8th Grade - Gateway 3

The materials provide information for students and families to support learning. Students interact with the Unit Introduction activities at the beginning of each unit to understand the Essential Question, Unit Goals, and Academic Vocabulary. A downloadable Home Connection letter is available to inform parents and caregivers about the program in both English and Spanish. 

Materials contain strategies for informing students, parents, or caregivers about the ELA program. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Each unit includes a Home Connection letter that briefly explains the unit’s theme; the Essential Question; all texts, authors, and genres; performance tasks and performance-based assessments; and the standards addressed in the unit. The letter also includes a Talk it Over With Your Student section that includes questions parents/guardians can ask their student about the Essential Question, texts they can read together, and the texts students are reading at school. 

• The Program Overview includes a document with Distance Learning Tips for Parents/Guardians, which provides helpful tips, such as designating a learning space, establishing a daily routine, and setting clear learning expectations. 

Materials contain suggestions for how parents or caregivers can help support student progress and achievement. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, The Holocaust, the Home Connection letter includes questions for parents/guardians to ask students. The questions include, but are not limited to: “What do the texts say about the Holocaust? How do people deal with the knowledge that something terrible happened? Why do you think the Holocaust  is so often featured in the media and in books and films?”

The materials offer accommodations for assessments that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Under the Assessment tab, the various types of assessments have a brief overview to explain each option. The Interactive Student Edition includes a link to the performance task that students can utilize. The Academic Vocabulary section will read the vocabulary to the student. Otherwise, there are no clear text-to-speech accommodations included in the materials. Different types of assessments are provided, and most of them are available online, as a PDF, or in a print version. When printed, assessments often download into Microsoft Word. The print can be enlarged by zooming on a computer screen or placing texts in Microsoft Word and enlarging or changing the font. In the PDF version, students may annotate the text and mark it up with the tools provided. 

Materials offer accommodations that ensure all students can access the assessment (e.g., text-to-speech, increased font size) without changing the content of the assessment. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Many of the assessments can be downloaded into Microsoft Word in order to print. This would allow the teacher to increase the size of the font for the students before printing the test.

• For assessments referring directly to previously-read texts, audio versions of the texts are available in the Interactive Student Edition. 

• The materials include customizable test prep banks for reading, language and editing, and writing. The materials provide multiple test banks from each section for teachers to choose from.

• Unit-level and Performance-Based Assessments may be assigned to students as PDFs online, where teachers or students may add highlighting or notes. 

• In the Interactive Student Edition, students can click on a link to the performance-based assessment for each unit. Students can zoom in and out using their mouse or fingers. The materials will read aloud the academic vocabulary and definitions. Students can also open the rubrics and print them if needed. 

• Examview is available for teachers to set up on the computers, which allow them to create their own assessments.  Teachers can modify or adapt assessments for students who struggle. 

Materials include guidance for teachers on the use of provided accommodations. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Selection tests can be assigned online, as a PDF, and printed. The materials provide information under each option for the teacher. For example, under the PDF version, it states, “PDF format allows students to use the Interactive PDF Tool to annotate and complete the assignment.” 

• In the Getting Started section, the materials provide a Customize Worksheet and Assessments document. This document shows step-by-step directions for the teacher on how to edit and assign assessments.

The materials provide varied approaches to learning tasks over time and a variety of ways that students are expected to demonstrate their understanding. The materials include a large number of teacher prompts and questions in the margins of the Teacher’s Edition. Students are provided with the opportunity to answer comprehension questions and complete research, writing, and speaking and listening tasks on the texts they read throughout the unit. During writing exercises, students are expected to complete peer and self-reflection for writing samples. Each unit contains unit goals that the student rates themselves on at the beginning and the end of the unit. An evidence log is also included to allow students to connect their learning and provide evidence of learning. 

Materials provide multi-modal opportunities for students to question, investigate, sense-make, and problem-solve using a variety of formats and methods. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• At the end of most Whole-Group learning texts, students complete a Comprehension Check provided in the Student Edition. This comprehension check includes Research to Clarify and Research to Explore prompts to help them expand their thinking and knowledge based on the text.

• Throughout each unit, the Teacher’s Edition provides questions and prompts for the teacher to use to incorporate and facilitate whole-group and small-group discussions.

Students have opportunities to share their thinking, to demonstrate changes in their thinking over time, and to apply their understanding in new contexts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The materials contain an Evidence Log for students to fill out during the units. The Evidence Log asks students to make connections to the text and provide evidence from the text and any additional notes or ideas. Throughout the Teacher’s Edition, the materials will prompt the teacher to ask the student to add evidence to their Evidence Log. 

Materials leverage the use of a variety of formats and methods over time to deepen student understanding and ability to explain and apply literacy ideas. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The reading assignments follow a similar pattern for teaching the text. However, a variety of literacy skills are taught over the course of each unit. During Whole-Group Learning, students complete lessons for Making Meaning and Language Development. Making Meaning includes a first read, a close read, an analysis of the text, and craft and structure. Language Development includes concept vocabulary, word study, and conventions.

Materials provide for ongoing review, practice, self-reflection, and feedback. Materials provide multiple strategies, such as oral and/or written feedback, peer or teacher feedback, and self-reflection. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:  

• In Small-Group Learning, students may write about the texts they have read. The materials contain a “Reviewing and Revising” section during the writing process. This section gives students a checklist to help peers review each other’s work. 

Materials provide a clear path for students to monitor and move their own learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Unit Introduction contains Unit Goals. This section includes but is not limited to, reading, writing, research, language, and speaking and listening goals. Students rate themselves on a scale from 1 to 5 to determine how well they already meet the goal. 

• The end of each unit contains a Unit Reflection. This reflection includes prompts such as “Look back at the goals at the beginning of the unit. Use a different colored pen to rate yourself again. Then, think about the reading and activities that contributed the most to the growth of your understanding. Record your thoughts.” 

The materials provide guidance for grouping students in a variety of ways across each unit. Units follow the structure of Whole-Class Learning, with some informal peer groupings; Small-Group Learning entirely focused on collaborative work; and Independent Learning, which concludes with a “Learn From Your Classmates” discussion. Teachers receive optional suggestions for student-to-student interaction in the Teacher’s Edition and general guidance on how to form small groups. 

Materials provide grouping strategies for students. Materials provide for varied types of interaction among students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, The Holocaust, Performance Task: Speaking and Listening, Deliver a Multimedia Presentation, students are prompted to “Plan With Your Group” by analyzing text and taking notes: “With your group, analyze how each selection contributes to your understanding of the Holocaust. Use this chart to organize your ideas.”

• In Unit 2, The Holocaust, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read The Diary of Anne Frank, Act I by Albert Hackett & Frances Goodrich and complete a Concept Vocabulary task: “1. Write a paragraph about this part of the play, using as many of the concept words as possible. 2. Work with a partner. Take turns listing synonyms, or words with similar meanings, for each concept word. When you have finished, take turns listing antonyms, or words with opposite meanings, for each concept word.”

• In Unit 5, Invention, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read “To Fly” from Space Chronicles by Neil deGrasse Tyson and complete a Speaking and Listening task: “Work with a partner to create and deliver an informative presentation on one of the historic flying feats or scientific principles that Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses in the text.”

• A “Share Your Independent Learning” section concludes this part of the unit with three tasks: “Prepare to Share: Even when you read something independently, your understanding continues to grow when you share what you have learned with others. Reflect on the text you explored independently and write notes about its connection to the unit. In your notes, consider why this text belongs in this unit”; “Learn From Your Classmates: Discuss It: Share your ideas about the text you explored on your own. As you talk with your classmates, jot down ideas that you learn from them”; “Reflect: Review your notes, and underline the most important insight you gained from these writing and discussion activities. Explain how this idea adds to your understanding of the topic.”  

Materials provide guidance for the teacher on grouping students in a variety of grouping formats. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• A box in the Teacher’s Edition at the start of Small-Group Learning notes, “Forming Groups: You may wish to form groups for Small-Group Learning so that each consists of students with different learning abilities. Some students may be adept at organizing information, whereas others may have strengths related to generating or synthesizing information. A good mix of abilities can make the experience of Small-Group Learning dynamic and productive.” 

• Personalize for Learning boxes appear in the margin of the Teacher’s Edition with suggestions, as in this example from Unit 5, Invention, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, “Uncle Marcos” from The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, translated by Magda Bogin: “Choral Reading: Call student attention to paragraph 7. Throughout this story, the author uses very long sentences to help create the story’s mood. She does this again in paragraph 7 by describing Uncle Marcos’s final, real demise. Do a choral reading of the final paragraph. Have pairs of students read each sentence slowly and deliberately to create the mood the narrator is trying to evoke here. Ask students to discuss how the read-aloud differed from their original first read of the paragraph.”

• After students complete their First Read of their chosen Independent Learning tasks, teachers have a note to “Make It Interactive” for a Close Read: “Group students according to their chosen selection. Then, have students meet to discuss the selection in-depth. Their discussions should be guided by their insights and questions.” 

The materials include a balance of representations of people with various demographics and physical characteristics in both images and information. A variety of texts with authors from a variety of genders, races, and ethnicities are included. In the About the Author section for each text, important background information for authors of a variety of race and/or ethnicities are provided. People of various demographics are depicted in a positive light, without any obvious or blatant stereotypes. The texts are written by authors of different backgrounds and feature protagonists of diverse races, ethnicities, countries of origin, gender expressions, and people with developmental disabilities. The materials balance positive portrayals of demographics or physical characteristics and avoid stereotypes or language that might be offensive to a particular group. Notes in the Teacher’s Edition provide ways to highlight positive portrayals in texts. 

Materials and assessments depict different individuals of different genders, races, ethnicities, and other physical characteristics. Depictions of demographics or physical characteristics are portrayed positively across the series. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Whole-Class Learning, students read “The Medicine Bag” by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve. As students read, they use details from this story to support their answer to the Unit’s Essential Question: “What are some milestones on the path to growing up?” In this story, a grandfather from the Lakota tribe comes to live with his family. In Lakota tradition, the “passing of a medicine bag symbolizes maturity.” In the Teacher Edition, the Insight box describes “The Medicine Bag as a thoughtful and humane story about cultural understanding. Martin’s friends are impressed by his grandfather even though he doesn’t look like TV images of Native Americans. His grandfather understands that it wouldn’t be appropriate for Martin to wear the medicine bag everywhere.” During this reading, students may see that “Martin’s responses to the events in the story are critical to the way he understands himself.”

• In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Whole-Class Learning, students read “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. The Teacher Edition Planning pages state that this is a  short story told from the perspective of Charlie, who “has a disability that affects his intelligence.” A doctor provides him with “an operation intended to make him smarter,” which it does. However, because of the operation, Charlie learns that his ability to outperform others in “math and languages to literature and science” creates a barrier to building relationships. Charlie worries that the change may not be sustainable, and he may return to his former level of intelligence.

Materials and assessments balance positive portrayals of demographics or physical characteristics. Materials avoid stereotypes or language that might be offensive to a particular group. 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 Zimbabwean writer Charles Mungoshi. In this short story, the students research an aspect of Zimbabwean culture to write an informational report. In the Research section, students connect elements of the story with Zimbabwean healers or traditional family life in Zimbabwe. Both assignments help students reflect on the Rites of Passage of youth and family traditions in Zimbabwe.

• In Unit 3, What Matters, Unit Introduction, the teacher is encouraged to show a video to support Current Perspectives that pertain to the Essential Question: “When is it right to take a stand?” In the video “Michael Garcia, Waiter Who Defended Boy With Special Needs, Gives Donations Away” by the Huffington Post, a waiter stands up for a five-year-old with Down Syndrome. Teachers are encouraged to show this to increase student engagement regarding “the kinds of things that matter to people.”

Materials provide representations that show students that they can succeed in the subject, going beyond just showing photos of diverse students not engaged in work related to the context of the learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, What Matters, Whole-Group Learning, students read “Barrington Irving: Pilot and Educator,” a National Geographic article. At age 23, Irving became the youngest person—and only African American—ever to fly solo around the world. In the Teacher’s Edition, the Insight box states that Barrington Irving’s story shows that no matter how or where you were raised, you are capable of doing great things when you put your heart into them.

The materials provide some guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon students’ home language to facilitate learning. The Professional Development Center contains multiple short videos and documents regarding differentiation. In many of the videos and documents, the importance of understanding a student’s identity and using their home language is conveyed. General resources in the online platform, such as Every Teacher’s Toolkit by Karen Kawaguchi, provide teacher tips for enhancing cultural responsiveness and home-language validation. In the Teacher’s Edition, a few Personalize for Learning boxes suggest connections between Spanish and English cognates. Spanish is the only language offered in supplemental materials, like the online Spanish Resources library, with texts translated into Spanish. 

Materials provide suggestions and strategies to use the home language to support students in learning ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Professional Development Center contains a section for engagement. In this section, a video titled “Multiliteracies and Multicultural Education” provides support for teachers using the program. Jim Cummings, Ph.D. suggests that “we need to tap into that knowledge [students’ first language], and enable them or help them to transfer that knowledge to English.” He also suggests that many English Language Learners can use their artistic talent to work in groups. He suggests that “by operating within the group and talking with the group and looking at the issues of the tasks that have been assigned, as a group, their talents can come in, even though their knowledge of English may not have been sufficient enough to enable them to  do this by themselves.” Teachers that use multiple modalities of learning can tap into their students’ talents and abilities.

• The online materials contain a myPerspectives+: English Learner Support section that includes the digital text, Every Teacher’s Toolkit by Karen Kawaguchi. The text includes strategies for language learners, including definitions and suggestions for two areas: “Culturally and linguistically responsive teaching” and “Validate Home Languages.” Both sections include details on how to help strengthen student skills in areas such as academic vocabulary, grammar, and presentation skills.

• The online materials for Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Spanish Resources section includes an Introduction video, “Dear Graduates–A Message From Kid President,” that is translated into Spanish. The resources also include the Spanish translations of the Small-Group texts: “You Are the Electric Boogaloo,” “Just Be Yourself,” and “The Setting Sun and the Rolling World.”

Materials present multilingualism as an asset in reading, and students are explicitly encouraged to develop home language literacy and to use their home language strategically for learning how to negotiate texts in the target language. Teacher materials include guidance on how to garner information that will aid in learning, including the family’s preferred language of communication, schooling experiences in other languages, literacy abilities in other languages, and previous exposure to academic or everyday English. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the online materials, the Spanish Resources Library contains Spanish versions of texts for use in Small-Group Learning and Independent Learning. A video introduction to the unit in Spanish and stand-alone Spanish grammar and writing worksheets are also included. Teacher Resources in this section include an answer guide for the grammar worksheets. 

• In the Professional Development Center, a white paper titled “Differentiation in Middle School: Teaching English to Diverse Learners” is a resource that teachers can access. One suggestion states, “Encourage students to draw on their multilingual repertoires as a stepping stone to English (e.g., initial writing or note-taking in L1 as a means of transferring knowledge and skills from L1 to English).” 

• 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. In the Personalize for Learning, English Language Support box, teachers are offered support for using Domain-Specific Vocabulary and Word Families to understand the context of the story  The instruction suggests that teachers “Review paragraphs 21 and 22 with students. The domain-specific vocabulary that appears in the excerpt from Blue Nines and Red Words may present a challenge to English learners. Support them in finding familiar base words, familiar related words, or words that have already been defined in the story. For example, if students recognize that calendrical (paragraph 21) is related to the familiar word calendar, they can probably figure out that calendrical means “having to do with calendars.”

The materials include teacher guidance to facilitate learning and content that support linguistically and culturally diverse students. The FrontMatter highlights the importance of allowing students to use their personal experiences when completing tasks: “Students are encouraged to draw upon their prior experiences, diverse identities, varied experiences, and the richness of their cultural backgrounds.” The Professional Development Center also includes information to help teachers engage with culturally diverse students. Some unit topics and texts allow for open-ended, relevant personal connections. Before each text in Whole-Class Learning and Small-Group Learning, the Jumpstart box offers suggestions for discussion topics related to the text. Other texts or activities include teacher notes that explain how to offer instruction to a range of students. Spanish language tools for some Small-Group Learning and Independent Learning texts are available in student materials. A home-school connection letter is available in English and Spanish. No other languages are available.

Materials make connections to the linguistic, cultural, and conventions used in learning ELA. Materials make connections to the linguistic and cultural diversity to facilitate learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher’s Edition Frontmatter, the materials state, “The texts, Essential Questions, and learning tasks encourage discussions that allow students to draw upon their prior experiences, diverse identities, varied experiences, and the richness of their cultural background. This active learning environment brings students together as they develop intercultural competence, learn from each other, and gain the confidence that allows them to be agents of change.”

• The Frontmatter pages at the start of the Teacher’s Edition describe the program’s culturally responsive foundation: “Ernest Morrell, Ph.D., helped inform the development of myPerspectives to ensure the program fosters a polyvocal classroom that encourages students to talk with each other, learn from each other, and more importantly, bring knowledge from their different backgrounds and cultures to enrich critical literacy in the classroom. The texts, Essential Questions, and learning tasks encourage discussions that allow students to draw upon their prior experiences, diverse identities, varied experiences, and the richness of their cultural backgrounds.”

• In Unit 1, Rites of Passage, Small-Group Learning, students read “The Setting Sun and Rolling World” by Charles Mungoshi. In the Planning section of the Teacher’s Edition, the Summary states, “Old Musoni has been a farmer in rural Zimbabwe his whole life, and the land is very difficult to manage. His son Nhamo wants to leave home and pursue a new life.” This argument between a father and son helps students understand the cultural context that is presented in the story. Since the “Names are not identified in the dialogue, the story might be difficult to follow. However, in the Decide and Plan section, the teacher can guide those that need English Language Support by asking the students to mark lines spoken by each character and to identify whose thoughts are shown in different paragraphs in the text. 

Materials include teacher guidance on how to engage culturally diverse students in the learning of ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Professional Development Center, Engagement, the video “Multiliteracies and Multicultural Education” provides information on the importance of supporting other cultures in the classroom. Jim Cummins, Ph.D., discusses how “when we tap into students’ cultural backgrounds, we’re tapping into their knowledge base.”

• In the Professional Development Center, myPerspectives in Action, the video, “Facilitating Small Group Learning with Diverse Learners,” provides information about how two teachers, an ELA teacher, and a Special Education teacher, encourage and support all students to engage in small group discussions about a poem they are reading. 

• In Unit 4, Human Intelligence, Performance Task: Writing Focus, an Author’s Perspective box in the Teacher’s Edition gives guidance for teaching writing: “Transfer of First Language: English learners’ home languages are valuable cognitive tools that can be tapped to help them improve the quality of their first drafts. Having students write in their home language often produces higher quality writing than when students write only in English because it helps them capture, express, and organize their ideas. Translation software can be useful as a starting point to help students move from their home language draft to an English draft. Obviously, the machine-translated draft will require editing, but this can be done collaboratively with help from the teacher and/or the student’s classmates. After students have produced their initial drafts in English, teachers can work with them on the revision process, focusing on such key areas as organization, paragraph formation, and coherence. As students revise with teacher input, teachers should encourage them to pay special attention to cognates and genre rules.” 

Materials include equity guidance and opportunities. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Professional Development Center, the document “Differentiation in Middle School: Teaching English to Diverse Learners” by Jim Cummins, Ph.D., is provided. The document states four essential instructional strategies. One of the strategies is Connect to Students’ Lives and Affirm their Identities: “Connecting instruction to students’ lives by evoking personal and intellectual responses to texts represents not only a form of differentiation but also affirms students’ identities. Students who feel that their voices are heard, and their culture and identity validated in the classroom are much more likely to engage academically than those who feel ignored or devalued.”

Materials include opportunities for students to feel “acknowledged,” such as tasks based on customs of other cultures; sections provided in multiple languages such as the glossary, digital materials, family letters; etc. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Spanish language resources are available for teachers. Translations are provided for Small-Group Learning and Independent Learning reading selections. Audio summaries of texts are provided in the digital materials. The Teacher’s Edition notes, “Audio summaries are available online in both English and Spanish in the Interactive Teacher’s Edition or Unit Resources. Assigning these summaries prior to reading the selection may help students build additional background knowledge and set a context for their first read.” Spanish grammar and Spanish writing worksheets are also available for students, though they are not available in other languages. 

• In the online Interactive Student Edition, students can highlight any word or words and view a translation in one of 104 languages, such as Pashto, Hmong, Haitian Creole, or Filipino. Thirty-five languages (including Portuguese, Slovak, Afrikaans, and Arabic) have the additional layer of that text being read aloud in the target language. Some audio translations do not have the speaker speaking the language correctly.

Materials include prompts where students are encouraged to share how they (or their parents) do things at home or use information to solve personal problems, etc. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, What Matters, Unit Introduction, students participate in a Jump Start discussion using the following question: “Ask students to think about something in their lives that really matters to them. It may be something they are willing to work hard for and never give up on. What would they be willing to do to achieve it? Have several volunteers briefly share their responses. Then engage the class in a discussion of whether people should expect to make sacrifices to achieve what matters most to them.”

The materials integrate technology in ways that engage students in grade-level standards. All of the materials are through the online Interactive Student Edition, which contains a variety of interactive tools. Students highlight, annotate, and translate the text into a variety of languages, many of which can also be read aloud to them in that language. Students respond to prompts by typing in text boxes or charts. Students navigate the Interactive Student Edition by clicking on labeled tabs that take them to various sections of the textbook. Digital tools allow teachers to view and respond to student responses and customize the materials to meet the needs of students. Teachers can assign work through the online platform and access other digital resources like the Hook and Inspire pages for anchor texts, which have links to supplemental videos and texts.

Digital technology and interactive tools, such as data collection tools, simulations, and/or modeling tools are available to students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Interactive Student Edition, students adjust the font size using a button at the top of the page. Students search for different topics or words by using the magnifying glass at the top of the page. 

• In the Interactive Student Edition, students read and listen to the texts, type their responses to questions, and plan their writing. Students submit their work via this platform, allowing teachers to see all student responses immediately. 

Digital tools support student engagement in ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Interactive Student Edition contains clear links to the Unit Introduction, Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group Learning, Independent Learning, Performance-Based Assessment, and Unit Reflection. A drop-down menu provides access to the table of contents, bookmarks, annotations, and highlights, notebook, and glossary. 

• In each Unit Performance-Based Assessment, students can click on a notebook icon to open a text box to write ideas they are going to use for their multimedia presentation. 

• In the Interactive Student Edition, materials are organized to keep students on track and to support their work. For example, a header bar shows where students are in the lesson and unit. Comprehension Checks are displayed in the right-hand column, keeping the text center for reference.

Digital materials can be customized for local use (i.e., student and/or community interests). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Table of Contents can be customized for a variety of purposes in both the Teacher’s Edition and Student Edition: “You can customize the program by rearranging the Table of Contents, creating your own tests, and uploading your own resources to match your curriculum.” Students may customize the table of contents by clicking on the three vertical dots next to the table of contents. Teachers may then move items, remove items, or add files, links, titles, or notes for students. 

• In the Interactive Student Edition, students can select any text and make personal customizations, such as translating the words, highlighting in one of four colors, circling the text, underlining it, or adding a note.

• In the Hook and Inspire section, teachers can choose from various resources, such as videos, articles, and extension activities that can be customized. The landing page includes ways teachers can support students’ learning “Into,” “Through,” and “Beyond” the Whole-Class Learning and Small-Group Anchor Texts. The page states, “Hook and inspire your students with these ideas. Build your own Playlist of media, short texts, novel connections, and extension activities to enrich your teaching.” In Unit 3, What Matters, “Words Do Not Pay” by Chief Joseph, the following “Beyond” resources are provided, but are not limited to: “Quotation from Chief Joseph,” Use this quotation from Chief Joseph to prompt discussion about one of his speech’s key ideas—the power or the ineffectiveness of words: “It does not require many words to speak the truth.” Ask students how this statement relates to the speech they just read. Did speaking the truth help Chief Joseph’s cause?; “Nez Perce Tribe Overview,” Use this webpage from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission to provide information about the Nez Percé, past and present. How does the misnomer “Nez Percé” relate to your class discussion about the power of words?;” “Q’orianka Kilcher Reads Chief Joseph” (youtube.com), “Play this video of actress Q’orianka Kilcher reading the entirety of Chief Josephs’s 1879 speech to Congress; “Chief Joseph’s Ceasefire Speech in Nimipuutímt,” “Share this video of poet Sarah Hennessey, a member of the Nez Percé tribe, reading Chief Joseph’s most famous speech in his native language.”

• In the Interactive Student Edition, the Small-Group Learning section includes a chart of learning strategies. Each section of the chart includes a box where students can add their own ideas. For example, the Support Others section includes the following chart topics: “Build off ideas from others in your group. Invite others who have not yet spoken to do so.” A blank Support Others box is available for students to type further ideas. 

The materials include digital technology that provides opportunities for students to collaborate with their teachers and peers. The Interactive Student Edition prompts students to discuss tasks with classmates and record their collective notes in the digital notebook. Students save their work through the online assignments, and teachers review and provide feedback to students. The materials also include a discussion board that teachers and students allow for digital conversations. The connected Savvas Realize platform allows tasks to be assigned, completed, scored, and tracked digitally by teachers. Teachers provide feedback to students while they work on assignments. The Collaboration Center includes videos referencing how students can collaborate with email, text messaging, and shared documents. 

Materials include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Savvas Realize platform, MyPerspectives, connects to Google Classroom so that tasks can be assigned and completed. Students can annotate PDFs or attach separate files to their work. Teachers can view completion rates, score tasks, and see the students’ mastery of the standards. Teachers can also select assignments for individual students or sub-groups of the class.

• The  Interactive Student Edition is an online platform that allows the teacher the opportunity to assign activities. The “Student work is saved, and teachers may review it at any time. If work is completed offline, work will sync up when online again.”

• In the Table of Contents, Getting Started, Program Overview a tab for Digital Resources is available. The On-Demand Training page includes a Digital Tour handout and a video. Digital Tools in a Discussion Board “facilitate collaboration and real-time peer-to-peer sharing of ideas.” In addition, there is an EssayScorer that allows teachers to provide immediate feedback to students for revising and editing.

• In the Collaboration Center, videos are provided that model how to collaborate. Some videos reference online tools students can use for collaboration. For example, the Build Consensus video discusses collaboration using shared documents, text messaging, and email. The teacher can assign these videos to students. 

The materials incorporate a visual design in both the print and digital editions that support student learning, make the organizational structure clear, and communicate clearly. Each of the four sections (Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group Learning, Independent Learning, and Performance Based Assessments) are color-coded and match the color coding in the Teacher Edition. Charts, diagrams, photos, illustrations, and icons are included thoughtfully on the pages. The table of contents, glossary, index, and other resources are clearly labeled and easy to find. The layout for each selection is consistent so students can find the information they need. 

Images, graphics, and models support student learning and engagement without being visually distracting. Images, graphics, and models clearly communicate information or support student understanding of topics, texts, or concepts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Interactive Student Edition, the pages typically have a colored band at the top that contains a heading and any pictures or illustrations that accompany the text. The stories typically do not contain any illustrations or pictures other than what is on the colored band at the top of the page. 

• The Interactive Student Edition has clearly labeled links that are included for information about the author, background, and standards addressed with each text. These are clearly labeled above the text.

• In the print/PDF Student Edition, pictures are typically at the top of the first page of text, without many additional pictures or illustrations throughout each passage. The PDF has wide margins and sometimes provides additional information for the students in the margins. Icons in the margins refer students to external tools they can use, such as a pencil and paper icon to represent Evidence Log and a spiral-bound book icon for the Notebook. 

Teacher and student materials are consistent in layout and structure across lessons/modules/units. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In each edition, all units follow the same order of sections that are clearly color-coded: Whole-Class Learning is blue, Small-Group Learning is turquoise, Independent Learning is purple, and Performance-Based Assessment is orange. The opening page of each unit contains clearly labeled links to the Unit Introduction, Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group Learning, Independent Learning, Performance-Based Assessment, and Unit Reflection. The links are color-coded to match the section colors and are consistent across the materials. There is a photo on the left side of the page that connects to the unit theme. 

• In the Teacher’s Edition, Introduction of each unit, a Pacing Plan is provided at the bottom of the pages with a timeline for the entire unit, a numbered square for each day, a blue, turquoise, purple, or orange line denoting the section of the unit, and the names of the texts or tasks associated with the section.

• In the Teacher’s Edition, each text displays the same four Planning pages that include a summary of the text, Lesson Resources (a table laying out the text’s Making Meaning, Language Development, and Effective Expression tasks), Reading Support (a text complexity rubric), and Standards Support Through Teaching and Learning Cycle, which details a cycle of Identify Needs, Decide and Plan, Teach, and Analyze and Revise.

• In the Interactive Student Edition in Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group Learning, and Independent Learning, at the top of the first page of each text, links are clearly labeled and include information about the author, background, and standards addressed in each text. A sidebar contains links to the table of contents, bookmarks, annotation and highlights, notebook, and glossary. They are clearly labeled and accessed the same way throughout the materials. 

• In the Interactive Student Edition, the Performance-Based Assessments have clearly labeled parts, including links to the Academic Vocabulary, Word Network, and Rubric sections.

Organizational features (Table of Contents, glossary, index, internal references, table headers, captions, etc.) in the materials are clear, accurate, and error-free. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the print Student Edition, the header on most pages (except for pages with texts) includes the unit Essential Question.

• The Interactive Student Edition contains clickable nested links showing navigation within the unit (e.g., Unit 1 Rites of Passage  > Whole-Class Learning > The Medicine Bag), and the right side of the screen has an expandable menu to navigate within the text (e.g., Making Meaning, Language Development, Effective Expression).

The materials include several layers of support for teachers to understand and use the program’s embedded technology. The Getting Started with myPerspectives digital page contains links to two resources: MySavvasTraining.com and Savvas Realize. The website, MySavvasTraining.com, presents high-level videos and handouts on topics such as accessing student data, downloading assignments in order to modify them and creating playlists of learning material. The Savvas Realize section focuses on the technical aspects of the assignment platform, such as demonstrating how to assign content to students, managing discussion boards, and using the Realize Reader digital textbook. The video and/or printable handout, Digital Resources, explains the embedded technology available to teachers and students. The documents almost always contain step-by-step directions and screenshots/images to help the teacher use technology with this program. 

Materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Table of Contents, Getting Started, teachers can access videos and PowerPoint presentations about the different aspects of the program, such as the Table of Contents, the Student Edition, and assessments. One of the Program Overview videos in Digital Resources is a 12-minute video with information about how to utilize and navigate the online program, customize instruction, save time with digital tools, and engage students. A printable handout with the same information is available.

• In the Table of Contents, Getting Started, Teacher How-To Resources, a document is provided to understand how to use the resources, such as Google classroom assignments, customize worksheets and assessments, share playlists, and ExamView: Getting Started. The documents provide step-by-step directions for teachers to utilize online materials and technology. 

• In the Table of Contents, Getting Started, Savvas Realize is the online platform for managing classes, assigning and turning in tasks, and examining data. The Savvas Realize training site provides technical support to teachers in the following categories: 

  • Assignments > Realize Reader Assignments: “Savvas Realize Reader gives you access to digital textbooks and assignments in an engaging, interactive learning environment. Realize Reader content can also include video, interactive charts, graphs, drag-and-drop activities, and a notebook service, in addition to basic features, such as annotations, highlights, and bookmarks.” Directions follow for accessing the Realize Reader content through Realize, via the Realize Reader app, or downloading for offline use.

  • Discussions > Manage Active Discussions: “Discussions enable you to facilitate class and group discussions on important academic and social topics. Students can reflect on learning, share ideas and opinions, or ask and answer questions. You can create, monitor, and reply to discussions, and students can participate in discussions you create. In addition, you can choose whether or not to score discussions.” Directions follow, showing teachers how to select a discussion and then add a comment, attach a file, or edit comments.

  • Data > Results by Assignment: “The Results by Assignment page includes data for class and individual student test scores, progress, and usage.” Directions follow on how to “View Class Results by Assignment,” including Scores Data, Progress Data, and Usage Data.

• In the Table of Contents, MySavvasTraining.com provides different sections for program-level overviews of structure and features and includes video tutorials with accompanying handouts. The categories include:

  • Getting Started > Digital Tour: Technological features are highlighted, including the Discussion Board feature (“to facilitate collaboration and real-time peer-to-peer sharing of ideas”), the EssayScorer tool (“provides immediate feedback to students for revising and improving their writing, giving them additional practice and saving you time”), and content creation tools (“you can customize the program by rearranging the Table of Contents, creating your own tests, and uploading your own resources to match your curriculum.”

  • Assessments and Reporting > Assessments: This video describes assessments overall, including those with embedded technology: Next Generation Practice Tests and Performance Tasks “give students the opportunity to practice formats like drag and drop so that they are prepared for online interactive testing,” and the Data tab on Savvas Realize organizes “student and class data that shows standards mastery on assessments and online activities, as well as overall progress. You can dig deeper with additional data points to reveal more detailed information on student mastery, progress, and usage. You can also view data for individual students from the class assignment list.”

  • Additional Resources > Revision Assistant for Teachers: A 24-page guide shows teachers how to set up, launch, and use Revision Assistant, which is “an online revision tool that helps students to improve their writing. It provides instant, differentiated feedback aligned to genre-specific rubrics and allows students to share their work and revisions with their teacher.”