10th Grade - Gateway 2

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.

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?”

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.”

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