The instructional materials for Grades 6, 7, and 8 partially meet the expectations of alignment and building knowledge. Although texts are of high quality, the materials do not consistently provide rigorous reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language practice. The majority of tasks are optional and do not always align to grade-level standards. While units focus on a theme and an essential question, it is unclear how the texts and tasks connect to these components to promote knowledge building.