The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations of most questions, tasks, and assignments being text-specific and requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text).

The materials include text-dependent questions to develop critical thinking skills. The majority of questions are text-dependent and provided over the course of the year. Before reading, a question is posed consistently allowing students to first draw on prior knowledge and/or experiences that connect to the selection. The text-dependent questions within a gradual release of responsibility framework during and after reading are designed to support students’ literacy growth, and essential questions prepare students to respond during the reading process. After reading questions require students recall and interpret detail, analyze and evaluate, and apply critical thinking skills. Teacher materials provide support for planning and implementation. Close Reading Model includes text-dependent and specific questions in three sections: Before, During, and After Reading. The Before Reading section includes four subsections with questions embedded within the margins of the textbook: Build Background, Analyze Literature, Set Purpose and Use Reading Skills. The During Reading section includes three subsections: Use Reading Strategies, Analyze Literature, and Make Connections. The After Reading section includes three subsections: Find Meaning, Make Judgements and Extend Understanding.

Materials also include Differentiated Instruction, Common Core Assessment Practice, Meeting the Standards, and Exceeding the Standards guides that also provide text-dependent questions. The text-dependent questions within a gradual release of responsibility framework during and after reading are designed to support students’ literacy growth, and essential questions prepare students to respond during the reading process. After reading questions require students recall and interpret detail, analyze and evaluate, and apply critical thinking skills. Teacher materials provide support for planning and implementation.

• In Unit 2, students read “Sweet Potato Pie” and respond to the following text-dependent questions:

  • Why doesn’t Charley want Buddy to take the pie?

  • How is it consistent with Collier’s characterization of Buddy that he gives in to Charley? How is Charley carrying in the pie an example of indirect characterization?

  • Why does the sight of Charley carrying sweet potato pie make Buddy cry?

• In Unit 3, using the text, “Mrs. Flowers”, on page 286, in the “During Reading-Distinguish Between Fact and Opinion” section, the student is required to refer to text to answer the following question: “What is this paragraph is most likely fact? Can this fact be proven?”

• In Unit 4, using the text, “Indian Cattle”, on page 418, in the “After Reading-Find Meaning” section, the student is required to refer to the text to answer question #2, “In what ways was buffalo hunting a communal activity?”.

• In Unit 4, using the text, “How to Use a Compass”, on page 436, in the “After Reading-Make Judgments” section, the student is required to refer to the text to answer question #4, “How did Kjernsmo organize his article? How was this organization helpful?”

• In Unit 5, students read the poem, “Night Clouds,” and answer the following text-specific questions:

  • What action does the speaker urge the mares to make?

  • What does the speaker say will happen if the mares don’t follow this advice?

  • What time of day is the speaker following in lines 5-9?

  • What evidence supports your answer?

• In Unit 7, students read a dramatized short story, “The Dying Detective,” and use the text to answer the following questions:

  • What do you learn about Holmes from Watson’s reaction?

  • What information is revealed by this dialogue?

• In Unit 8, students read folk literature, “Legend of the Feathered Serpent,” and answer the following questions:

  • According to the legend, why does the feathered serpent leave?

  • What real historical event does the legend speak of here?

  • How do the men change after they receive more and more gifts?

  • What do the men do to get the treasures off the god’s body?

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for materials providing frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

Students are given the chance to speak about texts and extensions of the texts in the after reading exercises entitled, “Collaborative Learning." The “Exceeding the Standards-Speaking and Listening” handbook provides step-by-step instructions for each unit workshop in the text. Speaking and Listening rubrics are available for self and peer assessment. An opportunity for students to engage in a speaking and listening workshop is present following each unit. Each unit concludes with a Speaking, Listening, and/or Viewing Workshop. Within these workshops, students write, deliver, and listen to different speech presentations. Protocols are included in the margins of the workshops entitled, “Performance Tasks."

Protocols for speaking and listening can be found in the Speaking and Listening Workshop at the end of each unit. The presentations students develop are coordinated with the theme of the unit. In the Language Arts Handbook at the back of the Teacher’s Edition (and student handbook) the following guidelines and protocols are provided: Verbal and Nonverbal Communication, Listening Skills, Listening Critically, Listening to Learn Vocabulary, Listening for Appreciation, Collaborative Learning and Communication, Conducting an Interview, Guidelines for conducting an Interview, Public Speaking Tips, Guidelines for Giving a Speech, Oral Interpretation Guidelines for a dramatic reading of a literary work or group of works, Interpreting Poetry Guidelines, Guidelines for Storytelling, Participating in a Debate, and Guidelines for a Multimedia Presentation.

Additional instruction is available for speaking and listening strategies and skills in the Language Arts Handbook in the back of the student textbook. Guidelines for Verbal and Nonverbal Communication are provided, as well as adapting listening skills. Collaborative Learning and Communication Skills, Asking and Answering Questions, Conducting an Interview, and other Speaking & Listening guidelines are available as a resource.

Examples of how materials meet the criteria for providing opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax include:

• In Unit 1, at the conclusion of the unit, in the Speaking and Listening Workshop, students are presenting an oral summary and effectively listen to others’ oral summary presentations. Students are given instructional advice on evaluating and delivering an oral summary. Students are provided with general rubrics for Speaking and LIstening. In the Teacher’s Edition, in the margin of these pages, a performance task is included with guidelines on evaluating and delivering oral summaries.

• Unit 2: Speaking & Listening Workshop, page 270Giving and Actively Listening to Literary PresentationsAny time you describe the plot to a story, play, television show, or film, you become a storyteller. This is how you should view yourself when delivering literary presentations. A storyteller is able to make the plot, setting, and characters of a fictional text come alive through a blend of speechmaking and acting. The guidelines below will help you develop your storytelling abilities. Choose a short piece of fiction from Unit 2 in your textbook, another short piece of fiction with your teacher’s approval, or the short story you wrote for the Writing Workshop on page 262 of your textbook. Use the instructions in this lesson and the Unit 2 Speaking & Listening Workshop in your textbook to prepare and deliver a literary presentation.

• In Unit 2, after reading “The Tell-Tale Heart," in the “Collaborative Learning” exercise, students hold a mock trial. With classmates, students put the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” on trial. Different students will take on various roles in court and present evidence for and against the narrator.

• In Unit 3, at the conclusion of the unit, in the Speaking and Listening Workshop, students present an informative presentation and effectively listen to others’ informative presentations. Students are given instructional advice on planning, evaluating, and delivering informative presentations. Students are provided with general rubrics for Speaking and Listening. In the Teacher’s Edition, in the margin of these pages, a performance task is included with guidelines on evaluating and delivering informative presentations.

• In Unit 4, after reading “Too Soon A Woman," in the Collaborative Learning section, students research the Oregon Trail on the Internet. As students research, they should keep the following questions in mind: “Where did the trail begin and end? What route did it take? How many people traveled West on the trail? How many used it to go back East? What was the most common form of transportation on the trail? After finding answers to the questions and report your findings to the class.”

• In Unit 5, students read Pretty Words, a lyric poem by Elinor Wylie. In the Extend Your Learning section, students are to discuss with a small group the meaning of the poem. The discussion question is as follows: “What are the major themes and ideas it presents?”

• In Unit 6, students read the poem, “Ode to My Socks,” and identify and explain to a small group the poem’s mood.

• In Unit 7, students read the play, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” and discuss the major and minor conflicts in the play and determine if and how each conflict was resolved.

• In Unit 8, students complete the following task: “Reread the couplets that focus on Stonewall Jackson’s response to Barbara Frietchie’s courageous action. Then, in small groups, discuss these questions: What did Stonewall Jackson do in response to Barbara Frietchie? What was his motivation for the actions he took? Share your conclusions with the class.”

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

The instructional materials for Grade 8 include a mix of on-demand and process writing and short, focused projects. A range of writing activities and tasks are provided. Opportunities for students to revise and/or edit are provided to practice skills in an authentic manner. Students can utilize digital and outside resources when appropriate to the task. Writing tasks and projects are aligned to the grade level standards being reviewed.

The Teacher’s Edition offers opportunities to write in the Extend Understanding section, Writing Skills section throughout the unit, and the Writing Workshops and Test Practice Workshops at the end of each unit. Extend Understanding contains on-demand writing activities. The Writer’s Workshops for each unit includes a process writing assignment. The “Exceeding the Standards” book includes supports for each Writing Workshop. These activities require students to analyze the current reading and ground evidence from the text. Additionally, short, focused projects utilizing media resources are provided and require students to work with partners, in groups, or independently.

Examples of on-demand writing include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, students complete the following writing activity: “Foreshadowing is the act of hinting at events that will happen later. Now that you know how “Charles” ends, reread it to determine which details foreshadow the outcome. Then write a paragraph in which you present and explain your examples. Compare your examples with a partner."

• In Unit 2, students complete the following writing task: Write a literary response to “Gary Keillor." In your essay, discuss the tone of the story. Did you find the story funny? Why? State your main idea in a thesis. Use examples from your cluster chart to illustrate what is meant to be humorous in the story. Did the tone of the story affect how you felt about Gary and his actions? How might you have felt if the tone had been more serious? Share your essay with the class.”

• In Unit 3, Extend Understanding, students write a newspaper article in which they “explain to readers who Mandela is and why he is an important man, and then summarize the main ideas that he delivered in his speech."

• In Unit 6, using “Southern Mansion” in the “Extend Understanding” exercises, students are given two options for writing after reading: Creative Writing or Informative Writing. For the Creative option, students write a poem for a friend in which they imitate the tone in “Southern Mansion." For the Informative option, students write a brief literary response about Bontemps’s use of symbolism. In the introduction, students will state the thesis, provided support for their position and then include reasons, examples from the text, and other details that support the thesis.

Examples of process writing include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, students write a response to a piece of literature (Informative Writing). They use the writing process to complete the assignment and are provided with instructional support through each phase of the writing process.

• In Unit 2, students write a short story (Narrative Writing). They use the writing process to complete the assignment and are provided with instructional support through each phase of the writing process.

• In Unit 5, in the Exceeding the Standards workbook, students write an explanatory essay using details. They are taken through the 5-step writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading, and publishing and presenting. Students are provided with a literary model, instruction through the writing process, a revision checklist, and a writing rubric.

• In Unit 6, in the Exceeding the Standards workbook, students write a narrative poem. Students are taken through the 5-step writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading, and publishing and presenting. Students are provided with a literary model, instruction through the writing process, a revision checklist, and a writing rubric.

• In Unit 7, a Test Practice Workshop provides an opportunity to write an argumentative essay, and the task builds on skills practiced throughout the unit: “Read the following short excerpt and the writing assignment that follows. Before you begin writing, think carefully about what task the assignment is asking you to perform. Then create an outline to help guide your writing." The assignment tasks students with the following: “Was Isabelle (Sojourner Truth) correct when she said, ‘the law is for everybody’? Plan and write an argumentative essay in which you state and support a thesis about whether the laws of the nation apply equally to everyone. Include persuasive techniques and rhetorical devices, as well as counterarguments."

• In Unit 8, students are given a Test Practice Workshop focusing on a Research Report that includes sourcing myths included throughout the unit. Students have the opportunity to write a research report in which they “examine myths that explain physical phenomena in different cultures. Focus on when these myths and legends began and why. Gather your information from different sources. Be sure to document each source, paraphrasing and using quotes as you write your report.”

Examples of short- focused projects incorporating digital resources where available include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, students complete the following project: “Use the Internet to locate famous Chinatowns throughout the United States. Create a map, or other visual media, and present it to the class. Include information on population, landmarks, and any interesting or important history about the individual Chinatowns.”

• In Unit 2, students complete the following assignment: "With a partner, research the Apollo 11 mission and create a multimedia presentation of your findings. In your presentation, include background on the Space Race and the political reasons for sending humans to the moon. Also include examples of new technologies that came out of the mission. Your presentation might also include a discussion of Neil Armstrong’s famous words, “That one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”

• In Unit 8, students begin with “The Treasure of Lemon Brown" and then move beyond the text through Differentiated Instruction and utilize digital resources through an Enrichment activity: "Students compelled by the history and culture of Harlem might be interested in researching and reporting on the lives and accomplishments of some of its celebrities, many of whom gained fame performing at the historic Apollo Theater. Examples include Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and Michael Jackson (then performing as a member of the Jackson 5). Additionally, students interested in sports might enjoy researching and reporting on the Harlem Globetrotters."

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

Materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Materials provide multiple opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres/modes of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Where appropriate, writing opportunities are connected to texts and/or text sets (either as prompts, models, anchors, or supports). After most reading selections in each unit, students are given an opportunity to respond to the text in a form of writing in the “Extend Understanding” section. At the conclusion of each unit a “Writing Workshop” task is provided.

Each lesson offers a purpose for the writing, instruction, and guidance in writing, a literary model for students to refer to, a five-step writing process plan, a revision checklist and rubrics. Also, writing lessons are provided in the supplemental workbook, “Exceeding the Standards,” and supplementary writing lessons are also offered across the school year in different modes of writing, such as informative, narrative, descriptive, and argumentative. Rubrics and a variety of writing tasks provide both students and teachers opportunities to monitor progress in writing skills.

In Unit 1, students read “Charles” and engage in two text types of writing, narrative and informative, with the following activities:

• Imagine what happens to the characters after the ending of the story. How do you think Laurie’s father reacts when he hears what the kindergarten teacher said? Write a brief dialogue between Laurie and his father that takes place after the father learns the truth about Charles. Share the dialogue with your classmates.

• Foreshadowing is the act of hinting at events that will happen later. Now that you know how “Charles” ends, reread it to determine which details foreshadow the outcome. Then write a paragraph in which you present and explain your examples. Compare your examples with a partner.

In Unit 2, students read “Sweet Potato Pie” and engage in two text types of writing, narrative and informational, with the following activities:

• Suppose that Buddy called Charley from his hotel - after his visit to Harlem and before leaving New York City. Write a dialogue in which Buddy thanks Charley for the visit, and then decide what else these two brothers might want to talk about. Decide whether they would talk openly about the nature of their relationship. Try to capture Collier’s characterizations of Buddy and Charley in your dialogue.

• Discuss the use of first person point of view in “Sweet Potato Pie” in a literary response paragraph. State your main idea in your thesis and use quotes from the text to show how the point of view contributes to the story. Write the same examples in third-person point of view and explain to a sixth grade reader, in each case, how first-person point of view is more effective.

In Unit 3, students write a brief informative essay that analyzes Nelson Mandela’s choice of words, phrases, and literary devices in the passage from his “Our Struggle...” speech. “Explain how these choices help him appeal to his audience. Use examples from the text to support your ideas."

In Unit 5, in the “Writer’s Workshop," students are instructed to write a compare-and-contrast essay in which they examine the similarities and differences between the two or more things, places, people, ideas. Students experience a 5-step writing process including: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading, and publishing and presenting. Teachers are provided with instructional protocols in the margins of the Writer’s Workshop pages on the stages of the writing process.

In Unit 6, using “Southern Mansion” in the “Extend Understanding” exercises, students are given two options for writing after reading: Creative Writing or Informative Writing. For the Creative option, students write a poem for a friend in which they imitate the tone in “Southern Mansion." For the Informative option, students write a brief literary response about Bontemps’ use of symbolism. In the introduction, students will state the thesis, provided support for their position and then include reasons, examples from the text, and other details that support the thesis.

In Unit 7, after the reading of The Diary of Anne Frank, Act 1, students have the opportunity to practice informative writing to Extend Understanding: “In a paragraph, present a literary response in which you analyze how the stage directions in Act 1 helped you to better understand the characters. Use an outline or cluster diagram to gather details you need to write an effective response. State your position in a thesis and support it with evidence and examples from the text.” The writing task can assist in preparing for the writing workshop focusing on argumentative writing, and the writing task connects to the text students read during the unit.

In Unit 8, after reading “Coyote Steals the Sun and Moon," students have the opportunity to practice Informative writing, among other types, which is tied to the text: “The characters of Eagle and Coyote are the force behind the story; their desires put events in motion. Write a brief informative essay that compares and contrasts the two characters. In the introductory paragraph, identify the myth and the characters. In your thesis, state your main idea about how the characters are similar or different. In the body paragraphs, support your thesis with details that show how they are alike and different. Share your work with the class.” The writing tasks throughout the unit can help prepare students for the writing workshop, and the task connects to the text students read during the unit.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for materials including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information.

The materials provide opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply research-based and evidence-based writing to support analyses, arguments and synthesis. At the end of every reading selection, in the After Reading/Extend the Text section, students are presented with two on-demand writing options that prompt students to complete short, research-based writing using the texts read within the section. There are additional opportunities to complete writing assignments after reading selections, but only some of these tasks require students to seek evidence from the text. The writing prompts that require students to interact with the text only sometimes state explicitly that the students need to cite evidence. Some writing prompts are creative and narrative, causing the student to focus on personal events, reactions to themes, and using their imagination to create a product that is loosely related to the text. Students also experience research-based and evidence-based writing within every Writing Workshop section that occurs at the close of each unit. Many writing opportunities are focused around each student’s analyses and claims developed from reading closely and working with sources.

In Unit 1, students complete the following task: ”Imagine you are a music reviewer for a newspaper at the time Lemon Brown was playing the blues. Write a review of one of his performances. Include photographs and biographical information. Share the review with the class.”

In Unit 2, students complete the following task: “Write a petition to the government of Pakistan, voicing your concern for child laborers and requesting changes to the system that forces them to work under substandard conditions. Use the information from Build Background and ”The Story of Iqbal Masih” to help you write the petition. Your petition should describe the situation and why it needs to be changed. Write it in the most persuasive, concise, and clear way possible. Try to make it longer than half a page.”

In Unit 3, students are to use information from the biography, “Ishi in Two Worlds” by Theodora Kroeber, to create a hypothesis or theory about why Ishi was found near Oroville’s slaughter house. “Include the reasoning behind your hypothesis as well as details, facts, and examples from the selection to support your hypothesis."

In Unit 4, students are to translate chart information found in the article, “Scale of Geologic Time” by Wolfgang F. Pauli, into a summary. Identify the key points being made in the chart and present the key points in the summary.

In Unit 5, students use “The Choice” in the Extend Understanding section to write a short critical analysis essay of the speaker’s choice. In the thesis, students state their opinion of that choice. In the body, students will give the reasons, examples, and other support. Students quote lines from the poem as evidence and explain how they support their argument. In the conclusion, students make speculations about the future of the speaker and restate their opinion. They students will share their work with the class.

In Unit 6, students use “Bats”in the Extend Understanding section to write a brief literary response in which they analyze tone of the text. Students follow these steps: “First, identify the tone, supporting your point of view with details from the poem. Examine how the tone shifts near the end of the poem. Then write responses to these questions: 'In what way or ways does the tone seem surprising? Do you think the tone is appropriate? Explain why or why not?'”

In Unit 7, students can practice informative writing after reading “Sorry, Right Number, Act 2”: “In a short essay, analyze how the character’s interactions foreshadow events in the plot. State your position in a clear thesis statement, and support your thesis with examples and direct evidence from the screenplay."

In Unit 8, students can practice informative writing to Extend Understanding following the reading of “Where the Girl Rescued Her Brother”: “Write a short essay describing the author’s purpose and perspective. In the first paragraph, speculate why the authors chose to share this legend. In the second paragraph, support your speculation about the author’s purpose with examples from the text that show the author’s perspective. In the last paragraph, imagine how the story would have been different if a descendant of Brigadier General Crook were the author. Share your essay with your class."