7th Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives: English Language Arts Grade 7 meet expectations that materials contain anchor texts that are of publishable quality and worthy of reading for a variety of student interests. The publisher includes texts that are relevant for a variety of purposes. Authors of the anchor texts are noted in their various fields as accomplished writers. Each anchor text relates directly to the theme of the unit and following works support students as they seek to answer the unit’s essential question. In several units, there are more than one anchor text.

Examples of texts that represent how this program meets the requirement of quality text include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Unit 1 guides students through considering how generations work together. Text examples include “Two Kinds” from The Joy Luck Club (novel) by Amy Tan, “A Simple Act” (News Blog) by Tyler Jackson, and an excerpt from “An Invisible Thread” (Memoir) by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski
• Unit 2 focuses on space exploration and colonization. Text examples include “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” (Short Story) by Ray Bradbury and “Danger! This Mission to Mars Could Bore You to Death” (News Article) by Maggie Koerth-Baker.
• Unit 4 focuses on environmental impacts and includes excerpts from Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and Al Gore's Nobel Speech.
• Unit 5's focus about overcoming adversity includes excerpts from the Grapes of Wrath (Novel) by John Steinbeck.

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives: English Language Arts Grade 7 meet the expectations for reflecting the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards. Throughout the five units of study, there is a balanced mixture of informational and literary texts as required per the standards. The text types span a range of informational and literary texts: nonfiction and personal narratives, novels, short stories, blog posts, poetry, opinion/editorials, drama, science fiction, film and video media, news articles, mythology, speeches, and memoir. Some texts are paired for comparison. For example, a news blog is paired with an excerpt from a memoir; a novel excerpt is paired with a video. Texts of varying lengths are provided, from novels in Unit 5 to poetry throughout the year. The publisher suggests trade books that can be used in four ways to enhance or extend reading selections: supplemental texts, substitution texts, extension of textbook materials, or pacing texts (p T36).

Students in Grade 7 are exposed to this text balance across the units, as noted by the representative examples below:

Unit 1 “Grounded” (nonfiction narrative)
“Two Kinds” from The Joy Luck Club (short story)
“A Simple Act” (news blog)

From An Invisible Thread (novel excerpt)
Unit 2 “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” (short story)
“Radio Play – Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed (media)
“Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Future of U.S. Space Exploration after Curiosity” (news interview)

Unit 3: “A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley” (drama)
“Thank you, M’am” (short story)

Unit 4: People and the Planet “Nobel Speech” (speech)
"'Nature' is what We see” (poetry)
“The Sparrow” (poetry)

The core texts used across the school year for My Perspectives: English Language Arts Grade 7 have the appropriate level of complexity according to quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. Additionally, the relationship between the level of complexity and the relationship to student tasks is appropriate for the grade level.

Texts students engage with over the course of the year range in quantitative measure from 500- 1350 on a Lexile scale; qualitative measures identify texts as appropriate for Grade 7 students. Students also engage with poetry and multimedia texts which have appropriate qualitative features (but cannot be identified with a quantitative measure).

Below is an example from the Grade 7 materials:

• Unit 2: Generations includes “The Last Dog,” a short story.
  • Quantitative Measures
    • Lexile: 810
    • Text Length: 4,971 words
  • Qualitative Measures (based on a scale of 1 to 5, from lowest to highest)
    • Knowledge Demands: 4 “The selection explores multiple themes of varying complexity…”
    • Structure: 3 “Story is mostly told chronologically, but with flashbacks to previous events…”
    • Language Conventionality and Clarity: 3 “Vocabulary and syntax are on level.”
    • Levels of Meaning/Purpose: 4 “Reader must infer multiple levels of meaning, including how current environmental changes could impact life in the future.”

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives: English Language Arts for Grade 7 students support students’ increasing literacy skills over the course of the school year. Teacher’s editions divide texts for each unit into color-coded levels of Whole Class Learning (green), Small Group Learning (turquoise), and Independent Learning (purple). Not only do the texts build with the challenges of what students are being asked to do to read complex texts, especially with language and meaning, but also the writing builds throughout each unit and throughout the year.

The series of texts in each unit vary in text complexity but build in complexity throughout the year. The publisher adds a rubric for each reading that assesses the quantitative and qualitative value for each reading. The qualitative demands increase throughout the year and are mostly in the moderate and complex range by Unit 5 at the end of the year. Each unit contains selected tasks that can be used to assess students’ grasp of concepts such as a performance tasks that includes both a writing and a speaking/listening component. The materials also contain formative assessments with suggestions for reteaching and selection of test items for tracking student mastery of literacy standards across the year.

Readings vary in text complexity over the entire school year to build students' literacy skills. The materials support a spectrum of qualitative and knowledge demands to provide students opportunity to engage with texts that are rigorous in a variety of ways. The following text example is but one to illustrate how the placement of texts supports students' increasing challenges over the year:

Unit 1: Generations
“An Invisible Thread” (memoir)
Lexile: 820L Text Length:833 words
Knowledge Demands - 3
Structure - 3
Language Conventionality and Clarity - 2
Levels of Meaning/Purpose - 2

Unit 5: Facing Adversity
“The Circuit” (short story)
Lexile: 1120L Text Length: 2,311
Knowledge Demands - 2
Structure - 2
Language Conventionality and Clarity - 3
Levels of Meaning/Purpose - 3

In this example, the quantitative measure of the Unit 5 text is much higher than that in Unit 1, but the qualitative measures support students' ability to navigate after working over the year.

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives: English Language Arts Grade 7 include Teacher’s Editions that provide a text complexity analysis and rationale for purpose and placement of anchor texts and series of texts in Grade 7.

The publisher includes a “Planning” section before the anchor texts and series of texts that lists the Lesson Resources with a “Text Complexity Rubric.” The Planning section gives a summary and insight for the anchor texts, as well as an explanation for connections between the Essential Question, Performance Tasks, and the reading selections. A rationale is included for the scores given on the rubric. The text complexity rubric includes Lexile level, text length, and qualitative measures such as Knowledge Demands, Structure, Language Conventionality and Clarity, and Levels of Meaning/Purpose.

The Planning section for each unit include the following sections to support teachers as they work with students to build literacy:

• Summary of the text
• Insight into the rationale for the text selection
• Connection to the essential question
• Connection to performance tasks

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives: English Language Arts Grade 7 meet the requirements for this indicator. The anchor text(s), including support materials, provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading to achieve grade level reading.

For each of the five units, there are multiple selections lined to a central theme and essential question. In each unit students are given the opportunity to engage in a large volume of reading following a similar format beginning with whole group learning, then small group learning, and finally independent learning ending in a culminating Performance Based Assessment. There is a variety of genres found in each unit and all units are organized by the gradual release of responsibility model to provide students with supports throughout the unit which includes close reading and multiple-reads. Students also have a choices in independent reading materials at the end of the unit.

Some text examples used within Grade 7 are as follows:

Unit 1: Generations
Anchor Texts: “Two Kinds” from The Joy Luck Club (novel) by Amy Tan p 12
“A Simple Act” (News Blog) by Tyler Jackson p 32
From “An Invisible Thread” (Memoir) by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski p 42
Range and Volume: excerpt from larger work; 850L (low), 4,610 words
Growth toward Grade Level: refresher from grade 6

Unit 3: Turning Points
Anchor Text: “A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley” (Act I and Act II) by Israel Horovitz p 234
Range and Volume: only one act from the play paired with Media - Film “Scrooge”
Growth toward Grade Level: Scores of 4 on Qualitative- Structure and Language

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives: English Language Arts Grade 7 meet expectations that most of the questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent and require students to engage with the text directly. Students are required to provide evidence from the text to support their responses in almost all questions and the Teacher’s Edition provides formative assessment suggestions that remind students to cite evidence from the text.

The materials provide a consistent format for students to engage with text-dependent questions and/or tasks. Each anchor and small group text asks students to answer analyze craft and structure questions. Also, each text selection is followed by a section to analyze the text in which students are asked to interpret, draw conclusions, and speculate using text evidence to support their answers (e.g. What is the general attitude of the characters? How can you tell? ). The final question directs students to the unit’s essential question using text evidence to support their thinking. During small group instruction, students work through a comprehension check which begins with literal text-dependent questions and then moves to more analytical “why” questions and a written summary. After reading in their small groups, students discuss answers to these questions and clarify details from the text (How did human activity contribute to creating the Dust Bowl? ).

Examples of questions and tasks that require text-based evidence include, but are not limited to, the following:

After reading Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds” from The Joy Luck Club in Unit 1, students are presented with questions such as, "How are the mother and daughter similar and different? How does the difference in their attitudes cause problems? What motives does the daughter have to rebel against her mother?"

With Isreal Horovitz’s A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley, Act I in Unit 3, students are asked, "What has Marley done to help save Scrooge? Identify three experiences Scrooge has with the Ghost of Christmas Past. What does Scrooge mean when he says, “Christmas is less of a time of year for being merry, and more of a time of year for being loony…if you ask me”? What does Cratchit mean when he says, “Well, there it is, eh, six”? Why does he say this?"

After reading John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath in Unit 5, students answer, "What are some details Steinbeck includes that tell the reader these character are farm people? What is the general attitude of the characters? How can you tell? What does the term 'tenant people' reveal about these characters? What conclusion about these people can you draw from this?"

Also included in the materials are longer text-focused activities that require reflection on the reading. An example:

After reading the “Nobel Speech” in Unit 4, students are asked to "Choose at least one unfamiliar detail from the text. Briefly research that detail. For example, you might want to find out more about Alfred Nobel, the United Nations, or 'Earth Summit.' In what way does the information you learned shed light on an aspect of the speech?"

Students then use the "Evidence Log for Exploration:" After summarizing a text and quick writing about what they have read, students formulate their point of view in one succinct sentence and then record textual evidence to support their point of view.

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives: English Language Arts Grade 7 meet expectations that the text-dependent questions and tasks build to culminating tasks that integrates skills (writing, speaking or a combination) which provide teachers information about what students know and are able to do.

Each unit has the same format of teacher led, small group, and independent student learning which culminates in a performance-based writing assessment. Not only do the texts build with the challenges of what students are being asked to do to read the complex texts, but also the writing builds throughout each unit and throughout the year.

All units end with a writing task and a speaking and listening performance task focused on the unit essential question and backward mapped from all unit activities. The culminating writing tasks are of different genres of writing such as argument, explanatory and informative essays, and narratives. Both text-dependent questions and writing tasks build throughout each unit to support students in the culminating writing task. A few examples that are representative of this include:

Unit 2: A Starry Home. Students complete a speaking and listening focused culminating task that addresses the question: “Should space exploration be a priority?” They work in groups to plan, rehearse, present, evaluate texts, provide evidence, and select media examples for an argumentative multimedia presentation. They organize their ideas and practice delivering the presentation. Students apply presentation techniques and evaluate their work using a checklist. This allows for an integration of writing with speaking.

After whole group learning students are asked to do a performance task with a writing focus. Selections provide an audio summary to help students build additional background knowledge before the first read and have a connection to the unit’s essential question as well as connection to the whole-class learning performance task and the unit performance task (Unit 2 TE p.100A).

The Unit 4 culminating writing task is an argument answering the question, “Is it too late to fix the damage that has been done to our environment?” Students begin the unit by answering this same question in a quick write after reading the launch text, viewing the unit introductory video, and participating in class discussion. While analyzing the anchor text, “Silent Spring,” students respond to the question, “What have you learned about the effects people have on the environment by reading this selection?” The culminating activity for the anchor texts requires students to write an argument taking a position in response to the question, “Do people have a more positive or more negative impact on the environment?” Throughout the unit, students keep an evidence log to record textual evidence in preparation of the unit culminating tasks.

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives: English Language Arts Grade 7 meet the expectations for Indicator 1i. For each series the units are divided into Whole-Learning, Small-Group Learning, and Independent Learning. Students are given multiple opportunities to work with partners and groups to learn and model academic vocabulary and syntax. Throughout the series there are sections like “Making Meaning” and “Language Development” that are solely devoted to academic vocabulary and syntax. Throughout the texts in both the teacher’s edition and student’s edition, academic terms are highlighted in each unit. Graphic organizers are used repeatedly throughout the series to give students words that will be useful as they analyze, discuss, and write about the texts.

Examples of how the program meets the expectations of the indicator include, but are not limited to, the following:

Unit 3: Turning Points

Under “Making Meaning,” students are given Media vocabulary for the clip from the film, A Christmas Carol. The teacher is given instructions for how to teach media vocabulary, including having students to discuss where (in other texts) they have seens the terms before and whether or not they have used them in speaking and writing. Teachers are told to direct the students to explain how storytelling through film might be more advantageous. In addition, instructions are given on how to teach domain specific vocabulary that have multiple meanings. For example, direction as a media term for filmmaking describes how the story is told but can also refer to movement or the direction in which something is moving.

Under “Language and Development: Author’s Style,” in Unit 4, students work with their small groups to identify specific examples of word choice that affects meaning and tone. The lesson includes a chart/graphic organizer that asks students to use their knowledge of “denotation” and “connotation” when analyzing three selected poems.

Learning strategies and actions are found at the beginning of each of the three sections in each unit: Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group, and Independent Learning. Strategies for Whole-Class Learning include: listen actively, clarify by asking questions, monitor understanding, interact and share ideas. Strategies for Small-Group Learning include: prepare, participate fully, support others, and clarify. Strategies for Independent Learning include: create a schedule, practice what you’ve learned, and take notes. There are also videos teachers could show on learning strategies available online in the Professional Development Center.

Prior to the Small-Group Learning, the teacher edition provides support for instructing students in being effective members of a small group. Students are provided the 5 steps for working as a team:
1. Discuss the topic
2. List Your Rules
3. Apply the Rules
4. Name Your Group
5. Create a Communication Plan

Teachers also instruct in Accountable Talk, with specific supports to grow students' speaking and listening skills. Some examples:

Remember to ask clarifying questions.
Which sounds like….
Can you say that again?
Can you give me an example?

Remember to make connections.
Which sounds like…
This reminds me of _______.
How does that relate to the point made by _______?

Remember to explain your thinking.
Which sounds like….
I think this is right because ____________.

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives Grade 7 support students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching with relevant follow-up questions and supports. There are several opportunities within this series for students to discuss topics with classmates and teachers. In all five units of study, there is a section dedicated to “Speaking and Listening" that is intended to be connected to the texts read in the unit. Some examples of how the materials support this indicator include (but are not limited to):

In Unit 3, groups are expected and prompted to discuss their reading. They are asked to review and clarify details with their group when answering the Comprehension Check questions.

In Unit 5, under, Small-Group Learning, students participate in a small-group discussion analyzing one of two quotes. Students are provided questions to prompt the discussion and a chart to record their ideas. They are directed to cite examples and details from the text.

The Performance Task for this unit has students develop an explanatory essay in a multimedia presentation with their group. They discuss the people, challenges they faced, and the strengths and qualities that enabled them to overcome obstacles. A checklist (rubric) provides students a way to evaluate the effectiveness of their performance.

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives Grade 7 meet the expectations of indicator 1k. The materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

Each of the five units begins with a launch text modeling the type of writing students will be completing in their performance assessment at the end of the unit. Immediately following the launch text, students write a summary of the launch text and a quick write responding to a prompt focused on the essential question and preparing them for the culminating unit performance task. Additionally, each unit contains a writing activity at the end of the whole-class learning and at least one of the small-group text includes a writing activity. Each unit ends with a culminating writing performance assessment.

Examples of how the program includes on-demand and process writing include, but are not limited to the following examples:

In Unit 1, in Writing to Compare: After completing group work comparing points of view in “A Simple Act” and “An Invisible Thread,” students draft an explanatory essay in which they analyze the effect of each point of view. Students are presented with two choices for organizing the essay: point-by-point or block.

In Unit 2, students are prompted to: use your imagination to write your own version of the ending of this story (“The Last Dog”)...Begin your revised ending with...Write your own version of the last seven paragraphs…

From Unit 3, after reading the launch text, students are asked to write a summary of “Freedom of the Press?” Learning strategies and actions are found at the beginning of each of the three sections in each unit: Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group, and Independent Learning.
A QuickWrite is done to the prompt, “How do people determine what happens to them and make their own choices in life?”
Students are asked to write an argument writing to sources and responding to the claim, “Barrington Irving has achieved success by recognizing problems and finding ways to solve them. Students need to find evidence to support the claim.

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives Grade 7 meets the expectations of indicator 1l The materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Within each unit, all writing tasks are directly related to the text and/or essential questions for the units. Students engage in writing narrative, informational, and argumentative pieces across all units as demonstrated in the evidence below.

Unit 1

• Nonfiction Narrative: After reading three texts on how people of different generations influence each other’s lives, students write a narrative in which they refer to the experiences of others based on the texts. Students complete prewriting and planning activities such as developing realistic and engaging characters (traits, details, and dialogue). They also gather anecdotes, quotations, and examples from their own memories and experiences to craft the nonfiction narrative. Students organize the nonfiction narrative into a chronological sequence of events before writing a first draft, revising, and publishing a final draft.

Unit 2

• Argumentative: The whole-class performance tasks, small-group performance tasks require students to write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
• Argumentative: Performance-Based Assessment - Writing to Sources: Write an argument in which you state and defend a claim in response to the following question.

Unit 3

• Informative: The whole-class performance tasks, and small group performance tasks require students to write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas concepts and information through the selection, organization and analysis of relevant content

Unit 5

• Informative: SE p 451 - Write an Explanatory Essay on the topic of facing adversity.

The instructional materials reviewed for My Perspectives Grade 7 meet the expectations for indicator 1m because they include frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information. Frequent opportunities exist across the school year for students to acquire and practice skills that they can use in various assignments and performance-based assessments. Students also write multiple argumentative compositions in which they must clarify and defend claims using evidence from texts and/or sources.

In Unit 2, students work with Write an Argument. After reading three texts that relate to space exploration and other worlds, students use their understanding to write an argument in the form of an editorial about space exploration. Students complete prewriting and planning activities such as developing and writing a claim, planning for counterclaims and opposing positions, gathering evidence, and connecting across the three texts. Students are guided through writing a first draft (organizing the argument and clearly connecting their ideas), revision (evaluating the first draft, highlighting main points, and choosing precise words), and publishing the final draft, pp 164-169

In Unit 3, students are asked to write an Argument writing to sources and responding to the claim, “Barrington Irving has achieved success by recognizing problems and finding ways to solve them. Students need to find evidence to support the claim.

In Unit 4, the Performance Task with Writing Focus is to write an Informative Essay. Students read and watch selections that relate to someone experiencing a turning point in life. Students then use knowledge of the play read in class to write an informative cause and effect essay in which they address this question: How does Scrooge’s character transform over the course of the play?

My Perspectives Grade 7 meets the expectations for indicator 1n.Materials include explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context. Included in each unit are frequent opportunities for students to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage through writing or speaking. Some grammar, mechanics and conventions are taught explicitly while others are integrated with the reading and writing instruction. Each unit has a Planning section for the teacher. Under the heading “Lesson Resources,” the activities for a text are laid out clearly for the teacher. It is divided into 3 sections: Making Meaning, Language Development, and Effective Expression.

Examples of how the program meets the expectation of indicator 1n, include (but are not limited to) the following:

In Unit 2, students reread paragraph from “Two Kinds” to identify and classify the nouns and pronouns. Students then revise sentences to replace nouns with appropriate pronouns. The exercise concludes with students writing three sentences about an important scene between the mother and daughter of the selection.

In Unit 3, the teacher reviews with students simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences, and dependent and independent clauses. They then read sentences from the text and identify the structure of each and underline the clause in each. They then write an example of each type of sentence structure in their notebook.

In Unit 5, students are writing an explanatory essay as a performance assessment. Instructions include editing for conventions and proofreading for accuracy. They are to reread their drafts and correct errors in grammar and word usage, using commas correctly, and look for spelling and punctuation errors.