7th Grade - Gateway 2
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Building Knowledge
Building Knowledge with Texts, Vocabulary, and TasksGateway 2 - Partially Meets Expectations | 56% |
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Criterion 2.1: Building Knowledge with Texts, Vocabulary, and Tasks | 18 / 32 |
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 partially meet the criteria that texts are organized around themes and build student’s reading comprehension of complex texts. Materials do not meet the criteria that texts are organized around a topic or theme/topic or themes or themes to build students’ knowledge and their ability to read and comprehend and analyze complex texts proficiently. While there are targeted questions and series of questions for students that promote students’ ability to draw conclusions and cite textual evidence, determine theme, and analyze point of view, they do not promote students' building knowledge of the content and texts.Students are presented with text-dependent and text-specific questions; however, the questions do not require students to build knowledge across the text. Culminating tasks do not require students to demonstrate knowledge of a topic, nor do they integrate skills. Materials include vocabulary over the course of a school-year, but there is no cohesive plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts. Materials support students’ increasing writing skills over the course of the school year, building students’ writing ability to demonstrate proficiency at grade level at the end of the school year. Materials provide frequent opportunities for students to engage in research activities that support the understanding of texts and topics within texts. Each selection is followed by at least one opportunity for students to engage in a research task, which includes a variety of individual, partner, and small group projects. Materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class. A gradual release of responsibility reading model moving students from guided reading to directed reading to independent reading is within each unit.
Criterion 2.1: Building Knowledge with Texts, Vocabulary, and Tasks
Indicator 2a
Texts are organized around a topic/topics (or, for grades 6-8, topics and/or themes) to build students' ability to read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 do not meet the criteria that texts are organized around a topic/topics (or, for grades 6-8, topics and/or themes) to build students' ability to read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently.
The instructional materials are placed in units based on genre. Each unit is also given a theme. Each selection in the unit closely or loosely relates to the theme provided. After each theme is presented on the title page of the unit, a description is offered to connect them theme/topic to the texts included in the unit. Each unit is composed of three levels of reading support: guided reading, directed reading, and independent reading. A quote at the beginning of each unit is intended to give insight into the collection of literature in the unit. Along with the quote are guiding questions and commentary that are meant to expand upon the quote. Many of the Mirrors & Windows questions focus on text-to-student understanding, rather than the text, and they are not building the student's knowledge of a topic or theme. Texts included in each unit are loosely connected by the unit's theme, but do not build students' ability to read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently.
The units for Grade 7 include: Unit 1: Meeting the Unexpected (Fiction), Unit 2: Learning Values (Fiction), Unit 3: Experiencing the World (Nonfiction), Unit 4: Responding to Nature (Nonfiction), Unit 5: Appreciating Life (Poetry), Unit 6: Searching Beneath the Surface (Poetry), Unit 7: Facing Challenges (Drama), and Unit 8: Seeking Wisdom (Folk Literature).
In Unit 2, Learning Values (Fiction), students begin the unit by examining and discussing the term "values." They brainstorm and agree on a single working definition. They are told to consider how they approach difficult situations and if they always stay true to their values as they read the unit’s selections. This activity creates text-to-student connections; however, the teacher will have to supplement with other texts and possibly questions to support building knowledge.
In Unit 3, Experiencing the World (Nonfiction), students are assigned to read “An American Childhood” by Annie Dillard and answer questions that connects to the unit’s theme to explore how we experience the world through the eyes of a child: “What item or experience from your childhood can unlock a treasure trove of memories for you? What kinds of things can people learn from memories of their childhood?” Also, prior to reading the selection, the teacher can pose the following: “Before students start to read, ask: What is your most precious memento of your childhood?” These questions are engaging, but do not require deep reading of the texts and will not support students in building knowledge without further supplementary reading and questions.
In Unit 4, Responding to Nature (Nonfiction) students read “The Size of Things” by Robert Jastrow and focus on the topic “seeking knowledge” through our scientific discoveries and exploration of the universe which connects to the overarching unit theme. Questions asked of students are as follows: “If you wanted to know more about either atoms or the universe, whom could you ask? Do you think these topics are good for everyone to study, or just for people who are deeply interested in science?" Also, prior to reading the selection, the teacher can pose the following: “Before they begin to read, ask students: What do you think of people who really enjoy science?” Students would need additional support from the teacher to deepen their understanding and glean knowledge throughout the Unit.
In Unit 5, Appreciating Life (Poetry), students read “Gold” by Pat Mora and learn how the speaker in this poem “appreciates life” by describing the sunset from a hill in a desert. Students follow how Mora describes the lizards, a rabbit, a sparrow, and a hawk beneath the backdrop of the golden sky. While this is an engaging activity, it does not require deep reading of the texts and will not support students in building knowledge without further supplementary reading and questions.
Indicator 2b
Materials contain sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 partially meet the criteria that materials contain sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts. While there are targeted questions and series of questions for students that promote students’ ability to draw conclusions and cite textual evidence, determine theme, and analyze point of view, they do not promote students' building knowledge of the content and texts. There are few questions that support students in analyzing author’s language and word choice. The questions that do focus on language and structure do not support students to analyze its effect on the text.
In Unit 2, students read “Hollywood and the Pits” and are asked to analyze point of view and examine the author's use of cause and effect. The questions associated with this lesson will need to be supplemented to grow students' knowledge about the content of the text as well as the writing components in place:
Is the narrator part of the action? What else can you tell about the narrator so far?
Ask students why the narrator’s hair won’t stay in knots. What effect does this have on the narrator?
Summarize how Cherylene Lee’s use of both first-person and third-person points of view affect the mood and plot of 'Hollywood and the Pitts'. Make a graphic organizer like this one so you can record your key impression.
In Unit 3, student use the texts, “Writings by Queen Elizabeth I” and “Elizabeth I” to compare and contrast how the two works present Queen Elizabeth’s life. To explain what each text reveals about the central figure’s life, students focus on the following questions: "Which selection or selections reveal Elizabeth’s innermost thoughts? Do Elizabeth’s writings support the picture of her character as portrayed by Meltzer?" While these questions may require some close reading, they do not provide students access to in depth analysis of the key ideas, craft, and structure of the text, rather referring to broader views.
In Unit 4, students read “Ships in the Desert “ to complete a chart on connotations and denotations of vocabulary in the text. The student analyzes how words are used in the context of the selection. This example shows how the materials provide some support for students to unpack and study language and writing as they do close readings of the texts.
In Unit 5, students read the poem, “Unfolding Bud,” and respond to set of coherently sequenced text specific questions including: "In the second stanza, to what does the speaker compare a poem? What does this description convey about the speaker’s attitude toward poetry? Explain." These guided questions may provide students a closer examination of the craft, structure, and styles used by the author.
In Unit 8, students read the folk tale, “We Are All One,” and answer the following questions to make meaning of the text:
What is the setting of the story? How is the setting important to the plot?
What does the old candy peddler decide to do to help the rich man?
Why do you think he decides to do this?
What good deed does the peddler perform for the ants?
What does he say as he does this?
What does he mean by this?
These questions do provide guidance and support for closer reading, although the teacher may have to support and supplement with other student questions and work to provide students deep analysis and engagement with academic vocabulary and knowledge building.
Indicator 2c
Materials contain a coherently sequenced set of text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 partially meet the criteria that materials contain a coherently sequenced set of text-dependent and text-specific questions and tasks that require students to analyze the the integration of knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts.
The Mirrors & Windows questions are mostly text-to-student questions, where students do not refer to the text to respond. Questions and tasks do not require that students refer to the text, and it is unclear how the questions work to build knowledge across an individual text. In terms of the integration of ideas across multiple texts, each unit includes two texts that are paired with the intention of teaching literary elements across texts. The individual, paired texts have text-dependent questions at the end, but there is only one question that asks the students to compare the texts, and the question does not promote a deep analysis of the texts. There are other text-to-text connections established in the units, but the questions about these connections do not require an analysis of the integration of ideas.
The Exceeding the Standards and Meeting the Standards supplemental resources offer additional, yet limited, activities within the unit to compare a set of texts. Various texts within the units have student writing, speaking, and researching tasks for evidence of students’ need to perform analysis of texts to complete quality, cumulative assignments and tasks.
The During Reading questions require only a surface amount of knowledge to complete. During the reading of each text, questions are presented in the margin and answers are provided in the margins of the Teacher’s Edition. Guidance is offered in teaching the analysis questions in the margins. After each text, students are presented with Text Dependent Questions. There are some questions and tasks designed to increase in complexity from understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating; however, these questions comprise a small percentage of the questions and tasks that students are required to address.
In Unit 1, after reading “The 11:59” by Patricia McKissack and “A Long Hard Journey: The Story of Pullman Porter," in a “Text to Text Connection” task, students are presented with the following task: “Both Patricia McKissack’s story and the excerpt from Patricia and Fredrick McKissack’s book give information about the Pullman porters. Compare and contrast the kinds of information each selection presents. What do the details about Lester’s life and death reveal about the Pullman porters? Summarize the texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order.”
In Unit 3, using an excerpt from Off the Court, an autobiography by Arthur Ashe and “A Black Athlete Looks at Education," an editorial by Arthur Ashe, students are asked to answer the following questions and complete the following: “What passages reflect Ashe’s perspective and explain how they do this. Reread the anecdote about the disagreement Ashe had with Bobby about his backhand. What does this explain about his character? How would you characterize Ashe’s friends who leave with him when Ashe is not admitted into the movies? What would they have done if they were in that situation? Create a two-column chart labeling on one side St. Louis and the other side Richmond and record details about each."
In Unit 4, using an excerpt the visual media, “Dust Bowl, Photographs" by Arthur Rothstein, and the essay, “Dust Changes America” by Margaret Bourke-White, students respond to the following: “I wonder why the smaller boy is behind his father and brother. Are they all hurrying, without taking time to stop and help each other? And look at that doorway. Can they get into this building if they want to? What would it be like in there?” These questions can be partially answered without the text itself, and the teacher will need to add to support students' knowledge building.
In Unit 6, using the poems, “Annabel Lee” and “The Highwayman," students identify the story and poetic elements found in both texts. Additionally, the class is divided in half and each group creates plot diagrams using specific details of the poems. These details support understanding the specific texts themselves, but that understanding does not extend beyond the specific text.
In Unit 7, using “Let Me Hear You Whisper," a drama by Paul Zindel, students have the opportunity to move beyond a literal interpretation of the text when completing an informative writing task following the reading: “Analyze how Paul Zindel used dialogue in Let Me Hear You Whisper. Revisit the play to get more ideas about how dialogue reveals character traits and motives. Also, analyze how Zindel uses dialogue to advance the plot. Write a critical analysis of Zindel’s use of dialogue.”
In Unit 8, using “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street," a screenplay by Rod Serling, the materials provide teacher modeling to use reading strategies during the guided reading, such as inferencing. For example, “Have students infer why Charlie accuses Tommy. (Tommy started the story about invaders from outer space. Charlie probably doesn’t really believe it’s Tommy, but because Tommy started the story, maybe the crowd will turn on Tommy and leave Charlie alone.)”
Indicator 2d
The questions and tasks support students' ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic (or, for grades 6-8, a theme) through integrated skills (e.g. combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 do not meet the criteria that the questions and tasks support students’ ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic (or, for grades 6-8, a theme) through integrated skills (e.g. combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).
Culminating tasks do not require students to demonstrate knowledge of a topic, nor do they integrate skills. Students complete each workshop independently of each other. Some tasks are loosely connected to unit texts, while others are not connected to texts. Students are often demonstrating mastery of the unit skills rather than demonstrating understanding or knowledge. Each unit includes three types of culminating activities: a Speaking and Listening Workshop, Writing Workshop, and Test Practice Workshop. The performance tasks that the students complete in these culminating activities correspond to the questions, discussions, and writing prompts.
In Unit 4, some tasks are loosely connected to unit texts, while others are not connected to texts. Students demonstrate a mastery of the unit skills rather than demonstrating understanding or knowledge. Students are assigned a culminating task where they write a descriptive essay using sensory details and personal thoughts to give a response to nature. Prior to being assigned the culminating task, students complete scaffolded and independent activities to prepare them to write a descriptive essay. Students practice in writing and presenting:
After reading “The Size of Things” and “Achieving Perspective”, students write a descriptive paragraph using an analogy. They write a description of an atom to a state senator. The students describe the specifics (composition, size, number of atoms in a common object, etc) that they want to emphasize in an analogy to the senator.
After reading “The Sibley Guide to Birds” and “WIld Turkeys”, students write a descriptive paragraph describing the wild turkey. They must be sure to include all the bird’s most recognizable traits.
In Unit 6, some tasks are loosely connected to unit texts, while others are not connected to texts. Students demonstrate a mastery of the unit skills rather than demonstrating understanding or knowledge. Students explore poetry where they will understand different elements and types of poetry. Students are assigned a culminating task where they plan and write a narrative that reflects the challenges of theme in the poem “I’m Nobody”. They are to use descriptive, sensory, and figurative language as well as examples from the poem. Students write a narrative:
After reading, “The Highwayman”, students are asked to identify the comparisons the speaker makes in the first three lines. Additionally, they are to describe what the metaphors add to the setting. Students are to contrast the description of the character Tim with the earlier description of the highwayman later in the poem.
Before reading “The Lost Parrot,” students are instructed to decide what the bird might symbolize as they read. Teachers are instructed to discuss with students whether the parrot is a meaningful symbol in this poem. Then after students read, they are to record on a two column chart what the parrot represents to Carlos and to the speaker. A chart is provided.
In Unit 8, Speaking and Listening Workshop, students are assigned a culminating task where they write a research presentation. Presentations are evaluated on content and delivery and should include clear organization of material with a strong introduction and conclusion. A listening rubric is also included.
Students conduct research to find out more about the Myskoke Creek people. They answer questions including: “What types of animals did they hunt?”
Students read, “The Rabbits Who Caused All the Trouble” and have group discussions about Thunder’s fable and how it relates to history and/or current events. They respond to questions that include: “Who might wolves represent in human society past and present?” They conduct research to find examples.
These examples provide some practice, but they clearly do not support integration of the different skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language.
Indicator 2e
Materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 partially meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts.
Materials include vocabulary over the course of a school-year, but there is no cohesive plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts. Vocabulary is repeated in contexts, as seen in the Vocabulary and Spelling lessons which are integrated with two of the literature selections in each unit. These lessons incorporate vocabulary words from the preceding selection to provide context and repetition for students to increase their understanding and vocabulary knowledge. However, academic vocabulary is not repeated sufficiently across units throughout the course of the year.
The Teacher’s Edition has key terms with definitions, but there is little to no representation of academic vocabulary. When the academic vocabulary is mentioned within a unit or along with a reading they are not repeated sufficiently through the unit or throughout the course of the year.
A Language Arts Handbook is provided as a student resource at the back of the text which includes Vocabulary and Spelling, and teachers can direct students to these resources.
The Meeting the Standards Unit Resources do include cumulative vocabulary lists and the teacher’s edition provides a Building Vocabulary which includes an overview of all unit vocabulary words, academic vocabulary, and key terms. The Master word lists cover vocabulary from Common Core Tier One, Tier Two, and Tier Three words. Academic words included and addressed in the Vocabulary Practice Lessons that follow do not appear in other Vocabulary Lessons within the grade level and do not appear within the assessment practice or Writing Workshop within the same unit. Additionally, the Exceeding the Standards resource includes a vocabulary and spelling section that contains lessons and practice on word parts and word origins; borrowed words and informal language; testing vocabulary and choosing words; and working with academic vocabulary.
In Unit 2, students read “Amigo Brothers,” a short story by Piri Thomas, and from “The Greatest: Muhammad Ali," a biography by Walter Dean Myers. Before the unit, fiction terms and literary elements (Tier 3 words) are defined. Instructions are provided for teachers to use the pages at any point in the unit as students explore the elements of fiction. The academic vocabulary targeted for these selections are the following terms: physique, portrayal, and profiles. The vocabulary word physique is addressed at the end of the text in the Find Meaning section. “How are the amigo brothers different in physique and style?” The word portrayal is mentioned in the Text to Text Connection on page 174. “Based on what Myers writes, do you think Thomas gives a realistic portrayal of a boxing match?” In the Extend Understanding section at the end of the text, students are to conduct internet research and “put your information into two profiles that you can display and discuss in class.” There is no instruction on the meanings of the words and opportunities to build knowledge in and across texts are not provided.
In Unit 4, students are presented with an Academic Vocabulary with the text, “The Size of Things.” The following list appears in the bottom margin of the textbook before reading: theories, accurate, collaborate. No explicit instruction is offered with these words other than in the reading.
In Unit 6, students are presented with an Academic Vocabulary with the text, “The Filling Station.” The following list appears in the bottom margin of the textbook before reading: evident, precise. No explicit instruction is offered with these words other than in the reading.
In Unit 8, students read “Persephone and Demeter” a Greek Myth retold by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire. Before the unit, elements of drama (Tier 3 words) are defined. Instructions are provided for teachers to use the pages at any point in the unit as students explore the elements of drama. The academic vocabulary targeted for this selection are the following terms: civilization, flourished, pantheon, supernatural, phenomena and aspect. All words except for aspect are listed in the Build Background and Analyze Literature section before students read the text. The vocabulary word aspect is used at the end of the selection in the directions on the Extend Understanding section: “Choose an aspect of nature that is explained in 'Persephone and Demeter'.” The instructional materials do not offer any instruction of practice with the academic vocabulary words and do not build vocabulary in and across texts.
Indicator 2f
Materials include a cohesive, year-long plan to support students' increasing writing skills over the course of the school year, building students' writing ability to demonstrate proficiency at grade level at the end of the school year.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 meet the criteria that materials support students’ increasing writing skills over the course of the school year, building students’ writing ability to demonstrate proficiency at grade level at the end of the school year.
The materials support students’ increasing writing skills over the course of the school year, building students’ writing ability to demonstrate proficiency at grade level at the end of the school year. After each reading selection, there is a section called Extend Understanding which provides students with a choice between two writing assignments. Throughout the course of the units, these Extend Understanding writing tasks are providing students opportunities to develop their writing skills. After each Lesson Test, students also practice their writing skills by answering one essay question forcing the student to cite the text to support their answers. Each unit concludes with a Writing Workshop task that addresses the four types of writing over the course of the year: Argumentative, Informative, Descriptive, and Narrative. The workshop offers flexibility to meet the needs of students as well as provide the opportunity to include writing not merely to help students develop communication skills, but to promote learning and thinking. In the Writing Workshops, students are guided through the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading, and publishing and presenting. Students are issued a revision checklist and a student model in which they can refer.
Throughout the year, both teacher and peers provide feedback to ensure that students' writing skills are increasing. Multiple additional writing supports can be found in the support materials of the curriculum.
The Common Core Assessment Practice booklet that contains reading selections with occasional short answer questions that refer to the text and constructed response writing prompts covering argument, informational/explanatory, and narrative writing types.
The Meeting the Standards booklet has short answer questions that relate to texts and the use of literary elements, and it has worksheets that can be used to scaffold some of the Extend the Text writing prompts.
The Exceeding the Standards booklet gives detailed, structured support for the entire writing process for one type of writing per unit.
The Assessment Guide has a summative assessment for each of the reading selections in each unit that includes a writing prompt that requires students to reference the text.
When all of the program resources are used in coordination with each other, teachers can provide a year-long, cohesive plan of writing instruction and tasks which support students in building and communicating substantive understanding of topics and texts.
Examples of a cohesive plan of writing instruction and tasks to meet the criteria for this indicator include, but are not limited to, the following:
In Unit 1 for the Extend Understanding Writing Tasks, students are to write a brief essay analyzing how Joan Aiken makes her alternative world seem real in “The Serial Garden.” The directions add, “State your main idea in your thesis, focusing on one or two literary elements that made this fantasy world believable with examples from the story.”
In Unit 3 for the Extend Understanding Writing Task, students are to create a main idea map of the “most important thing you think parents must do in raising children” as a response to a personal essay. The directions add, “Put your main idea in the middle. Think of at least four supporting examples. Using your map, write an argumentative paragraph convincing your parents to do this thing. State your main idea in your thesis.”
In Unit 3, Writing Workshop, students write a cause-and-effect essay. In the drafting phase of writing, students are provided with a list of words and phrases that signal cause-and-effect relationships.
In Unit 5, students use the lyric poems, “Unfolding Bud” and “How to Eat a Poem,” to write an essay where they compare the qualities that two things have in common in the poems and look for examples of metaphors. An example of a table where they are to record the information is provided.
Additionally in Unit 5, in the Exceeding the Standards book, students write an extended comparison of two unrelated subjects, an analogy. Students are provided a model from the poem, “Mother to Son”. Students are provided detailed instruction on gathering the information to be compared. “Start by listing qualities or details about the second element of the analogy – for instance, the gardener in the teacher/gardener analogy. Then list qualities or details about the first element. Try to match up this second set of qualities or details with the first set, or work between to two sets to get as many items as possible to match.”
In Unit 6, Writing Workshop, students create personal narratives.They are provided with a student model and engage in the following task: “Give students several minute to read the model. Then have them review it in detail. Point out the side notes that identify the compelling introduction, the chronological order and writing techniques, and the way the writer indicates the event’s significance.”
In Unit 8, Writing Workshop, students create an effective research report; they take notes and organize them to support a thesis. In the prewriting phase of development, students create a list of questions that they want to answer about their topic and to guide their research. A question that can help guide the development of this research includes: “What are you trying to prove in your paper?” Students are reminded that they may use both primary and secondary resources.
Indicator 2g
Materials 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.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 meet the criteria that materials include a progression of focused, shared research and writing projects to encourage students to develop and synthesize knowledge and understanding of a topic using texts and other source materials.
The materials provide frequent opportunities for students to engage in research activities that support the understanding of texts and topics within texts. Each selection is followed by at least one opportunity for students to engage in a research task, which includes a variety of individual, partner, and small group projects. Throughout each unit, students are presented with an After Reading section after each text or grouping of texts. Within most After Reading sections, students complete tasks in categories such as: Media Literacy, Lifelong Learning, Critical Literacy, Collaborative Learning, etc. Within these categories, students compose research that is influenced by the topic(s), themes, and genre of the specified reading selection. The textbook offers research opportunities through various writing options also located within the After Reading section. Materials meet the expectations of including 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. Research projects are varied throughout the instructional materials and offer tasks that are connected to most texts within a unit.
In addition to opportunities in the textbook, the Exceeding the Standards resource provides extension activities for several selections that ask the students to engage in a more complex research process with multiple steps.
In Unit 1, students engage in a collaborative task that requires them to work with a partner to research how detective work has evolved over the past century. Students use the internet and other sources to gather information in order to prepare a chart or poster detailing this information.
In Unit 3, students evaluate a variety of of product websites used as online advertisements. They respond to questions that examine what they learned about the products and advertisement.
In Unit 5, students use the internet and library to find examples of concrete poetry and write descriptions of at least two concrete poems. They compare and contrast the poems and identify the one they like better.
In Unit 7, students use the internet or library to locate a summary or movie version of the story, “A Christmas Carol.” They write a brief report of the group’s findings.
Indicator 2h
Materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 partially meet the expectations for materials reflecting the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level.
Each of the eight units focuses on a specific genre. Across the year, student materials encompass multiple genres and text types of varying lengths and formats. Most texts within the remaining six units are literary texts. There are some additional texts listed, coordinating with the genre of the unit that are provided at the end in the section titled “For Your Reading List.”
The following are examples of literature found within the instructional materials:
Unit 1: Fiction: “After Twenty Years” by O. Henry (short story), “The Portrait” by Tomas Rivera (short story), “The Foghorn” by Ray Bradbury (short story, science connection), and “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling (short story).
Unit 2: Fiction: “Hollywood and the Pits” by Cherylene Lee (short story), “The White Umbrella” by Gish Jen (short story), “Antaeus” by Borden Deal (short story), and “Papa’s Parrot” by Cynthia Rylant (short story).
Unit 5: Poetery: “Gold” by Pat Mora (lyric poem), “Father William” by Lewis Carroll (humorous poem), “The Village Blacksmith” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (narrative poem), and “Haiku” by Matso Basho, Yosa Buson, and Kobayashi Issa (haiku).
Unit 6: Poetry: “Once by the Pacific” by Robert Frost (lyric poem), “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes (narrative poem), “I’m Nobody” by Emily Dickinson (lyric poem), and “Money Order” by Janet S. Wong (narrative poem).
Unit 7: Drama: “A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley, Acts 1 & 2” by Israel Horovitz (drama), “Let Me Hear You Whisper” by Paul Zindel (drama), “St. Crispian’s Day Speech” by William Shakespeare (dramatic monologue), and “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” by Rod Serling (screenplay).
Unit 8: Folk Literature: “Eshu” retold by Judith Gleason (Yorubian Folk Tale), “The Secret Name of Ra” retold by Geraldine Harris (Egyptian Myth), “Ant and Grasshopper”, “The Fox and the Crow”, “The Lion and the Statue” retold by James Reeves and Joseph Jacobs (Greek Fables), and “Rabbit and the Tug of War” by Michael Thompson and Jacob Warrenfeltz (graphic tale).
The following are examples of informational text found within the instructional materials:
Unit 3: Nonfiction: “Elizabeth I” by Milton Meltzer (biography), “The Eternal Frontier” by Louis L’Amour (argumentative essay), “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan (personal essay), and “A Black Athlete Looks at Education” by Arthur Ashe (editorial).
Unit 4: Nonfiction: “The Size of Things” by Robert Jastrow (scientific essay), “from the Sibley Guide to Birds” by David Allen Sibley (visual media), “The Face of the Deep is Frozen” by Jennifer Armstrong (historical essay), and “An Unforgettable Journey” by Maijue Xiong (autobiography).