10th Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2a. 

The materials are organized into six units of study, each of which features a topic and an associated genre. Each unit begins with a unit opener that “introduces the genre and connects students to the literature,” includes a “thought-provoking quote [that] gives insight into literature,” features “fine art and photographs [that] connect with the unit theme,” and introduces “essential questions related to the unit theme [that] generate interest and set the stage for learning.” These elements at the beginning of the unit introduce the topic of the unit, but the remaining sections of the introduction serve to explain the genre and do not further address the theme of the unit. Lessons within the unit are organized into subtopics that break down the genre into components of the genre and examples of texts that illustrate those components. The Scope and Sequence Guide lists sub-themes that connect to many of the selections. The Mirrors & Windows questions that accompany selections address these sub-themes, but they do not connect to the overall theme of the unit, and there is no explanation or guidance on how the unit theme and the Mirrors & Windows sub-theme work together. The individual components included in the program are not connected in a cohesive way that would build students’ knowledge of a topic or theme. 

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

• Texts are connected by a grade-appropriate cohesive topic/theme/line of inquiry. Texts miss opportunities to build knowledge, vocabulary, and the ability to read and comprehend complex texts across a school year.

  • In Unit 2, Things That Divide and Things That Unite, Nonfiction Connections, the essential question is “What common issues divide us and how can we become united?” and the theme is “Things That Divide and Things That Unite.” In the introduction to the unit, materials provide an overview of the selections: “The selections in this section present people who confront division and contemplate the road to unity.” An excerpt from Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family by Yoshiko Uchida serves as the anchor text for the unit. Students also read an excerpt from My Left Foot by Christy Brown, “Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People” by Langston Hughes, “We Heard It Before We Saw Anything” by Julian West, and an excerpt from When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip. Mirrors & Windows sub-themes associated with unit selections include fear, determination and communication, internment, leadership, television, social responsibility, revenge, witnessing events, and writing problems. Although students respond to a Mirrors & Windows question that addresses the sub-theme after reading a text, it is unclear how the sub-theme connects to the unit theme or essential question. Because the embedded Close Reading questions and Extend the Text tasks do not connect to the unit theme or essential question, it is unclear how students build knowledge of the theme. 

  • In Unit 4, Between Friends, Drama Connections, the unit introduction and the essential question are as follows: “In the selections in this unit, friends who find themselves in challenging situations react in surprising ways. What you would do if you found yourself in the place of one of the characters?” The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare serves as the anchor text for this unit. Students also read A Marriage Proposal by Anton Chekhov, Antigone by Sophocles, translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald, and “Orpheus” retold by Robert Graves. Selections contain Mirrors & Windows sub-themes but it is unclear how the texts or sub-themes connect to the unit theme or essential question. For example, the Mirrors & Windows question for A Marriage Proposal is “What do you think makes a good marriage? How has the thinking about what makes a good marriage changed over time? Will Lomov and Natalia have a good marriage?” The Mirrors & Windows theme for Act II of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is loyalty. During the Mirrors & Windows question, students put themselves in the place of a character in a difficult situation when reflecting on Brutus’s difficult situation and write about a time they faced a difficult moral dilemma. Students reflect on Brutus’s behavior and compare it to how they might be feeling in his place when reading Act IV. Other than these instances, the essential question is not addressed. The Mirrors & Windows themes do not relate to the unit topic and essential question nor do the embedded Close Reading questions and Extend the Text tasks. As a result, it is unclear how students build knowledge of the theme.

  • In Unit 5, What Makes Us Human, Folk Literature Connections, the essential question is “How are the values handed down through stories and tales still relevant today?” and the unit theme is What Makes Us Human. The anchor text for this unit is an excerpt from Sundita: An Epic of Old Mali by D. T. Niane. Students also read “Orpheus' ' retold by Robert Graves, “Naked Truth and Resplendent Parable” by Anonymous, and “Mu-lan” by Anonymous, translated by Hans H. Fankel. The Mirrors & Windows question for the second selection in the unit, “Orpheus,” references the unit theme: “Based on this myth, what is your impression of Greek culture? What kinds of things about Greek culture might be similar to American culture today? What is different?” However, the remaining texts and Mirrors & Windows questions do not connect to the unit theme or essential question. For example, the Mirrors & Windows question for Sundiata, An Epic of Old Maili is “‘Each man finds his way already marked out for him and he can change nothing about it.’ Do you agree or disagree with this statement? What role does fate play in a person’s life? What role does personal choice play?” The Mirrors & Windows question for “The Wonderful Hair,” a fairy tale retold by Parker Filmore, is “How do all three of these characters possess wealth? When have you valued something more highly than someone else?” The Mirrors & Windows themes do not relate to the unit topic and essential question nor do the embedded Close Reading questions and Extend the Text tasks. As a result, it is unclear how students build knowledge of the theme.

The materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2b. 

As part of the Close Reading Model, materials embed text-specific and text-dependent questions that require students to analyze the key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts and paired selections or text sets. Materials do not consistently include coherently sequenced questions that build to a task in which students demonstrate their understanding of these literary elements. Tasks often occur during the Extend the Text section and may not occur during core instruction, as these tasks are options from which the teacher may select. At times, questions and tasks do not meet the requirements of the correlated standard.

Materials require students to analyze the key ideas, details, craft, and structure within individual texts as well as across multiple texts using coherently sequenced, high quality questions and tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• For most texts, students analyze key ideas and details and craft and structure (according to grade-level standards).  

  • The materials contain some coherently sequenced questions and tasks that address key ideas and details. 

    • In Unit 1, Choices, Fiction Connections, students read “The Leap,” a short story by Louise Erdich, followed by “Her Flying Trapeze,” a poem by Nikki Giovanni. Students read the description of Anna in a specified passage of the text and discuss “what the narrator means by saying her mother ‘lives comfortably in extreme elements.’” After sharing stories about people they know who fit this same description, students discuss “how this description of Anna might contribute to one of the story’s themes.” Students examine a paragraph towards the end of the story and respond to this question: “What details in this paragraph contribute to a theme of the story?” After reading the short story, students respond to the following Analyze Literature: Theme and Anecdote prompt and questions: “Describe each of the anecdotes that appear in the story. What has Anna done for her daughter? What has the narrator done for her mother? What has each learned from the other? How do these things help you understand the theme of the story?” After reading both selections, students respond to the following Text to Text Connection prompt: “How is Anna Avalon courageous? How is the woman in ‘Her Flying Trapeze’ courageous? Compare the themes of the two selections.”  This sequence of questions does not build to a task in which students determine “a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details” nor do students provide “an objective summary of the text.” 

    • In Unit 5, What Makes Us Human, Folk Literature Connections, students read “Orpheus”, a myth retold by Robert Graves, and focus on analyzing plot and conflict. During reading, students respond to Close Read questions, such as “How important are the Muses to the myth so far?”,  “Do you know what a Muse is?”. “ How can you find out?”, “Why does Orpheus go into Tartarus?”, and  “What inferences can you make about his character based on this action?” Then in the after-reading Reason with Text questions, students respond to questions, such as “1b. Describe how Orpheus’s talents help him during his life. 2f. Apply what you know about Hades to determine why he establishes this condition. 3b. Infer why Dionysus is angry with Orpheus.” Then, students respond to the following Analyze Literature: Plot and Conflict prompt: “Review the elements of plot in the Understanding Plot section of Unit 1, page E1. If you were to make a Plot Diagram of ‘Orpheus,’ what would all the parts be? What conflict or conflicts exist in ‘Orpheus?’” Students then read the connected lyric poem, “Tree Telling of Orpheus” by Denise Levertov. During reading, students discuss “[w]hat theme, or main idea, is being conveyed through the metaphor of the tree?” This sequence of questions does not build to a task in which students analyze “how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.” 

  • The materials contain some coherently sequenced questions and tasks that address craft and structure. 

    • In Unit 1, Choices, Fiction Connections, students read “The Monkey’s Paw,” a short story by W. W. Jacobs. While reading, students focus on foreshadowing and respond to Analyze Literature prompts, such as: “What atmosphere does the description of the weather create?”,” What kind of events might the weather foreshadow?”; “How does Herbert’s joking about the monkey’s paw contrast with the atmosphere established by the sergeant-major?”, “What might Herbert’s attitude foreshadow?”;  “What does the description of the visitor suggest about what he might have come to say?”, and  “How is this an example of foreshadowing?” After reading, students respond to an Analyze Literature: Plot and Foreshadowing prompt, during which they use their timeline and the events they listed to create a Plot Diagram: “What examples of foreshadowing did you find as you recorded events? What effect did they have on you as a reader?” Students “[w]rite a horror story from the sergeant-major’s point of view that tells about the wishes he made and the consequences of those wishes,” during the Narrative Writing Extend the Text option. Students use a Plot Diagram to brainstorm ideas and also “brainstorm ideas for how you want to create the characters and setting.” This activity is one of four Extend the Text options from which the teacher can select and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction. While earlier questions address foreshadowing and sequence of events, students do not “analyze how [the] author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.”

    • In Unit 4, Between Friends, Drama Connections, students read Antigone, a play by Sophocles, translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. During reading, students analyze the text as they respond to Close Read prompts and questions. At the end of Scene 1, students respond to these Analyze Literature: Chorus and Ode questions: “What important information does the Chorus reveal in the Parados?, How is the role of the Choragos different from the role of the Chorus?, and How do the Chorus and the Choragos describe Polyneices and his army?” After reading Scene 2, students respond to the following Analyze Literature: Foil prompt: “How does Antigone react to Creon’s accusation? Reread lines 121–123, in which the Choragos describes Ismene’s entrance. How is Ismene a foil for Antigone?” At the conclusion of Scene 3, students respond to this Analyze Literature: Analogy prompt: “Identify two analogies that Haimon uses in his long speech. In each analogy, what is the concrete idea or object? What is the abstract idea or object? How does the concrete help you understand the meaning of the abstract? Why does Haimon use these analogies? Of what is he trying to convince Creon?” At the end of Scene 4, students answer this Analyze Literature: Allusion question: “Why might Sophocles have included these allusions in the play? Do they help the audience understand something better? If so, how? If not, what other purpose might they serve?” After reading Scene 5, students respond to the following Analyze Literature: Motif prompt: “Identify lines in this scene that describe disorder in nature. What later events does this disorder foreshadow, or hint at?” After reading the connected poem, “Pride” by Dahlia Ravikovitch, translated by Chana Bloch and Ariel Bloch, students respond to the following Text to Text Connection questions: “What message about people does the speaker convey by discussing rocks? How is the theme, or central idea, of this poem related to the theme of Antigone? Use quotations from both texts to support your answer.” During the Informative Writing Extend the Text option, students “[w]rite a one-page literary analysis,” explaining “what makes Antigone a tragic play.” Students must “identify the tragic hero or heroes and the tragic flaw” in their analysis. This activity is one of four Extend the Text options from which the teacher can select and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.

• By the end of the year, these components (language, word choice, key ideas, details, structure, craft) are not consistently embedded in students’ work rather than taught directly.

  • In Unit 3, Realizations, Poetry Connections, students read “Remember,” a lyric poem by Joy Harjo. The poem also includes Andre Mason’s painting, “Sunrise at Montserrat”. During the embedded Critical Viewing prompt, students “[r]eview Harjo’s poem, then critique “Sunrise at Montserrat.” State what images you see in the painting and cite line numbers that correspond with these images in the text. Do you think “Sunrise at Montserrat” supports the message in Harjo’s poem? Why or why not?” During and after reading the poem, students respond to questions addressing voice and theme, such as “What can you tell about Harjo’s attitude based on her repetition of the word remember?” and “Consider how the poet chooses to speak directly to the reader. How does this choice affect the theme of the poem?” This sequence of questions does not build to a task in which students analyze “the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.” 

  • In Unit 5, What Makes Us Human, Folk Literature Connections, students read a paired selection containing an excerpt from Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali, an epic legend by D. T. Niane, and an excerpt from The Once and Future King, a legend by T. H. White. While reading Niane's piece, students examine a specific paragraph to answer the question, “What happens in this paragraph that is probably not historically accurate?” While reading White’s selection, students respond to the following Close Read question: “Which events surrounding the Wart’s attempts to pull the sword out of the stone are likely not true to the original story of Arthur? Why might White have included these events in his retelling of the story?” During the Critical Thinking Discussion Guide for The Once and Future King, students discuss the following questions: “Is this the first you have read about the legend of King Arthur? If not, where else did you hear about the story? Explain how this story could have evolved from a true story from history. What elements of it could have been true? Discuss T. H. White’s style and humor in writing this adaptation of the King Arthur myth. Do you enjoy it? Why or why not?” After reading both selections, students respond to Compare Literature: Legend And Archetype questions, including but not limited to: “Which elements of the two legends do you think could have actually occurred in history? Compare the themes of the stories. How do they overlap? What do they say about the values of the cultures in which the stories originated?” Students then read a Primary Source Connection selection from Le Morte d'Arthur, a legend by Sir Thomas Malory and respond to Text to Text Connection questions, such as “Which elements of the story of Arthur from Malory’s version do you see in White’s version? Which account of King Arthur do you find more compelling? Why?” During the Extend the Text Informative Writing option, students reflect on how each story is “a Cinderella story, or a tale of an unexpected hero” and complete the following task: “Write a literary analysis in which you state this theme and discuss how each selection develops it.” The analysis must include “a thesis statement that expresses the shared theme,” an introduction that “describe[s] the plot of each selection,” one paragraph that discusses theme development, and a conclusion. This activity is one of four Extend the Text options from which the teacher can select and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.

The materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2c. 

As part of the Close Reading Model, materials embed text-specific and text-dependent questions that require students to analyze the key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts and paired selections or text sets. Materials do not consistently include coherently sequenced questions that build to a task in which students demonstrate their understanding of knowledge and ideas. Tasks often occur during the Extend the Text section and may not occur during core instruction, as these tasks are options from which the teacher may select. At times, questions and tasks do not meet the requirements of the correlated standard. Although students respond to questions that provide opportunities to analyze across multiple texts, materials do not consistently provide students with opportunities to analyze those same elements within single texts.

Materials do not consistently require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas within individual texts as well as across multiple texts using coherently sequenced, high-quality text-specific and/or text-dependent questions and tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Some sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas.

  • In Unit 2, Things That Divide and Things That Unite, Nonfiction Connections, students read an excerpt from Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family by Yoshiko Uchida and the Informational Text Connection piece, “Proclamation 4417: Termination of Executive Order 9066” by President Gerald R. Ford. After reading the proclamation, students respond to Refer to Text and Reason with Text questions, such as: “2a. What details of the document elaborate on the reasons why Executive Order No. 9066 was issued and the subsequent actions that were taken? 2b. Why are these details important to the understanding of the document’s main idea?” Students examine the author's purpose while reading President Ford’s proclamation and respond to the following Text to Text Connection question afterwards: “What do you think was Ford’s purpose in delivering Proclamation 4417? What was Uchida’s purpose in writing Desert Exile? Draw a conclusion about which text is more effective in achieving its purpose and why. This sequence of questions does not build to a task in which students “[a]nalyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events.” 

  • In Unit 2, Things That Divide and Things That Unite, Nonfiction Connections, students read Elie Wiesel’s speech, “Keep Memory Alive,” and the Informational Text Connection selection, “No News from Auschwitz,” a news article by A. M. Rosenthal. Students evaluate tone in both selections, responding to questions, such as “Where do you note a change in formality and tone of the speech? What effect does this change have on Wiesel’s intended purpose and audience?” and “1a. Identify the sharp contrast Rosenthal establishes in the first two paragraphs. 1b. Describe the effect Rosenthal creates through this sharp contrast.” After reading both selections, students respond to the following Text to Text Connection questions: “How do their perspectives differ? What kinds of evidence (logical, empirical, anecdotal) does each author use in his reflection? Draw conclusions based on your findings.” During the Collaborative Learning option in the Extend the Text section, students search the Internet “to find a complete version of Elie Wiesel’s Nobel prize acceptance speech” and work with a partner or small group “to find another speech by Wiesel, or another acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize.” Students analyze the speeches, identifying “the main message of each speech, the purpose of each speech, and any rhetorical devices, such as parallelism, that the speaker uses.” Students also “compare the voices (tones, diction, and syntax or grammatical structures) of the speeches.” This activity is one of four Extend the Text activities from which the teacher may choose and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.

• By the end of the year, integrating knowledge and ideas is embedded in students’ work (via tasks and/or culminating tasks). 

  • In Unit 2, Things That Divide and Things That Unite, Nonfiction Connections, students read “Montgomery Boycott,” an excerpt from the memoir My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr. by Coretta Scott King. Students respond to questions addressing point of view, such as “What insights into Martin Luther King Jr. and the boycott are readers offered by receiving this information from the point of view of Coretta Scott King?”” and “Does this perspective on Martin Luther King Jr. differ from what is commonly known about him? Why or why not?” After reading, students respond to the following Analyze Literature: Point of View question: “What private, internal thoughts of Dr. King’s do we read in the selection that we might not have learned had another more distant biographer compiled this information? Why is it important to consider the point of view in which a piece is written?” While students analyze point of view, they do not analyze “various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia),” as required by the standards. During the Media Literacy Extend the Text option, students research coverage of the Civil Rights movement and examine how objective each report is using the following questions: “Whom does each report quote, and how long is each quotation? Does each story appear at or near the beginning, middle, or end of the medium? Can you tell what the report thinks of the movement?” Students then “[w]rite a report on your overall impression of the stories you investigated.” This activity is one of four Extend the Text activities from which the teacher may choose and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction. 

  • In Unit 2, Things That Divide and Things That Unite, Nonfiction Connections, students focus on thesis and argument while reading an argumentative essay, “The Trouble with Television” by Robert MacNeil. Students discuss the ideas they took from the first three paragraphs and summarize arguments McNeil makes to support his thesis. Later in the text, students identify the arguments made by finding the main idea of each paragraph. After reading, students respond to the following Analyze Literature: Thesis and Argument question: “Critique MacNeil’s essay by addressing these questions: What is the thesis? What arguments does MacNeil use to advance his thesis? How effectively does MacNeil support his arguments with substantiated evidence? What kinds of evidence (logical, empirical, or anecdotal) does he use to support his conclusions? During the Collaborative Learning option in the Extend the Text section, students participate in “a panel discussion in which some students support [Macneil’s assertion that television is ‘decivilizing’ the nation] and others argue that television benefits the nation.” Representatives for each position “give an opening statement about the issue” and “the moderator or audience can ask questions for clarification or elaboration of ideas.” This activity is one of four Extend the Text activities from which the teacher may choose and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.

• Sets of questions and tasks provide some opportunities to analyze across multiple texts as well as within single texts.

  • In Unit 2, Things That Divide and Things That Unite, Nonfiction Connections, students focus on analyzing metaphor and theme while reading an excerpt from My Left Foot by Christy Brown and an excerpt from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. While reading Brown’s work, students respond to questions, such as “To what does Brown compare his brothers and sisters? What metaphors does he use to decide what separates him from them?” and “Based on what you know about the attitude of Brown’s mother, what is one of the themes of the story?” When reading Bauby’s piece, students answer the following question: “Why might Bauby use a diving bell as a metaphor for his paralysis? Can you think of other metaphors that would apply?” After reading both texts, students answer the following Compare Literature: Metaphor and Theme question: “What two metaphors does Brown use in the last paragraph of the excerpt from My Left Foot to describe what the letter A he draws means to him?  What does Bauby mean when he says that “the alphabet becomes an artillery barrage”? What other metaphors can you find in the selections? What is the main theme of each excerpt? How do metaphors help advance the themes?”  Students may complete the following optional Informative Writing activity in the Extend The Text section: “For a high school literary magazine, write a two- or three-paragraph critical essay in which you identify and evaluate each writer’s theme. How are the themes similar and how are they different? Use evidence from the selections to support your ideas.” This activity is one of four Extend the Text activities from which the teacher may choose and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.

  • In Unit 5, What Makes Us Human, Folk Literature Connections, students read “Lord of the Rings Inspired by Ancient Epic,” a magazine article by Brian Handwerk as a companion text to “The Drowned Maid” from The Kalevala, an epic by Elias Lonnrot. While reading the epic, students focus on analyzing mood and repetition. Examples of prompts and questions include: “Ask students to identify examples of repetition in the song. Point out that repetition, often in sets of three and with some variation, is common in works from the oral tradition. Ask students why this might be so.” and “Ask students what mood is created in this part of The Kalevala. What words and phrases contribute to the mood?” After reading the article, students examine how an element of the article relates to the content of the epic: “Toward the end of the article, Wade Davis refers to several ‘themes’ of pre-Christian traditions. List these themes. What evidence of these themes do you see in ‘The Drowned Maid’? Use quotations from ‘The Drowned Maid’ to support your answer.” The analytical questions within each text do not provide students with opportunities to analyze the same elements across both texts.

The materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2d. 

Individual, paired, and text set selections conclude with Refer to Text and Reason with Text questions; an Analyze Literature, Compare Literature, or Text-to-Text Connection prompt; and four task options in the Extend the Text section. Earlier questions are incoherently sequenced at times and do not always build to a task. Teachers can choose from two writing options and two other types of tasks, such as Collaborative Learning, Critical Literacy, Lifelong Learning, and Media Literacy, in the Extend the Text section. Extend the Text tasks do not consistently relate to reading selections and are sometimes stand-alone in nature. Because there is no true core instructional path, completion of these tasks is optional and contingent upon teacher selection. As a result, there is no guarantee that all students will access the opportunities offered. 

Each unit concludes with three Workshops: Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Test Practice. Most of the Writing and Speaking & Listening Workshops are not connected to the unit genre of study and do not require students to draw upon their knowledge of the texts in the unit. The Test Practice Workshops are not connected to unit content and are designed to help students practice taking standardized tests. The three Workshops are not integrated.

Culminating tasks require students to demonstrate their knowledge through integrated literacy skills; however, it is unclear how tasks relate to the unit’s topic/theme. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Culminating tasks are evident and varied across the year and they are multifaceted, requiring students to demonstrate mastery of several different standards (reading, writing, speaking, listening) at the appropriate grade level, and comprehension and knowledge of a topic or topics through integrated skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening).

  • In Unit 1, Choices, Fiction Connections, during the Writing Workshop, students write a plot analysis. After selecting “story from this unit to analyze,” students reread the story and “[i]dentify what happens in each stage.” Students use a Plot Element Chart to take notes, analyze the story, and organize their ideas. After writing a thesis statement, students draft the introduction, body, and conclusion of their analysis. Students evaluate their drafts using a Revision Checklist. Students orally present their papers and may “create a poster-sized plot pyramid to use as a visual element in their oral report.” Students evaluate their work using a Writing Rubric. This task integrates reading, writing, and speaking and listening. 

  • In Unit 3, Realizations, Poetry Connections, during the Speaking & Listening Workshop, students “present an oral response to literature.” Students select a poem and read it several times, “jotting notes about what stands out for you and what you like or dislike about the poem.” After students analyze the poem, they use a chart to craft the main idea of their oral response and “list the details that explain or support your main idea.” Students use their chart to “practice [their] response out loud,” and pass out copies of the poem during the delivery of their response. Students use a Speaking & Listening Rubric to evaluate the task. This task integrates reading, writing, and speaking and listening. 

  • In Unit 5, What Makes Us Human, Folk Literature Connections, during the Speaking & Listening Workshop, students “prepare a multimedia presentation.” Students select a topic and make an outline that includes at least three subtopics. Students may research their topic as they develop their outline. Afterwards, students choose a theme or design for their presentation to give backgrounds, fonts, “pictures, photos, video, charts, and written materials a similar look and feel.” Then, students put the information into a multimedia presentation before presenting to the class. Students use a Speaking and Listening Rubric to evaluate the task. This task integrates reading, writing, and speaking and listening. 

• Earlier text-specific and/or text-dependent questions and tasks are not coherently sequenced and will not give the teacher usable information about the student's readiness (or whether they are “on track”) to complete culminating tasks.

  • In Unit 1, Choices, Fiction Connections, students read “The Monkey’s Paw,” a short story by W. W. Jacobs. Students examine the sequence of events using a timeline and the teacher highlights evidence of plot and foreshadowing throughout the text. During the Analyze Literature: Plot and Foreshadowing prompt, students use the events from their timeline to create a Plot Diagram and respond to the following questions: “What examples of foreshadowing did you find as you recorded events? What effect did they have on you as a reader?” During the Informative Writing Extend the Text option, students ``[w]rite a one-page analytical introduction...in which you discuss the use of foreshadowing in the story.” Next, students read “Through the Tunnel,” a short story by Doris Lessing. Students use a Plot Diagram “to track the organization of [the] story” and the teacher points out the use of conflict and symbolism. Students do not use their Plot Diagram to respond to questions or complete tasks. These questions and tasks are not coherently sequenced to build to the culminating task. It is unclear how these tasks give the teacher usable information about the student's readiness to complete the End-of-Unit Writing Workshop in which they write a plot analysis of a story.

  • In Unit 3, Realizations, Poetry Connections, students read “Remember,” a lyric poem by Joy Harjo. Students analyze voice and theme and respond to questions, such as “What can you tell about Harjo’s attitude based on her repetition of the word remember?” and “Consider how the poet chooses to speak directly to the reader. How does this choice affect the theme of the poem?” During the Collaborative Learning option in the Extend the Text section, students work in small groups “to discuss the most effective methods and formats for an oral interpretation of ‘Remember.’ Hold a panel discussion in which you consider the advantages and disadvantages of an individual presentation versus a choral reading.” Students consider multiple factors, such as “the addition of sound effects and music,” before reaching consensus on the type of format. Later in the unit, students read the prose poem, “Holidays” by Jamaica Kincaid. Students focus on features of prose poems and style, responding to questions and prompts, such as “After students finish reading this page, ask them to identify specific aspects of the selection that make it a prose poem.” and “How does the writer’s style affect your reading of the poem?” During the Informative Writing option in the Extend the Text section, students “write a one-paragraph analysis discussing whether or not you enjoy reading this kind of writing,” making sure to include “your reasons for liking or disliking this writing technique and the ways you think either contributes to or detracts from Kincaid’s work,” in the analysis. These questions and tasks are not coherently sequenced to build to the culminating task. It is unclear how these tasks give the teacher usable information about the student's readiness to complete the End-of-Unit Speaking & Listening Workshop in which they give an oral response to a piece of literature. 

  • In Unit 5, What Makes Us Human, Folk Literature Connections, students read and compare the epic legend, Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali' by D. T. Niane, to the legend, The Once and Future King by T. H. White. Students focus on features of legends and archetype while reading and respond to prompts and questions, such as: “Ask students to think about whether soothsayer-like characters appear in any modern stories, like the Harry Potter books, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, or Star Wars movies.” and “What happens in this paragraph that is probably not historically accurate?” After reading a Primary Source Connection text, students analyze visual and sound techniques while viewing “a movie about a historic or legendary hero,” during the Media Literacy option in the Extend the Text section. During a later paired selection, students read and compare two fairy tales: “Mother Holle '' by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and “The Wonderful Hair” by Parker Filmore. Students use a chart “to compare and contrast the plots, characters, and settings'' of the text while also analyzing motif and setting. Students respond to prompts and questions, such as “Ask students to identify motifs in this story that are common to other fairy tales they know.” and “What mood do the details create? Is the man in the story a typical fairy tale hero? Why or why not?” During the Media Literacy option in the Extend the Text section, students “[c]reate a plan for a video game based on ‘Mother Holle,’ ‘The Wonderful Hair,’ or a different fairy tale of your choice.” These questions and tasks are not coherently sequenced to build to the culminating task. It is unclear how these tasks give the teacher usable information about the student's readiness to complete the End-of-Unit Speaking & Listening Workshop in which they give a multimedia presentation.

The materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2e. 

The writing program design includes two on-demand, post-reading writing prompts selections. Prompts span creative, argumentative, informative, narrative, and descriptive writing modes. While some prompts are stand-alone tasks, others connect to texts students read and sometimes require students to use textual evidence in their responses. Each unit also includes an End-of-Unit Writing Workshop. During the Writing Workshop, materials explain what students should do during each step of the writing process but rarely provide instruction on the writing mode of focus. Writing Workshops include various supports and tools for monitoring writing development, such as rubrics, student models, literary models, graphic organizers, and checklists. Unlike their on-demand counterparts, these process writing tasks do not connect to the unit theme and are stand-alone in nature with some tasks requiring students to use evidence from sources. Materials include practice opportunities in the Writing Skills section embedded within the End-of-Unit Test Practice Workshop. During this Workshop, students practice timed writing responses and revision and editing skills. As with the Writing Workshops, Test Practice Workshop activities span various genres but are not connected to the unit text selections. The Writing & Grammar workbook may be used to supplant Writing Workshops, as the ancillary resource includes an additional in-depth writing workshop for each unit. Writing & Grammar activities begin with a Learn From a Literary Model section. This section draws upon one of the unit text selections. The Writing Rubrics ancillary contains four PDF files: a narrative writing rubric, an informative writing rubric, an argumentative writing rubric, and a four-point general writing rubric. Materials lack teacher guidance on enacting ancillary and optional writing lessons and tasks. 

Materials include a year-long plan for students to achieve grade-level writing proficiency by the end of the school year; however, cohesion is lacking. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Materials include limited writing instruction that aligns to the standards for the grade level and sometimes supports students’ growth in writing skills over the course of the school year.

• While there is an evident structure to the writing aspect of the program, including frequent opportunities for students to write in various modes and for various purposes, supports, and tools for monitoring student writing development, the structure lacks cohesion. Materials include the following Writing Workshops— two informative, one argumentative, one descriptive, two narrative—resulting in an uneven distribution of explicit instruction on the writing modes required by the standards. Test Practice Workshops do not include explicit instruction and their mode of focus differs from that of the Writing Workshops. It is unclear how writing instruction and tasks build upon each other to promote growth in students’ skills over the course of the unit and across the year.

• While materials offer a number of writing opportunities, explicit writing instruction is largely absent. During the End-of-Unit Writing Workshops, students spend three regular schedule days or one and a half block schedule days transitioning through the writing process as they complete a process writing task on a specific mode of focus. Writing Workshop tasks include:

  • Unit 1—Informative Writing: Plot Analysis

  • Unit 2—Narrative Writing: Personal Narrative

  • Unit 3—Descriptive Writing: Lyric Poem

  • Unit 4—Argumentative Writing: Argumentative Essay

  • Unit 5—Informative Writing: Research Paper

  • Unit 6—Narrative Writing: Short Story 

• Instructional materials include a variety of well-designed guidance, protocols, models, and support for teachers to implement and monitor students’ writing development.

  • In Unit 1, Choices, Fiction Connections, students write a reflective essay as part of the Test Practice Workshop. The Teacher Wrap in the Teacher Edition includes a Reflective Essay Rubric which contains the following criteria: Content and Organization, and Grammar and Style.

  • In Unit 3, Realizations, Poetry Connections, students write a lyric poem “that expresses emotions about a specific subject.” The Workshop includes a Writing Rubric, a Cluster Chart for prewriting, side-by-side examples of the Draft and Revise stages, a Revision Checklist, and a Student Model. 

  • In Unit 5, What Makes Us Human, Folk Literature Connections, students research a conflict and write a research paper on their findings. During the Draft stage, the Teacher Wrap in the Teacher Edition includes a Teaching Note on creating balance: “Draw students’ particular attention to the balance that is ideally struck in this stage between paraphrasing and direct quotation. It is important to have some direct quotes; on the other hand, it is also important that students be able to use their own words for most of the text of the research paper.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2f. 

While materials provide frequent opportunities for short research tasks connected to the texts students read, materials do not include a progression of research skills according to grade-level standards. Short research tasks do not include standards-aligned, explicit instruction and typically occur during one of the post-reading Extend the Text options. These tasks are optional, and may not occur during core instruction. Students have one opportunity in each grade level to conduct a long research project—during the Unit 6 Writing Workshop. During this end-of-grade level task, materials include directions to guide students through each step of the research writing process but provide limited explicit instruction of standards-aligned research skills. 

While materials provide opportunities to expand the Extend the Text research tasks, teachers must access the Extension Activities ancillary to do so. Materials also include a Language Arts Handbook ancillary with a section on Research and Documentation, but there is no guidance on how to use this handbook for instruction or how it ties to the specific tasks students complete. Ancillary resources are not a part of core instruction.

Materials do not include a progression of focused research projects to encourage students to develop knowledge in a given area by confronting and analyzing different aspects of a topic using multiple texts and source materials. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Research projects are not sequenced across a school year to include a progression of research skills according to grade-level standards.  

  • While there are frequent opportunities for students to complete informal research tasks, materials lack teacher guidance to support students with completing these tasks. The Teacher Edition does not provide information on how to teach the research skills necessary to complete the after-reading research tasks, and it contains limited guidance for the End-of-Unit Writing Workshop research project. Materials do not include a sequence or progression of research skills, nor is there explicit instruction of research skills that aligns to the standards. During the one in-depth research project per grade level, students complete research tasks as outlined in the standards but receive limited explicit instruction when doing so. While the research-focused Writing Workshop provides detailed process steps to complete the task, the Workshop rarely includes explicit instruction or scaffolding during each step of the research writing process.

• Materials provide limited support for teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge of different aspects of a topic via provided resources. 

  • There is no evidence of the instructional materials providing support to teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge of different aspects of a topic via provided resources. Research-oriented Extend the Text tasks are not accompanied by instructional support for teachers to guide students through what they are being asked to accomplish. For example, during a Critical Literacy Extend the Text task for the short story “The Open Window” by Saki, students research and compare social conventions: “Research the social conventions of another time period in American or world history. Provide as much information as you can to explain the reasons behind the conventions. Then write a report comparing and contrasting these conventions (or rules of etiquette) with modern conventions for similar situations.” Materials do not include guidance for teachers or students on defining social conventions, how to conduct the research, or how the report should be set up. During the one in-depth research project per grade level, teachers receive limited support for helping students complete the steps of the research project, such as how to write a thesis statement, incorporate parenthetical citations, paraphrase, or construct citations or a Works Cited page.  

• Materials provide many opportunities for students to synthesize and analyze content tied to the texts under study as a part of the research process. 

  • In Unit 1, Choices, Fiction Connections, students read “Two Friends,” a short story by Guy de Maupassant. In the Extend the Text section, the Lifelong Learning task is as follows: “Naturalists believe that events result inevitably from biological or environmental forces rather than from free will. Research Naturalism to learn more about this literary movement. Then analyze ‘Two Friends’ as an example of Naturalism. For example, consider whether Morissot and Sauvage were victims of uncontrollable forces, or whether they exercised bad judgment in crossing the front line. Prepare a brief presentation that explains what Naturalism is and how ‘Two Friends’ first or does not fit the mold.” 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 3, Realizations, Poetry Connections, students read “Eating Alone,” a lyric poem by Li-Young Lee, and “The Floral Apron,” a lyric poem by Marilyn Chin. In the Extend the Text section, the Informative Writing task is as follows: “Research the background and family histories of Li-Young and Marilyn Chin more fully, using library and internet resources. Then write a four paragraph analysis in which you discuss the importance of historical context for these two poems. Your audience for this analysis will be younger students who need more detailed background in order to appreciate the poem…” 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 5, What Makes Us Human, Folk Literature Connections, students read the parable, “Naked Truth and Resplendent Parable,” a Yiddish folk tale. After reading, students may complete a Collaborative Learning Extend the Text task: “Use library or Internet resources to identify some audio recordings of Yiddish music or theater. Organize a presentation in which you play the music for the class as a whole and provide some background for each selection. Alternatively, you might research and organize a presentation on the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof and the movie Yentl, both of which incorporate a number of Yiddish elements.” This activity is one of four options from which the teacher may choose and, as a result, may not occur during core instruction.

• Students are provided with opportunities for both “short” and “long” projects across the course of a year and grade bands.

  • In Unit 2, Things That Divide and Things That Unite, Nonfiction Connections, students may complete a Collaborative Learning Extend the text task after reading an excerpt from the autobiography, Desert Exile by Yoshiko Uchida. This task could be completed in a class period or two. For this task, students analyze the effect of time and place: “Together with a small group, use the Internet to research World War II propaganda posters from the United States, Germany, and Japan. Print out examples of posters from each country, and make a list of the key messages advertised by each. Then discuss the following questions: How are these messages similar? How are they different? What conditions in each country and in the world at large contribute to the need for each poster? What kinds of propaganda posters might be well received in the United States today?” This task is one of four options from which the teacher can choose and, as a result,may not occur during core instruction.

  • In Unit 4, Between Friends, Drama Connections, students read The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. In the Extend the Text section, the Lifelong Learning task requires students to use Internet and library resources to create a timeline of the most important events in Roman history. This short project could be done in one or two class periods; however, because this task is based on teacher selection, it may not occur during core instruction. 

  • In Unit 5, What Makes Us Human, Folk Literature Connections, during the end-of-unit Writing Workshop, students “[r]esearch a conflict and write an informative paper reporting your findings. Use sources, document them carefully, and prepare a final bibliography to accompany your paper.” This long research project spans three class periods.  

The materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2g. 

Instruction, practice, and assessments are based on teacher selection from a list of options. As a result, there is no true core instructional path. The Lesson Plan for each text includes the following sections: Before Reading, During Reading, After Reading. Within each section, teachers select or choose activities from a list of core and ancillary resources. Most ancillary resources, such as Unit & Selection Resources, do not provide explicit instruction nor do they identify correlated standards for the provided content. Some questions and tasks align to grade-level standards while others do not align or do not meet the full intent of the standards. Because assessments do not identify the standards addressed, it is unclear if the majority of assessment items align to grade-level standards. Although the Correlation to Common Core State Standards document lists page numbers covering the standards in each strand, without a true core instructional path and because the majority of questions and tasks do not align to grade-level standards, there is no guarantee that materials repeatedly address grade-level standards within and across units to ensure students master the full intent of the standards.

Materials do not spend the majority of instructional time on content that falls within grade-level aligned instruction, practice, and assessments. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Over the course of each unit, some instruction is aligned to grade-level standards.

  • In the Digital Teacher Edition, the Grade 10 Correlation to Common Core State Standards document lists page numbers for each standard in Reading: Literature, Reading: Informational Text, Writing, Speaking & Listening, and Language; however, the page numbers listed do not always contain opportunities for explicit instruction or address the correlated standard. 

    • For example, the Correlation to Common Core State Standards document lists page 514 in the EMC Pages That Cover the Standards column for RL.5 “Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.” This page outlines the Folk Literature Close Reading Model for the narrative poem, “Magic Words” by Nalungiaq, translated by Edward Field. Materials do not provide an opportunity for explicit instruction on the correlated standard.      

• Over the course of each unit, some questions and tasks are aligned to grade-level standards. 

  • Questions often focus on comprehension strategies, such as Make Connections, Ask Questions, Draw Conclusions, and Visualize. These comprehension strategies do not align to grade-level standards. Some Extend the Text tasks align to grade-level standards, while others either do not align or do not meet the full requirements of the standards. Because post-reading questions and tasks do not have correlated standards identified, it is not always clear which question or task addresses the standard listed on the Correlation to Common Core State Standards document. 

    • In Unit 2, Things That Divide and Things That Unite, Nonfiction Connections, students read a how-to writing by Anne Lamott, “Short Assignments” along with the Informational Text Connection piece, “How to Write a Short Story,” a web article by eHow.com. The Use Reading Skills focus is to draw conclusions. Students “record notes on Lamott’s advice in the first column of an Application Chart like the one below. In the second column, draw conclusions about what the advice means for you as a writer.” Students also examine text organization while reading both selections. After reading both pieces, students respond to a Text to Text Connection question in which they compare and contrast both forms of writing, discussing which they found to be more appealing and why. Students also discuss the different purposes “each type of text organizational pattern serve[s]” and explain how Lamott would respond to the web article’s “how-to” list of steps. These questions and tasks do not address the correlated standard: “Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person's life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.” 

• Over the course of each unit, it is unclear whether the majority of assessment questions are aligned to grade-level standards. 

  • Materials do not identify assessed standards on Selection Quizzes, Lesson Tests, Unit Exams, or Formative Surveys. As a result, it is unclear whether the majority of assessment questions are aligned to grade-level standards. 

• By the end of the academic year, standards are not repeatedly addressed within and across units to ensure students master the full intent of the standard.

  • Because the page numbers listed on the Correlation to Common Core State Standards document for each standard in Reading: Literature, Reading: Informational Text, Writing, Speaking & Listening, and Language are not always the standard addressed, and because the majority of questions and tasks do not align to grade-level standards, materials do not consistently provide students with multiple opportunities to address standards within and across units to ensure mastery. It is also unclear which items address the correlated standard, because standards are not identified at the question or task level.  

    • The Correlation to Common Core State Standards document lists the following page numbers for SL.3 “Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.”: E13, E53, 221, 270, 499, 603, E408, H79–H80. On page E13, students may complete the Media Literacy option in the Extend the Text section for “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Téllez. During this optional task, students work in small groups to “research an area of the world that is politically unstable, ” form teams of the ruling party and the resistance party, and “develop arguments and evidence from their perspective.” Directions note, “Students should be prepared to analyze and defend any rhetorical and logical fallacies.” On page E53, students respond to Refer and Reason questions and may complete two Writing Options, but it is unclear which questions address the correlated standard. During the second Writing Option, students “[c]hoose a perspective— either a war supporter or a war protestor—and conduct research to find solid reasons and evidence for your position.” After writing and presenting an argumentative essay that summarizes their findings, students “analyze the rhetorical and logical fallacies of each other’s arguments.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 10 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2h. 

The materials include an overwhelming number of components with no guide for teachers to understand how to navigate and integrate the many ancillary resources. The Program Planning Guide includes the Mirrors & Windows College & Career Readiness Curriculum Guide Level V (Grade 10), an alternative implementation schedule that focuses on selections and workshops necessary for students to “master critical skills that appear on state and national assessments.” Given the amount of time suggested and allotted for the core materials to be covered, there is little surplus time for covering the many extension activities, workshops and assessments located within and outside of the core materials. As a result, it is unclear how to assure grade-level standards are covered methodically or evenly when incorporating optional tasks or ancillary materials into daily lesson planning. 

Materials do not regularly and systematically balance time and resources required for following the suggested implementation, as well as information for alternative implementations that maintain alignment and intent of the standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Suggested implementation schedules and alternative implementation schedules do not consistently align to core learning and objectives. 

  • In Unit 2, Things That Divide and Things That Unite, Nonfiction Connections, students read “The Trouble with Television,” an argumentative essay by Robert MacNeil. In the Before Reading material, to set a purpose for reading, students ``[m]ake a prediction about what arguments the essay will make against television and viewing.” Students also determine MacNeil’s main viewpoint and “use clues from the text to state Robert MacNeil’s thesis.” During reading, students complete supporting activities related to thesis and argument. After reading, students respond to questions addressing thesis and argument; however, the optional Extend the Text tasks do not serve to deepen students’ understanding of making predictions, identifying the author’s viewpoint, and evaluating his argument. The tasks include creating a public awareness poster of the negative effects of watching too much TV; writing a business letter to programming executives about the harmfulness of violence on television; participating in a panel discussion of how television is decivilizing the nation; and analyzing television commercials’ effectiveness in selling products. 

  • In Unit 4, Between Friends, Drama Connections, students read The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. The pre-reading section of the core text provides information on the historical context, plot, central conflict, inciting incident, paraphrasing, and vocabulary. While students are reading the play, they respond to questions that require them to use reading skills such as drawing inferences, paraphrasing, and clarifying. Students also respond to literature analysis questions related to puns, central conflict, characterization, soliloquy, motif, and metaphor. Post-reading tasks include Text-Dependent Questions and an Analyze Literature prompt. While the four Extend the Text options align to the objectives at the start of the text as well as grade-level standards, the Creative Writing option requires students to write an obituary, a writing text type on which they have not received explicit instruction. 

  • In Unit 5, What Makes Us Human, Folk Literature Connections, students read “Magic Words,” a narrative poem by Nalungiaq, translated by Edward Field. The Before Reading material asks students to focus on the poem as oral tradition and to gather details while reading to determine the main idea. During reading, students make inferences about the relationship of the Inuits with nature. The optional Extend the Text tasks do not support the stated focus of reading the text. Post-reading task options include writing a report about a dream they have had; writing a description of a place they imagine in their heads; practicing storytelling famous children’s works; and conducting an interview with an older person about his or her life. 

• Suggested implementation schedules cannot be reasonably completed in the time allotted. 

  • The Program Planning Guide notes the overabundance of material: “To help you meet the diverse needs of your students, the Mirrors & Windows program offers a wealth of material—much more than you can teach in one school year. As a result, one challenge you will face is identifying the resources that are best suited to your particular situation.” 

  • As an alternative to the Scope and Sequence Guide provided in each unit, materials include the Mirrors & Windows College & Career Readiness Curriculum Guide Level V (Grade 10): “The selections and workshops listed here represent the core course of study students need to master critical skills that appear on state and national assessments. To ensure standards coverage, students who are having difficulty may concentrate on only these selections and workshops. Students on and above grade level may read more selections.” When utilizing this abridged course of study, the teacher must still select which instructional activities to enact during each Program Planning Guide lesson plan.

  • The Program Planning Guide contains lesson plans for each text selection and the three end-of-unit Workshops. Text selection lesson plans include the following sections: Before Reading, During Reading, and After Reading. In the Before Reading: Preview and Motivate section, teachers “[c]hoose from the following materials to preview the selection and motivate your students.” The During Reading section contains two sub-sections, Teach the Selection(s) and Differentiate Instruction. Teachers choose from a list of resources to teach the selection and consider “alternative teaching options to differentiate instruction.” The After Reading section contains two to three subsections: Review and Extend, Teach the Workshop(s), and Assess. Teachers select activities from a list of options and resources to extend learning and teach the Workshop included, where applicable. Teachers do not select from a list of options during the Assess subsection. The lesson plan does not provide guidance on how many minutes each option should take or how long the lesson should last. Pacing guidance is limited to the number of regular schedule or block schedule days the lesson should take.  

• Optional tasks distract from core learning. 

  • In Unit 1, Choices, students read “Everyday Use,” a short story by Alice Walker. In the Unit and Selection Resources ancillary, the focus of the Build Background pre-reading activity is making a story quilt. The text provides context of quiltmaking; then students create a story quilt to represent an event in their lives. Though this optional task connects an activity to the short story, this activity would take up a significant amount of time in the classroom and the Visual Planning Guide suggests two regular schedule days or one block schedule day for pacing. Enacting this task could take time away from core learning.  

  • In Unit 3, Realizations, Poetry Connections, after reading “I Am Offering This Poem” by Jimmy Santiago Baca, materials include a kinesthetic activity in the embedded Differentiated Instruction inset, during which students respond to poetry by clapping their hands rhythmically, breaking off in to groups, and reciting stanzas from the poem. Although materials include this option to support students in learning and understanding the rhythm of poetry, the focus of the text of study is organization and imagery. Completing this optional task would detract from the many core activities outlined in the Teacher Edition.

  • In Unit 5, What Makes Us Human, Folk Literature Connections, students read the myth, “Orpheus” retold by Robert Graves, and the lyric poem, “Tree Telling of Orpheus” by Denise Leverton. For this lesson, students focus on plot, conflict, suspense, and the importance of details. Students analyze these elements while reading the two texts and respond to post-reading questions to demonstrate their learning. The optional Extend the Text tasks do not reinforce learning of the aforementioned literary elements. For example, during one of the tasks, students choose and research a character from Greek mythology and write a personality quiz for a teen magazine based on the character. 

• Some optional tasks are meaningful and enhance core instruction.

  • In Unit 2, Things That Divide and Things That Unite, Nonfiction Connections, students read the news article “We Heard it Before We Saw Anything” by Julian West. In the Unit & Selection Resources ancillary, students answer twenty-five true or false statements on tsunamis to test their knowledge before reading the text. During reading, students use a list of eight words from the text to write short paragraphs, and after reading, students take a true or false Selection Quiz on the content of the text. It is unclear how these tasks enhance the lesson. 

  • In Unit 3, Realizations, Poetry Connections, students read and analyze various forms of poetry. In the Writing and Grammar ancillary, Unit 3 focuses on informative writing through Analyzing a Literary Work. Materials provide careful instruction on analyzing text and developing a subsequent analysis essay. The tasks provide the necessary scaffolding for students to grasp concepts and skills associated with analyzing a literary work. 

  • In Unit 6, The Examined Life/Strange Happenings, Independent Reading Connections, while reading the short story, “By The Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benet, students may complete an enrichment activity that requires them to find photos of the destruction of Hiroshima at the end of WWII and write a journal entry, poem, or essay in response to some of the photos. This option provides an opportunity for students to connect the reading to primary source information and the reality of the destruction of Hiroshima.