5th Grade - Gateway 2

Materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations for texts being organized around a topic/topics to build students’ ability to read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently. The instructional materials contain units, which are organized around six separate themes. Within in a theme, each week is about a social studies or science topic or a sub theme related to the unit theme. The theme in each unit is broad, therefore each weekly topic or sub theme or topic does not build consistent vocabulary or knowledge across the weeks. The weekly topics build surface level knowledge, so students will not be able to use that knowledge to comprehend other complex texts especially across the five week long unit. An example of a unit theme and topics/sub themes is:

• Unit 5: Under Western Skies
  • Week 1: Extreme Environments
  • Week 2: Traditions
  • Week 3: The West
  • Week 4: Pioneers
  • Week 5: Exploration

The theme of Unit 4 is "The Power of Storytelling." The topic of the second week is visual arts. During the Teacher Read Aloud, the teacher reads a passage which contains ten target vocabulary words: villains, feature, mental, developed, launch, record, assuming, incredibly, episodes, thumbed. On Day 1, students learn those ten vocabulary words in the Vocabulary in Context lesson, which includes students reading and pronouncing each word, followed by learning the word in context and then practicing activities based on the Talk It Over activity on the back of the cards. The vocabulary reader for the week, Job Sense by Daniel Rosen, uses the same target vocabulary as do the Leveled Readers. During the reading of the anchor text, students see and hear the same target vocabulary words.

Prior to reading the anchor text, Lunch Money by Andrew Clements, the teacher helps preview the topic for students, which provides students with background knowledge about the topic of visual arts. During the reading of Lunch Money, students write a summary about how the main character became interested in creating comic books. After reading the text, students use clues to figure out the author’s purpose. During the second reading, students analyze the use of color in the illustrations and analyze how visual elements contribute to the story’s meaning. As a performance task, students write a paragraph explaining the following question: Do you think that his [Greg] comic-book series will be a success? During the independent reading of the anchor text, students complete Reader’s Notebook lesson 16, which requires students to use details from the text to create an advertisement.

Students read a paired text called Zap! Pow! by Linda Cave. Some of the target vocabulary is in the text such as villains, incredibly and mental. Students participate in Text to Text, Text to Self, and Text to World activities after reading the paired selection. For example, students with work a partner to add to the timeline found in Zap! Pow!.

The weekly writing is about organization and planning a friendly letter. On Day 2 of writing, the teacher models how Andrew Clements wrote in natural voice, so students use Andrew Clements natural voice in their own letter. While the teacher models with the style of the author, students do not have to use the weekly topic or texts in their own writing.

The following week is no longer about visual arts. The topic is the creative inventions, which has different vocabulary and builds knowledge about a new topic. Since only one week is spent on visual arts, students do not build in-depth vocabulary and knowledge.

For some of the weekly identified topics, the texts do not match the topic and essential question completely. For example in Unit 2, the theme is Wild Encounters and in the second week (lesson 7), the topic is responsibility, which is broad and therefore the essential question (How can dangerous situations bring people closer together?) is loosely connected to the topic. The following texts are used to answer the essential question: Black Bears by Sarah Jane Brian (vocabulary reader), Old Yeller by Fred Gipson, and What Makes It Good? by Cynthia Benjamin (paired selection). The vocabulary reader provides information about staying safe from black bears in the wild, somewhat connects to the essential question and to the topic of responsibility. The connections are not clear. The paired selection is a persuasive text about the Old Yeller film, which somewhat answers the essential question, but does not fit with weekly topic of responsibility.

Overall, the Units are theme-based with topics each week. Since the topic changes each week, students do not get a thorough opportunity to build knowledge and vocabulary. Furthermore, the identified weekly topics are not always supported by the texts and target vocabulary. This does not help students build knowledge in order to read complex texts on the identified topic.

Materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for containing sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts. Materials contain sets of questions and tasks, but they do not consistently require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts. Over the course of the year, instructional materials stay consistent and do not grow in rigor across the year.

Each unit includes sets of questions and tasks that require students analyze texts.

• In Unit 1, students will answer questions and tasks that ask students to analyze items including but not limited to, point of view, irony, elements of drama, characterization, formal and informal language, using dialogue, and text structure.
• In Unit 2, students will answer questions and tasks that ask students to analyze items including but not limited to, quotes and descriptions, domain-specific vocabulary, author’s word choice, dialect, informational text structure, point of view, and characterization.
• In Unit 3, students will answer questions and tasks that ask students to analyze items including but not limited to, primary sources, tone, figurative language, text structure, main ideas and details, and text and graphic features.
• In Unit 4, students will answer questions and tasks that ask students to analyze items including but not limited to, voice, visual elements, literary devices, point of view, main ideas and details, narrative pacing, dialogue, characterization, and theme.
• In Unit 5, students will answer questions and tasks that ask students to analyze items including but not limited to, figurative language, author’s word choice, main ideas and details, adages, point of view, and text structure.
• In Unit 6, students will answer questions and tasks that ask students to analyze items including but not limited to, text and graphic features, theme, conclusions and generalizations and main idea and details.

There are questions and tasks that ask students to analyze the language, key details, craft, and structure of texts, but they do not go to the necessary depth nor do they increase in rigor over the course of the instructional year. Although questions are provided, skills are inconsistently scaffolded, so they only sometimes build students’ overall comprehension or understanding of topics. In addition, teachers will often be unable to tell from students’ work whether they mastered concepts of each component. For example:

• In Unit 1, Lesson 3, the teacher asks, “Why does the author use the words slam, trudge, and groan?”
• In Unit 2, Lesson 8, the teacher edition states, “Tell students that authors have a specific purpose or reason for writing. For example, they may write to inform, to entertain, to describe, or to persuade.”
• In Unit 4, Lesson 16, the teacher asks, “Why do you think the author uses such detail to explain how the comic books are made? What do these details reveal about the main character?”
• In Unit 5, Lesson 25, the teacher edition states,“Ask them how the sequential text structure and the descriptive words and phrases help them to identify and explain the relationships between important events, people, and ideas.

The instructional materials for Grade 5 partially meet expectations for providing questions and tasks that support students’ ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic or theme through integrated skills. Each unit typically provides a writing performance task as a culminating project that partially contains the necessary skills for reading, writing, speaking and listening. In some instances, the writing performance task requires components of research and the writing process. Speaking and listening skills are also required in some instances. To complete the performance tasks, students draw on their reading and analysis of the anchor selections, and they are also told they can use additional research. During each lesson within the unit, students also practice writing which leads to the culminating skill in the last lesson of each unit. However, the culminating tasks do not promote the building of students’ knowledge of the theme/topic. Instead the tasks focus solely on the skills in the end products themselves. There are also instances where the practiced unit writing will not prepare students to complete the culminating task.

For culminating tasks, the questions and tasks preceding it sometimes align and support students' understandings and abilities to complete the assignments. In some tasks, the teacher may need to create or obtain other supports to ensure students have the knowledge and tools to complete the tasks. Prior questions that are asked do not give the teacher useable knowledge of whether students are capable of completing tasks. Interactive lessons are available to help students understand the procedures and processes for writing, speaking, and conducting research. There are also specific grammar lessons that go along with each lesson. These lessons provide students with information to help them to understand and complete performance tasks, but the lessons provide no additional information for the teacher to determine readiness.

Culminating tasks do provide a platform for students to demonstrate some comprehension and knowledge of a topic and/or topics, but do not have students demonstrate knowledge of a topic. Culminating tasks are often only connected to two or three texts in a unit. These texts often do not provide enough information to complete the task. A representative example of the program partially supporting students in demonstrating knowledge through an integrated culminating writing task is the following:

• The Unit 2 Performance Task directly relates to the unit theme of Wild Encounters. Students write an informational essay about how people have worked to protect animals in the wild. Writing throughout the unit leading up to the event includes writing a procedural composition in Lesson 6, writing a compare and contrast essay in Lesson 7, and writing a research report in Lesson 9 and Lesson 10. Speaking and listening skills are also present as students are given options for presenting information such as (1) read aloud the essay to classmates, (2) publish the essay on a school website, or (3) publish the essay using presentation software. There is no further direction given to students on presenting their pieces. Outside research is not required in this piece. The performance task partially demonstrates students building knowledge of a topic.
• The Unit 5 Performance task directly relates to the unit topic of Under Western Skies. Students write a response-to-literature essay about which format of storytelling is a better way of telling a story. Writing throughout the unit leading up to the event includes writing an editorial in Lesson 21, writing a response to literature in Lesson 22, writing a persuasive argument in Lesson 23, and writing a response essay in Lesson 24 and Lesson 25. Interactive lessons are included such as writing to sources and writing as a process. Speaking and listening skills are also present as students are given options for presenting information such as: (1) briefly summarize each story to the class, (2) publish the essay on a school website, or (3) collect the essays and bind them together in an anthology. This task may not build student knowledge of a topic.

The instructional materials for Grade 5 partially meet the expectations of materials providing guidance for supporting students’ academic vocabulary. The materials include a year-long guide for vocabulary, including target vocabulary, domain-specific vocabulary, spelling words, and reading/language arts Tier III terms. The materials do not include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words across texts throughout the year.

Each lesson has a box for “Target Vocabulary” on the focus wall. There are 10 words in this box. Each weekly pacing guide instructs the teacher to “Introduce Vocabulary” on Day 1, “Apply Vocabulary Knowledge” on Day 3, use “Vocabulary Strategies” on Day 4, and use “Domain Specific Vocabulary” on Day 5. The students first hear the words in the teacher read aloud, although no instruction on these words takes place at this point. Vocabulary is introduced with Vocabulary in Context Cards, which introduce the words using sentences, but not within the context of a complete text. While vocabulary words are used across multiple texts within a weekly lesson, there is little use of academic vocabulary across units within a grade level throughout the year.

Examples of resources for vocabulary include:

• Students' texts include several references to a glossary of academic vocabulary (G1).
• The Vocabulary in Context Cards are used in every lesson, and give sentences and various activities for students to complete (“Talk About It” and “Think About It”).

For each text, the teacher is directed to discuss the vocabulary with the students from the “Introduce Vocabulary” section. Below is a an example of Unit 4, lesson 17 vocabulary instructions:

• “Read and pronounce the word. Read the word once alone and then together.”
• “Explain the word. Read aloud the explanation under What Does It Mean?”
• “Discuss vocabulary in context. Together, read aloud the sentence on the front of the card. Helps students explain and use the word in new sentences.”
• “Engage with the word. Ask and discuss the Think About It question with students.”
• “Give partners or small groups one or two Vocabulary in Context Cards. Have students complete the Talk It Over activity on the back of each card. Have students complete the activities for all cards during the week.”

On Day 3, students encounter an “Apply Vocabulary Knowledge” section which encourage use of all of the critical vocabulary words with practice outside of the text content. Students are invited to discuss vocabulary as it relates to a given sentence. Support for these conversations and tasks is minimal. An example of directions given is:

• “Read aloud each of the following questions. Have students discuss their answers. Allow several students to respond to each question to provide a variety of possible responses for discussion.” (Unit 2, Lesson 15, page T343).

On Day 4 students are instructed on vocabulary strategies through a teach/model, guided practice, and apply sequenced lesson. On Day 5, students are often introduced to Domain-Specific Vocabulary related to the topic of the week’s text, but outside of the context of the texts. For example in Unit 5, Lesson 22 students study the vocabulary strategy of determining using reference materials and are then introduced to the domain-specific vocabulary: customs, indigenous, language, mythology, and values.

As demonstrated, the materials do include a year-long guide for vocabulary, including target vocabulary, domain-specific vocabulary, spelling words, and reading/language arts Tier III terms; however they do not include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words across texts throughout the year. There is limited guidance for teachers to ensure Grade 5 students are able to apply new vocabulary.

The instructional materials for Grade 5 partially meet the expectations of including a progression of focused research projects to encourage students to develop knowledge in a given area by confronting and analyzing different aspects of a topic using multiple texts and source materials. Some lessons have a Research and Media Literacy section. The materials do not include a progression of focused research projects providing students with robust instruction, practice, and application of research skills as they employ grade-level reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language skills. Research skills practice and learning do not follow a clear progression; there is not an overview of research skill progressions. Research topics are often broad.

Each Research and Literacy Media section includes a “skill focus” which varies by the lesson. For example, in Unit 4, Lesson 17, the skill focus is to use evidence. However, the only instruction given is “Explain that when students conduct research and write reports, they will cite evidence collected and analyzed. Then provide the following scenario: Have students consider the Boston Tea Party. Then ask students to share an opinion about that event. Now have them revisit ‘Can’t You Make Them Behave,King George?’ and ‘Tea Time!’ to identify two sentences that support their opinions about the event.” The instruction provided will not help students use evidence appropriately.

The Research and Media Literacy sections contain similar components with minimal rigor development. The instruction provided at the beginning of the year does not change significantly over the year. Only the skills focus changes. Teachers may need to supplement materials to assure students are synthesizing information to learn about researching topics.

For example, in Unit 1, Lesson 4, students brainstorm topics, generate questions, select a single question, research sources and write a summary. Instruction includes the directions:

• “Brainstorm Topics: Have students revisit ‘Double Dutch.’ Ask them to brainstorm related topics that they find interesting (for example, the benefits of teamwork or the need for practice).Tell them that they will be conducting a short research project, using several sources to build knowledge about their topic.”
• “Generate Questions: Tell students that one key to conducting successful research is generating effective research questions. Have students brainstorm possible questions and list them in a graphic organizer like the one below.
• Research Sources: Tell students that they will draw on information from print and digital sources to locate the answer to their research question. List on the board examples of media that students should use, such as online and print reference materials, books, magazines, newspapers, and videos.”

In Unit 5, Lesson 22, students select and narrow a topic, explore the topic, research the topic and prepare a speech. Instruction includes the directions:

• “Select and Narrow a Topic: Have students prepare to give an informative speech on the Ojibwe people or on another culture or a particular tradition. Students wishing to research the Ojibwe may begin by revisiting the excerpt from ‘The Birchbark House.’ For other topics, have students select cultures or customs that interest them.
• “Explore the Topic: Tell students that in order to fully research their topic, they will need to investigate several aspects of it. For example, they may choose to explore myths and foods from the Ojibwe culture. Have them brainstorm different aspects of their topics in a graphic organizer like the one below.”
• “Research the Topic: Tell students that they should use several types of print and digital media sources to gain a broad understanding of their topic. For example, if researching birthday traditions, students might take notes from print sources, such as encyclopedias, record oral and written interviews with family members, and find photos of birthday parties from different parts of the world.”

There are few differences across the year in instruction, except for the skill focus. At the end of each unit are mini-lessons on research. While these mini-lessons do provide a little more depth than the ones in the lessons, there is no direction on when teachers should use the mini-lessons.

The materials for Grade 5 partially meet the expectation for materials providing a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

Students complete independent reading on Day 3 of every lesson. Students are to go back and reread portions of the anchor text and complete pages in their Reader’s Notebook. Students then complete self-selected reading and record their progress in their reading log. Teachers are provided limited instruction on how to support reader independence. The following examples demonstrate the guidance provided to teachers:

• “Tell students that they will read ‘Double Dutch’ on their own to analyze important ideas in the text. Have students use the Reader's Guide pages in their Reader’s Notebook, pp. 37-38. Explain that they should respond to the prompts and questions by supporting their responses with evidence from ‘Double Dutch’” (Unit 1, Lesson 4, page T266).
• “Review the steps for using the five-finger rule to select a ‘just right’ book” (Unit 3, Lesson 13, page T342).
• Students are provided a list of questions to help select an independent reading book by genre. Teachers are directed to “Tell students to review their answers, looking for patterns that will help them to identify the genres that they find interesting. Have students choose a book of a genre that interests them for independent reading” (Unit 5, Lesson 24, page T262).

Students also complete independent reading tasks during literacy centers. Listed below are examples of activities involving independent reading. The teacher is provided limited instruction for these tasks:

• “Writing in response to texts prompts students to think more deeply about the text. Vary the kinds of writing you ask students to do to keep them engaged and motivated to write about their independent reading” (Unit 2, Lesson 9, page T237).
• “Discussing books with classmates gives students the opportunity to share what they know and to learn about other books. Schedule time for sharing opportunities…” The teacher edition contains examples such as book talks and reviews, book sharing, partner reading, and discussion circles. (Unit 4, Lesson 17, page T81).
• “Primary language materials can help spark an interest in reading for English learners. Students who can already read in their primary language will improve their skills in both languages by reading in their primary language” (Unit 5, Lesson 22, page T87).

Independent assignments from the Reader’s Notebook and the Reading Log (found in the “Grab-and-Go) are provided to track independent reading.