11th Grade - Gateway 1

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1c. 

Grade 11 texts quantitatively range between 320L–1550L for the year. Most texts that fall outside of the Grades 11–CCR Lexile Stretch Band have qualitative measures that make them appropriately complex for the grade. The relationship of the quantitative and qualitative analyses to the associated reader task is not appropriately complex. While some Extend the Text tasks serve as associated reader tasks, these tasks are optional and may not occur during core instruction. Although materials include text complexity information for quantitative and qualitative measures, the documentation does not include a rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level. 

Core/Anchor texts do not have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to documented quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and relationship to their associated student task. Documentation does not include a rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Anchor/Core texts do not have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to their associated student task. 

  • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1950–1865, of the twenty-four selections students read, fourteen do not have a Lexile level. Four selections fall below the Grades 11–CCR Lexile Stretch Band, four fall above, and two fall within the stretch band. Students read an excerpt from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself, by Frederick Douglass (1070L). This text has a Reading Level of Moderate and falls below the Grades 11–CCR Lexile Stretch Band. Difficulty Considerations include vocabulary, while length is listed as an Ease Factor. This text is paired with a Literature Connection selection, “Frederick Douglass,” a lyric poem by Robert Hayden (NP). While reading, students explore stereotypes and tone and engage in historical research. Students “[f]ind the stereotype Douglass mentions in this excerpt, and note how he dispels it. In addition, trace how the tone of the narrative changes from beginning to end. Jot down words and images that express tone.” Guidance also directs students to “be on the alert for cause-and-effect connections in Douglass’ narrative.” After reading both selections, students respond to Analyze Literature prompts addressing stereotype and tone. Students are not directed to use the notes they took while reading to complete this task nor do any post-reading tasks address cause-and-effect.    

  • In Unit 5, Progress and Conflict, Early Twentieth Century 1910–1929, of the thirty-four selections students read, twenty-six do not have a Lexile level. Six texts fall below the Grades 11–CCR Lexile Stretch Band and two fall within it. Students read an excerpt from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1170L). The text falls slightly below the Grades 11–CCR Lexile Stretch Band and has a Reading Level of Moderate. Some difficulty vocabulary is identified as a Difficulty Consideration, while Ease factors include dialogue and easy conversational style. As a learning objective, students understand and analyze the narrator and describe the setting, extending their thinking to understand how the narrator and setting work together to create a sense of a particular time and place. Students use a two-column list to “record details indicating the setting, characters, narrative, or theme” while reading the text. Students ``[a]lso identify the narrator and determine his relationship to Gatsby. Consider why Fitzgerald chose this character to tell the story.” After reading, students respond to the following Analyze Literature questions addressing setting and narrator. Students do not use their two-column list to respond to the questions. During the Creative Writing option in the Extend the Text section, students ``[c]hoose one of the scenes from the party, and rewrite it to be set in the current time. In a one-paragraph description, include details that indicate the scene’s new setting.” This associated reader task is optional and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.   

  • In Unit 8, Social Transition, Early Contemporary Era 1960–1980, of the twenty-five selections students read, thirteen do not have a Lexile level. Nine fall below the Grades 11–CCR Lexile Stretch Band, two fall within, and one falls significantly above the stretch band. Students read John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address” (1340L). This text falls within the Grades 11–12 Lexile Stretch Band and has a Reading Level of Moderate. Difficulty Considerations include historical context and vocabulary and the Ease Factor is length. While reading, students analyze the author’s purpose and use of repetition. In addition, students explore the relevance of issues in a historical context. After reading, students respond to Analyze Literature questions addressing purpose and repetition. Extend the Text options do not address purpose or repetition. 

• Anchor/Core texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by an accurate text complexity analysis; however, the text complexity analysis does not include a rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level.

  • The text overview page for each selection includes the following text complexity information: Reading Level and Lexile level, Difficulty Considerations, and Ease Factors. Materials do not explain the educational purpose of the text and the reason for its placement in the grade level.

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1d. 

While series of texts are largely at a variety of complexity levels, the complexity levels of anchor texts and supporting texts students read do not provide an opportunity for students’ literacy skills to grow across the year. Extend the Text tasks, while optional, often do not provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of the focus area. When provided, associated reader tasks do not increase in complexity over the course of the year. While the program’s gradual release of responsibility reading model “emphasizes scaffolded instruction,” it is unclear which texts are Directed Reading selections and which are Independent Reading selections, as the Reading Support levels are not identified on the Scope & Sequence guide or on the text overview pages. 

Series of texts should be at a variety of complexity levels appropriate for the grade band to support students’ literacy growth over the course of the school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• The complexity of anchor texts students read does not provide an opportunity for students’ literacy skills to increase across the year, encompassing an entire year’s worth of growth. 

  • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1850–1865, texts range from 920L–1950L. Students read an excerpt from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Seven Years Concealed, an autobiography by Harriet Jacobs (Linda Brent) (920L). This text is significantly below the Grades 11–CCR Lexile Stretch Band. The Reading Level for this text is listed as Moderate with background information on slavery and high-level vocabulary identified as Difficulty Considerations and sympathetic narrator, first-person point of view, and compelling story. During the Independent Reading selection, students focus on irony, characterization, and chronological order, responding to Analyze Literature prompts addressing the aforementioned literary elements. Writing Options tasks do not address irony, characterization, and chronological order nor do the questions and tasks address the requirements of the standard: “Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.”

  • In Unit 5, Progress and Conflict, Early Twentieth Century 1910–1929, texts range from 740L–1370L. The second of four anchor texts is “A Wagner Matinee,” a short story by Willa Cather (1370L). This text is slightly above the Grades 11–CCR Lexile Stretch Band. Materials list the Reading Level as Moderate with references to the narrator’s youth listed as a Difficulty Consideration and length identified as an Ease Factor. To frame students’ work with analyzing the narrator, point of view, and characterization, the Set Purpose section of the text overview includes this guidance: “As you read, consider what information is provided by Clark, the narrator, and whether it is reliable. On what does he base his opinion of his aunt? Consider, too, the other ways Cather creates the character of Aunt Georgiana. Make predictions about what you think will happen, based on the narrator’s point of view. Correct or confirm those predictions as you read.” Although students respond to various Analyze Literature questions that address the aforementioned literary elements during reading, Extend the Text options do not provide an opportunity for an associated reader task that addresses the elements of focus or their associated standard: “Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).”

  • In Unit 7, The American Dream, Postwar Era 1945–1960, texts range from 860L–1430L. At the start of the unit, students read “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” a short story by Flannery O’Connor (990L). This text is significantly below the Grades 11–CCR Lexile Stretch Band. Materials list the Reading Level of this selection as Moderate with dialect identified as a Difficulty Consideration and style listed as an Ease Factor. Materials define characterization and dialect and direct students to “analyze the characterization techniques [O’Connor] uses to develop the characters in the story.” Students also “analyze her use of dialect in creating characters, “writ[ing] down specific examples of dialect in the story.” Students examine and discuss Analyze Literature prompts and notes that address characterization and dialect both during and after reading. During the Informative Writing Extend the Text option, students "[w]rite an essay analyzing the complexities of the character of Mr. Shiftlet,” organizing their analysis “in terms of the direct and indirect characterization techniques, devoting a paragraph to each.”  

• As texts become more complex, some scaffolds and/or materials are provided in the Teacher Edition (e.g., spending more time on texts, more questions, repeated readings, skill lessons)

  • The front matter of the Teacher Edition explains the program’s gradual release of responsibility reading model: “Close Reading Models walk students through the selections and demonstrate how to analyze literature and apply reading skills and strategies to each genre.” Next, the gradual release reading model transitions students to Directed Reading. During this stage, “the teacher begins to transfer responsibility to the students. Students are directed through explicit pre- and post-reading instruction, but during-reading support is reduced to encourage students to practice reading skills and monitor comprehension on their own.” The reading model concludes with Independent Reading. This stage “advances the total release of responsibility from the teacher to the students, who can now apply the skills and knowledge required to read increasingly more difficult selections on their own.”

  • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1850–1865, students read an excerpt from the preface to Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (1950L) and an excerpt from “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman (NP). Materials list the Reading Level of the preface excerpt for Leaves of Grass as Challenging with metaphor; background needed; more description than action; formal language; and long, complicated sentences identified as Difficulty Considerations. The quantitative measure places this text far above the Grades 11–CCR Lexile Stretch Band. The Reading Level for the excerpt from “I Hear America Singing” is listed as Easy with personification listed as a Difficulty Consideration and length and simple language listed as Ease Factors. The Build Background section of the text overview provides literary context for both selections. The Analyze Literature inset of the text overview defines Romanticism and free verse. The after-reading Analyze Literature inset includes additional context on elements of Romanticism and free verse. Materials do not provide support for the remaining Difficulty Considerations. 

  • In Unit 8, Social Transition, Early Contemporary Era 1960–1980, students read John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address” (1340L). The Reading Level for this text is listed as Moderate with historical context and vocabulary identified as Difficulty Considerations. The Build Background section of the text overview includes some historical context information. The text overview includes a list of Preview Vocabulary words. Materials include footnotes that define these words as students read the text.

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1g.

The materials provide frequent opportunities for students to engage in speaking and listening activities and projects. Materials also include directions for conducting such exercises; however, there are no protocols for these activities and projects found in the core materials, nor is there guidance for how or when teachers should model speaking and listening techniques. At the end of each unit, materials include a Speaking and Listening Workshop where students can practice, present, and actively listen to oral presentations. These Workshops include steps on how to conduct a particular speaking and listening project, as well as a rubric and speaking and listening tips. 

Materials provide frequent opportunities for speaking and listening; however, speaking and listening opportunities do not include protocols. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Materials do not provide varied protocols for speaking and listening to support students’ developing speaking and listening skills across the whole year’s scope of instructional materials. 

  • In Unit 1, Shaping the World, Origins of the American Tradition to 1800, in the Speaking & Listening Workshop, students learn how to present a literary work. The Workshop includes explanations for each of the following steps: select a work, familiarize yourself with the work, practice the work aloud, memorize the work, present the oral interpretation. Materials provide a Speaking and Listening Rubric for Content and Delivery that includes these elements: “The literary work is appropriate for the audience. The volume, pace, and enunciation (clarity of speech) fit the selection. The tone (emotional quality) and emphasis of delivery are effective.” Although materials include directions for students to complete this Workshop, there is no evidence of protocols for students to conduct the speaking and listening task and develop their speaking and listening skills.  

  • In Unit 4, Expanding Frontiers, Unification and Growth 1865–1910, students read the paired texts, “I Will Fight No More Forever,” a speech by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, and “I am the Last of My Family,” a speech by Cochise of the Chiricahua. In the Extend the Text section, students “Address a Jury” during the Critical Literacy activity. Directions for the activity include: “Imagine that you are an attorney representing the Nez Perce in a lawsuit against the U.S. government. Prepare an address to a civil jury, stating what Chief Joseph’s people have lost and how they should be compensated. Ask six of your classmates (the number of people on a civil jury) to be jurors and listen to your presentation. The jurors should take notes on your position and the evidence to support it. After the presentation, ask the jurors for their feedback and questions. Discuss as a group.” Although materials include directions for students to complete this optional task, there is no evidence of a specific protocol used to support students’ developing speaking and listening skills.

  • In Unit 7, The American Dream, Postwar Era 1945–1960, students read “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” by Flannery O’Connor. The Teacher Wrap of the Teacher Edition includes a Teaching Note on self-generated questions. Students work in pairs and “reread a section of the text and write down any questions that arise during their reading.” As a class, students go back through each section of the text and discuss the questions. While the Teaching Note includes directions for the activity, there is no evidence of a specific protocol used to support students’ developing speaking and listening skills. 

• Teacher guidance includes modeling of academic vocabulary and syntax during speaking and listening opportunities.

  • In Unit 2, Expressing a National Spirit, American Renaissance 1800–1850, students read an excerpt from Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson. As the students analyze the text, the teacher defines aphorism, “a short saying that makes an often witty observation about life.” The teacher and students examine sentences in the passage, and the teacher encourages students to identify the sentences as aphorisms. The class then discusses “how such concise statements allow the writer to convey important ideas briefly and in a way that challenges readers to reflect on them.” 

  • In Unit 5, Progress & Conflict, Early Twentieth Century 1910–1929, students read excerpts from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises and For Whom the Bell Tolls. When framing the readings, the teacher instructs students on point of view using examples from The Great Gatsby and For Whom the Bell Tolls to illustrate first-person and third-person points of view. The teacher uses the following questions to facilitate discussion on the narrator of each work: “Who is telling the story? What is the narrator’s relation to the other characters? Is the narrator’s perspective, or point of view, limited in any way? Is the narrator reliable?”

  • In Unit 8, Social Transition, Early Contemporary Era 1960–1980, students read Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The teacher explains the contextual use of argument, a “logical reason for accepting or rejecting a provable statement of belief or course of action,” using King’s argument supporting the march in Birmingham. During a discussion, students “consider the arguments for and against civil disobedience as a means of protesting unjust laws” as they respond to the following question: “Under what conditions is this approach to social change justified, and when might it not be justified?” 

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1h. 

Materials include opportunities for stand-alone and text-based discussions. Students may respond to Close Reading, Analyze Literature, Use Reading Skills, Refer to Text, and Reason with Text questions in writing or orally as instructed by their teacher. Where appropriate, the Teacher Wrap in the Teacher Edition contains Critical Thinking Discussion Guides, which provide opportunities for text-based discussions. Although the Discussion Guide includes a series of text-specific questions and suggested answers, materials do not provide evidence of follow-up questions or supports, such as entry points for students who may have difficulty initiating or engaging in conversation. Some Extend the Text options include speaking and listening opportunities; however, the enactment of these activities are based on teacher selection and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction. Mirrors & Windows, and Use Reading Skills: Make Connections questions are often stand-alone in nature, allowing students to reflect on personal experiences while discussing sub-themes and topics related to texts of study. Materials do not include evidence of teacher guidance for monitoring students’ speaking and listening opportunities. Explicit speaking and listening instruction occurs during the End-of-Unit Speaking & Listening Workshop; however, this Workshop is not a part of core instruction.

Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Speaking and listening instruction includes some facilitation, monitoring, and instructional supports for teachers.

  • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1850–1865, the Teacher Wrap of the Teacher Edition includes the following guidance for a close reading of Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing.” “As you lead a class discussion on Whitman’s ‘I Hear America Singing,’ begin by asking a student to read the poem aloud. Remind students to listen for these elements of poetry: rhythm and repetition of initial consonant sounds (alliteration) and of internal vowel sounds (assonance), of words, and of grammatical structures. Ask students to consider the effects of the various elements when they are heard aloud. For instance, the catalog of workers emphasizes their number and suggests their contribution to American life.” Though the materials include these directions, there is no evidence of teacher guidance on monitoring the student discussion or instructional support for students who may be having difficulty starting or engaging in the conversation.

  • In Unit 4, Expanding Frontiers, Unification and Growth 1865–1910, the Teacher Wrap in the Teacher Edition contains a Critical Thinking Discussion Guide for the oral history excerpt from Black Elk Speaks by Nicholas Black Elk and John G. Neihardt: “Write this statement from Fire Thunder on the board in large type: ‘I was not after horses; I was after Wasichus.’ Ask students to imagine that this was the headline in a newspaper for a white American audience at the time of the battle. How might readers have felt about the Lakota after reading this headline? What stereotypes might this statement have created? Discuss whether knowing the rest of the story might change attitudes. Ask students to think of contemporary examples in which a so-called sound byte gives one impression, while knowing more of the story gives a different impression.” Materials include suggested answers, but there is no  evidence of guidance for monitoring the student discussion or for supporting any learners struggling in taking part in the discussion. 

  • In Unit 7, The American Dream, Postwar Era 1945–1960, students read Allen Ginsberg’s lyric poem, “A Supermarket in California.” During the Collaborative Learning Extend the Text option, students work in small groups of three or four to discuss at least two of the following text-based questions: “What literal and/or figurative meanings does each question seem to have? Is the question rhetorical, or does the speaker actually seek an answer?” Materials do not include evidence of  teacher guidance on monitoring the student discussions or instructional supports for students who may be having difficulty starting or engaging in the conversations. The Extend the Text section contains four options from which the teacher may choose. As a result, this activity may not occur during core instruction.

• Students may have multiple opportunities over the school year to demonstrate what they are reading through varied speaking and listening opportunities. Instruction occurs during the Extend the Text section, that contains four options from which the teacher may choose. As a result, this activity may not occur during core instruction.

  • In Unit 2, Expressing a National Spirit, American Resistance 1800–1850, students read “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving. The Teacher Wrap in the Teacher Edition includes a Critical Thinking Discussion Guide that directs teachers to “Discuss with students the concept of the Faustian bargain, or selling one’s soul to the devil.” The questions in this guide include “Although this is an age-old moral question, in what forms does it appear today?” and “Are there situations in which crime (or immorality) does pay? Explain.”

  • In Unit 5, Progress and Conflict, Early Twentieth Century 1910–1929, in the Extend the Text section for the dramatic monologue,“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” by T.S. Eliot, students have the option of writing a situation comedy: “Work with a small group to write an episode of a situation comedy about a man like J. Alfred Prufrock. Change the tragic elements of his psychological profile into humorous traits. Perform the episode for your class.” The Extend the Text section contains four options from which the teacher may choose. As a result, this activity may not occur during core instruction.

  • In Unit 7, The American Dream, Postwar Era 1945–1960, while reading Act I of The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the teacher leads a discussion of the role of Rebecca Nurse in this scene by asking the following questions:

    • “What role does Rebecca Nurse play in this scene?

    • Who agrees with her?  Who disagrees with her? What opinion do her opponents express?  Why might they be unwilling to listen to her? 

    • When have you been the ‘voice of reason’? 

    • When have you failed to listen to the voice of reason?” 

• Speaking and listening work requires students to utilize, apply, and incorporate evidence from texts and/or sources.

  • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1850–1865, students read “Much Madness is divinest Sense,” “I heard a Fly buzz - when I died-,” “Because I could not stop for Death-,” and “This is my letter to the World” by Emily Dickinson. Students also read “Battle for the Belle of Amherst,” an article by Daniel Terdiman. In the Extend the Text section, the optional Collaborative Learning task directs students to compose a speech: “Should governments support writers financially? Work with a small group to present your position to the class in a formal speech, using evidence and rhetorical devices to persuade the audience. As you listen to other groups, identify the evidence they use to support their positions. How does this evidence affect your perspective on the issue?” The Extend the Text section contains four options from which the teacher may choose. As a result, this activity may not occur during core instruction.

  • In Unit 6, Hard Times, Depression and World War II 1929–1945, students read an excerpt from John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath. During the Lifelong Learning Extend the Text option, students use print and online sources to “find historical accounts of people’s lives during the Depression.” Students use the following questions to guide their work: “What hardships did many people experience in the Depression? Did the Depression affect people differently in urban and rural areas? What lasting effects did the Depression have on people’s lives?” Students use the information they gather to “prepare and present a speech in which [they] analyze the differences and similarities of historical accounts,” using “excerpts from the accounts to support [their] analysis.” This activity is one of four Extend the Text options from which the teacher may choose and as a result, may not occur during core instruction.   

  • In Unit 8, Social Transition, Early Contemporary Era 1960–1980, in the Critical Literacy Extend the Text option for “Report From Part One,” “To Black Women,” and “The Explorer” by Gwendolyn Brooks, students celebrate African-American women: “With a small group of classmates, plan a celebration of the works of African-Americam women poets. Write an introduction for each poet; then select one of her poems to share with the group or the class. Explain the themes the poet writes about and how one or more are evidenced in the poem you selected.” The Extend the Text section contains four options from which the teacher may choose. As a result, this activity may not occur during core instruction.

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1i. 

Materials offer both on-demand and process writing opportunities for students primarily in post-reading Extend the Text tasks and End-of-Unit Writing Workshops. Extend the Text sections contain two, mode-specific writing prompts, and each Writing Workshop focuses on a specific mode of writing. The Workshops guide students through the entire writing process—prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading, and publishing. Materials also include a student model and instructional guidance for teachers in the Teacher Wrap of the Teacher’s Edition; however, there is no guidance to indicate where students should compose their writing. The Writing and Grammar Handbook offers in-depth lessons that expand on these Writing Workshops, and the Writing section of the Language Arts Handbook also offers detailed information for students on the writing process and modes and purposes of writing; however, these ancillary materials are not part of core instruction. Because teachers have the choice of which Extend the Text exercises to complete, there is no guarantee that students will complete the writing opportunities offered. Materials utilize digital resources where appropriate.

Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Materials include on-demand writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction.

  • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1850–1865, students complete a Writng Skills task as part of the Test Practice Workshop. During this on-demand timed writing task, students respond to the following prompt: “The outcome of Aesop’s fable, ‘The Tortoise and the Hare,’suggests that ‘Slow and steady wins the race.’ Some people agree with this belief, suggesting that being thorough and working steadily toward a goal will ensure success. Others argue that in today's fast-changing world, doing things quickly and with flash or style is more important. In general, whom do you think will do better in high school: the student who is thorough and steady or the one who is fast and flashy? Take a position on this question. You may write about one of the two perspectives given, or you may present a different perspective on this question.” The Test Practice Workshop is an optional activity and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.

  • In Unit 5, Progress and Conflict, Early Twentieth Century 1910–1929, in the Extend the Text section for “Poetry” by Marianne Moore ,and “Arts Poetica” by Archibald MacLeish, one of the post-reading writing options is an argumentative writing task that asks students to imagine they have been debating the ideas expressed in the two poems. Students “write [their] friend a paragraph explaining which view of poetry—Moore’s or MacLeish’s—most corresponds with your own and why.” This activity is one of four Extend the Text options from which the teacher may choose. As a result, this activity may not occur during core instruction.

  • In Unit 8, Social Transition, Early Contemporary Era 1960–1980, in the Extend the Text section for “The Rockpile,” by James Baldwin, students may complete the following informative writing task: “In developing characters, authors sometimes portray how one character’s behavior affects the other characters. Analyze this cause-and-effect relationship among the characters in ‘The Rockpile’.” This activity is one of four Extend the Text options from which the teacher may choose. As a result, this activity may not occur during core instruction.

• Materials include process writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. Opportunities for students to revise and edit are provided.

  • In Unit 2, Expressing a National Spirit, American Resistance 1800–1850, students complete a Writing Workshop on descriptive writing, during which they “plan, write, and revise a description of a setting.” The Workshop directions include the purpose and audience for the scene and guide students through the entire process of writing the scene: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading, publishing, and presenting. Materials include a Student Model to support students’ revision work. 

  • In Unit 5, Progress and Conflict, Early Twentieth Century 1910–1929, students complete a Writing Workshop on narrative writing: “Plan, write, and revise an application essay telling of an experience that led to personal growth or self-discovery.” The Workshop directions include the purpose and audience for the essay and guide students through the entire process of writing the essay: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading, publishing, and presenting. 

  • In Unit 9, New Challenges, Contemporary Era 1980–Present, the Writing Workshop focuses on writing a research paper. Materials provide guidance during each stage of the writing process. During the revision stage, materials support students with evaluating their draft and revising their work for content, organization, and style. Guidance emphasizes developing the opening, middle, and end of the story. Materials include an annotated Student Model based on the Revision Checklist. The Writing Follow-Up provides guidance on publishing and presenting, as well as approaches to students reflecting on their writing. 

• Materials include digital resources where appropriate. 

  • In Unit 2, Expressing a National Spirit, American Resistance 1800–1850, students read the lyric poem, “Thanatopsis,” by William Cullen Bryant. During the Media Literacy Extend the Text option, students use digital resources to create an art exhibit: “As explained in the Art Connection on page 92, the painting shown at the start of this selection is an example of the Hudson River School of painting. On the Internet, locate a few other paintings done in this style; if possible, print them. For each painting, give the name of the artist and the dates of his or her life; then provide a brief description of the painting.” 

  • In Unit 4, Expanding Frontiers, Unification and Growth 1865–1910, students read the short story, “To Build a Fire,” by Jack London. During the Critical Literacy Extend the Text option, students use digital resources to read and write about Jack London’s letters: “Much of what we know about famous people and their time comes from their letters, which are primary sources. Go online to find letters written by Jack London. Take notes on the biographical data you collect. Then write a paragraph explaining what you learned about London.”

  • In Unit 7, The American Dream, Postwar Era 1945–1960, students read the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. During the Critical Literacy Extend the Text option for Act IV, students use digital resources to study the judicial system: “Using the Internet and library sources, locate materials that explain what a person should do when accused of a crime. Synthesize, or combine, the information to create a one-page guide to navigating the judicial system for defendants.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1j. 

Materials provide some opportunities for students to learn, practice, and apply different writing modes during on-demand and longer process writing tasks across the school year. Materials include  on-demand creative, narrative, informative, and descriptive writing opportunities during the post-reading Extend the Text section. Because these tasks are optional and based on teacher choice, there is no guarantee students will complete the provided tasks. Other opportunities for writing occur when students read eSelections that are available in Passport, a digital component of the materials. With access to Passport, students have the ability to use Criterion, which is an online writing evaluation tool; however, it is unclear how to access it or use it. Without access to the digital platform, it is unclear how and where students compose their writing. Process writing instruction and tasks occur during the End-of-Unit Writing Workshops; however, explicit instruction is limited and materials do not meet the required distribution required by the standards.

Materials provide some opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:  

• Materials provide some opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres/modes/types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. 

  • Materials include the following Writing Workshops— one informative, four argumentative, three descriptive, one narrative—resulting in an uneven distribution of explicit instruction on the writing modes required by the standards.

  • In Unit 5, Progress and Conflict, Early Twentieth Century 1910–1929, students learn about narrative writing during the end-of-unit Writing Workshop. Students learn how to “write a college application essay of five hundred words that tells how an experience you had led to your personal growth or some discovery about yourself.” During the Prewrite stage, students select a topic, gather information, organize their ideas using a graphic organizer, and write a thesis statement. Students use a three-part framework—introduction, body, and conclusion—to write their essay. Students use the provided Revision Checklist to evaluate their draft before publishing, presenting, and reflecting on their work. Materials include Draft Stage and Revise Stage models, as well as a Student Model. Teacher guidance includes, “Direct students’ attention to the model. Point out the side questions that focus attention on major parts of the essay: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.” Although materials do not provide any other opportunities for students to learn and apply narrative writing, students do have opportunities to practice narrative writing during optional activities, such as on-demand Extend the Text writing tasks and End-of-Unit Test Practice Workshops.

  • In Unit 6, Hard Times, Depression and World War II 1929–1945, students “[p]lan, create, and edit a multimedia presentation” on a “topic related to World War II or the Depression '' during the End-of-Unit Writing Workshop. During the Prewrite stage, students select a topic, gather information, write a controlling idea that conveys their overall message, and organize their ideas chronologically. During the Draft stage, students compose the introduction, body, and conclusion of the script they will use when delivering or recording their presentation. In the Revise stage, students evaluate their draft and make revisions to content, organization, and style using the provided Revision Checklist. In the final stage, Deliver or Record, students practice presenting their final product and either deliver the presentation to the class or record the presentation for future viewing. Materials include a Writing Follow-Up rubric that includes presentation and reflection criteria. Although materials do not provide further opportunities for students to learn and apply informative writing, students do have opportunities to practice informative writing during optional activities, such as on-demand Extend the Text writing tasks and End-of-Unit Test Practice Workshops.

  • In Unit 9, New Challenges, Contemporary Era 1980–Present, students return to argumentative writing as they learn how to write a research paper during the end-of-year Writing Workshop. During the Prewrite stage, students select a topic, gather information using a working bibliography, write a thesis statement, and organize their ideas using a list and a formal outline. Students use a three-part framework—introduction, body, and conclusion—to write their research paper, and focus on avoiding plagiarism and their use of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Students follow the Modern Language Association (MLA) style to document and cite sources. Materials direct students to reference the style guide “for additional examples of types of sources as well as complete Works Cited lists.” Students use the provided Revision Checklist to evaluate their draft before publishing, presenting, and reflecting on their work. Materials include a Student Model. Teacher guidance includes, “Read through the model with students. Discuss the answers to the margin questions in the model to help students identify the thesis, see how the topic is developed, and recognize a strong conclusion.” The teacher also uses the Works Cited page of the student model “to review formatting for different kinds of sources.” Materials provide three more opportunities for students to learn, practice, and apply argumentative writing—when defending a viewpoint during the Unit 1 Writing Workshop, when solving a problem during the Unit 3 Writing Workshop, and when reviewing a film or play during the Unit 7 Writing Workshop.

• Different genres/modes/types of writing are distributed throughout the school year; however, there is no core instructional path. Writing opportunities may not occur during core instruction. 

  • Students have opportunities to engage in argumentative writing. 

    • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1850–1865, students read two selections by Abraham Lincoln, “The Gettysburg Address” and “The Second Inaugural Address.” Afterwards, students ``[a]nalyze two contemporary political debates for logical fallacies, such as non sequiturs, circular logic, and hasty generalizations” and use their analysis “to write an essay that cautions the president against using logical fallacies.” Students must cite “examples from the debates [they] studied and adjust [their] responses when valid evidence warrants.” Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, students may not have the opportunity to practice writing in this mode.

    • In Unit 6, Hard Times, Depression and World War II 1929–1945, after reading “A Noiseless Flash," an excerpt from Hiroshima by John Hersey, students write in response to the following prompt: “Write one page in which you argue which would be more effective: a novel about the bombing of Hiroshima, told by a fictional character in the story, or a nonfiction account about the survivors, written from a journalist’s perspective. Address the benefits and drawbacks of each type of work.” Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, students may not have the opportunity to practice writing in this mode.

    • In Unit 8, Social Transition, Early Contemporary Era 1960–1980, students read a paired selection containing Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail," and Foster Hailey’s “Dr. King Arrested at Birmingham.” During one of the Extend the Text options, students write in response to the following prompt: “Write a brief analysis of King’s arguments, identifying their strengths and weaknesses and explaining why you agree or disagree. Include and defend inferences and conclusions drawn from King’s ideas and the way he organized them.” Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, students may not have the opportunity to practice writing in this mode. 

  • Students have opportunities to engage in informative/explanatory writing. 

    • In Unit 1, Shaping the World, Origins of the American Tradition to 1800, students read “Song of the Sky Loom," a tribal song by Tewa. After reading, students may complete an Informative Writing task in which they write an essay comparing and contrasting the characters and text structure of the song and a contemporary work. Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, students may not have the opportunity to practice writing in this mode. 

    • In Unit 4, Expanding Frontiers, Unification and Growth 1865–1910, in the Extend the Text activities for the excerpt from Black Elk Speaks by Nicholas Black Elk and John G. Neilhardt, students respond to the following Informative Writing prompt: “Write an essay suggesting why the autobiography became so significant. Support your opinion with details from the selection.” Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, students may not have the opportunity to practice writing in this mode. 

    • In Unit 7, The American Dream, Postwar Era 1945–1960, students read the short story, “The Life you Save May Be Your Own” ,by Flannery O’Connor. After reading, students have the option of writing an informative essay: “Analyze the complexities of the character of Mr. Shiftlet, and organize the analysis in terms of the direct and indirect characterization techniques.” Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, students may not have the opportunity to practice writing in this mode. 

  • Students have opportunities to engage in narrative writing. 

    • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1850–1865, students read the digital eSelections, “There’s a certain Slant of Light," “My life closed twice before its close," and “The Soul selects her won Society,"  all poems by Emily Dickinson. After reading the poems, students may complete a Narrative Writing task in which they rewrite one of the poems as a short story. Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, students may not have the opportunity to practice writing in this mode. 

    • In Unit 4, Expanding Frontiers, Unification and Growth 1865–1910, students read the speech, “I Will Fight No More Forever," by Chief Joseph. After reading, students may complete a Narrative Writing task during which they “[w]rite a paragraph explaining what happened to the Nez Perce after Chief Joseph’s surrender in October 1877.” Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, students may not have the opportunity to practice writing in this mode.

    • In Unit 7, The American Dream, Postwar Era 1945–1960, students read an excerpt from the novel On The Road by Jack Kerouac. After reading, students may complete a Narrative Writing task: “[w]rite your own narrative about a recent trip you took. Model the narrative after On The Road in terms of writing style, tone, narration, and degree of detail.” Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, students may not have the opportunity to practice writing in this mode. 

• Where appropriate, writing opportunities are connected to texts and/or text sets (either as prompts, models, anchors, or supports).

  • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1850–1865, students read “Beat! Beat! Drums,``''By the Bivouac’s Fitful Flame,” and the preface to Leaves of Grass  by Walt Whitman as part of an author study alongside the informational text, “Mathew Brady: Civil War Photographer.” After reading all of these texts, students may complete a Creative Writing task: “Civil War photographer Mathew Brady (see the preceding Informational Text Connection)  photographed many famous Americans from the 1840s through the 1860s, including Walt Whitman. Write a dialogue that might have occurred between the two men. What would they say about the war, photography and poetry, and the American people?” Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, this writing opportunity may not occur during core instruction.

  • In Unit 5, Progress and Conflict, Early Twentieth Century 1910–1929, students read the paired poems, “America," by Claude McKay, and “A Black Man talks of Reaping," by Arna Bontemps. After reading, students may complete a Creative Writing task: Imagine that you are Arna Bontemps and have just read CLaude McKay’s ‘America’. Write a letter to McKay, telling him what you think about the ideas expressed in ‘America’.” Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, this writing opportunity may not occur during core instruction. 

  • In Unit 8, Social Transition, Early Contemporary Era 1960–1980, students read the poem, “The Explorer,” by Gwendolyn Brooks. After reading, students may complete an Informative Writing task: “Visualize the setting of ‘The Explorer’, and assume the role of the man tripping down the halls of the building. Then write a paragraph analyzing the role of the setting, or environment, in the poem and what it might represent to the man in the poem.” Because this is an optional Extend the Text task, this writing opportunity may not occur during core instruction.

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1k. 

Materials provide practice and application opportunities for evidence-based writing but lack explicit evidence-based writing instruction with the exception of some Writing Workshop tasks. During some post-reading tasks, students cite evidence from the text in their written tasks, make claims, and defend their claims using their comprehension and analysis of texts. Extend the Text tasks are optional and based on teacher choice, so there is no guarantee students will engage in evidence-based writing opportunities when offered. Other opportunities sometimes include the Writing Workshops students complete at the end of each unit, additional writing assignments found in the Grammar and Writing ancillary, and the Analyze Literature prompts. It is important to note that many of the writing activities are optional and do not consistently require students to support their analyses and defend their claims using textual evidence.

Materials include some opportunities for evidence-based writing to support sophisticated analysis, argumentation, and synthesis. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Materials provide limited opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence.

  • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1850–1865, after reading “The Gettysburg Adress” and “The Second Inaugral Address” by Abraham Lincoln, students may complete this Extend the Text Argumentative Writing task: “Analyze two contemporary political debates for logical fallacies, such as non sequiturs, circular logic, and hasty generalizations. Use your analysis to write an essay that cushions the president against using logical fallacies. Cite specific examples from the debates you studied and adjust your responses when valid evidence warrants.” However, there are no materials for the teacher to use to teach students about logical fallacies. This is the only writing opportunity in the unit that explicitly requires evidence, and the task does not include explicit instruction on standards-aligned, evidence-based writing. This activity is one of four options from which the teacher may choose and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.

  • In Unit 4, Expanding Frontiers, Unification and Growth 1865–1910, in the Extend the Text section for “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes, students may complete the following Informational Writing task: “Write a two-paragraph analysis of the significance of “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “I, Too, Sing America” to the Harlem Renaissance Era. How do these poems reflect key issues among African-American artists of the time? Use specific examples from the selections to support your analysis.”  However, the materials do not provide background on the Harlem Renaissance Era. Materials include a one-page author’s study on Langston Hughes, as well as introductory content for the two poems, but neither of these pieces contains the information on The Harlem Renaissance needed to complete the assignment. There are no additional materials or support available in the Teacher’s Edition or ancillary materials. This task does not include explicit instruction on standards-aligned, evidence-based writing. This activity is one of four options from which the teacher may choose and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction. 

  • In Unit 9, New Challenges, Contemporary Era 1980–Present, after reading an excerpt from Great Plains by Ian Fazier, “Seeing” from Dakota: A Spiritual Geography by Kathleen Norris, and the LIterature Connection, “So This is Nebraska” by Ted Kooser, students may complete the following Informative Writing task: “[w]rite a comparison-and-contrast essay relating the characters and structure of the twenty-first-century poem “So This is Nebraska” with those of a classical poem or epic. Cite evidence from both texts to support inferences and conclusions that you make in your analysis.”  However, this task does not include explicit instruction on how to write an analysis. This activity is one of four options from which the teacher may choose and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.

• Writing opportunities are focused around students’ analyses and claims developed from reading closely and working with texts and sources to provide supporting evidence.

  • In Unit 1, Shaping the World, Origins of the American Tradition to 1800, students read nonfiction excerpts from The General History of Virginia by John Smith and Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford. After reading, students may complete an Informative Writing task: “Both Smith and Bradford were successful leaders, but Smith left Virginia and Bradford stayed in Plymouth. For each man, write a paragraph that explains how his choice relates to his character and the motivation that drew him to the new world. Then write a paragraph making logical connections between the two situations. Support your ideas with examples from the text.” This activity is one of four options from which the teacher may choose and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.

  • In Unit 4, Expanding Frontiers, Unification and Growth 1865–1910, after reading the short story, “To Build a Fire” by Jack London and the informational texts, “How to Build a Campfire” and “How to Be Sure Your Campfire Is Out” by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, students may complete this Informative Writing task: “Write a literary criticism comparing and contrasting the discussions of fire in London's short story ‘To Build a Fire’ and the two informational text articles on fire. Focus on how effectively the style, tone, diction, and text organization of each selection advance the author's purpose and perspective (theme). Include details to support your inferences and conclusions.” This activity is one of four options from which the teacher may choose and, as a result, may not occur during core instructio

  • In Unit 9, New Challenges, Contemporary Era 1980–Present, students read “Throughput” from Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. After reading, students may complete the following Argumentative Writing task: “As a member of a book club that has read Fast Food Nation, you need to prepare for discussion of how workers are treated in the fast food industry. Write a paragraph in which you agree or disagree with Schlosser’s assertions about throughput and its effects on the hiring and treatment of workers. Use evidence from the selection to support your opinion.” This activity is one of four options from which the teacher may choose and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1l. 

Each unit contains several Grammar & Style Workshops, which have sections on understanding the concept, applying the skill, and extending the skill. The lessons connect to selections students read just before the workshop. Units also contain Vocabulary & Spelling Workshops with sections on understanding the concept, applying the skill, and spelling practice using words from unit text selections. Workshops may not occur during core instruction, as their enactment is contingent upon the teacher selecting the activity from the Lesson Plan for the text selection. On occasion, materials include informal grammar and convention activities listed in the Teaching Notes of the Teacher’s Edition. Although materials include an array of instructional components, there are missed opportunities for grade-level grammar and usage instruction, practice, and authentic application in context.

Materials include some explicit instruction of the grade-level grammar and usage standards, with opportunities for authentic application in context. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Students have opportunities to apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested. 

  • No evidence found 

• Students have opportunities to resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, Garner's Modern American Usage) as needed. 

  • No evidence found

• Students have opportunities to observe hyphenation conventions. 

  • In Unit 7, The American Dream, Postwar Era 1945–1960, students complete a Grammar & Style Workshop on hyphens, ellipses, and italics. In the Understand the Concept section, students learn the definition of hyphens and look at examples of hyphenated words. In the Apply the Skill section, students identify the need for hyphens, ellipses, and italics during a sentence-level exercise, such as: “Salzman lies and tells Leo that Lily is only twenty nine years old, but she is really in her mid thirties.” The statements in the exercise are connected to the text selection that students just read, the short story “The Magic Barrel” by Bernard Malamud. Students also complete an application exercise where they write a short fictionalized account of an event in their lives using ellipses, italics, and at least two compound words or expressions requiring hyphens. 

• Students have opportunities to spell correctly. 

  • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1850–1865, students complete a Vocabulary & Spelling Workshop on suffixes. The teacher begins the lesson by having students recall their knowledge of suffixes and root words and then explains how certain suffixes are added to indicate people who perform certain jobs or are experts in certain areas. The class studies how making these additions often requires spelling changes. In the Apply the Skill section, students use their knowledge of root words to identify the type of work done by a list of people, use a suffix to create a word that describes the person who does the type of job in a list, and use correct suffixes to write a paragraph about jobs they might like to have after school. Students also have the opportunity to practice their spelling of consonant blends and digraphs using words from the preface to Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, the selection before the exercise. Materials do not include opportunities for authentic application in context.

  • In Unit 9, New Challenges, Contemporary Era 1980–Present, students read the poem, “So This Is Nebraska,” by Ted Kosser. Following the selection, materials include a Vocabulary & Spelling Workshop on Common Spelling Errors. In the Understand the concept section, students learn spelling rules for adding affixes. In the Apply the Skill section, students identify troublesome spelling words and create mnemonic devices to help them remember the correct spelling. Materials do not include opportunities for authentic application in context.

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1m. 

At the beginning of each unit, materials include an overview of all vocabulary words, academic vocabulary, and key terms. These words are also listed in the Teacher Wrap of the Teacher Edition alongside the corresponding selection. Words listed as Preview Vocabulary are taken from sentences within selections and are defined in the side margin or at the bottom of pages where they appear. Words listed as Selection Words are additional words from the reading that may be challenging, but are not central to the selection. These are Tier One words that can easily be understood by using context clues. Words listed as Academic Vocabulary are words that are used in the directions about the lessons. These are Tier Two words that explain what students should focus on, help establish context, clarify meaning of literary terms, and define goals or instructional purpose. Words that are listed as Key Terms are domain-specific Tier Three words. The repetition of these words throughout the program helps to ensure student mastery. 

Materials include two Vocabulary & Spelling Workshops within each unit. These Workshops correlate to two of the unit selections that use vocabulary words from the text that precedes the Workshop and contain instruction followed by practice exercises. The enactment of this Workshop is based on teacher selection and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction. The Unit & Selection Resources ancillary also includes vocabulary preview activities and lessons for each unit. The Vocabulary & Spelling ancillary also has lessons that build word study skills and instruction based on vocabulary words from selections. Although materials include multiple elements that address vocabulary acquisition and practice, these elements are not cohesive nor do materials provide teacher guidance on a year-long plan to support students’ vocabulary development. Additionally, ancillary resources are not a part of core instruction.

Materials include opportunities for students to interact with key academic vocabulary words in and across texts; however, the year-long vocabulary plan lacks cohesion. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Materials do not provide teacher guidance outlining a cohesive year-long vocabulary development component.

  • There is no explanation of a year-long cohesive plan for vocabulary instruction; rather, materials include multiple components that address vocabulary, and it is up to the teacher to decide which components to use for instruction. For instance, at the beginning of each unit, materials provide Tier One, Tier Two, and Tier Three vocabulary word lists with the corresponding pages for where the words occur in text. Materials also list the vocabulary words in the Teacher Wrap of the Teacher Edition with the corresponding page number in the section where they occur. Materials define the vocabulary words at the bottom of the selection in which they appear. Each selection includes a short Preview Vocabulary section where students try to unlock the meaning of underlined words from the selection before reading. Occasionally, the Teacher Wrap of the Teacher Edition includes instructions for helping students understand the meaning of words. Materials include two Vocabulary and Spelling Workshops which focus on vocabulary skills instruction. If teachers want to explore selection vocabulary in more depth, they must use the Unit & Selection Resources ancillary. Since it is up to teachers to choose which of these program elements to include in instruction, there is no guarantee that the vocabulary development supports offered will occur during core instruction.  

• Vocabulary is repeated in contexts (before texts, in texts) and across multiple texts; however, it is unclear how materials build students’ vocabulary development of Tier One and Tier Two words during core instruction.

  • In Unit 1, Shaping the World, Origins of the American Tradition to 1800, the Tier Three term tone appears in the before-reading material for the paired excerpts from Common Sense and from The Crisis, No. 1 by Thomas Paine. Materials define the word tone in the Analyze Literature section of the text overview page.  The word tone is used throughout the end-of-unit Speaking & Listening Workshop, as students “determine the mood and tone of the work” and “[c]onsider which tone of voice, facial, expression, gestures, pace (speed) of speaking, and volume (loudness or softness) are most suitable for each part of the work.” The term tone repeats during the Test Practice Workshop: “Context clues also can come from the tone of the section. 

  • In Unit 6, Hard Times, Depression and World War II 1929–1945, the Tier One Selection Word impervious occurs in “The Watch” by Elie Wiesel and in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. Materials do not identify or define the term in either text. 

  • In Unit 8, Social Transition, Early Contemporary Era 1960–1980, materials define the Key Term characterization in the Analyze Literature section of the text overview page of “The Rockpile,” a short story by James Baldwin. The term is used again as materials explain memoirs in the Understanding Literary Forms pages: “The memoirist also uses characterization techniques to portray other people in the account—for instance, describing their appearance or behavior or revealing what others say or think about them.” During the Analyze Literary Elements section of the Reading Skills portion of the Test Practice Workshop, materials define characterization when listing literary elements “commonly found in various types of literature.” 

• Attention is paid to vocabulary essential to understanding the text and to high-value academic words (e.g., words that might appear in other contexts/content areas). 

  • At the beginning of each unit, materials include lists of the Tier Two and Tier Three vocabulary words students will encounter over the course of each unit in the Teacher Edition. Each word is followed by the page numbers where the words appear. At the beginning of each selection, materials list Tier One and Tier Two words under the heading Words in Use followed by page numbers for each vocabulary word. Tier Two and Tier Three words often appear in the before reading information and in Vocabulary & Spelling Workshops. Materials repeat certain Key Terms (Tier Three words) throughout the unit to give students more exposure to and practice with vocabulary words. 

• Students are supported to accelerate vocabulary learning with vocabulary in their reading, speaking, and writing tasks.

  • In Unit 3, A Nation Divided, Slavery and the Civil War 1850-1865, students read “The Gettysburg Address” and the “Second Inaugural Address” by Abraham Lincoln. The Analyze Literature section of the text overview page explains the Tier Three word parallelism. During the reading of both texts, students note instances of parallelism. The subsequent Grammar and Style Workshop focuses on parallelism. Materials provide directions and opportunities for student practice, including a creative writing activity: “Write a letter to the president in which you relate your feelings and observations about national events. Use five examples of parallelism in your letter.” 

  • In Unit 4, Expanding Frontiers, Unification and Growth 1865–1910, students read an excerpt from the memoir Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain. Materials introduce the Tier Three term memoir in the Analyze Literature section of the text overview page to ensure students understand the genre. During reading, students identify words and phrases that signify the work is a memoir on two separate occasions. After reading the text, students perform an analysis of the term memoir. Students contrast a memoir and autobiography, decide if it is acceptable for an author to embellish their memoir, and compare the writing in Twain’s memoir to that of his fiction and essays.

  • In Unit 8, Social Transition, Early Contemporary Era 1960–1980, students read “Morning Song” and “Mirror,” lyric poetry by Sylvia Plath. The text overview page introduces and defines the Tier Three term enjambment. While reading, students “examine Plath’s use of enjambed versus end-stopped lines.” After reading the poems, students identify the examples of enjambment they found in both poems and comment on how the use of enjambment versus end-stopped lines affects the reading and understanding of the poems.