8th Grade - Gateway 1

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria of Indicator 1a. 

Anchor texts are well-crafted and content rich. The texts are rich in language and academic vocabulary. The combination of short stories, argumentative essays, classic dramas, scientific articles, and videos offer rich diversity which should appeal to a variety of student interests.

Anchor texts are of high-quality and consider a range of student interests, are well-crafted, content rich, and engage students at their grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read "The Medicine Bag" by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve and learn about an important milestone in a young Native American boy’s life. Students gain understanding of milestones such as family traditions and loss of a loved one while reading this story to best respond to the essential question, “What are some milestones on the path to growing up?” The text is well-crafted as students gain understanding of aging, cultural traditions, and different perceptions throughout the entirety of the text. 

• In Unit 2, The Holocaust, Small-Group Learning, students read an excerpt from the graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman. This excerpt examines the plight of Jews in Nazi Germany. Art Spiegelman created this account based on his father who lived and survived the Holocaust as a Polish Jew. This excerpt has complex layers of meaning and complex characterization. It also invites students to learn about the terrible consequences suffered by those wishing to escape Nazi-controlled countries during the Holocaust.

• In Unit 5, Invention, Small-Group Learning, students read “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?” by Vicky Baez. Through this biography, students learn about a man whose name is often misassociated with the contemporary vehicle but, in fact, should be as famous as that of Thomas Edison. The text allows students a look into the world of science and invention.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1b. 

Materials reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards including, but not limited to, poetry, science fiction stories, argumentative essays, and historical accounts. Over the course of the school year, materials include 22 informational texts and 14 literary texts resulting in a 61/39 balance, which exceeds the 55/45 balance of informational and literary texts across the school day that is required by the standards. 

Materials reflect the distribution of text types/genres required by the grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• In Unit 2, The Holocaust, Small Group Learning, students read “Acceptance Speech for the Nobel Peace Prize” by Elie Wiesel.  In this speech, the author shares his experience in a concentration camp during WWll, and calls for an end to injustice in our world. 

• In Unit 3, What Matters, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read “Three Cheers for the Nanny State” by Sarah Conly. In this opinion piece, the author argues that social health policies may require people to give up freedoms, but are necessary to change people’s health status. 

• In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, which is a classic short story. 

Materials reflect a balance of informational and literary texts that support the 55/45 balance required by the standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, students read eight core texts. In this unit, 25% of the texts are informational and 75% of the texts are literary. 

• In Unit 2, Holocaust, students read six core texts. In this unit, 67% of the texts are informational and 33% of the texts are literary.

• In Unit 3, What Matters, students read eight core texts. In this unit, 100% of the texts are informational and 0% of the texts are literary.

• In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, students read seven core texts. In this unit, 43% of the texts are informational and 57% of the texts are literary.

• Throughout the year students read 36 texts, 22 or 69% of which are  informational texts and 14 or 31% of which are literary texts.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1d. 

The materials support the development of students’ literacy over the course of the school year. The materials provide an opportunity for students to read a variety of texts at various levels of complexity throughout each unit and throughout the school year. The overall quantitative complexity measures across the year range from 560L to 1420L, and the qualitative measures are Slightly Complex to Very Complex. Each unit consists of complex texts that, when paired with literacy activities, promote literacy skills and reading independence over time. Through appropriate scaffolds and support materials located in the Teacher’s Edition, the program supports the literacy growth of all students. Teachers are provided with resources to build background knowledge, guide language demands, and help students identify the meaning of each text. 

The complexity of anchor texts students read provides an opportunity for students’ literacy skills to increase across the year, encompassing an entire year’s worth of growth. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The quantitative and qualitative complexity of texts in each unit is as follows:  

  • Unit 1, 560L to 920L, Slightly Complex to Moderately Complex

  • Unit 2, 770L to 990L, Slightly Complex to Moderately Complex

  • Unit 3, 830L to 1250L, Slightly Complex to Moderately Complex

  • Unit 4, 1120L to 1200L, Slightly Complex to Moderately Complex 

  • Unit 5, 850L to 1420L, Slightly Complex to Very Complex 

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Whole-Class Learning, students read “The Medicine Bag” by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (920L). Although the quantitative measure of this text is below grade level, the qualitative measure is Moderately Complex. Overall, this Moderately Complex text provides students with the opportunity to determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot, providing an objective summary of the text. After answering four questions that help students recall important details from the story, they write a “three-sentence summary” in their notebooks. The Teacher’s Edition provides support for this activity by prompting students to include details such as: “Martin is initially embarrassed by Grandpa; Grandpa has come to give Martin his medicine bag; Martin doesn’t want the medicine bag; and Martin is given the medicine bag and comes to accept his Native American heritage.” Students began to understand this rite of passage as a central idea of the text. During the Close Read and final activities, students see the development of this idea throughout the text. Also, in Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Small-Group Learning, students read the poems “Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde and “Translating Grandfather’s House” by E.J. Vega. Since these are poems, they do not have an assigned quantitative measure or overall level of complexity. Students determine a theme or central idea of these texts. Before students begin the reading, the teacher suggests several questions that support students in analyzing the important connections within the poems. After students read the poems, they compare them to consider what they have learned about growing up. There is a class discussion on the theme of this text. In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Whole-Class Learning, students read “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. There is no quantitative measure assigned because it is considered Non-Prose (NP); however, due to its literary complexity, the text is Moderately Complex qualitatively, and the associated task meets grade-level expectations. After completing the reading, students engage in Analyzing Craft and Structure. For this activity, students answer several questions about the theme of the story and the central message that it conveys about life. The teacher explains to students “that the theme of a piece of literature is not the same as its topic.” The teacher guides students’ understanding of the theme by explaining that it is what the author has to say about a topic and involves insights and ideas. Since the theme of this story is implied, students must use their knowledge of the setting, characters, and plot to determine the message the author is trying to convey. Students respond to five questions that examine the point of view used in the story to the use of allusions to determine the possible theme suggested by Charlie’s experience. As the units progress, tasks associated with the theme and central idea increase in complexity. 

• In Unit 2, Holocaust, Small-Group Learning, students read “Acceptance Speech for the Nobel Peace Prize'' by Elie Wiesel (770L). Although the reading level is Below Grade Level, students still have to sift through Moderately Complex contexts to make meaning from the text. Overall, this is a Moderately complex text. One of the tasks students complete with this text supports their vocabulary development. Before students begin reading, they practice using a dictionary and thesaurus to compare entries for the following words: humiliation, persecuted, and traumatized. After they finish reading, they determine why the three words are related, and then they add another word to the category of words that has a similar meaning. Students then confirm their understanding of the words by correctly using each word in a sentence. In Unit 3, What Matters, Whole-Class Learning, students read “Three Cheers for the Nanny State” by Sarah Conly (1180L). The quantitative level of this text is Above Grade Level. The qualitative level of this text is Moderately Complex. Overall, this text is considered Very Complex. Before reading, students rank the words impose, rational, justifiable, principle, and status quo according to their own level of familiarity with the words. When they finish the reading, the concept words help the author discuss rules and laws. Students answer two questions about the words, such as: “How is each concept vocabulary word related to the author’s argument about the new law in New York?” and “What other words in the selection connect to rules or laws?” Students also use each concept vocabulary word in a sentence that shows their understanding of the word. Then students find a synonym or word with a similar meaning. In Unit 5, Invention, Small-Group Learning, students read an excerpt from The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt (880L). They complete a study of the concept vocabulary words (deficiencies, triumph, and revolutionized) before and after reading. However, the complexity of this lesson is found in the Word Study section, which emphasizes Denotation and Connotation. In order to demonstrate their understanding of denotation, students find a synonym for each of the concept vocabulary words and discuss the connotations of each pair of words. The teacher can provide more support for teaching denotation and connotation by providing a Concept Vocabulary and Word Study worksheet. As the units progress, the complexity of vocabulary tasks, increases. 

As texts become more complex, appropriate scaffolds and/or materials are provided in the Teacher Edition (e.g., spending more time on texts, more questions, repeated readings, skill lessons). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Introduction, Launch Text, students read “Red Roses” by Dina McClellan (560L), which is below the Lexile stretch band. This Slightly Complex quantitative text has an overall rating of Moderate and is positioned early in the unit, so that students can work towards mastery of independent reading. This text also serves as a model for nonfiction narrative writing that students can refer to as they complete the performance tasks throughout the unit. The Teacher’s Edition prompts teachers to have “students pay attention to the way the narrator’s attitude changes as the story goes on.” As they read the nonfiction narrative, the teacher asks questions to help students consider the narrator’s reactions and the descriptive details that the author uses to tell the story. After reading, the teacher supports students as they write a summary of the text. They provide students with the following tips for writing a summary:

  • “Write in the present tense.

  • Make sure to include the title of the work.

  • Be concise: a summary should not be equal in length to the original text.

  • If you need to quote the words of the author, use quotation marks.

  • Don’t put your own opinion into the summary. The purpose of writing a summary is to accurately represent what the author says, not to provide a critique.”

• In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Small-Group Learning, students read an excerpt from Blue Nines and Red Words from Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet (1200L). In this Above Level text, students are exposed to a Moderately Complex qualitative reading experience, including challenging concepts, such as the author’s unique perspective on daily interactions. Overall this Very Complex text is challenging and requires the teacher to provide scaffolds and background knowledge to support the meaning of the text. For those that need Strategic Support, the teacher prompts students to read the background information from the text.  Students determine the knowledge they already have about autism and Asperger’s syndrome. The teacher helps students understand that these conditions may give people special abilities, and that is what this text is about. The teacher has students understand the higher-level perspective provided by Tammet by recording examples of what he sees or experiences when he experiences different numbers, people, places, problems, and emotions. By tracing the patterns, students can gain insight into his perceptions. 

• In Unit 5, Invention, Whole-Class Learning, students read “Uncle Marcos” from The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende, translated by Magda Bogin (1420L). The text contains long, complex sentences, challenging vocabulary, mystical references (divines, amulet), and figurative language. As students conduct a Close Read, the teacher is given notes to guide the learning. As students read paragraph five, they are introduced to a crystal ball that seems magical, yet it is also an ordinary object because it served as a buoy from a fishing boat. The teacher points this out to students to see if they think the author included this detail to show that there are two ways to see a crystal ball—“as a source of insight or as a tool of deception and fraud.” Students analyze this detail and decide how it develops the character traits of Uncle Marcos, and adds an element of humor to the story. This supports students when they have to write a critical review of Uncle Marcos’s character in Writing to Sources. In order to set students up to Analyze an Argument, the teacher has them conduct a WriteNow activity to Analyze and Interpret pieces of the text that will eventually help them state a claim regarding Uncle Marcos as an inventor or an eccentric man with crazy ideas. In this activity, students brainstorm evidence to support each side of the argument. They write these down in a two-column chart. Once they solidify the evidence to support their claim, they will then have counterarguments to use in their writing for the critical review of the text.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1e. 

The materials clearly identify opportunities for students to engage in reading a wide variety of text types and genres. Students read 36 texts during Whole-Class and Small-Group learning. Students are provided with Independent reading tasks that are centered around the topics and themes provided for each unit. Students have opportunities to read text types and genres such as, but not limited to, historical fiction, poetry, memoirs, dramas, and opinions. Students are provided with graphic organizers, note-catchers, and evidence logs to support their independent reading. The teacher’s edition provides sufficient guidance to foster independence in reading, including, but not limited to, prompts and scaffolds such as a reading plan. Guidance is also provided to help teachers support students with independent reading choices such as, but not limited to, guiding questions and text complexity charts. 

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in reading a variety of text types and genres. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, students read eight texts in all, six literary and two informational texts. Texts are tied to the theme, Rites of Passage, and students reflect and respond throughout the anchor and supporting texts to the essential question, “What are some milestones on the path to growing up?” 

• In Unit 2, The Holocaust, students read The Diary of Anne Frank, Acts l and ll by Anne Frank. One of the unit goals is to “read nonfiction narratives and arguments to better understand the ways writers express ideas.” After reading, students write an argument that evaluates the quality of the piece to “inspire readers to take action, or discourage action.”  

• In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, includes Whole-Group Learning with two versions of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes and David Rogers. Students compare the short story by Keyes to the adapted drama by Rogers in a compare/contrast essay. 

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in a volume of reading. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher’s Edition, Table of Contents and Frontmatter, and the Teacher’s Edition for each unit, the time for students to engage with texts during the Unit Introduction, Whole-Class learning, Small-Group learning, and Independent Learning is similar. There is one day for the Launch Text during the Unit Introduction, 12 days for Whole-Class Learning, 11 days for Small-Group Learning, and two days for Independent Learning. In the Teacher’s Edition, a text box in the margin notes, “Each day in this pacing calendar represents a 40–50 minute class period. Teachers using block scheduling may combine days to reflect their class schedule.” These opportunities to engage with multiple texts and a volume of reading are consistent across the school year. 

• In Unit 5, Invention, Whole-Class Learning, students read two texts over 12 classes or six blocks. In Small-Group Learning, students read four texts over 11 regular classes or five blocks. Students end the unit by reading one independent choice text over two classes or one block before the final performance task. The Teacher’s Edition provides a pacing guide for each unit and suggests ideas for supporting the needs of various students in the wrap-around materials. 

There is sufficient teacher guidance to foster independence for all readers (e.g., independent reading procedures, proposed schedule, tracking system for independent reading). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Each unit has Independent Reading that is connected to the topics and themes presented in the main texts. Teachers instruct students to preview the choices for independent reading and choose one title. Prompts such as, “Think about what you have already studied. What more do you want to know about the topic of imagination?” help students decide which text to read. After selecting a book, students create a schedule, practice strategies from Whole-Class and Small-Group lessons, and take notes. Each independent text includes a Text Complexity Rubric as well. Graphic organizers are provided for first and close reads. Teacher materials also provide a guide for students to share their independent learning. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1f.

The tasks, questions, and assignments connect to the text students read and require students to collect textual evidence. Every unit includes a section for a Model Annotation and an Evidence Log. There are sections to help students conduct an analysis of a text, a close reading of the text, and an analysis of the language used in the text. Students provide textual evidence to support their responses to questions for every story in every unit. There are multiple opportunities for teachers to model annotating the text and for students to practice this skill in a small group setting. During independent learning, students complete tasks that require text-based evidence for completion. At the end of each unit, students use their Evidence Log to complete a Performance-Based Assessment based on the Essential Question for the unit.

Text-specific and text-dependent questions and tasks support students in making meaning of the core understandings of the texts being studied. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Small-Group Learning, students read "The Setting Sun and the Rolling World" by Charles Mungoshi. During a close read, the students are asked to “...mark details in paragraph 26 that use figurative language to describe the conflict between the father and son.” After reading, students use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast the point of view of the father and son. Then students write an answer for the following prompt, “Use the details in your chart to identify key differences in the points of view of Old Musoni and Nhamo. How do these differences develop the plot?”

• In Unit 3, What Matters, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read "Soda’s a Problem, But..." by Karin Klein. Students complete a close read and answer the question. In paragraph 4, “Why do you think the author repeats this term?” Students complete questions to analyze the text, such as, “Make inferences in paragraph 3 of ‘Ban the Ban!,’ What does the author mean by the phrase “a very slippery slope?” Support: Which details in the text support your thinking?”

• In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Whole-Group Learning, students read the short story, “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. In addition to students completing the Close Read protocol of Notice, Annotate, Connect, Respond, students also answer text-specific questions in the Comprehension Check. At the conclusion of the first read analysis and discussion, students engage in deeply analyzing Craft and Structure by determining the point of view, theme and developing claims about specific paragraphs from the text.

Teacher materials provide support for planning and implementation of text-based questions and tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Each unit contains a Decide and Plan section for teachers that provides guidance on how to provide support for all students using appropriate scaffolds, modeling, and enrichment all based around text analysis.

• Units all contain teacher notes throughout that include places in the texts students may need additional vocabulary or comprehension support, scaffolded questions, and support for all learners. The Teacher’s Edition supports the system for annotating, noticing, and connecting by highlighting the key places in the text to show where students should look for answers.

• In Unit 5, Invention, Small-Group Learning, students read "Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?" by Vicky Baez. Teachers are given the following guidance: “If needed, model close reading by using the Annotation Highlights in the interactive Teacher’s Edition. Remind students to use Accountable Talk in their discussions and to support one another as they complete the close read. You might want to print copies of the Close Read Guide: Nonfiction for students to use.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1g. 

Materials provide varied protocols to support students’ speaking and listening skills across the year’s scope of instructional materials. Students engage in discussion throughout the unit through classroom discussions, small group discussions, and culminating discussions. Students are provided with a variety of structures to support their text-based discussions including, but not limited to, goal setting, graphic organizers, and reflection. Teachers are provided with speaking and listening guidance for most discussions with structure including, but not limited to, instructional videos, completed graphic organizers, prompts, and sentence starters for struggling students. Teachers facilitate discussions throughout each unit and over the course of the school year. 

Materials provide varied protocols to support students’ developing speaking and listening skills across the whole year’s scope of instructional materials. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Materials include a Conversation and Discussion guide for middle school. This web-based tool gives specific guidelines and directions on discussions such as:

  • Leading a Group Discussion

  • Formal Group Discussion Guidelines

  • Informal Group Discussion Guidelines

  • Debates

• In the Conversation and Discussion guide, materials provide the following guidance for leading a group discussion: “Here are some guidelines for leading a group discussion: 

  • Introduce the topic and purpose of the discussion.  

  • Lay out any rules for the discussion.  

  • Make sure that no one talks so much that others don’t get a fair turn. Invite and encourage contributions from all participants. 

  • Try to keep speakers from going off into topics that aren’t related to the subject of the discussion.  

  • At the end of the discussion, give a summary of the results of the discussion and any decisions that were made.”

• In the Conversation and Discussion guide, materials provide the following guidance for Formal Group discussion guidelines: “Here are some tips for successful discussions in a formal setting:

  • Limit your use of informal (everyday, casual) speech in a formal discussion. Informal speech is also called colloquial speech or language.

  • Manners are important in any discussion. Make sure you allow others to speak, and do not interrupt.  

  • Avoid using too much exclamatory language, or dramatic language. A little goes a long way.  

  • Diction, or the use of proper vocabulary related to the topic of the discussion, is an important element of a discussion.  

  • Stay focused on the subject under discussion. Avoid jumping in with different issues or unrelated remarks or stories.”

• In the Conversation and Discussion guide, materials provide the following guidance for Informal Group discussion guidelines: “An informal discussion is open-ended. Participants are free to speak in a more conversational manner, but most rules still apply.

  • Speech may be more informal but should still maintain a polite code of conduct.  

  • Dramatic and exclamatory remarks help emphasize your point of view, but if you use them too much, they become less effective.”

• In the Conversation and Discussion guide, materials provide the following guidance for Practices that make for good Debates: “During the debate, be sure to follow these practices:

  • Be courteous and listen to your opponent's point of view; allow others the opportunity to speak.

  • If you are debating as a team, support your team members.

  • Speak only when it is your turn, and follow the moderator's instructions.

  • Speak clearly, slowly, and loudly enough to be heard and understood by the audience.

  • Speak with spirit, enthusiasm, and conviction.”

Speaking and listening instruction includes facilitation, monitoring, and instructional supports for teachers. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Materials include a PDF download for monitoring speaking and listening standards. This resource defines a group, provides a graphic organizer for preparing for discussion, and a graphic organizer for students to keep track of who and what ideas were presented and discussed in the group. 

• Materials include teacher support in Annotating the Text and Participating in Discussion. This video shows a teacher and a group of students discussing texts. The video focuses more on how and what to annotate in the text. The video also has students telling the benefits of discussion for them as learners.

• Materials include support in Facilitating Peer-Group Learning. This video shows students working in a group to fill out a chart. The teacher gives directions to a group including roles, and focus of discussion. Teachers refer to charts and checklists to monitor group discussions. Teachers model taking anecdotal notes during discussion including giving specific feedback to students.

•  In Unit 2, The Holocaust, Small-Group Learning, students read "from Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank and teachers facilitate a collaborative group discussion. Teachers guide students to draft questions for the group discussion in which they do not have firm opinions. Teachers are guided to remind students, “that the purpose of the discussion is as much to learn from others as it is to contribute one’s own ideas.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1h. 

The materials provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate knowledge about what they are reading and learning through speaking and listening tasks. Students practice these skills during tasks through discussions with partners, small groups, and the whole class. The tasks require students to connect to evidence from texts, build on others’ ideas, and present information to an audience. Students synthesize and analyze evidence from texts to create presentation products. Opportunities to practice presentation skills such as eye contact, volume, and use of multimedia resources are also available. In addition, students are given opportunities to evaluate and incorporate multimedia resources. 

Students have multiple opportunities over the school year to demonstrate what they are reading through varied speaking and listening opportunities. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Small-Group Learning, students read the poems “Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde and “Translating Grandfather’s House” by E. J. Vega. Students prepare for a group discussion about the poems, drawing from the texts to explore the following questions:

    • “Explore the aspects of growing up that are descriptive in each poem. Are these experiences specific to the speakers or more universal in nature? Support your ideas with details from the poems and your own experience.

    • Compare and contrast the speakers in the two poems. In what ways are they similar? How do they differ? Would the two become friends if they were to meet? Use details from the prime to support your analysis.”

Students use a chart to “Identify examples from the text that support [their] ideas. Record the examples in the chart, and write notes and ideas related to the discussion topic. Then, join with others in your group and compare notes.” 

• In Unit 3, What Matters, Small-Group Learning, students watch an autobiographical video, “The Moth Presents Aleeza Kazmi.” Students prepare for the discussion by finding text-based examples that support one of the following questions:

  • “How does Kazmi’s story support the idea that it is important to stand up for yourself and your beliefs?

  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of sharing hobbies and interests with family or friends?”

Then they are instructed to “Listen to the ideas of other members of your [their] group and consider the ways in which they are similar to and different from your own. To connect your own ideas with the ideas of other group members, ask questions that help to clarify the relationship between the different ideas expressed. Use your notes to support your ideas when responding to questions from other group members. Don’t be afraid to change your ideas or views if another group member offers new thoughts or information you agree with.”

• In Unit 5, Invention, Whole-Class Learning, students read an excerpt from the novel The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. After reading “Uncle Marcos,” students prepare for a class discussion about the episode involving Uncle Marcos and his mechanical bird. A chart is available in the Student Edition to help peers review each other during the discussion. It includes the following criteria and asks students to “Rate each statement on a scale of 1 (not demonstrated) to a 5 (demonstrated):

  • The participants were prepared for the discussion.

  • The participants cited specific passages and examples from the texts to support ideas.

  • The participants built on one another’s ideas and expressed their own clearly.

  • The participants posed questions that connected ideas.

  • The participants responded to questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.”

• Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, The Holocaust, Small-Group Learning, students read "Acceptance Speech for the Nobel Peace Prize" by Elie Wiesel. The students conduct a discussion on one of two quotes expressed by Wiesel in his Acceptance Speech. Students assign roles such as notetaker, timekeeper, and group leader to keep the discussion flowing. The Teacher’s Edition provides discussion guidance for the students, such as “Emphasize that students should not seek to dominate the discussion by talking the longest or by dismissing the ideas of others.”

  • In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, students deliver a multimedia presentation for the End of Unit Performance Task and respond to “How does each selection highlight a different way to be intelligent?” During this presentation, the Teacher Guide encourages students, “As students provide feedback to the presenting group, remind them that they should be polite and respectful when offering suggestions.”

  • In Unit 5, Invention, Overview, Small-Group Learning, students learn several strategies that support Working as a Team. The Student Edition provides directions for Working on Group Projects: “As your group works together, you’ll find it more effective if each person has a specific role. Different projects require different roles. Before beginning a project, discuss the necessary roles and choose one for each group member. Here are some possible roles:

    • Project Manager: monitors the schedule and keeps everyone on task

    • Researcher: organizes research activities, and 

    • Recorder: takes notes during group meetings.”

• Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Small-Group Learning, students read You Are the Electric Boogaloo-Just Be Yourself! by Geoff Herback and Stephanie Pellgrin. In small groups, students are asked to “conduct research for a visual presentation” on one of two possible topics related to the text. Both options include the creation of an illustrated medium that focuses on break-dancing, the main topic of the text. The group is asked to plan the task and organize their thinking before creating the medium. They conduct independent research before meeting as a group to organize ideas and assign tasks to each member of the group. 

  • In Unit 2, Holocaust, Small-Group Learning, Performance Task, students create and present an explanatory multimedia presentation about the ways one of the texts helps contribute to the reader’s understanding of the Holocaust and the ways that people remember the past. While developing the presentation, the text box at the bottom of page 242 in the Teacher’s Edition provides four tips on using media and visuals strategically:

    • “Students should ensure that each piece of media has a specific purpose and is not mere ‘filler.’

    • Encourage students to let the content of the presentation drive their decisions about which media support to include rather than finding appealing media and trying to force fit into a presentation where it might not work.

    • Remind groups that although media and visuals can enhance a presentation, the content of what students say during the presentation is most important.

    • Ultimately, the presentation should be able to stand alone without media support and still make sense”

The presentations are evaluated for Content, Use of Media, and Presentation Techniques. The use of media criteria includes: “The use of photographs, illustrations, and other still images supports the presentation, and Videos, recorded interviews, and other multimedia enhance and clarify the presentation.”

• In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Whole-Class Learning, Performance Task, students write an informative speech. The text states that one of the criteria for an effective informative speech or text is the inclusion of “headings, charts, tables, other graphics, or multimedia elements to help illustrate ideas related to the topic.” The informative essay is evaluated on Focus and Organization, Evidence and Elaboration, and Conventions. One of the Focus and Organization components includes: “Organize supporting information and explanations in a way that is easy to understand, possibly including graphical or multimedia elements.”

Speaking and listening work requires students to utilize, apply, and incorporate evidence from texts and/or sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, The Holocaust, End of Unit, Performance Task, students present a multimedia presentation. Students are encouraged to listen and evaluate group presentations based on their understanding of the texts. The Teacher’s Edition provides questions for students to consider before the presentations begin. For example, “What information does the group present that tells how people fought back against Nazi rule?” Students are guided to be prepared to ask questions after the presentation. 

  • In Unit 3, What Matters, Small-Group Learning, students watch the video “The Moth Presents: Aleeza Kazmi.” In the margin of the Teacher’s Edition, the text suggests providing support for the students as they discuss. The teacher explains that the students can “use the notes that they have taken so that they can support their points with evidence from the video. As they pose questions to each other about different points, encourage them to try to stay on topic, always keeping the discussion prompt in mind.”

  • In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Small-Group Learning, Performance Task, students deliver a multimedia presentation. The presentation is a response to the following question: “How does each selection highlight a different way to be intelligent?” As students prepare, they must gather media examples such as “charts, graphs, photos, video, or other visuals” to engage the audience. Before beginning the presentations, the Teacher’s Edition has suggestions to help the audience learn:

    • “What claim about each selection did the group make?

    • What were some of the supporting ideas?

    • Which multimedia worked best to support the ideas?”

• Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Holocaust, Small-Group Learning, the students read diary entries from Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. To practice Effective Expression, the teacher has the students reread the excerpt to engage in a collaborative group discussion. During the Discussion, the students consider the following: “Think about new ideas or information expressed by others, and consider the ways in which these ideas and information confirm your view or change your perspective.” 

  • In Unit 3, What Matters, Small-Group Learning, students watch the video “The Moth Presents: Aleeza Kazmi” by Aleeza Kazmi. After taking notes focused on the “details in the video that explain how and why Aleeza Kazmi takes a stand.” After viewing the video and gathering ideas, the students participate in a group discussion. Using sections of the video that address specific central ideas, inferences, descriptive details, direct quotes, and places of emphasis, students analyze Kazmi’s speech. During the discussion, the students address both the internal and external conflicts and the ways in which she resolves them. Students are encouraged to use their notes in the discussion. The Teacher’s Edition provides the following guidance to develop the discussions: “As they pose questions to each other about different points, encourage them to try to stay on topic, always keeping the discussion prompt in mind.” Students are also reminded that they should not be “afraid to change [their] ideas or views if another group member offers new thought or information that [they] agree with, provided that the ideas are well supported with evidence.” 

  • In Unit 5, Invention, Launch Text, students read the argumentative text “Inspiration is Overrated!'' by an anonymous author. When they conclude the reading, they complete a Four-Corner Debate in response to the following statement: “Inventing takes one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Students decide if they Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree with the statement. Then they join their classmates that think about the statement the same way they do. One person shares a summary of the group’s beliefs and examples with the entire class. After the debate, students decide if their opinion has changed. If it has, they go to the corner that represents their new opinion and visit with their new group about the position. 

• Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, The Holocaust, Small-Group Learning, students read "Acceptance Speech for the Nobel Peace Prize” by Elie Wiesel and conduct a discussion on one of two quotes expressed by Wiesel in the speech. Students evaluate Wiesel’s written speech and determine the meaning behind his words influenced by his experiences during the Holocaust. Students analyze a quote from paragraph eight in the speech, “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere.” 

  • In Unit 3, What Matters, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read “Barrington Irving, Pilot, and Educator” by National Geographic. After reading the magazine article, students watch the video “Barrington Irving: Got 30 Dollars in My Pocket.” In Digital Perspectives, Illuminating the text, the students are asked to discuss their impressions of Barrington Irving compared with the article. Students also discuss their feelings about Irving that they got from the video but not from reading the article. 

  • In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Small-Group Learning, students read "The Theory of Multiple Intelligences Infographic" by Howard Gardner. Students learn that people have different ways of learning, processing, and demonstrating intelligence. After reading, students are asked to Analyze the Media. Students are required to use “specific examples to support [their] response” to questions. Examples of these questions are:

    • “How do the captions and labels in the infographic enhance your understanding of the different ways in which people can be intelligent?

    • What are the advantages of presenting the information about multiple intelligences in an infographic?

    • What has this infographic taught you about the different ways people can be intelligent?”

• Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 3, What Matters, Whole-Class Learning, Launch Text, students read “Barrington Irving, Pilot and Educator” by National Geographic. Students are asked to create and deliver a “persuasive presentation that highlights the benefits of [an] organization or program” mentioned in the article. There are a series of questions provided by the teacher that students must consider as they make their claim and support their argument to the class.

  • In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Small-Group Learning, students read "Retort," a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Students deliver a multimedia presentation as part of the Performance Task: Speaking and Listening Focus. They review their analysis and notes to decide what type of intelligence is featured in the poem. In groups, students write a script developed using media cues. The group member that presents this poem will be evaluated by the teacher and the audience on the following questions:

    • “What claim did the group make?

    • What were the supporting ideas?

    • What multimedia worked best to support the ideas?”

• In Unit 5, Invention, Small-Group Learning, students read “25 Years Later, Hubble Sees Beyond Troubled Start” by Dennis Overbye. To practice Effective Expression,  students engage in a debate where they respond to one of the following propositions:

  • “Proposition 1: Learning about the universe with a space telescope, such as Hubble, is a worthwhile pursuit that should be endorsed and well funded. 

  • Proposition 2: The Hubble’s flaws prevent it from providing humans with accurate and useful information about the universe.”

When students prepare for the debate, they “Analyze [their] evidence, and note specific details that support [their] proposition. Based on these notes, [they] make logical connections between the evidence and [their] proposition.”

• Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, The Holocaust, students present a multimedia presentation for the End of Unit Performance Task. They present their research that respond to the prompt, “How do the selections contribute to your understanding of the Holocaust and the ways in which we remember the past?” Students organize their ideas by using a chart that requires them to find evidence that supports the places and people affected in each text and how they are remembered today. Students are evaluated on the following presentation techniques: “Each member uses a formal tone, appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.”

  • In Unit 3, What Matters, Small-Group Learning, students read several selections that present the stories of people who took a stand against something they believed was wrong. In the Performance Task: Speaking and Listening Focus, groups prepare and deliver an oral presentation that uses the text from this section to answer the question: “When you take a stand, how much does winning matter?” Students use a checklist to evaluate their presentation before they present the final version to the class. The checklist provides several Presentation Techniques that the students are evaluated on by the audience and the teacher: 

    • “Each speaker presents with energy, enthusiasm, and expression.

    • Speakers do not rush through the presentation, nor do they speak too slowly.

    • Speakers behave with an appropriate level of formality.”

  • In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, students deliver a multimedia presentation for the End of Unit Performance Task and respond to “How does each selection highlight a different way to be intelligent?” Students ensure they present claims and findings as well as present in a way that engages their audience. Students create a script for each group member to follow, using relevant evidence represented in one of the texts. The script also shows that the presentation is organized. Under Brush Up On Your Presentations Techniques, students are to “Make sure that [their] script includes only formal English, such as academic vocabulary and complete sentences. Avoid slang, idioms, contractions, run-on sentences, and sentence fragments. Practice delivering your presentation using a formal tone and proper English.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1i. 

The materials include various on-demand and process writing opportunities. On-demand writing tasks are offered throughout the year, connecting to the Introduction, Whole-Class Learning, Small Group Learning, and Independent Learning sections. They include a mix of summaries, quick writes, and responses to texts. Process writing tasks include various types of essays using single or multiple texts as sources and following standard writing procedures from prewriting/planning to revising and/or editing. Students are provided step-by-step guidance for each task and a checklist or peer review process. At the end of each Whole-Class Learning section, students complete a writing Performance Task over the course of two days. A Performance-Based Assessment writing task is at the end of each unit with a Unit Reflection. Materials include digital resources where appropriate. The Teacher’s Edition provides guidance on how to model each type of writing, including the use of a Launch Text at the opening of the unit that functions as a model for the student’s Performance-Based Assessment. The Teacher’s Edition also includes Digital Perspectives boxes in each unit that often suggest digital resources but do not provide the resource or links to the resources. 

Materials include on-demand writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Whole-Class Learning, Launch Text, students read “Red Roses” by Dina McClellan. After the first read of the text, students are instructed to produce a QuickWrite about a rite of passage that has been significant in their life. A model Quickwrite is available to help students gather ideas. Students then review their QuickWrite to produce an entry in their Evidence Log. They record text-based details from “Red Roses” that connect to the ideas they produced in their writing sample.

• In Unit 3, What Matters, Small-Group Learning, students read an excerpt from Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington. In the activities following the reading, the teacher guides the students to discover how the author incorporates sensory details, points of view, and mood to help the reader understand the text. In the margin of the Teacher’s Edition, there is the Make It Interactive section. The teacher instructs the students to “think of a recent event in their lives that they found interesting or exciting. Next, have them write a few sentences about the event in a matter-of-fact way and then with descriptive, lively words.”

• In Unit 5, Invention, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read Uncle Marcos from The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, translated by Magda Bogin. After reading the text, students practice Writing to Sources in the section on Effective Expression. They write a critical review of the character, Uncle Marcos, from the story. The review entails an answer to the following question, “In your view, is Uncle Marcos a dreamer, a crackpot, an innovator, a phony, just an unusual person, or something else?” They must state their position, provide an explanation of how the author depicts Uncle Marcos, add evidence that supports the claim, and choose reasons to show why the claim is valid.

Materials include process writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. Opportunities for students to revise and edit are provided. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, students engage in process writing during the Performance Task: Writing Focus and write a nonfiction narrative that responds to the prompt, “What event changed your understanding of yourself, or that of someone you know?” Students have opportunities for revision and editing during the writing process. One example of practice in revision entails focusing on the conclusion of the essay. For example, “Strengthen your conclusion by reflecting on this relationship and sharing any insights you have gained from making these connections.” One editing focus is on dialogue as the materials prompt students, “As you proofread, make sure that any dialogue—the actual words spoken by people—is enclosed in quotation marks.”

• In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Whole-Class Learning, Performance Task: Writing Focus, after reading the story Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, students are to imagine themselves as Charlie after the intellectual transformation. They use the research and details from the text to produce an Informative Speech that responds to the question, “What has happened to you so far as a result of the experiment, and what do you predict will happen to you as time progresses?” After reviewing the elements of an Informative Speech, students should return to the Launch Text, “The Human Brain,” to review the structure of a text that gives them the opportunity to identify elements of a successful informative text. Students practice Prewriting and Planning by deciding the topic for the speech and preparing several central ideas. They gather ideas and connect to the Anchor Texts. They draft their speech. Once the draft is complete, students complete a lesson on subject-verb agreement. They use this knowledge to revise their speech, making sure the “subjects and verbs agree.” Students are also guided to choose precise, formal words and provide a strong introductory statement to improve the focus and organization of their speech. They receive instructions for adding transitions to improve evidence and elaboration. 

• In Unit 5, Invention, End of Unit, Performance-Based Assessment, students practice Writing to Sources by developing an argument. They develop a claim about the invention from the unit that has had the biggest impact on humanity. After taking a position, they must use examples from the selections to support their ideas. They also are to write using a formal tone. Once the first draft is completed, students match their work to the rubric. The notes in the margin of the Teacher’s Edition help the students use the rubric to strengthen their writing, “Students should pay attention to the differences between an argument that contains all of the required elements (a score of 3) and one that is comprehensive, engaging, and progresses in a logical and thoughtful manner (a score of 4).” They are instructed to strengthen areas of their writing that may not be meeting the standards for focus and organization, evidence and elaboration, and conventions. They will use the writing task to produce a three- to five-minute speech that introduces their claims.

Materials include digital resources where appropriate. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, The Holocaust, Small-Group Learning, students read the graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman. After reading, the teacher guides them to effective research by assigning an informative report. Students are to investigate newspapers, magazines, and websites to learn more about Art Spiegelman. The margin of the Teacher’s Edition suggests using keywords during searches on the Internet, like cartoonist, graphic novels, and Holocaust history, to find more information. They then write a brief informative report in which they discuss how Spiegelman’s personal experiences are reflected in his graphic novel. 

• In Unit 3, What Matters, Introduction, Current Perspectives, the margin of the Teacher’s Editions suggests showing two videos: “Severn Suzuki at Rio Summit (We Canada” and “Michael Garcia, Waiter who Defended Boy with Special Needs Gives Donations Away” (Huffington Post) prior to engaging in the lessons for this unit. Before starting the unit, the videos will provide ideas about what really matters to people.

• In Unit 5, Invention, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read Uncle Marcos from The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, translated by Magda Bogin. In the Teacher’s Edition, Author’s Perspective textbox, Elfrieda Hiebert writes about using Digital Tools to enhance vocabulary. After reviewing the Concept Vocabulary and completing the Word Study, the teacher provides the following information, “As students develop and expand their Word Networks, remind them of the digital tools available and of their value. Explain what digital tools offer–pronunciation, audio, word families, definitions, links to synonyms and antonyms, interactive levels of complexity of synonyms and antonyms, and words in context sentences. Using digital tools to access word families is especially helpful in a cross-cultural context. A word family for science, for instance, might include the words botanist, chemist, geneticist, neurologist, nutritionist, physicist, and zoologist, as they all end with the suffix -ist. A word family for westward expansion might be organized around the common concept and so include the words settler, heritage, mission, and manifest destiny. To conclude, help students understand that digital tools also have drawbacks. For instance, the word family feature doesn’t show how the words are related in meaning, only in sound.” However, the links or suggestions on accessing sites that provide word networks or word families are not available in the materials. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1k. 

The materials provide frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing while using evidence. The materials provide opportunities for students to practice writing that is focused on claims developed from reading closely, as well as frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing while using evidence. During Whole-Class Learning, most units end with a writing task that involves explicit instruction in the skills needed to complete the task. The Teacher’s Edition includes expert instruction with support in the form of modeling and graphic organizers. During Small-Group Learning, students work collaboratively to complete writing projects that lead to speaking and listening components. At the end of each unit, the students complete an End of Unit Assessment, applying their evidence-gathering skills to write longer pieces that answer the unit’s Essential Question. 

Materials provide frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Introduction, Launch Text, students read “Red Roses (author not cited). After reading, students write a summary of the text. The teacher is instructed to provide students with the following guidance for their summary paragraphs:

  • “Write in the the present tense.

  • Be concise: a summary should not be equal in length to the original text.

  • If you need to quote the author, use quotation marks.

  • Don’t put your own opinions, ideas, or interpretations into the summary. The purpose of writing a summary is to accurately represent what the author says, not to provide a critique.”

• In Unit 3, What Matters, Whole-Class Learning, students read “Barrington Irving, Pilot, and Educator” by Barrington Irving. They write an argumentative essay using evidence from the text to support their response to the following prompt, “Having passion for a subject is more important than having knowledge about it.” Directions guide students to use evidence to “explain[s] reasons for that position, and use[s] evidence to show why the reasons make[s] sense.” As students write, the teacher gives students feedback on the strength of their claims and evidence. Teachers are provided with the following guidance as they give students feedback on their writing:

  • “Remind students that when they write an argumentative essay, it is not enough to simply make a claim. A claim without any support is not a strong claim and can be easily discounted. A successful argument contains evidence to support the claim and perhaps to discount any counterclaims, which are claims that disagree with your claim.” 

• In Unit 5, Invention, Small-Group Learning, students read from “The Invention of Everything Else” by Samantha Hunt and “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?” by Vicky Baez. Students then draft a compare-and-contrast essay where [they] “analyze the ways in which each text reveals an aspect of Tesla’s life and personality.” In their prewriting, students complete a graphic organizer where they hunt details from both texts in the following 4 sections “events from Tesla’s life, Tesla’s character and personality traits, Details about important places in Tesla’s life, [and] details about Tesla’s accomplishments.” Teachers support students in using these details from the graphic organizer, to “make an outline before they begin drafting.” The teacher gives students feedback on their evidence and “if students struggle to provide specific examples and details, [the teacher] asks them to skim the selections again with specific questions in mind.”

Writing opportunities are focused around students’ careful analysis and claims developed from reading closely and working with evidence from texts and sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, The Holocaust, Performance-Based Assessment, students “Write an explanatory essay in response to the following question: How can literature help us remember and honor the victims of the Holocaust?” Students are asked to “[c]onsider how the various texts in the unit illuminate the experiences of different types of people in a wide variety of places. Support your explanation with relevant details, quotations, and examples from the texts.”  

• In Unit 3, What Matters, Whole-Class Learning, students read “Three Cheers for the Nanny State” by Sarah Conly, “Soda’s a Problem, But...” by Karin KleinIn, and "Ban the Ban!" by SidneyAnne Stone. Students write an argument about which article they found most convincing. During Planning and Prewriting, students evaluate the facts presented by the authors. They evaluate their arguments using these questions:

  • What facts do all three authors include?

  • Do they use any conflicting information—facts that are not the same? If so, what are they, and why are they conflicting?

  • Is one author’s conclusion or interpretation of the facts more convincing than the others? If so, why?

• In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Small-Group Learning, students read the “Theory of Multiple Intelligences” infographic by Howard Gardner. They engage in evidence-based activities, such as responding in writing to text-dependent comprehension questions and discussions following their first review of the infographic. They use the evidence from the questions and the discussion to deliver a multimedia presentation where they use examples from this text to “...highlight a different way to be intelligent.” Students begin by completing a chart that has examples of the “Types of Intelligence Featured” in the unit’s texts.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1m. 

The materials provide a comprehensive year-long plan for students to interact with and acquire academic vocabulary in a systematic way. Materials include lessons and activities for vocabulary development critical to understanding the text, the overall concept of the unit, and the genre of writing for each unit. Academic vocabulary is highlighted at the beginning of each unit in the introduction. Concept or Media Vocabulary specific to the text or media that students review is emphasized at the beginning of each reading and throughout the lesson. Activities for demonstrating understanding of the Concept Vocabulary become more complex as the year progresses. Vocabulary is associated with the writing focus of the Performance Tasks, and students can incorporate vocabulary in authentic ways during the Performance Tasks and from their Word Networks during the Performance-Based Assessment. Content vocabulary is repeated over the school year and includes, but is not limited to, symbols, symbolism, and context. Stand-alone vocabulary assessments include a pretest, mid-year assessment, and end-of-year assessment. There is additional independent student practice in the Vocabulary Center and guidance and resources for the teacher in the Program Resources, Teacher’s Edition, and Professional Development Center. Materials provide teacher guidance outlining a cohesive vocabulary development component. 

Materials provide teacher guidance outlining a cohesive year-long vocabulary development component. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher’s Edition Table of Contents and Frontmatter, the materials include a section on Standards Correlation. It includes the Key Features of the Standards and how each section of the unit fits into the larger picture of teaching the standards. The Language Standard is complete for teaching Conventions, Effective Use, and Vocabulary. The text states, “The vocabulary standards focus on understanding words and phrases, their relationships, and their nuances and on acquiring new vocabulary, particularly general academic and domain-specific words, and phrases.” In order to teach the Language standards for vocabulary, each unit includes Vocabulary/Word Study. The Unit at a Glance section in the Teacher’s Edition and Resources includes Vocabulary and Word Study concepts that will be introduced during each reading. Each unit offers information in the Introduction regarding the Academic Vocabulary for teacher guidance, such as lessons that help with learning the vocabulary and offering possible student responses to questions that reiterate the vocabulary words. The materials offer Language Development in each of the Whole-Class and Small-Group Learning sections with Word Networks. The students are encouraged to annotate vocabulary when close reading. The Teacher’s Edition End Matter also includes a Glossary: Academic Concept Vocabulary and the academic vocabulary appears in blue font. The Index also offers a list of the academic vocabulary and concept vocabulary with corresponding page numbers.

• In the Teacher’s Edition during the Launch text of each unit, the Vocabulary Development box provides teachers with additional Academic Vocabulary Reinforcement activities. 

Vocabulary is repeated in contexts (before texts, in texts) and across multiple texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In each unit, academic and concept vocabulary are embedded throughout. In each unit Introduction, students view a chart with academic vocabulary for the unit, read mentor sentences with the words, and complete a chart for the predicted meaning and related words. Each text Introduction includes a Concept Vocabulary section where students rank words from least familiar to most familiar. All words are defined in the footnotes of the text. After reading, the Concept Vocabulary section includes activities with words from the introduction and the Word Study section. The structure of the vocabulary lessons remains consistent throughout the year.

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Small-Group Learning, students read “Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde and “Translating Grandfather’s House” by E.J. Vega. During the Introduction, students begin a Word Network to collect words that are related to the unit topic, Rites of Passage. They are encouraged to review the story for words that relate to the topic. After reading, they are provided with the tip to “add interesting words related to rites of passage from the text to your [their] Word Network.” The Teacher’s Edition provides possible words, graduation and awakenings, to help get the students started. They continue to add to the Word Network. As students read the texts in the unit, they find words that will help vary their word choice in Part 1 of the Performance-Based Assessment, where they write a nonfiction narrative in which they respond to the following prompt: “What rite of passage has held the most significance for you or a person you know well?”  

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read “The Medicine Bag” by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve and consider the use of symbolism in the text. Teacher materials say, “Remind students that a symbol is something that stands for or represents something else.” Then students go to specific paragraphs to analyze the symbols being used. In Unit 2, The Holocaust, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read The Diary of Anne Frank, Acts I & II by Albert Hackett & Frances Goodrich. During the close reading, students are directed to paragraphs 94–107 to examine why the writer included the symbol of the yellow star, which is an important symbol for Jewish people. In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Small-Group Learning, students read “The Theory of Multiple Intelligences Infographic” by Howard Gardner. Students engage in learning about media vocabulary such as icons which are defined as “symbols or graphic representation…”

Attention is paid to vocabulary essential to understanding the text and to high-value academic words (e.g., words that might appear in other contexts/content areas). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Vocabulary Center, Interactive Vocabulary Lessons, Grades 8, Domain-Specific Vocabulary, the lesson includes Show It, Try It, and Apply It, Part 1 and 2. In Part 1, some examples of terms include, but are not limited to: commerce, element, immunity, inertia, recession, and spreadsheet. The Interactive lessons include the following student activity within the Try It tab: “Drag each word into the correct subject area column.” Students apply their learning by taking a six-question quiz in the Apply it section that asks questions pertaining to the vocabulary, such as:

  • In which sentence is immunity used correctly?

    • Because she had immunity, Dr. Bashir was able to treat the victims of the disease. 

    • Because she had immunity, it would have been dangerous for Dr. Bashir to treat the victims of the disease. 

  • In which sentence is recession used correctly?

    • During a recession, it is easy to find well-paying jobs. 

    • During a recession, it is hard to find well-paying jobs.

• In the Vocabulary Center, Interactive Vocabulary Lessons, Grades 8, General Academic Vocabulary, the lesson includes Show It, Try It, and Apply It, Part 1 and 2. In Part 1, some examples of terms include, but are not limited to: assimilate, declaration, impartial, pronounce, rectify, and sustain. The Interactive lessons include the following student activity within the Try It tab: “Drag each word in the left-hand column to match it with the vocabulary word in the right-hand column that has the same root.” For example, students would match the new word, similarity from the right-hand column with the word assimilate (-sim-) in the left-hand column. The students apply their learning by reading a passage and filling in the correct vocabulary word. For example, “Students Upholding Print Literature (SUPL) are (attributes, opponents, or citations) of the all-out digital rush.”

• In Unit 2, The Holocaust, Introduction, the materials include academic vocabulary terms that “help you read, write, and speak with more precision.” Here are five academic words that will be useful to you in this unit as you analyze and write explanatory texts.” Students complete a chart to predict meaning and write at least two related words for the following: theorize, sustain, declaration, pronounce, and enumerate. 

• In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Whole-Class Learning, students read an excerpt from Blue Nines and Red Words from Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet. The materials provide the Concept Vocabulary that relates to discussing the story, symmetrical, spiral, and aesthetic. The words are Tier II, or high-frequency, academic words.