 days
  • Independent Reading: 2 days
  • End of Unit (task): 3 days

Within Unit 2, the texts are consistent with the following days: 

  • Unit Introduction: 1 day
  • “Coming to Our Senses”: 6 days
  • “The Night Face Up”: 6 days
  • “Mirror”: 3 days
  • “The World as 100 People” / “A Contribution to Statistics”: 9 days
  • Independent Reading: 2 days
  • End of Unit (task): 3 days

Within Unit 3, the texts are consistent with the following days: 

  • Unit Introduction: 1 day
  • “My Life as a Bat”: 5 days
  • “Joyas Voladoras”: 3 days
  • “Find Your Park” 5 days
  • “The Seventh Man” / “Carry”: 11 days
  • Independent Reading: 2 days
  • End of Unit (task): 3 days

Within Unit 4, the texts are consistent with the following days: 

  • Unit Introduction: 1 day
  • “Letter from Birmingham Jail”: 5 days
  • “Elsewhere”: 2 days
  • “The Hawk Can Soar”: 4 days
  • “The Briefcase”: 4 days
  • From “Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin” / from Gandhi: The Rise to Fame: 9 days
  • Independent Reading: 2 days
  • End of Unit (task): 3 days

Within Unit 5, the texts are consistent with the following days: 

  • Unit Introduction: 1 day
  • From “Total Eclipse”: 5 days
  • From The Fever: 5 days
  • “A Sound of Thunder”: 6 days
  • “5 P.M., Tuesday, August 23, 2005”: 3 days
  • From Rivers and Tides / “Sonnets to Orpheus, Part Two, XII”: 5 days
  • Independent Reading: 2 days
  • End of Unit (task): 3 days

Within Unit 6, the texts are consistent with the following days: 

  • Unit Introduction: 1 day
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth: 12 days
  • Macbeth (film): 3 days
  • “The Macbeth Murder Mystery”: 4 days
  • From Manga Shakespeare: Macbeth / “Shakespeare and Samurai (and Robot Ninjas?)”: 5 days
  • Independent Reading: 2 days
  • End of Unit (task): 3 days
Indicator 3C
02/02
The student resources include ample review and practice resources, clear directions, and explanation, and correct labeling of reference aids (e.g., visuals, maps, etc.).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that the student resources include ample review and practice resources, clear directions, and explanation, and correct labeling of reference aids (eg. visuals, maps, etc.)

The grade 10 materials are organized into a consistent structure with careful attention to lesson design. Students move from an introduction to the essential question and focus elements of the text instructions into a close reading with significant scaffolding and support included, to post-reading instruction to deepen knowledge and develop skills. The textbook, whether print or digital, includes prompts or live links to an accompanying digital resource that provides an opportunity for independent learning or intervention instruction. This can be selected by the student or assigned by the teacher. 

Each unit in grade 10 begins with an introduction to the essential question for the unit, an introduction to the essential academic vocabulary, and a brief lesson about how to use Notice & Note strategies while reading in the unit. Each text is structured similarly. 

  • Get Ready provides students with a Quick Start to connect prior knowledge, instructions for analyzing the mode or genre of text, a preview of critical vocabulary within the text, and an opportunity to focus on language conventions demonstrated within the text. 
  • While reading, students are prompted in the margins to annotate the text including elements of Notice & Note strategies, use of selected conventions, elements of the essential focus of analysis. Critical vocabulary is also defined in the margins. 
  • After reading, students respond to constructed response prompts in the Analyze text section. Research suggests areas to explore further. Create and Present asks students to write and present analysis, research, and synthesis of ideas from across the text or multiple texts. Critical Vocabulary and Language Conventions are also reviewed at the end of the reading.
  • Students with access to the digital texts are prompted to visit the appropriate Studio (i.e. the Vocabulary Studio or Writing Studio) for specific support including explanation of a topic with examples and practice. This may be suggested in a margin note in the printed text or with a live link in the digital text.
Indicator 3D
02/02
Materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment items.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria that materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment items.

The publisher does provide a Standards Correlation resource that lists each standard and the page number of the student resource or related Studio where the standard is addressed or assessed. The pages indicated include a specific set of questions, tasks, or assessment items. While the user will not see a specific item assigned to a standard (i.e. "RL.12.3 is found on page 12 and page 12 includes directions for annotating text and inference recorded in a reading log"), the items on the page may represent a variety of applications.

However, the standards are not called out specifically in a consistent manner within the Teacher's Edition or Student Edition to make these connections explicit and reinforce the skills they are learning.

The Common Core State Standards document includes each standard and the page where instruction and assessment can be found in the student text. The page number refers to the printed text and does not reflect navigation through the digital text.

  • RL.10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
  • SE: 7, 20, 40, 60, 78, 104, 122, 124, 125, 176, 198, 226, 248, 272, 278, 302, 310, 320, 322, 348, 376, 392, 446, 476, 510, 518, 521, 530, 542, 556, 558, 572, 606, 624, 638, 662, 664, 665, 667, 674, 676, 677, 708, 713, 720, 752, 764, 766, 767
  • On page 40, students are instructed to:
    • "Notice & Note: Highlight details in paragraph 11 that tell what Cabeza de Vaca does to survive the cold night."
    • "Infer: What does the quotation tell you about Cabeza de Vaca?"
  • On page 60, students are instructed to:
    • "Annotate: Highlight the passive-voice verb in item 3 of the list, and underline the active verbs."
    • "Respond: What is the effect of using the passive voice in this item?"
Indicator 3E
Read
The visual design (whether in print or digital) is not distracting or chaotic, but supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that the visual design (whether in print or digital) is not distracting or chaotic, but supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.

The Student Edition pages are perforated and have hole punches for easy transfer to a binder or for single use; students are also expected to include margin notes and annotations throughout each text read, thus, there is ample room for margin notes. Elements throughout every unit are color coated for easy identification; for example, Unit Intro (yellow), Collaborate & Compare (orange), Independent Reading (dark orange), Writing Task (purple), each text within each unit is a varying different shade/ color to indicate a change in text. The tasks and activities included follow the color tab along with the paired text. 

Each section is labeled in the same manner, such as “Analyze the Text,” “Research,” and “Create and Discuss”; there is a definite pattern and organization before, during, and after each text read. The Teacher's Edition is a mirror image of the student edition; the main difference between the Teacher's Edition and Student Edition is that the Teacher's Edition includes additional and extensive teacher notes within the sidebar. While this might be confusing at first, acclimation occurs over time and is extremely helpful as instructor can empathize with what students are seeing. 

All response logs are located at the close of the Student Edition for quick access. 

Within the online platform the following supports are included for students: Reading Studio, Writing Studio, Speaking & Listening Studio, Grammar Studio, and Vocabulary Studio. Instructors are also provided with a “Digital Sampler,” which previews formative assessments, engaging instruction progress monitoring & differentiation, summative assessment, and professional support. The digital materials, when providing students with scores immediately, informs instruction. Additionally, where relevant, the print copy of the SE and TE encourage students to visit the website for additional supports such as the studios. The online application also offers complete and full texts including Additional Connections, which are usually novels or novellas for extended reading, not included within the print text. And, the images included are relevant and adhere to the topics that are covered per unit.

Criterion 3.2: Teacher Planning

08/08
Materials support teacher learning and understanding of the Standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criterion for materials support teacher learning and understanding of the Standards. The materials contain a Teacher's Edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the Student Edition and in the ancillary materials. The materials contain a Teacher’s Edition that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced literacy concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary. The Teacher’s Edition explains the role of the specific ELA/literacy standards in the context of the overall curriculum. The materials contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research based strategies. 

Indicator 3F
02/02
Materials contain a teacher's edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

Within the paper materials delivered to teachers, the following supports are included: 

  • Teacher’s Edition textbook
  • Student Edition textbook
  • Digital Sampler: A New Comprehensive Literacy Solution
  • Assessment Guide
  • Social-Emotional Learning with Learning Mindset
  • Novel & Trade Book Brochure
  • Table of Contents Brochure
  • Research Foundations: Evidence Base
  • Common Core State Standards Correlation

And, while each of the above has a separate booklet to inform instructors on how each is used throughout HMH, within the Teacher's Edition of the textbook, each of the above is touched on, again, at the very front of the textbook. Also consistent within the beginning of the book, instructors are presented with a condensed overview of the online platform.

Instructions within the Teacher's Edition give specific supports on Dr. Kylene Beers and Dr. Robert E. Probst’s text Notice & Note and how to implement the text holistically throughout each textbook via the sections at the beginning of the Teacher’s Edition; “The Perspicacious Reader (And yes, you want to be one)” and “Reading and Writing Across Genres.” Throughout the textbook, Notice & Note strategies are applied explicitly at the beginning of each Notice & Note Reading Model--an identified text that students are required to practice specific Sign Posts with. Also, throughout both the Teacher's Edition and Student Edition, there are annotation supports for the Sign Posts and what students should be identifying while reading.

Within each unit in the paper materials, instructors are given an “Instructional Overview and Resources” section that previews instructional focus, online Ed resources, English Learner support, differentiated instruction, online Ed assessment, and suggested pacing. And, at the beginning of each unit, instructors and students alike are given a unit introduction where the essential question (EQ) is reviewed. During this section, there is a plethora of teacher notes within the Teacher's Edition along the sidebar to assist students to reach maximum understanding and comprehension of the concepts of the unit, including but not limited to the following sidebar sections in the Teacher's Edition: Connect to the Essential Question, Discuss the Quotation, Academic Vocabulary, Respond to the Essential Question, Learning Mindset, and English Learner Support.

Before every text read and deconstructed, instructors are presented with a “Plan” section that usually includes genre elements, learning objectives, a text complexity analysis, online Ed resources, summaries (in English and Spanish), and small group options. Before each text instructors are also presented with Text X-Ray: English Learner Support: "Use the Text X-Ray and the supports and scaffolds in the Teacher’s Edition to help guide students at different proficiency levels through the selection.” Within this section there are supports for listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Also, the Teacher's Edition is an exact replica of the Student Edition with the exception of all additional teacher notes located within the sidebar--for which there are many. For every section that students encounter, there is an equal teacher note that includes instructions or dialogue to students, directions, answers, and higher order thinking prompts/questions to push students further. Within the Teacher's Edition, there are also ample ELL supports as well as challenges for students that master the material the first time. Also, expressed within the answers located in the side bar for corresponding sections in the Student Edition, instructors are presented DOK levels.

Within the Teacher's Edition, like the Student Edition, there are colored tabs at the top of the pages that indicate different sections for easy moving throughout and within the textbook; these match the Student Edition so that instructors may see and empathize with what students are seeing to make instruction and learning more meaningful and seamless.

The sections within each unit within the Teacher's Edition, for individual texts, are as follows:

  • Plan
  • Teach
  • Apply

Lastly, within the online Ed application, the following supports are included for instructors, some of which mirror the student portal access:

  • Professional Learning
  • Speaking & Listening Studio
  • Student Edition
  • Graphic Organizers
  • Current Events
  • Reading Studio
  • Grammar Studio
  • Teacher’s Edition
  • Text Library
  • Media Projects
  • Writing Studio
  • Vocabulary Studio
  • Assessment
  • Intervention, Review, & Extension
  • State-Specific Resources

Also located within the Teacher's Edition of the online portal is the “Data & Reports” tab that includes an assessment report, standards report, and growth report. These tools inform instructors on their next steps with students to inform instruction.

Indicator 3G
02/02
Materials contain a teacher's edition that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced literacy concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s edition that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced literacy concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

Instructors are presented with a large body of supporting materials to improve knowledge of the subject. At the beginning of each unit, educators are provided with an “Instructional Overview and Resources”. This outline contains the instructional focus as well as the reading, writing, speaking & listening, vocabulary and language convention targets for each individual text. In addition, they provide online resources, English learner support, differentiated instruction as well as a suggested pacing guide for the texts in this section. Before each text, they provide detailed notes for educator support including how-guides, example scripts for teacher-student interaction, detailed explanations of the content, and the learning objectives. In addition, they explain the genre elements, provide details on the text complexity including qualitative measures and a brief summary of what students will be reading. In more specific detail they are provided a Text X-Ray for English Learner Support, this gives educators detailed information on how to introduce the selection, cultural references and how to support students’ at various levels of proficiency. At the end of each unit, students are tasked with writing a Culminating Writing Task. Educators are given student exemplars as well as a rubric to help support and assess students’ writing. Throughout each text there are sidebars that provide additional support for teachers, a box that is titled When Students Struggle that gives additional insight to educators for any issues that may arrive and even social-emotional support for students which are the boxes labeled Learning Mindset.

  • In Unit 2, students are asked to read “The Night Face Up” by Julio Cortazar. In the Text X-Ray for the selection it explains to educators how they should introduce the selection. Specifically the subheading "Discuss Shift in Setting... in this lesson, students will need to be able to recognize shifts in the story’s narrative from one setting to another. The two parallel plots in the story present very different cultural and historical settings. Read paragraph 5 and 6 and explain that this is the moment in the story where the first shift occurs. Point out the word dream as a clue to a shift in the setting."
  • In Unit 4, students are asked to read the poem “Elsewhere” by Derek Walcott. Before reading the text there is a mini-lesson for teachers about rhyme scheme. There is a detailed explanation of what a rhyme scheme is as well as the rhyme scheme of the poem students are about to read. Then, the instructions go into further detail explaining how a rhyme scheme can vary and how students can mark up the poem for understanding of this scheme. Then, it explains how to show students the difference between free verse and traditional metrical poetry before instructing educators to “write lines 29-30 of ‘Elsewhere’ on the board and guide students in scanning them, emphasizing the stressed syllables aloud. Discuss the effect of this irregular rhythm." 
  • In Unit 6, students are asked to read the Shakespearean tragedy MacBeth by William Shakespeare. Before beginning the play, there are 3 sets of instructions in the sidebar on the left hand side of the page. The first set is titled “Background” and explains that educators should “have students read the Background note. Discuss how Shakespeare may have based this play on actual people and events and what students think might be the advantages of disadvantages of doing so.” The second set is called “Setting a Purpose” it provides instructions for students about how they should focus their reading and look at the character list for insight into the play. Finally, there is a box titled “English Learner Support”. It explains that it is to “help students understand words that show rank and power in feudal Scotland. Then, a list of terms for royalty and nobility as well as the military is listed below along with their definitions.
Indicator 3H
02/02
Materials contain a teacher's edition that explains the role of the specific ELA/literacy standards in the context of the overall curriculum.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s edition that explains the role of the specific ELA/literacy standards in the context of the overall curriculum. the criteria that the visual design (whether in print or digital) is not distracting or chaotic, but supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.

The instructional materials are available in two forms, print and digital. The print version of the Teacher's Edition includes annotated student edition materials that explain the design of the materials, pacing, instructional strategies, assessment, and how the approach fosters a growth mindset and independence. A separate standards alignment document is included as well as an assessment guide. 

The instructional materials are available in two forms, print and digital. The print version of the Teacher's Edition includes annotated student edition materials that explain the design of the materials, pacing, instructional strategies, assessment, and how the approach fosters a growth mindset and independence. A separate standards alignment document is included as well as an assessment guide.

The digital teacher materials include professional learning modules that introduce all of the materials and allow a teacher to explore the concepts presented in the student materials. These modules are primarily videos with brief activities that allow teachers to learn at their own pace. Through the teacher materials and learning modules, the approach to teaching reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language components are clearly explained and demonstrated.

The Professional Learning Modules include:

  • Introduction: understand the organization of the materials
  • Exploration: dig deeper into the specific expectations and strategies within the units of study
  • Reflection: synthesize information and record learning
  • Application: begin planning classroom use
  • Getting started: demonstrate application
Indicator 3I
02/02
Materials contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research based strategies.

The Teacher's Edition begins with an introduction to the consultants who created the program. Each is respected across the English Language Arts/Literacy community and represent widely published strategies based on research and documented success. The materials also include a handbook of the research foundations that underpin the entire program.  Topics supported by the research include student-centered learning; the integration of reading, writing, speaking and listening; data-driven growth demonstrated through a balanced assessment system; and blended professional learning and services that support modeling and coaching of instructional strategies and practices. 

Program consultants are:

Kylene Beers Nationally known lecturer and author on reading and literacy; coauthor with Robert Probst of Disrupting Thinking, Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading, and Reading Nonfiction; former president of the National Council of Teachers of English. Dr. Beers is the author of When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do and coeditor of Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice, as well as articles in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. Former editor of Voices from the Middle, she is the 2001 recipient of NCTE’s Richard W. Halle Award, given for outstanding contributions to middle school literacy. She recently served as Senior Reading Researcher at the Comer School Development Program at Yale University as well as Senior Reading Advisor to Secondary Schools for the Reading and Writing Project at Teachers College.

Martha Hougen National consultant, presenter, researcher, and author. Areas of expertise include differentiating instruction for students with learning difficulties, including those with learning disabilities and dyslexia; and teacher and leader preparation improvement. Dr. Hougen has taught at the middle school through graduate levels. In addition to peer-reviewed articles, curricular documents, and presentations, Dr. Hougen has published two college textbooks: The Fundamentals of Literacy Assessment and Instruction Pre-K–6 (2012) and The Fundamentals of Literacy Assessment and Instruction 6–12 (2014). Dr. Hougen has supported Educator Preparation Program reforms while working at the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at The University of Texas at Austin and at the CEEDAR Center, University of Florida.

Elena Izquierdo Nationally recognized teacher educator and advocate for English language learners. Dr. Izquierdo is a linguist by training, with a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Bilingual Education from Georgetown University. She has served on various state and national boards working to close the achievement gaps for bilingual students and English language learners. Dr. Izquierdo is a member of the Hispanic Leadership Council, which supports Hispanic students and educators at both the state and federal levels. She served as Vice President on the Executive Board of the National Association of Bilingual Education and as Publications and Professional Development Chair.

Carol Jago Teacher of English with 32 years of experience at Santa Monica High School in California; author and nationally known lecturer; former president of the National Council of Teachers of English. Ms. Jago currently serves as Associate Director of the California Reading and Literature Project at UCLA. With expertise in standards assessment and secondary education, Ms. Jago is the author of numerous books on education, including With Rigor for All and Papers, Papers, Papers, and is active with the California Association of Teachers of English, editing its scholarly journal California English since 1996. Ms. Jago also served on the planning committee for the 2009 NAEP Reading Framework and the 2011 NAEP Writing Framework. 

Erik Palmer Veteran teacher and education consultant based in Denver, Colorado. Author of Well Spoken: Teaching Speaking to All Students and Digitally Speaking: How to Improve Student Presentations. His areas of focus include improving oral communication, promoting technology in classroom presentations, and updating instruction through the use of digital tools. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado.

Robert E. Probst Nationally respected authority on the teaching of literature; Professor Emeritus of English Education at Georgia State University. Dr. Probst’s publications include numerous articles in English Journal and Voices from the Middle, as well as professional texts including (as coeditor) Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice and (as coauthor with Kylene Beers) Disrupting Thinking, Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading, and Reading Nonfiction. He regularly speaks at national and international conventions including those of the International Literacy Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, the Association of Supervisors and Curriculum Developers, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. He has served NCTE in various leadership roles, including the Conference on English Leadership Board of Directors, the Commission on Reading, and column editor of the NCTE journal Voices from the Middle. He is also the 2004 recipient of the CEL Exemplary Leader Award.

Indicator 3J
Read
Materials contain strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the ELA/literacy program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria that materials contain strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents or caregivers about the ELA/literacy program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

Students and teachers are well informed regarding strategies and suggestions in how achievement and progress can be achieved. Based on the systems provided, it is easy for instructors to present the literacy program, suggestions for support, progress, and achievement strategies to parents and other stakeholders.

However while the instructional materials include strategies for informing students about the ELA/literacy program, there is no evidence that this program is shared with other stakeholders, nor are there suggestions for parents and caregivers to support their student’s progress and/or achievement. The program assists students to be autonomous learners and teaches strategies to reach grade level standards. There is progress tracking data available to provide teachers with information to differentiate.

  • The materials provide opportunities for ongoing assessment and data reporting utilizing a Report on Student Growth and Report on Standards Proficiency.
  • Reports in Ed allow teachers to view progress by class, students, assignments, and skill level. Teachers can adjust instruction based on the results in real time.
  • The materials include opportunities for formative assessments, peer reviews, and Reflect on the Unit questions which students can use to monitor their progress.
  • The assessment materials provide data for students and teachers on ongoing progress. Teachers and students have access to growth measurements, unit assessments, and ongoing formative assessments such as daily classwork checks.
  • Teachers have ways to differentiate and adjust a student's instructional path including but not limited to the instructional purpose, standard, or genre. There are also a variety of supports that teachers can assign based on assessment data. These features are accessible in the online features.
  • Students can also track their data and access support material in the online features.

Criterion 3.3: Assessment

08/08
Materials offer teachers resources and tools to collect ongoing data about student progress on the Standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criterion for materials offer teacher resources and tools to collect ongoing data about student progress on the Standards. The materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress. Assessments clearly denote which standards are being emphasized and they provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow up. The materials include routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress. The materials indicate how students are accountable for independent reading based on student choice and interest to build stamina, confidence, and motivation.

Indicator 3K
02/02
Materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress.

Each unit includes an abundance of formative assessment opportunities that provide teachers an opportunity to quickly and regularly adjust instruction as needed to continuously support progress. Items represent a variety of forms and measures including on-demand and process writing, comprehension as well as analysis, and various modes and media. 

Formative assessment opportunities within each unit occur daily and include;

  • Check your understanding
  • Selection tests
  • Writing tasks
  • Independent reading
  • Usage data
  • Online essay scoring
  • Teacher observations
  • Research projects 

Unit assessments identify mastery of skills covered during the course of the unit across all literacy strands and occur six times per year - at the end of each unit. 

Adaptive growth measures occur three times per year and allow teachers to gain an understanding of where students are on the learning continuum and identify students in need of intervention or enrichment.

Indicator 3L
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The purpose/use of each assessment is clear:
Indicator 3L.i
02/02
Assessments clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that assessments clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.

The Teacher's Edition includes an opportunity to see all standards addressed and assessed with each lesson. Individual standards are not noted for each item; rather, standards are presented en masse in the alignment materials and addressed in an integrated manner within the materials. The standards for Common Core State Standards as well as several states are listed. 

It is possible for teachers to determine which specific standard(s) is assessed but item-level alignment is left to teacher judgement. 

In both the student edition and Teacher's Edition, standards are listed directly under the title of the instructional element for each text. Clicking on the “show details” link provides a detailed list of all standards before opening the link to the activity or materials. 

Indicator 3L.ii
02/02
Assessments provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that assessments provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow up.

Actionable reports are available in the digital resource. Teachers can review student performance then assign specific texts, tasks, or supports such as elements of a Studio as needed. Tutorials in the form of videos are available for professional learning and can be accessed any time.  These tutorials explain how to create and access class and student reports to monitor progress. 

Formative assessment opportunities within each unit occur daily and include;

  • Check your understanding
  • Selection tests
  • Writing tasks
  • Independent reading
  • Usage data
  • Online essay scoring
Indicator 3M
02/02
Materials should include routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials should include routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress.

Teachers can monitor student progress through formative assessment analysis and provide actionable feedback or select appropriate instructional strategies consistently.  Each text is structured to develop routines such as annotating text for literary elements, Notice & Note strategies, vocabulary development, and instructional focus as introduced before reading. Each unit ends with a writing task, presentation or collaboration, and a reflection on learning across the unit which gives the student a voice in determining next steps based on identified needs or interest. 

Routine structures include analysis of a mentor text as well as reference to the mentor text when assigning the end of unit task. 

Guidance often takes the form of a reminder to reference a topic in a Studio to support learning as needed. For example, after reading “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” by John Donne, students are assigned an essay. In the margin, students are directed to Writing Narratives in the Writing Studio. Also, there is the Assessment Guide presented to instructors that captures growth measure, diagnostic assessments, interim assessments, and etc. All of these components display measurable tracking per individual student online when students complete assessments through the online platform. Instructors are able to check student progress, view diagnostic skills-based assessment results, view the student growth report, and diagnostic screening(s).

Indicator 3N
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Materials indicate how students are accountable for independent reading based on student choice and interest to build stamina, confidence, and motivation.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials indicate how students are accountable for independent reading based on student choice and interest to build stamina, confidence, and motivation.

Each unit includes a selection of texts that students can read independently if they choose. Each text provides students an opportunity to further explore the essential question and include a variety of genres that inspire motivation to read and various complexities to build stamina through a volume of reading. 

The independent reading section of each unit in the student edition begins with a review of the essential question for the unit, a reminder of Notice & Note signposts and how they applied to texts in the whole-class study, and a live link to the reading studio for additional supports. After the independent reading texts, students can reflect on the texts and apply their learning to the end of unit writing task. 

Each unit also includes a suggested novel that is related to the essential question. Students continue to apply reading strategies learned in class to support analysis of text recorded in the reading journal. Teachers can also collect assessment data from digital assessments assigned to students as they read.

Criterion 3.4: Differentiation

09/10
Materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so that they demonstrate independent ability with grade-level standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criterion for materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so that they demonstrate independent ability with grade-level standards. The materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so the content is accessible to all learners and supports them in meeting or exceeding the grade-level standards. The materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level, or in a language other than English, with extensive opportunities to work with grade-level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards. The materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.  

Indicator 3O
02/02
Materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so the content is accessible to all learners and supports them in meeting or exceeding the grade-level standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of range of learners so the content is accessible to all learners and supports them in meeting or exceeding the grade-level standards.

The teacher’s edition includes a plan or roadmap for the unit at the beginning of each unit. The plan includes the instructional focus aligned to grade-level standards, resources to support whole class instruction, specific resources to support English learners, and strategies for differentiated instruction. This includes resources to support students who struggle and resources to provide further challenge. 

Also included within each unit, throughout the unit, strategies and sections such as Learning Mindset, English Learner Support, Plan, Text X-Ray: English Learner Support, Notice & Note, To Challenge Students, Applying Academic Vocabulary, When Students Struggle, etc. These strategies and sections assist instructors in helping students reach or exceed the grade-level standards. Most of these sections and strategies are located within the side-bar of the Teacher's Edition; however, there are supports located directly within the Student Edition for student assistance. These supports include online links to the online platform, for example: “Go to the Grammar Studio for more on noun clauses,” “go to the Vocabulary Studio for more on patterns of word changes,” “Research Tip,” “Academic Vocabulary,” among other helpful tips and strategies.

Indicator 3P
04/04
Materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level, or in a language other than English, with extensive opportunities to work with grade level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level, or in a language other than English, with extensive opportunities to work with grade level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards.

All students are expected to engage with grade-level texts. The text sets for whole class instruction and for independent reading include a range of complexities across the grade band with some just below and some just above. Strategies to scaffold complex text, access grade level learning targets, and support specific cultural references or contexts are provided in the teacher resource materials in print and online. The “Text X-Ray: English Learner Support” section, in the teacher materials, include suggestions for how to introduce the primary content or literary topics in the text, cultural references explained, and strategies for listening, speaking, reading, and writing relative to the text. During the reading of the text, a box labeled “When Students Struggle…” provide detailed explanations of intricacies within the text and how to provide support for understanding. Suggestions for assigning specific tutorials in one of the Studios is noted as appropriate. Margin notes accompany the text to provide “English Learner Support” to identify specific needs or topics relative to identified sections of text.

Also, located within the Teacher's Edition, before every text, there is a summary section with both English and Spanish summary translations.

Indicator 3Q
01/02
Materials regularly include extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria that materials regularly include extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.

Each unit plan includes suggestions for periodically challenging students, and Challenge tasks build on whole-class activities to extend or deepen learning. However, these opportunities are in less than half of the texts with no opportunities in the others. Some of these tasks require students to do additional work rather than a differentiated task. For example, students may extend a research topic, make inferences across multiple texts, hold a staged reading, write a memoir, compare poems, etc. Students can also select more challenging texts for independent reading, but the focus is more on adding tasks than growing literacy.

Also, within and throughout each unit there are sections such as “To Challenge Students…”; goal setting sections such as “Learning Mindset” to challenge students; open ended response questions within the “Respond to the Essential Question” section; and, extension tasks/questions within Research sections.

Indicator 3R
02/02
Materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

At the beginning of each unit, specific strategies for small-group options are provided with detailed support for at least two methods of grouping students during class instruction. Also, throughout every unit, instructors are presented with various whole class questions located within the sidebar of the Teacher's Edition; there are also questions and tasks located within the sidebar of the Student Edition, that are up to instructor discretion for how they may be answered--individually, in pairs, groups, or whole class--along with the annotation models and tasks throughout each reading. Students may be paired or placed in groups to read. 

  • Within the Teacher's Edition, Unit 1, students read “What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?” by Etgar Keret. The Small-Group options are as follows:
    • “Pinwheel Discussion”: Students are placed in groups of eight or six pairs; each group is given a specific question to discuss. Random groups will be called on to summarize their discussion, and then the questions change. 
    • “Think-Pair-Share”: After students have read and analyzed the text, students are posed a question where they must think individually then respond in a pair setting; pairs will then share out with the class.
  • Within the Teacher's Edition, Unit 3, students read “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle. The Small-Group options are as follows:
    • “Double-Entry Journal”: Students create a shared response where they take notes and quotes from the text.
    • “Numbered Heads Together”: Students discuss a question in groups of four--each student is numbered one, two, three, or four--the instructor then calls a number between one and four, and whoever’s number is called must respond to the question whole class based on the group discussion.

Criterion 3.5: Technology Use

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Materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning. Digital materials are accessible and available in multiple platforms.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criterion for materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning. Digital materials are accessible and available in multiple platforms. Digital materials are web-based, compatible with multiple internet browsers, “platform neutral,” follow universal programming style, and allow the use of tablets and mobile devices. Materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning, drawing attention to evidence and texts as appropriate. Digital materials include opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students, using adaptive or other technological innovations and the materials can be easily customized for local use. Although the materials do not include a collaboration platform.

Indicator 3S
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Digital materials (either included as supplementary to a textbook or as part of a digital curriculum) are web-based, compatible with multiple Internet browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.), "platform neutral" (i.e., are compatible with multiple operating systems such as Windows and Apple and are not proprietary to any single platform), follow universal programming style, and allow the use of tablets and mobile devices. This qualifies as substitution and augmentation as defined by the SAMR model. Materials can be easily integrated into existing learning management systems.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that digital materials (either included as supplementary to a textbook or as part of a digital curriculum) are web-based, compatible with multiple internet browsers (eg. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.), “platform neutral” (ie., Windows and Apple and are not proprietary to any single platform), follow universal programming style, and allow the use of tablets and mobile devices.

The digital materials included with the textbooks are web-based compatible programs. They are able to be accessed across multiple browsers including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge. They are able to be opened with both Apple and PC products as well as smart phones of both kinds including Microsoft, Apple and Google operating systems. In addition, they follow a universal programming style and both students and teachers should be able to access them using tablets including Apple iPads and Microsoft Surfaces, mobile devices like an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy or computers such as a Chromebook or iMac. All digital material including documents, slide decks and videos were accessible on desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile devices. The digital format is clear and easy to read. The navigation on all devices were smooth and straightforward.

Indicator 3T
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Materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning, drawing attention to evidence and texts as appropriate and providing opportunities for modification and redefinition as defined by the SAMR model.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning, drawing attention to evidence and texts as appropriate. 

EDonline substitutes digital texts for print matter with a formatting that appears much like the bound textbooks. Text sets are augmented by exclusively digital texts such as audio or video recordings. Available in the student edition, these digital texts place control of viewing and listening in the student’s hands, modifying traditional classroom use. Students can replay as much as needed to focus on evidence in the digital text and analyze craft as well as use in assigned tasks. This may be particularly helpful for language learners and struggling students. 

Technology reaches redefinition by providing immediate flexibility of text and task selection; asking students to do digital tasks like creating a blog, video, or podcast; allowing students to annotate text while reading then collecting those notes for review; providing a variety of formative assessments that teachers can track for evidence of need for intervention or extension; and linking Studio resources to points in the text or tasks that may benefit from a tutorial or review. 

EDonline allows teachers the opportunity to assign selected texts or tasks in response to assessment data. Teachers can assign whole or parts of Studio resources as they recognize need.

Indicator 3U
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Materials can be easily customized for individual learners.
Indicator 3U.i
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Digital materials include opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students, using adaptive or other technological innovations.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that digital materials include opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students, using adaptive or other technological innovations.

The digital materials essentially include that which the textbooks include; however, there are more materials online that support extension and remediation. The online materials assist instructors in personalizing learning for students as the online platform creates a baseline for progress monitoring regarding everything from analysis to the cumulative writing task. And, “Into Literature gives you the ability to curate a unique learning path for each student through ongoing assessments that yield actionable data...” 

Also, included within the Digital Sampler booklet for instructors, the section “Engaging Elements Captivate Student Interest” details the Stream to Start videos that assist in personalized learning as students are captivated before reading. Also, this section of the booklet details specified and individual guidance on how to close read within the online portal, specific videos for students that struggle with certain standards/skills, and interactive graphic organizers to students that need a challenge or additional support (included but not limited to Word Networks and Response Logs). And, students don’t need Wifi to access the materials: “...download when you’re online and access what you need when you’re offline. Work offline and then upload when you’re back online.” The materials are accommodating to students even if they do not have access to internet in their homes.

Additionally, “Interactive peer and teacher feedback loops dramatically improve student performance. An additional 55+ assignable, interactive writing lessons and Level Up tutorials that focus on specific skills are available in the Writing Studio.” For example, “Online scoring allows students to receive quick feedback before submitting their work and gives teachers the option of a supported grading process.” 

And, while there are a plethora of other ways students can personalize their learning with aid of the instructor, these are also worth mentioning: 

  • “Online Independent Reading Gives Students Voice and Choice”
  • Extensive Digital Library
  • “Give Students Ownership to Manage Their Learning”
    • Students are able to “...quickly access texts and resources...track their progress throughout the year...monitor upcoming due dates and let the teacher know when their work is ready for feedback.”
  • “Quickly Differentiate Using Real-Time Data”
  • “Assign New Learning Opportunities with Studio Educational Resources”
    • Reading Studio
    • Writing Studio
    • Speaking & Listening Studio
    • Grammar Studio
    • Vocabulary Studio
  • “Self-Guided Lessons Allow for Remediation, Support, and Extension”
Indicator 3U.ii
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Materials can be easily customized by schools, systems, and states for local use.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 meet the criteria that materials can be easily customized for local use.

The Into Literature textbook series is designed for instructor and student choice. All online materials as well as paper materials are easily customizable for district, administrative, instructor, and student use. 

Within the Research Foundations: Evidence Base booklet: “For teachers, Into Literature provides a flexible design, including expanded access to rich and varied digital resources for each literacy strand.”

In the Digital Sampler Booklet, in the section titled, “The Ultimate Flexibility to Teach Your Way” instructors may “Use Into Literature’s instructional path or create [their] own unique units with intuitive online planning tools.” Some pathways instructors can use to inform their decisions on what and how to use the curriculum are “Teach by Theme,” “Teach by Instructional Purpose,” “Teach by Standard,” and “Teach by Genre”--all of which can be found with these titles in the online platform. Instructors can also choose selections, customize instructions (especially in the online platform as they can build exams and tasks), and assign activities.

The textbook itself is easily customizable as in the Student Edition, pages are perforated and expected to be written upon by students; also, instructors may utilize what they choose from the units as additional material can be found in the online platform: “Interactive peer and teacher feedback loops dramatically improve student performance. An additional 55+ assignable, interactive writing lessons and Level Up tutorials that focus on specific skills are available in the Writing Studio.”

Indicator 3V
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Materials include or reference technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other (e.g. websites, discussion groups, webinars, etc.)

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 10 do not meet the criteria that materials include or reference technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other (e.g. websites, discussion groups, webinars, etc.)

The materials reviewed for Grade 10 do not meet the criteria that materials include or reference technology that provides opportunities for teachers and students to collaborate with each other. Collaboration within the curriculum only occurs in person within groups; there is no utilization of online platforms or technologies that promote teacher or students collaboration.

  • There is no evidence of any online collaboration between students in any format whether that be discussion, editing and reviewing, websites, or webinars.
  • Although there are digital resources such as the Speaking & Listening Studio with self-paced lessons for students, there is not a digital discussion board or any evidence of a website to host student to student or student to teacher collaboration.