8th Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that anchor texts are of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading.

Materials include a mix of informational and literary texts, consider a range of student interests, and are relevant for a variety of purposes. Authors of the anchor texts are accomplished writers in their various fields. Selections are content-rich and range in topic, based on each unit goal, from the history of sugar usage to human interaction with animals and nature. Texts directly support students as they seek to address each unit goal through various formative and summative activities.

Anchor texts and text sets include a mix of genres including novels, verse novels, informational texts, speeches, biographies, and excerpts from larger works:

• In the “Flowers for Algernon” Unit, students read the short story, “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, which is a science fiction short story that won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1960. Keyes was awarded the Author Emeritus honor by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in the year 2000. This text is a canonical piece of literature studied in middle and high school grades.
• In the "Sugar" Unit, students read the nonfiction text, Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos. This nonfiction text references and follows the history of sugar to its use in the 21st century to create ethanol. Aronson is an American writer, editor, publisher, speaker, and historian; and Marina Budhos is an award-winning fiction and nonfiction author.
• In the “Tell-Tale Heart” Unit, students read the poetic short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” by Edgar Allan Poe, which is narrated by an unnamed speaker who attempts to convince readers of the narrator’s “sanity” while also detailing a murder.
• In “Conservation” Unit, students read the speech Conservation as a National Duty, by Theodore Roosevelt. This U.S. document represents the unit goal as Roosevelt discusses the “beauty of the natural world and the duty of mankind to leave resources for future generations.”
• In the "Call of the Wild" Unit, students read the fiction novel, The Call of the Wild by Jack London. The canonical text is an adventure novel set in Yukon, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush; sled dogs were in high demand during this time period. Students must empathize with the protagonist and sled dog, Buck. London is a renowned author.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that materials reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards.

Core texts include a mix of informational and literary texts. There is a wide variety of texts integrated throughout every unit. Texts include science fiction, poetry, informational texts, myths, and short stories. The distribution of texts is 53% literary and 47% informational.

The following are examples of literature:

• In the "Flowers for Algernon" Unit, Lesson 1, a Greek myth, “The Story of Prometheus”, by James Baldwin.
• In the "Sugar" Unit, Lesson 30, a poem, “Sugar Cane”, by Alfred Corn.
• In the “Tell-Tale Heart” Unit, Lesson 9, a chapter, "Good Form", from the novel, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.
• In the “Conservation” Unit, Lesson 1, a short story, “Autumntime” by A. Lentini.
• In the "Call of the Wild" Unit, Lesson 17, a short story, “To Build a Fire” by Jack London.

The following are examples of informational text:

• In the "Flowers for Algernon" Unit, Lesson 42, an informational article, "Does IQ Test Really Measure Intelligence?" by Denise Mann.
• In the "Sugar" Unit, Lesson 16, a video, “Louisiana Sugarcane Farmer” by America’s Heartland.
• In the “Tell-Tale Heart” Unit, Lesson 9, an editorial, "A Million Little Pieces Revisited: Can the Truth Ever Set James Frey Free?" by Daniel Honan from Big Think.
• In the “Conservation” Unit, Lesson 21, a biographical article, “The Conservationist” by Theodore Roosevelt Association.
• In the "Call of the Wild" Unit, Lesson 5, an essay, “The Other Animals” by Jack London.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative and qualitative analysis.

All anchor texts have a range of Lexile levels. The publisher provides a “Text Complexity and Vocabulary Analysis” for all anchor texts that ranks each text according to the following categories: Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose, Text Structure/Organization, Language Features, and Prior Knowledge Demands. The categories are rated with the following scale: Slightly Complex, Moderately Complex, Very Complex, and Exceedingly Complex. The Potential Reader/Task Challenges section within the “Text Complexity and Vocabulary Analysis” provides information regarding challenges students may face with the anchor texts, considering the amount of time spent with anchor texts. Lastly, in the “How do the materials support all learners?” Guidebook under the “Reading” section, “Texts for each unit are purposefully selected to support knowledge building. Each unit includes text analyses, which identify the knowledge building connections among the units and texts.”

While supplemental texts do not provide a “Text Complexity and Vocabulary Analysis,” supplemental texts are chosen based on the unit goal. Some of these texts are not accompanied by Lexile scores, provided via the publisher or via the Lexile Framework, but they are still considered at or above grade level considering the concepts, text type, language, and grammar used throughout.

Almost all anchor texts are within grade-appropriate Lexile bands:

• Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science (nonfiction), by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos, "Sugar" Unit. Based on the text complexity analysis provided, the Lexile is 1130L and is ranked based on the following categories and ratings: Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose moderately complex; Text Structure/Organization moderately complex; Language Features moderately complex; and Prior Knowledge Demands slightly complex. The Potential Reader/Task Challenges reference that “Navigating complex sentences and ideas, alongside academic language, that requires drawing upon prior knowledge and context to decipher” might be difficult, and “Understanding how the graphics, maps, and inserts work alongside of, supplement, and enhance the text” could cause issues, and “Untangling any deeper ideas, conflicting viewpoints, or paradoxes that are presented” will take dedicated time from students to process.
• The Call of the Wild (novel), by Jack London, "Call of the Wild" Unit. Based on the text complexity analysis provided, the Lexile is 1120L, and is ranked based on the following categories and ratings: Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose moderately complex; Text Structure/Organization very complex; Language Features very complex; and Prior Knowledge Demands moderately complex. The Potential Reader/Task Challenges reference that “Some frontloading on the setting may be needed, particularly the location of the Yukon and the gold rush of the late 1800s,” and “Some may have difficulty with the ​third-person, limited omniscient narrator’s focus being Buck’s perspective.”
• “The Ransom of Red Chief” (short story) by O. Henry, "Tell-Tale Heart" Unit. While this short story does not have a Lexile provided, the text is canonical used within middle school grades. This supplemental text also reinforces the Unit Goal: “Students read literary and informational texts to understand the role of the narrator and point of view. Students also understand how the narrative voice of a text can blur the line between fact and fiction. Students express their understanding through writing in different points of view and examining motives and bias in various media.” And, the summary provided by the Lexile Framework represents complex ideas and worldly issues: “Bill and Sam arrive in the small American town of Summit with only two hundred dollars, but they need more and Sam has an idea for making a lot of money. When things start to go very wrong, both men soon regret their visit-- and their idea.”
• “Flowers for Algernon” (fiction short story), Daniel Keyes, "Flowers for Algernon" Unit. Based on the text complexity analysis provided, the Lexile is 840L, and is ranked based on the following categories and ratings: Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose moderately complex; Text Structure/Organization very complex; Language Features very complex; and Prior Knowledge Demands very complex. The Potential Reader/Task Challenges reference that “Students may struggle to decipher some of what Charlie says in his writing due to the lack of punctuation and awkward diction in his early and late progress reports, point of view and irony complexity could provide comprehension challenges for readers. Readers may feel challenged by the complex thinking presented in [Charlie’s] progress reports. There are many subject-specific references to intelligence that may be challenging for the reader.”
• “The Tell-Tale Heart” (short story), by Edgar Allan Poe, “Tell-Tale Heart” Unit. Based on the text complexity analysis provided, the Lexile is 820L, and is ranked based on the following categories and ratings: Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose very complex; Text Structure/Organization moderately complex; Language Features extremely complex; and Prior Knowledge Demands slightly complex. The Potential Reader/Task Challenges reference that “Some students may find the description of the murder as gruesome; the narrator’s point of view is somewhat like a conversation where he asks questions repeatedly of the reader. Students may be unfamiliar with this type of narration.” Also the Potential Reader/Task Challenges reference that the syntax is challenging, and the sentence structure and punctuation will be unfamiliar for many.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that 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 materials consist of five units of study, and all units have a distinct beginning, middle, and end. This is evident as supports are removed throughout the unit so that students are gradually responding to and completing increasingly complex materials and text to develop complete independence through Cold Read tasks and through independent reading assignments, such as the build up to literature circles. All anchor texts and supplemental texts are considered increasingly complex, even if provided with a Lexile level below grade band or with no Lexile present; all texts engage students with complex ideas and situations. Though the quantitative measure of the texts over the course of the year may not appear to grow, the qualitative features of the texts grow increasingly complex and the gradual release of responsibility employed through the phases of each unit place a greater cognitive load on students, requiring them to engage with texts in increasingly more sophisticated ways. For example:

• “Flowers for Algernon” (fiction short story), Daniel Keyes, "Flowers for Algernon" Unit
• Lexile: 840L
• Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose: moderately complex
• Text Structure/Organization: very complex
• Language Features: very complex
• Prior Knowledge Demands: very complex
• Potential Reader/Task Challenges: Charlie’s grammar and punctuation may present challenges for comprehension, point of view and irony complexity could provide comprehension challenges, other subject-specific references may be confusing.

Students “analyze Charlie’s character based on the content and structure of the text, write a summary of Progress Reports 1-3, including at least 2 quotations which reveal aspects of Charlie’s character, and explain in your summary what the quotations reveal." Later in the unit, “students compare and contrast the structure of ‘Flowers for Algernon’ and the excerpt from Frankenstein to determine how each contributes to similar meanings.” Students will “analyze an allusion to determine how Charlie’s interactions with Fanny Girden contribute to the development of a theme,” and then “compare the structure of ‘Flowers for Algernon’ and the excerpts from Frankenstein to determine how each contributes to the development of a theme.” In Lesson 30, students complete the Culminating Writing task: “Consider how Charlie has changed from the beginning of ‘Flowers for Algernon.’ How does the surgery improve or worsen his quality of life? Write an argument in which you state and logically support a claim about the impact of the surgery on Charlie’s life and distinguish your claim from opposing claims. Be sure to use proper grammar, conventions, spelling, and grade-appropriate words and phrases. Cite several pieces of relevant textual evidence, including direct quotations with parenthetical citations.”

• “The Tell-Tale Heart” (short story), by Edgar Allan Poe, “Tell-Tale Heart” Unit
• Lexile: 820L
• Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose: very complex
• Text Structure/Organization: moderately complex
• Language Features: extremely complex
• Prior Knowledge Demands: slightly complex
• Potential Reader/Task Challenges: the content of the text may be distasteful to some students, unfamiliar narration style (narrator asks questions repeatedly of the reader), challenging/unfamiliar syntax and punctuation

Students are introduced to the unit goal: “understand how authors use narrator and point of view to influence our perspective and understanding; examine the point of view of a painting, The Treachery of Images by Rene Magritte;  begin reading one of two independent reading novels, Monster by Walter Dean Myers or Nothing but the Truth by Avi; and discuss 'Who is the narrator? Is he or she reliable? What points of view or perspectives are portrayed in the text? How do they relate to and/or contrast one another?'" In Lessons 14 and 15, students read and analyze the narrator in a text of increased complexity, “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O’Henry: “From where is the story being told? How many narrators are there? How much does the narrator know? How reliable is the narrator? What is the narrator’s orientation?” In Lesson 30, students begin the Culminating Writing task, where they use their knowledge of narration and point of view to write a multi-paragraph essay in answer to this prompt: “Identify what Monster by Walter Dean Myers or Nothing But the Truth by Avi says about truth, perception, and/or reality and explain how the concept is developed in the novel. Then compare the structure of your independent reading novel with another unit text of your choice. How does each text develop the concept differently?”

• The Call of the Wild (novel), by Jack London, "Call of the Wild" Unit
• Lexile: 1120L
• Meaning/Central Idea/Purpose: moderately complex
• Text Structure/Organization: very complex
• Language Features: very complex
• Prior Knowledge Demands: moderately complex
• Potential Reader/Task Challenges: historical knowledge will be needed to understand the context, narrator point-of-view may be unfamiliar to students

Students listen to a teacher read-aloud the first part of The Call of the Wild and engage in discussion in order to work with a partner to answer text-dependent questions. Students read the short story, “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, which has similar ideas and themes about human-animal relationships and the wild. In this lesson, they analyze the setting, examine how words and phrases establish tone and mood, and analyze what a character’s decisions reveal about his character. This requires students to read and synthesize information from two complex texts. At the end of the unit, students complete a Cold Read task where they independently read “Susan Butcher” from Louisiana EAGLE, then answer text-dependent questions. This text is complex for a Grade 8 student and students must be able to read and understand the text independently in order to answer the questions correctly.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation 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 contain five units and unit design language informs the consumer that a full academic year consists of four Guidebook units, thus giving teachers some options for instruction by including an additional unit. Each unit has a title that represents an anchor text or topic, and the selections within each unit are related to the main text or topic and the unit goal, which is thematic in nature. Over the course of a week, students encounter multiple high-quality texts across a variety of genres. Students read, discuss, and write about these texts as a whole class, in small groups, and independently. The lessons also often include rereading activities to further promote understanding. The readings and the activities that accompany them vary in purpose and length. Additionally, the “Supplemental Resources” section at each grade level includes a collection of five-day close reading exercises focused on one text.

• In the "Flowers for Algernon" Unit, Lessons 6-10, students read the informational text, “What is an Inkblot? Some Say, Not Much” by Erica Goode, summarize it, examine its academic vocabulary, and discuss the controversial nature of its topic. Then, they apply their new knowledge to their prior reading of the anchor text to make a claim about the character, Charlie, by writing the answer to the question, “How useful are projective tests in determining Charlie’s suitability for the experiment?” On the final day, the students work with a peer to evaluate and strengthen the written responses they crafted, making sure “to incorporate relevant evidence form both texts, acknowledge an opposing claim, and use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify claims and counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.”
• For the "Call of the Wild" Unit, students complete a whole-text study of The Call of the Wild over the course of eight to nine weeks. During the unit, students read a variety of text types and lengths as they work to “understand how authors portray animals to serve a purpose and make a comment about human interactions with animals.” Students also read the literary story, “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, and excerpts from a variety of informational texts: "How Smart are Dogs?" and "How Smart are Dolphins?" from PBS, "Animal Minds" from National Geographic, "The Other Animals" by Jack London, and "Do Animals Think and Reflect" by John Burroughs.
• In “The Tell-Tale Heart” Unit, students read a variety of texts in order to “understand the role of the narrator and point of view. Students also understand how the narrative voice of a text can blur the line between fact and fiction. Students express their understanding through writing in different points of view and examining motives and bias in various media.” The “Tell-Tale Heart” is the anchor text for this unit and students read and reread this short story in Lessons 20-23 where they summarize the story and analyze the narrator’s point of view. The students keep a reading log throughout the unit. Students also independently read the novels Monster by Walter Dean Myers or Nothing but the Truth by Avi. Both these novels support the question around the reliability of the narrator in text.
• In the “Conservation” Unit, students read the anchor text, “Conservation as a National Duty” by Theodore Roosevelt to explore “the beauty of the natural world and the duty of mankind to leave resources for future generations. Students understand and express their understanding of how the various authors use language, devices, and connections between ideas to motivate others to take up the conservation cause.” Students begin reading the anchor text in Lesson 2 with a teacher read-aloud and then independent reading. In Lesson 4, students reread and examine the claims made in the anchor text and the short story, “Autumntime” by A. Lentini.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation 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 materials are divided into five units, each with a variety of texts and activities that require students to engage directly with the texts. Activities include different ways for students to interact directly with the texts: “Let’s Read!,” “Let’s Write!,” “Let’s Discuss!,” and “Let’s Work with Words!” Lessons conclude with a text-dependent formative activity called “Let’s Express Our Understanding!” Students are also required to complete text-dependent tasks in section quizzes, Culminating Writing tasks, and Cold Read tasks.

Examples of these types of questions, tasks, and assignment include, but are not limited to:

• In the "Sugar" Unit, Lessons 38 and 39, Cold Read task, students read “200 Years of Progress in the Louisiana Sugar Industry: A Brief History” by Dr. Charley Richard. Then they answer text-dependent questions: "How does paragraph 6 of the passage refine the idea of growth in the sugarcane industry?" Then they watch a video titled “State of Sugar” from This Week in Louisiana Agriculture, and answer questions such as “What aspects of the video 'The State of Sugar' best reveal the author’s purpose? Write a multi-paragraph essay that explains in detail what Mr. Simon means by this statement and how this idea is conveyed in both '200 Years of Sugar' and 'The State of Sugar.' Cite evidence from both the video and the passage to support your response."
• In the "Call of the Wild" Unit, Lesson 37, students are introduced to the Extension task: summarizing “Do Animals Think and Reflect.” Students will write an essay in response to the question: “Should Jack London be considered a nature faker?” Students work in groups to summarize a specific paragraph that they are assigned (Card 7). From the group, they should come up with a subclaim by the author. On Card 9, the students must write a paragraph answering, “What claim about animals’ abilities to think and reflect does Burroughs make in the text? and How does he support this claim? Choose two pieces of text evidence as support."
• In “The Tell-Tale Heart” Unit, Lesson 8, “Let’s Express Our Understanding” (Card 8), students compare text structures and meaning by examining The Treachery of Images by Rene Magritte and “The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato. The students are asked to record the answer to the following question in their reading logs: “How do The Treachery of Images and 'The Allegory of the Cave' convey ideas about truth, perception, and reality? Cite evidence from both texts to support your response.”
• In the "Call of the Wild" Unit, Lesson 1, students contemplate the essential questions of the unit then study Jack London’s epigraph in The Call of the Wild. They then complete this activity: "Consider the epigraph and our unit essential questions. Write a paragraph in which you explain the purpose of the epigraph and what it suggests about The Call of the Wild. Be sure to use evidence from the epigraph to support your response."

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent/specific questions and tasks build to a culminating task that integrates skills (may be writing, speaking, or a combination).

Each unit is organized around a topic or text and includes a goal for the students for what they will learn and how they will demonstrate their understanding. The Culminating Writing task for each unit connects to the unit goal and incorporates the skills that the students have learned throughout the unit as defined in the unit goal. 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 “The Tell-Tale-Heart” Unit, students complete a Culminating Writing task responding to the prompt, “Identify what Monster by Myers or ‘Nothing But the Truth’ by Avi says about truth, perception, and reality and explain the concept in the novel. Then compare the structure of your independent reading novel with another unit text of your choice. How does each text develop the concept differently?” This culminating task connects to the unit goal: “Students read literary and informational texts to understand the role of the narrator and point of view. Students also understand how the narrative voice can blur the line between fact and fiction. Students express their understanding through writing in different points of view and examining motives and bias in various media.”

Previous tasks and questions that support the culminating performance task include, but are not limited to:

• Discussion of their previous reading of “The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato with focus questions, such as “What do the characters and events of the allegory symbolize? What is Plato’s likely purpose for writing ‘The Allegory of the Cave’? What moral, philosophical, or political meaning is he trying to impart to the reader? What is the deeper meaning?”
• Exploration of the idea of how a different narrator could provide a different point of view by discussing their previous reading of “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O’Henry.
• Examination of the narrator's reliability through a teacher-facilitated class discussion to respond to the prompt, “Is the narrator reliable or unreliable? How do you know?”

In the "Flowers for Algernon" Unit, the Culminating Writing task requires students to analyze the anchor test and write an argument using a logically-supported claim that is distinguished from opposing claims about the impact of surgery on the main character Charlie’s life. This Culminating Writing task relates to the goal of the unit as students “express their understanding...by exploring how authors draw on traditional stories and develop characters and themes to teach us about ourselves and others.”

Tasks and questions that support the culminating performance task include:

• Analysis of characters’ actions and development
• Examination and analysis of an argument
• Composition and revision of a written response to defend a claim about a literary text

In the "Sugar" Unit, the Culminating Writing task requires students to write an essay about how the authors of the anchor text convey their perspective or purpose in writing the text. The Culminating Writing task relates to the unit goal that students “express their understanding by exploring conflicting information about sugar through research, determining text credibility, and comparing and contrasting texts to make informed claims.”

Previous lessons that support the culminating performance task include:

• Use of search terms to effectively gather sources
• Analysis of author’s purpose in an informational text
• Examining authors’ responses to conflicting evidence and viewpoints
• Evaluating author’s claims in an informational text

In the “Conservation” Unit, the Culminating Writing task requires students to write an essay in response to the prompt, “How does Roosevelt make connections between conservation and the progress, patriotism, and morality of the American people?” This task can be connected to the unit goal that “students understand and express their understanding of how the various authors use language, devices, and connections between ideas to motivate others to take up the conservation cause.”

Tasks and questions that lead up to and support the culminating performance task include:

• Analysis of key academic and non-academic vocabulary
• Identification of claims and tracking of supporting evidence
• Examination of language to determine points of view
• Identification and analysis of connections between texts
• Analysis of conflicting information in texts

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions (small groups, peer-to-peer, whole class) that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

In order to support the use of discussion in the classroom, the materials include a Resource Library. Documents outlining protocols for speaking and listening included in the Resource Library include:

• Teacher Talk Moves helps students clearly express their ideas, listen carefully to others’ ideas, provide evidence to support their claims, and establish new ways of thinking.
• Conversation Stems offers students with listener prompts and speaker responses.
• Discussion Reflection allows students to rate themselves and their peers on the quality of their participation.
• Conversations Guide provides teachers with a step-by-step guide for preparing for productive classroom conversations.
• Student Discussion Tracker gives students a format for recording the development of a conversation with a peer.
• The Resource Library also includes instructional strategies and procedures for classroom discussion constructs such Accountable Talk, Gallery Walk, Philosophical Chairs Debate, and Student-Led Discussions such as a Fishbowl and Socratic Seminar.

Examples of opportunities for evidence-based discussions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax include, but are not limited to:

• In the "Sugar" Unit, Lesson 4, students are paired for a discussion on how "personification, symbolism, and tone contribute to the theme of the poem.” The protocol for the partner discussion is located in the Teacher Notes section. Each student has an opportunity to serve as speaker and listener. The students are given the Conversation Stems to help guide their discussions. The activity is concluded with a discussion by directing students to work with their partners to complete the last section of the theme handout.
• In the "Call of the Wild" Unit, Lesson 8, students engage in a Fishbowl Discussion to connect ideas across two texts of the unit thus far: Chapter 1 of The Call of the Wild and “The Other Animals.” The Fishbowl Discussion takes the form of a Socratic Seminar. In the Teacher Notes, there is a link to the resource tab to explain how a Socratic Seminar/Fishbowl should be conducted. Cards 5-9 gives directions for conducting a Socratic Seminar.
• In the "Flowers for Algernon" Unit, Lesson 15, students conduct a Socratic Seminar after analyzing how irony impacts their understanding of Charlie and the events of Flowers for Algernon and gathering evidence in preparation for the Socratic Seminar. The teacher discusses the protocol for Socratic Seminar included in the Teacher Notes. They then discuss these questions using the Conversation Stems: "How does the surgery change Charlie? How do the author’s choices contribute to your understanding of those changes and their impact on Charlie?" Teachers are provided with an option to use a “BackChannel” chat, a tool that is great for increasing students’ participation in classroom discussions and helping teachers informally assess students’ knowledge on the selected discussion topic, located in the Teacher Notes section.
• In the “Conservation” Unit, Lesson 2, students analyze key academic vocabulary in “Conservation as a National Duty.” Students are directed to reread Chapters 1-19 silently. Teachers then “Direct students to silently reread paragraphs 1-13 of ‘Conservation as a National Duty.’ Direct students to circle any unfamiliar words as they reread. After reading, conduct a whole-class discussion to determine what words that students circled." Protocol for the whole-class discussion is located in the Teacher Notes section. Students are encouraged to use the Conversation Stems in their discussions, which are also located in the Teacher Notes section.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that materials support students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching (including presentation opportunities) with relevant follow-up questions and supports.

Within the individual lesson design, students are often asked to engage in discussions specifically through the “Let’s Discuss!” portion of the lesson, but conversation opportunities can also be found throughout the sequence of activities in a lesson. Students use their speaking and listening skills throughout the culminating tasks in each unit, particularly for the Extension tasks where students are required to deliver a presentation to the class.

• In the "Flowers for Algernon" Unit, students complete six lessons to create a research essay on intelligence. In Lesson 36 Extension task, students participate in paired discussions about the role of intelligence in Flowers for Algernon to help prepare them for the Extension task. The students respond to the prompt: “Describe the moments in Flowers for Algernon when Charlie’s understanding of intelligence evolves. Why are these moments important?” They share and switch roles and then respond to the prompt: “What do you know about intelligence, and how does that impact your understanding of Flowers for Algernon? Use evidence from Charlie’s experiences and emotions in Flowers for Algernon in your response.” The teacher concludes the discussion by asking students to record their partner’s idea for each discussion question and reflect on how their partner’s idea supports or challenges their response for each discussion question.
• In the “Tell-Tale Heart” Unit, students conduct research around these questions: “What is truth? How do point of view and perspective shape our understanding? How does our perception influence our reality? How does our reality influence our perception?” In Lesson 35, students work with a partner to explore credibility with guidance from the teacher. The teacher conducts a whole-class discussion to connect the Extension task goals to the unit goals. The teacher begins the discussion with the question, “What does this practice example reveal about the credibility and truth of what we see and read?” The teacher prompts students to use the Conversation Stems learning tool during the discussion. The teacher concludes the discussion by asking: “What did you learn from this practice example that you will need to make sure to pay attention to as you work independently?” In Lesson 41, the students present their presentations.
• In the "Sugar" Unit, Lesson 31, students deliver multimedia presentations as the first step of the unit’s Extension task following these directions: “Investigate the influence of sugar on our lives today. Gather appropriate advertisements, songs, and popular cultural references with a group. Then create a multimedia presentation.” Aside from delivering their own presentations student give feedback on the rest of their classmates’ presentations in the form of a discussion following this guide: 3 things your group did well, 2 things your group could improve on, and 1 key takeaway from the presentation.
• In the “Conservation” Unit, Lesson 39, students work collaboratively to research a modern conservation group (e.g., the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society, the National Park Service) that uses research and exploration to conserve wildlife. After researching, each group will deliver a multimedia presentation about the goals of your organization and the importance of your work in our community today.
• In "Call of the Wild" Unit, Lesson 39, students work with a partner to read and discuss Chapter 6 of the novel then answer questions on the split-page notes. Then students find another pair and briefly summarize the internal conflict Buck experiences in Chapter 6. Students discuss the claim on the slide and find three pieces of evidence from the chapter to support that claim or evidence which supports a counterclaim.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g. multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

Each unit has a Culminating Writing task that is text-based, an Extension task that is narrative or research writing, and a Cold Read task that includes a multi-paragraph essay on a new text. Both the Culminating Writing task and the Extension task include multiple steps, scaffolding, and supports to take students through the writing process, and the Cold Read task requires on-demand writing.

Examples include:

• In the "Sugar" Unit, Lesson 35-37, students follow up a multimedia presentation with the Extension task of writing an argumentative research-based essay in which they make a claim about the role of sugar they studied. They should argue what impact that role of sugar had on the world at the time in the history and defend their claim using credible and relevant evidence. Students are provided lessons on making claims, collecting and citing evidence, organizing an argumentative essay.

• In the "Flowers for Algernon" Unit, Lessons 36-41, students complete an Extension task where they research the development of humans’ understanding of intelligence and write an argumentative essay highlighting two different theories on the topic: "Throughout 'Flowers for Algernon,' Charlie’s understanding of intelligence evolves. How has our understanding of intelligence changed over time? Write an informative essay in which you explain how our understanding of intelligence has changed over time. Present at least 2 different theories of intelligence and explain why each theory is or is not widely accepted today."

• In the “Tell-Tale Heart” Unit, Lessons 27-33, students complete a Culminating Writing task after participating in a Socratic Seminar on their independent reading novels. “Identify what Monster by Walter Dean Myers or Nothing But the Truth by Avi says about truth, perception, and/or reality and explain how the concept is developed in the novel. Then compare the structure of your independent reading novel with another unit text of your choice. How does each text develop the concept differently? Write a multiparagraph essay addresses the task. Be sure to use proper grammar, conventions, spelling, and grade-appropriate words and phrases. Cite several pieces of textual evidence, including direct quotations and parenthetical citations.”

• In the "Call of the Wild" Unit, Lesson 1, students complete a four-corners activity and then practice analyzing and paraphrasing the epigraph in The Call of the Wild. Students then complete an on-demand writing task; the prompt states, "Consider why the author might begin the book with this epigraph. Then answer the question: What does this epigraph suggest about The Call of the Wild? Be sure to use evidence from the epigraph for support in your response." The instructor is provided with an exemplar response in the format of a paragraph with direct evidence.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards.

Students engage in a variety of writing opportunities throughout daily lesson plans, formative, and summative assessments. These writing activities are a blend of on-demand and process writing pieces that help students learn and express their understanding. Each unit includes three culminating tasks that represent a variety of argumentative, informative/explanatory, narrative, and literary analysis text types. For Culminating Writing tasks, “Students synthesize the topics, themes, and ideas of the unit into a written product such as an essay, narrative, or article.” For Cold Read tasks, “Students read a new text or two related to the unit topic and answer multiple-choice questions as well as respond to a writing prompt." For Extension tasks, “Students extend what they have learned in the unit to make connections between their learning and their lives through a narrative or personal essay or between their learning and the world through research about a related topic.” The materials provide exemplars and rubrics for the culminating activities to help guide students through the process.

Examples include:

• In the "Call of the Wild" Unit, Lesson 39, students complete a Culminating Writing task which is a group activity by writing a summary of an argument. The teacher states, “We’ve read two articles and watched a video about animal cognition and reasoning skills. In your group, summarize both sides of the argument in writing. Conclude your writing by explaining what makes each side of the argument strong and weak.”
• In the “Conservation” Unit, students address different text types of writing. At the end of Section 2, after Lesson 12, students complete a quiz. The last questions require the students to write a paragraph response to the following prompt: “Write a paragraph explaining how 'Requiem for a Nest,' 'Birdfoot’s Grampa,' and 'A Parable for Sauntering' support Roosevelt’s central claim in 'Conservation as a “National Duty.' Be sure to use evidence to support your answer.” In Lesson 17, students write the first draft of the Culminating Writing task which is an explanatory essay. The students have to write an essay that explains how these connections are made to support Roosevelt’s cause of conservation. In the essay, they have to cite several pieces of textual evidence. In Lessons 42-43, students complete the Cold Read task and write an extended response to analyze the role that perspective plays in understanding a situation According to “Zoo” and “The Blind Men and the Elephant.” Students also include how this idea is developed through characters, setting, and plot in both the story and the poem and cite evidence from both texts to support their response.
• In the "Flowers for Algernon" Unit, the Culminating Writing task is an argument essay: "Consider how Charlie has changed from the beginning of ‘Flowers for Algernon.’ How does the surgery improve or worsen his quality of life? Write an argument in which you state and logically support a claim about the impact of the surgery on Charlie’s life and distinguish your claim from opposing claims.”
• In “The Tell-Tale Heart” Unit, students complete the following Culminating Writing task: “We examined the concepts of truth, perception, and reality through various unit texts. Identify what Monster by Walter Dean Myers or Nothing But the Truth by Avi says about truth, perception, and/or reality and explain how the concept is developed in the novel. Then compare the structure of your independent reading novel with another unit text of your choice. How does each text develop the concept differently? Write a multiparagraph essay addresses the task. Be sure to use proper grammar, conventions, spelling, and grade-appropriate words and phrases. Cite several pieces of textual evidence, including direct quotations and parenthetical citations.” Students compose a comparative literary analysis, where they choose between a whole class read texts, Monster by Walter Dean Myers or Nothing But the Truth by Avi, and compare to an independent reading text.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that materials include frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information appropriate for the grade level.

Throughout the materials, students participate in a variety of evidence-based writing activities with differing length and organization. Students take notes on the texts they are studying by using organizers such as character evidence charts and character analysis charts. Students use reading logs, reading journals, and field journals to record answers to text-based questions that are part of the daily lesson plans in order to understand reading through writing. Students answer questions about what they read on post-reading questions handouts. They synthesize what they learned through writing as one of the kinds of activities in the “Let’s Express Our Understanding!” portion of the lessons. Examples include:

• In the "Sugar" Unit, Lesson 18, students participate in a lesson on “Determining the strongest text evidence to support an idea and recognizing irrelevant evidence.” In this lesson, students learn how to use the RCR or “Racer” (strategy to evaluate evidence). The RCR strategy has students ask, "Does the evidence relate to the claim? Does the evidence cover all parts of the claim? Does the evidence represent the most important reason why the claim is true?"
• In the “Tell-Tale Heart” Unit, Lesson 8, students compare different mediums in the following assignment: “In your reading log, write a response to the question. How do 'The Treachery of Images' and 'The Allegory of the Cave' convey ideas about truth, perception, and reality? Cite evidence from both texts to support your response.”
• In the “Conservation” Unit, Lesson 10, students participate in a lesson on “Tracing Supporting Evidence in “Conservation as a National Duty.” Students listen to the section and discuss, “How does this section of the text provide evidence supporting Roosevelt’s claim regarding morality and conservation?” In Lesson 12, the students continue locating claims: “Use your sticky notes to identify any support for Roosevelt’s claim that it is our moral obligation to conserve resources." Then in Lesson 14, students complete the task, “With your group: Use the text to answer the questions on your discussion preparation handout. Identify and explain textual evidence that supports your answer.”
• In the "Call of the Wild" Unit, Lesson 14, students participate in a lesson “Supporting a claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence.” In this lesson, students are given instruction on making a strong claim and choosing logical and relevant evidence. At the end of this lesson, students practice by working with a partner to make a claim and gather evidence to answer this prompt, “What enables Buck to survive and thrive in the wild?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that materials include explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context.

In the Guidebooks, specifically “How are the materials designed for the classroom?”, there are many Interactive WriteAlong videos listed that match the Language/Grammar Common Core Standards devoted to this grade level. Materials also include student practice sheets for students to complete while watching the Interactive WriteAlong videos. Within all Extension task and Culminating Writing task directions and rubrics for grammar and conventions are considered but not always explicitly taught. For example, some limited directions state for students to “revise and edit” within these tasks directions without clear instruction in revising and editing addressing specific grammar and conventions. Most grammar and conventions instruction is located in the “Teacher Notes” within the slides in each lesson or in the “WriteAlong” videos.

• In the “Tell-Tale Heart” Unit, students reread part of the text and analyze the meaning of words: “Compare the narrator’s language from the beginning of the text (quotation on the left) to the end of the text (quotation on the right). Pay attention to the sentence structure, sentence length, and punctuation use. How is the language different? What is the effect? What does the difference in language reveal about the narrator?” Instruction is provided in the Teacher’s Notes.
• In the “Conservation” Unit, Lesson 5, students participate in a lesson to “Recognize and Correct Inappropriate Shifts in Verb Voice.” Teachers facilitate the lesson: 1-Independently revise your response to “Conservation as a National Duty” and “Autumntime.” 2-First, circle the subjects and underline the verbs in your response. 3-Then, look for inappropriate shifts in active and passive voice and revise accordingly. Teachers are given additional instructions in the Teacher Notes to provide additional support for struggling students in small groups or individually. “Use this time to work individually with students or pull together small groups of students to conduct a writing or grammar mini-lesson. This can also be done as a whole class if additional writing support is needed for all students. Choose an approach that matches the level of support your students need.” In the Teacher Notes, teachers are instructed to tell students how this lesson prepares students for another lesson and/or the end-of-unit assessments.
• In the "Call of the Wild" Unit, Lesson 36, students use a rubric to edit their final draft of their essay. 1-Identify 1-2 skills to focus on for this essay, such as using punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. The ELA Guidebook Grammar Guide provides suggestions for different grammar mini-lessons. 2-Then prompt students to edit their drafts based on the provided mini-lesson. They can do this independently or in small groups.
• In the Guidebook there is a section for supplemental resources. In this section, there are “Interactive WriteAlong videos for targeted writing and grammar interventions, as well as other short (3-10 minute) videos intended for teacher and student use focused on targeted concepts and skills. Organized by topic.” These topics include, but are not limited to capitalization, tenses, and parts of speech.
• In the “Flowers for Algernon” Unit, Lesson 34, as part of the Culminating Writing task, students edit and publish the final draft of their literary analysis. The Teacher Notes suggest that the teacher consult the “Grammar Guide” and select one to two skills based on observations of weaknesses in the students’ work. After receiving instruction on the chosen skills, students are required to “Maintain a formal style and use grade-appropriate grammar and language” for their final drafts.