11th Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for Indicator 2a. 

The materials are organized around a cohesive topic(s)/theme(s) that build students’ ability to read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently. The materials include six units, each focusing on a topic related to the Essential Question, which can be found in the Teacher’s Edition Table of Contents and Frontmatter. Each section has a guiding question that builds to an answer for the unit Essential Question; texts are tied to these questions through a unifying theme. Students complete readings during Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group Learning, and Independent Learning. A variety of texts are provided with varying levels of complexity to build students’ knowledge and ability to navigate complex text independently and proficiently by the end of the year. Each text builds knowledge in either the topic, literary skill, or historical time period the text represents. Historical, biographical, cultural, or textual references are included to build and support student comprehension of the anchor texts. The Teacher’s Edition notes several areas of support for background knowledge and scaffolding support in vocabulary and knowledge acquisition, close reading annotations, and discussions. Texts are followed by a set of questions and activities divided into consistent sections: Before Reading includes Concept Vocabulary and First Read Strategies; After Reading includes Comprehension Check, Research, Close Read the Text, Analyze the Text, Analyze Craft and Structure, Concept Vocabulary, and Author’s Style. 

Texts are connected by a grade-appropriate cohesive topic/theme/line of inquiry. Texts build knowledge and the ability to read and comprehend complex texts across a school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher’s Edition Table of Contents and Frontmatter, the materials consistently share how students engage with text around each unit topic. A Launch Text “introduces a perspective on the unit topic.” During Whole-Class Learning, teachers are directed to “lead the shared reading experience providing modeling and support, as students begin exploring perspectives on the unit topic.” The next step is for students to “encounter diverse perspectives on the unit topic, working in collaborative teams.” Finally, during Independent Learning, students choose “a text to explore an aspect of the unit topic and share their learning with the class.”

• In Unit 1, Writing Freedom, the Essential Question is “What is the meaning of freedom?” and students read multiple texts that connect to the topic, such as “Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson, America’s Constitution: A Biography by Akhil Reed Amar, from The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation by Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell, from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano, “Letter to John Adams” by Abigail Adams, and “Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln. 

• In Unit 4, Grit and Grandeur, the Essential Question is “What is the relationship between literature and place?” and students read multiple texts that connect to the topic, such as the Launch Text, “Planning Your Trip to Gold Country” (author not cited); a Whole-Class Learning text, reading from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain; a Small-Group Learning text, “A Literature of Place” by Barry Lopez; and, an Independent Learning text selection, such as “The Rockpile” by James Baldwin.

• In Unit 5, Facing Our Fears, the Essential Question is “How do we respond when challenged by fear?” and students read multiple texts that connect to the topic, such as “Focus Period 1920-1960: Times of Trouble,” The Crucible by Arthur Miller, and an audio performance of The Crucible by L.A. Theatre Works.

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for Indicator 2b. 

The materials include high-quality questions and tasks in which students analyze key ideas, details, craft, and structure within individual texts as well as across multiple texts. The materials are organized in a consistent pattern across all units with multiple after-reading activities. The First-Read Guide requires students to note what they notice, annotate the text, connect ideas with other selections, and respond by writing a brief summary. The Close-Read Guide provides students with reminders to revisit sections and annotate what they notice. The Close-Read Guide includes the Analyze the Text and Analyze Craft and Structure sections in which they analyze key ideas and details as well as consider the author’s choices of patterns, structure, and techniques. All of the activities require students to revisit the text and use specific text evidence in their answers. In the Teacher’s Edition, the sample answers also include the depth of knowledge levels for questions; most are at DOK 2 or 3. For some texts, the questions lead to the subsequent Writing or Speaking and Listening activities. These questions also build toward the various Performance Tasks embedded after Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group Learning, and at the end of the unit. Students keep an evidence log and notebook throughout each unit to record responses and help them prepare for the culminating tasks. 

For most texts, students analyze key ideas and details (according to grade-level standards). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Writing Freedom, Whole-Class Learning, students read the “Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson and analyze key ideas and details, citing strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Students answer questions in their notebooks, and the materials add a reminder to cite textual evidence to support their answers, such as “1. Make Inferences Why does Jefferson begin with points about human rights before discussing the colonists’ specific grievances?”

• In Unit 3, Power, Protest, and Change, Small-Group Learning, students read “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and analyze key ideas and details, identifying how the author develops the theme. The Teacher’s Edition includes the guidance, “Point out that the first two sentences define how the theme is developed in this story. The author reveals some of Mrs. Mallard’s internal monologue through her dialogue, set off by quotation marks. In some of these instances, Mrs. Mallard is speaking to others, as when she says, ‘Go away. I am not making myself ill.’ Direct students to look at what Mrs. Mallard says as well as what she thinks and feels to identify the thematic meaning.” Students complete a chart to “track Mrs. Mallard’s actions and the emotional journey she undergoes. Then, explain how Mrs. Mallard’s actions and feelings suggest Chopin’s theme about the status of women in the society of her area. Note that there may be more than one theme.” 

• In Unit 6, Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Tales, Small-Group Learning, students read “A Brief History of the Short Story” by D.F. McCourt. In Analyze the Text, students examine the complexity of the central ideas to answer the following prompt: “Essential Question: What do stories reveal about the human condition? How does this literary history shed light on the short story’s ability to address the human condition?” 

For most texts, students analyze craft and structure (according to grade-level standards). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Writing Freedom, Whole-Class Learning, students read foundational documents, including the “Preamble to the Constitution” by Gouverneur Morris and the “Bill of Rights” by James Madison. Students analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure of these foundational documents, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging. During a Close Read, students annotate and answer questions, such as “Why does the author list this particular series of nouns? What do these nouns establish as the purpose of this document?” Students also answer the following question: “Revisit a section of the text you found important during your first read. Annotate what you notice. Ask yourself questions such as why did the author make this choice?’ What can you conclude?” In Analyze Craft and Structure, students answer questions such as “1. What does the preamble to the Bill of Rights tell readers about the reasons the document was created? 3. Explain why enumeration is an effective organizational pattern for the Bill of Rights.”

• In Unit 2, The Individual and Society, Small-Group Learning, students read from “Nature” and “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In Analyze Craft and Structure, students review ways writers develop ideas within an essay. Student instructions state: “Work on your own to analyze Emerson’s presentation of his vision in these two essays. Complete a chart like this one. Then, share and discuss your findings with your group.” The Teacher’s Edition suggests teachers remind students the process of generating ideas happens over and over as an essay takes shape. The ancillary resource Analyze Craft and Structure: Generating Ideas is suggested for additional support. 

• In Unit 4: Grit and Grandeur, Whole-Class Learning, students read “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett. In Analyze Craft and Structure, students examine theme and symbolism throughout the anchor text by answering the following prompts: “Trace Sylvia’s attitude toward the stranger from the beginning of the story to the end. How do her feelings about him change? Use a chart… to analyze imagery, symbols, and themes. For each topic listed in the left-hand column, record images, symbols, and other details from the story that help to reveal the author’s central messages or insights. Then, write a theme statement for each topic.” 

• In Unit 5, Facing Our Fears, Whole-Class Learning, students read The Crucible, Act I by Arthur Miller. In Analyze Craft and Structure, students complete multiple activities about the Structural Elements of Drama. They review the “exposition of Reverend Hale from paragraph 312” and consider what it reveals about his character. Students consider other elements of the exposition as well. Student instructions state: “Examine how two specific events or characters are described in the play’s opening. How did most of the members of Salem feel about the vast forest that surrounded them? How might these attitudes have affected the girls’ actions in the forest as well as Parris’s reaction to what he saw there?” Students also consider the stage directions in the play: “Identify two examples of stage directions that are essential to understanding the action of Act l and explain your thinking.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for Indicator 2c. 

The materials include multiple opportunities for students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas within individual texts and across multiple texts. The tasks are sequenced in a way that is appropriate for the grade level and include text-specific and/or text-dependent questions and tasks. The materials provide related questions as students comprehend and analyze texts and complete culminating tasks. Most sets of questions and tasks require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across the unit to build knowledge around a topic/theme and the essential question. In some instances, the materials pair two or more texts, and students practice the same skills across all texts. Multiple texts connect to the essential question in preparation for the end-of-unit assessment. In this assessment, students synthesize ideas based on various text-dependent prompts that align with grade-level standards. 

Most sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, The Individual and Society, Whole-Class Learning, students read a collection of works by Walt Whitman, “The Writing of Walt Whitman,” including “Song of Myself.” After reading the collection of works, in Analyze the Text activity, students answer the Historical Perspectives question, which reads: “The French political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that Americans are ‘always considering themselves as standing alone, [imagining] that their whole destiny is in their own hands.’ To what extent do you think Walt Whitman’s writing illustrates that idea?”

• In Unit 3, Power, Protest, and Change, Whole-Class Learning, students read from “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” by Frederick Douglass. In Analyze the Text, students delineate and evaluate the reasoning Douglass used in his speech and answer the following prompts: “Douglass presented this speech to an antislavery society—an audience that was already on his side. Why, then, did Douglass speak as harshly as he did? Whom was he trying to reach? How does the struggle for freedom change with history? What have you learned about the struggle for freedom from reading this speech?”

• In Unit 5, Facing Our Fears, Whole-Class Learning, students read The Crucible by Arthur Miller and listen to an audio performance of The Crucible by L.A. Theatre Works. In the Writing to Compare assignment, students analyze how the performance addressed various aspects of the play and write a critical evaluation by answering the following prompt: “Write a critical review of the L.A. Theatre Works production of Act I of The Crucible. In your review, consider these questions. How does the performance present the setting, characters, and events? How does it establish a mood? Is the interpretation effective and insightful, or does it misinterpret the play? In your conclusion, state whether you would or would not recommend the L.A. Theatre Works production to students studying the play or to general audiences.” 

Sets of questions and tasks provide opportunities to analyze across multiple texts as well as within single texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Writing Freedom, Whole-Class Learning, students read the “Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson. In Analyze the Text, students answer the following questions: “According to Jefferson, what has been the king’s attitude toward the laws of the colonies? Why is that attitude an important factor in the decision to declare independence? The signers of the Declaration of Independence knew that their announcement could mean war with powerful, well-equipped Britain. In your opinion, why isn’t that idea more prominent in the document?” 

• In Unit 2, The Individual and Society, Whole-Class Learning, students read a collection of works by Walt Whitman, including “Song of Myself,” from the “Preface to the 1855 Edition of Leaves of Grass”, “I Hear America Singing,” “On the Beach at Night Alone,” and “America.” Students demonstrate knowledge of early foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics. As students analyze the text, they respond to questions in their notebooks, such as “In the ‘Preface to Leaves of Grass,’ what does Whitman mean when he calls America a ‘nation of nations?’ How does he develop that idea in ‘I Hear America Singing?’ In ‘On the Beach at Night Alone,’ how does the second stanza state and develop the ‘thought’ the speaker has in the third line of the poem? Explain. What role does individualism play in American Society? What have you learned about American individualism from reading Whitman’s writings?”

• In Unit 4: Grit and Grandeur, Small-Group Learning, students read a poetry collection, including “Chicago” by Carl Sandburg, and view a photo gallery, “Sandburg’s Chicago” (author not cited). Students integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats as well as in words to address a question or solve a problem. In the Writing to Compare assignment, students “analyze the texts and consider how the medium in which information is provided affects your understanding of the subject.” In a small group, students complete the following assignment: “Create a multimedia presentation about early-twentieth-century Chicago in which you weave together Sandburg’s poem, images from the photo essay, and your own knowledge and ideas. Either in your presentation or in a separate written text, explain how poetic words and photographic images bring early-twentieth-century Chicago to life for readers and viewers in different ways.” As students analyze the texts, they compare the text and photographs, identifying ways in which the poem and photo essay convey information. A chart is available for them to capture their observations. Students respond to questions in their notebooks, such as “Do the photographs reveal dimensions of the city that the poem does not? Explain. Does the poem conjure aspects of the city that the photographs do not? Explain.” 

• In Unit 6, Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Tales, Whole-Class Learning, Performance Task, students write a narrative. The instructions reference multiple texts: “You have read three short stories that employ flashbacks or framing devices to tell stories. Now you will use your understanding of those texts to create a narrative that explores a question related to the human condition in a fresh way.” Students answer the following question: “How do stressful situations often reveal the best and worst in people?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for Indicator 2d. 

The materials include multi-faceted culminating tasks that require students to show their knowledge and understanding of a topic through integrated literacy skills. Each unit across the grade level includes an essential question connecting to a topic/theme. The units include Whole-Class Learning and Small-Group Learning opportunities. Students build knowledge of the topic/theme under study by reading various texts, completing writing tasks, and engaging in speaking and listening with peers. The Whole-Class Learning Performance Task, Small-Group Learning Performance Task, and Performance-Based Assessments in each unit provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate comprehension and knowledge of the topic/theme through various means addressing several different standards. The Whole-Group Learning Performance Tasks assess writing, and the Small-Group Learning Performance Tasks assess speaking and listening skills. Throughout the unit, shorter culminating tasks following each reading also provide practice opportunities for multiple skills. Teachers can provide feedback to support students with mastery by the end of the unit. The Teacher Resources includes an Assessment section that provides online and PDF versions of selection tests, extension selection tests, unit tests, extension unit tests, and beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year tests. Each exam includes multiple choice and short answer questions testing various standards.

Culminating tasks are evident and varied across the year and they are multifaceted, requiring students to demonstrate mastery of several different standards (reading, writing, speaking, listening) at the appropriate grade level, and comprehension and knowledge of a topic or topics through integrated skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher’s Edition, each Introduction for the unit includes information about the Unit Goals, including goals for Reading, Writing, Research, Language, and Speaking and Listening. The Teacher’s Edition states, “These unit goals were backward designed from the Performance-Based Assessment at the end of the unit and the Whole-Class and Small Group Performance Tasks. Students will practice and become proficient in many more standards over the course of this unit.”

• In Unit 2, The Individual and Society, Whole-Class Learning, students read a collection of works by Walt Whitman, “The Writing of Walt Whitman'' including “Song of Myself.” In the Analyze the Text Practice, students answer questions such as, 

  • “(a) Interpret: In the Preface to Leaves of Grass, what does Whitman mean when he calls America a ‘nation of nations’? 

  • Connect: How does he develop that idea in ‘I Hear America Singing’?

  • In Section 51 of ‘Song of Myself,’ what attitude toward time does the speaker express? Cite time-related details to support your answer. 

  • Analyze: What does the speaker seem to want of the listener? Explain.” 

Later in the Performance Task, students write a personal narrative based on the prompt: “Write a brief personal narrative in which you address this question: How has my personal experience shaped my view of individualism? Do I see it as a guiding principle, something to be avoided, or a combination of both? Begin by choosing an incident from your life that has shaped your view of individualism. Develop that memory into a narrative, sequencing events so that they reveal how you acquired the view you now hold. Connect your ideas to details from the texts you have just read.” The tasks address reading, writing, and speaking and listening standards.

• In Unit 3, Power, Protest, and Change, Small-Group Learning, Performance Task, students participate in a panel discussion and research presentation. This culminating task for the unit asks students to review all text and “note what further questions the source raises.” As a group, students formulate a research question and synthesize findings to narrow their focus. Students write a script that will be used for a presentation of their research and are encouraged to “adapt…word choice if you find your presentation seems too informal.” The task addresses reading, writing, and speaking and listening standards.

• In Unit 5, Facing Our Fears, Small-Group Learning, students read from Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, and students view “Interview with George Takei” by Archive of American Television. In the Writing to Compare activity, students write a compare and contrast essay to one of three prompts about the two texts. Students analyze the two texts’ position on the Loyalty Oath and then look for similarities and differences in how the Japanese experience in the internment camps is presented. Students write a thesis and select evidence before drafting their essays. Finally, students work in groups to revise, review and edit their first draft before publishing their final draft. The task addresses reading and writing standards.

• In Unit 6, Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Tales, Performance-Based Assessment, students respond to a related prompt: “How does a fictional character or characters respond to life-changing news?” that connects to the Essential Question of the entire unit: “What do stories reveal about the human condition?” Students complete an Evidence Log throughout the unit when reading selections to prepare for the Performance-Based Assessment, which is completed independently. The Teacher’s Edition does provide the following guidance: “Prior to beginning the Assessment, ask students to think about these questions: What constitutes life-changing news? What do we, as humans in a developed country, expect when we wake up each morning? What do expectations have to do with life-changing news?.” Students can refer to their previous work throughout the unit, including the Evidence Log and Word Network, as they write a short story. The task addresses writing standards and speaking and listening standards.

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for Indicator 2f. 

The materials include research and writing activities and projects that are sequenced and encourage students to develop knowledge and understand different aspects of a topic. Materials provide opportunities for students to complete research activities tied to topics as a part of the research process to build mastery of the grade-level standards. The language of the standards is present in the student materials and often referenced in the directions for assignments to allow students to make connections to their learning. Research is integrated throughout the curriculum in regular short research activities associated with specific texts. Students synthesize multiple texts and source materials to gain knowledge and understanding of the topic. Regular features in the after-reading activities are Research to Clarify and Research to Explore tasks that allow students to practice research skills related to the texts or topic. The final Performance Task in most units requires that students use knowledge from the selections and their research to answer the prompt. The Reflection task in each unit addresses student research goals and understanding. Materials support teachers in employing projects, including a research toolkit. Guidance is available in the Teacher’s Edition, connecting with the topics and suggesting ways to assist students during the research process. Additional resources are available for teachers in the Research and Writing Center, including mini-lessons and a research PowerPoint. 

Research projects are sequenced across a school year to include a progression of research skills according to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Writing Freedom, Whole-Class Learning, Performance Task, students write an argument in which they address the question: “Which statement do you find most compelling for Americans today: the Preamble to the Constitution or the first sentence of paragraph three of the Declaration of Independence?” Students use a variety of evidence, “including examples from history, to support [their] positions. In what sorts of resources might you find the types of historical information you need?” Students take notes that support and oppose their claims. The materials remind students “to supply evidence that supports your rejection of any counterclaim that you mention.”

  • In Unit 3, Power, Protest, and Change, Whole-Class Learning, Performance Task, students write an informative essay to answer the question, “Did the nation achieve the goals Douglass and Lincoln desired?” Students begin by doing research on the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. In the Enriching Writing with Research activity, instructions explain how to find relevant information and weave it into an informative essay. The Launch text is used as a mentor text to show this skill. Finally, students review how to avoid plagiarism while using research. 

  • In Unit 4: Grit and Grandeur, Whole-Class Learning, Performance Task, students write an explanatory essay. Student instructions state: “Your goal in this essay is to inform your readers, but you are not expected to know everything about your subject. Thoughtful research can help you clarify or expand upon your ideas about the importance of setting in American literature.” There is a further explanation provided about primary and secondary sources: “Look for information in sources that are reliable, using multiple resources to verify any details that are not common knowledge.” 

Materials support teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge of different aspects of a topic via provided resources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher Resources, a Plagiarism Checker is provided for teachers to access via Safe Assign, which offers guidance for implementation, including Video Tutorials: “SafeAssign is effective as both a deterrent and an educational tool. Use SafeAssign to review assignment submissions for originality and create opportunities to help students identify how to properly attribute sources rather than paraphrase.” The tool will assist educators when assigning research projects and connects to W.11.8 when students avoid plagiarism.

• The materials offer Research Minilessons and a Writing and Research Center with a Research Writing PowerPoint Presentation that introduces research writing and provides prewriting tips to assist students in formulating a research question and making a Research Plan, such as “Once you have written your major research question, you are ready to make a research plan. As part of your plan, you will create a timeline for finishing your report. You also will find and evaluate sources of information.” The PowerPoint Presentation includes guidance relating to how to organize a research report and revise and edit the draft. A grammar mini-lesson follows, and student instructions for publishing the piece state: “When you’ve finished your final draft, publish it. Use this chart to identify a way to publish your informational research report for the appropriate audience.” The Teacher’s Edition: End Matter, Tool Kit: Research includes detailed guidance for Conducting Research, Reviewing Research Findings, and Incorporating Research Into Writing.

• In Unit 1, Writing Freedom, Whole-Class Learning, students read the “Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson. The Teacher’s Edition provides the following suggestion for struggling students: ”If students struggle to come up with an unfamiliar detail to research, suggest that they focus on one of the following: 1) reasons why the colonists did not formally declare themselves independent until 1776 (when the war had already been raging for a year); 2) Enlightenment philosophers (such as John Locke) whom Jefferson read and admired to the extent that he included their ideas in the Declaration.” 

• In Unit 3, Power, Protest, and Change, Whole-Class Learning, students read from “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” by Frederick Douglass. Teachers facilitate the Comprehension Check, and guidance is available to assist students during Research to Clarify and Research to Explore, such as “For students who cannot formulate a research question, guide them to use their findings from Research to Clarify as a starting point. For example, students who researched the Declaration of Independence might look into its authorship and signatories.”

Materials provide many opportunities for students to synthesize and analyze content tied to the texts under study as a part of the research process. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, The Individual and Society, Small-Group Learning, students read “A Wagner Matinée” by Willa Cather. In the Making Meaning section, students research an unfamiliar detail from the text and consider how their research impacts their understanding of the story: “Research an aspect of the text you find interesting.” Student instructions state: “Write an informative research report that will help readers understand the historical context of Cather’s story.” There are three options for this task. The small group selects a project: “Consult a variety of sources, including primary, secondary, print, and digital.”  

  • In Unit 3, Power, Protest, and Change, Whole-Class Learning, students view an image gallery, “Perspectives on Lincoln.” In the Speaking and Listening activity, student instructions state: “Choose a person about whom or an event about which Americans had or have varying perspectives. Conduct research using print and online sources to find relevant political cartoons and photographs. Create a slideshow of your image gallery, and write an informative script to accompany your presentation.”

  • In Unit 5, Facing Our Fears, Small-Group Learning, students read “Antojos” by Julia Alvarez, and students engage in a research project. Students can choose from three options for the research project, such as “Create a field guide entry for the guava plant Psidium guajava, including facts and diagrams about how and where it grows.” The student instructions state: “Include a section in which you explain how the information you researched contributes to your understanding of the characters, setting, and conflicts depicted in ‘Antojos’ by Julia Alvarez.”

• Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, The Individual and Society, Whole-Class Learning, students read a poetry collection by Emily Dickinson, “The Poetry of Emily Dickinson,” including “The Soul selects her own Society –” and research unfamiliar details to develop meaning. Student instructions state: “Conduct research to find out what happened to Dickinson’s writing after her death.” 

  • In Unit 3, Power, Protest, and Change, Performance-Based Assessment, students write an informative essay connecting to the variety of texts they read throughout the unit. Students explore the question: “What motivates people to struggle for change?” Student instructions state: “Identify two or three texts from the unit that you feel most clearly show the connections between motivation and action. Use specific examples from each text to support your analysis and deductions.” Students draw evidence from the texts to support their analysis.

  • In Unit 5, Facing Our Fears, Whole-Class Learning, Performance Task, students write an argument answering the question, “Could any of the characters in The Crucible have done more to end the mass hysteria?” Student instructions state: “As you prepare to write your essay, first choose a position and state a claim. Then, develop and support that claim with quotations and examples from the text, as well as information about mass hysteria from secondary sources.” Students gather evidence from the literature of the unit and secondary sources. The Enriching Writing with Research reviews how to evaluate sources and how to incorporate evidence into the argument to support the analysis. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for Indicator 2g. 

The materials spend the majority of instructional time on content that falls within grade-level aligned instruction, practice, and assessments. Over the course of each unit, the majority of questions, tasks, and assessments are aligned to grade-level standards; however, not all instruction is aligned to grade-level standards with opportunities for explicit instruction. By the end of the academic year, standards are repeatedly addressed within and across units to ensure students master the full intent of the standard. Most speaking and listening standards and most writing standards are covered in the Frontmatter of the Teacher’s Edition, but the student tasks do not always adequately address the full intent of the standard.

Over the course of each unit, the majority of instruction is aligned to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In each unit, the Unit at a Glance section lists the standards for each student activity in one of three columns: Analyze Craft and Structure, Conventions/Author’s Style, and Composition/Research/Speaking and Listening. Page numbers are not listed next to these entries, though the Teacher’s Edition: End Matter PDF includes an Index of Skills where page numbers are provided. In the Teacher’s Edition Table of Contents and Frontmatter PDF, the materials provide the Correlation to myPerspectives® English Language Arts document with page numbers: “The following correlation shows points at which focused standards instruction is provided in the Student Edition. The Teacher’s Edition provides further opportunity to address standards through Personalize for Learning notes and additional resources available only in the Teacher’s Edition.” The materials do not always provide explicit instruction on the grade-level standards. 

• In Unit 1, Writing Freedom, Whole-Class Learning, Performance Task, students write an argument. Included in the process writing task is instruction on how to include evidence that supports the claim aligned to W.11-12.1 and W.11-12.1.b. The instruction includes sentence frames for counterclaims and a discussion of how to make notes on evidence that supports the claim and causes the writer to rethink a claim. Students fill in a graphic organizer to plan the evidence and counterclaim.

• In Unit 2, The Individual and Society, Whole-Class Learning, students read a collection of works by Walt Whitman and address the standard RL.11-12.1: “Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.” The Correlation document states: “Students will address this standard in Analyze the Text features which appear with every literature selection.” Students complete Analyze the Text questions, such as 

  • “In Section 51 of ‘Song of Myself,’ what attitude toward time does the speaker express? Cite time-related details to support your answer.

  • Analyze: What does the speaker seem to want of the listener? Explain.” 

The Teacher’s Edition provides guidance for formative assessment as students analyze the text, including but not limited to: “If students fail to cite evidence, then remind them to support their ideas with specific information from the text. If students struggle to analyze the poems, then discuss how to interpret or summarize a poem with them and illustrate with examples.” There are seven instances across the school year when the students have an opportunity to address the standard, and teachers can engage in explicit instruction.

• In Unit 6, Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Tales, Whole-Class Learning, Performance Task, students write a narrative. During editing and proofreading the materials, student instructions state: “Read your draft carefully, correcting errors in spelling and punctuation.” The Teacher’s Edition suggests offering students a proofreading checklist, such as the following: “Check for errors in capitalization; end marks; use of commas, colons, semicolons; use of quotation marks, use of apostrophes; spelling.” Explicit instruction of the grade-level grammar and usage standards is limited.

Over the course of each unit, the majority of questions and tasks are aligned to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In each unit, a Whole-Class Learning Performance Task with a writing focus and a Small-Group Learning Performance Task with a speaking and listening focus is included consistently across the school year. Shorter tasks follow the reading of text selections. The questions throughout the Whole-Class Learning and Small-Group Learning connect to the Essential Question of each unit and help prepare students to complete the performance tasks.

• In Unit 1, Writing Freedom, Small-Group Learning, students read from The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation by Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell. In the Analyze Media activity, students work with a group: “Review the entire graphic adaptation. How do the images, speech balloons, and captions work together to reveal the difficult moments in this part of the Constitution’s ‘story’? Do they inform, entertain, or both? Explain.” The task aligns with standard RI.11-12.3: “Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.”

• In Unit 4: Grit and Grandeur, Whole-Class Learning, Performance Task, students write an explanatory essay, aligning with standard W.11-12.2: “Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.” Student instructions state: “The Whole-Class readings celebrate some of the diverse landscapes that influenced America’s literature and sense of identity. After reading, you will create an explanatory text about the role that setting plays in these selections.”

• In Unit 6, Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Tales, Small-Group Learning, Performance Task, students present a narrative aligning with standard SL.11-12.4: “Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.” Student instructions state: “The Small-Group readings focus on ‘last moments’ of characters’ lives and possibly even for short stories as a genre. After reading, your group will write and present a narrative.”

Over the course of each unit, the majority of assessment questions are aligned to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In each unit, a Performance-Based Assessment is included, and the unit activities are backward-designed to the Performance-Based Assessment. The materials offer Selection Tests, Extension Selections Tests, Unit Tests, Beginning-, Middle-, and End-of-Year Tests, Next Generation Practice Tests, Next Generation Performance Tasks, and Customizable Test Prep Banks. In the online Teacher’s Materials under Assessment, there is an Interpretation Guide for each Unit Test and an Answer Key for each Selection Test, which indicates the standard that is assessed for each question. All questions on all tests are aligned to one or more standards.  

• In Unit 2, The Individual and Society, Performance-Based Assessment, students write a personal narrative and address standard W.11-12.10: “Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.” Students answer the question: “What significant incident helped me realize that I am a unique individual?” The prompt connects to the Essential Question of the unit: “What role does individualism play in American society?”

• In Unit 4, Grit and Grandeur, Assessments, Unit 4 Test, students complete a Selected and Short Response, analyzing craft and structure. Students answer questions such as the following: “How does the imagery in Jones’s story help develop the author’s theme?”

• In Unit 5, Facing Our Fears, Small-Group Learning, Performance-Based Assessment, students write and present an argument based on the prompt: “Is fear always a harmful emotion?” Throughout the unit, students practice writing arguments through Performance-Tasks and practice tasks to prepare for the end-of-unit assessment. 

By the end of the academic year, the majority of standards are repeatedly addressed within and across units to ensure students master the full intent of the standard. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In each unit, the Teacher’s Edition Table of Contents and Frontmatter PDF is available. The Standards Correlation document provides the Standard in the first column, and where those standards appear in the Print and Interactive Editions in the second column with corresponding page numbers. At times, the materials address standards multiple times across a school year to ensure students can reach mastery. For example, the standard L.11-12.6 is covered in the following texts and tasks: “The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation, 82; Innovators and Their Inventions, 230; Second Inaugural Address, 306; Brown v. Board of Education: Opinion of the Court, 367; American Regional Art, 472, 477; Sandburg’s Chicago, 502, 507; Small-Group Performance Task, Unit 4: 533; The Crucible, Act II, 625; Interview with George Takei, 716, 719. Unit Goals, Unit 1: 4; Unit 2: 140; Unit 3: 276; Unit 4: 394; Unit 5: 546; Unit 6: 752.” However, there are instances when specific standards appear rarely or are not addressed fully to ensure sufficient opportunities to practice and reach mastery by the end of the year. For example, the research standard W.11-12.7 is addressed in the following texts and tasks: “Gettysburg Address, 125; A Wagner Matinée, 261; Whole-ClassPerformance Task, Unit 3, 318; Antojos, 737; A Brief History of the Short Story, 826. Standard RI.11-12.8 is addressed in limited ways: Declaration of Independence, 24; What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?, 294; Brown v. Board of Education: Opinion of the Court/Was ‘Brown v. Board’ a Failure?, 378.”

• In Unit 2, The Individual and Society, Small-Group Learning, students read “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot and address standard RL.11-12.5: “Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.” In the Analyze Craft and Structure task, students consider the physical traits, emotional traits, and verbal traits of the speaker and identify details for each trait. Students complete a chart and answer questions, such as 

  • “How can the first line of the poem be interpreted to suggest that Prufrock sees himself as divided, both seeking and fearing action?

  • At what other points does he express a deeply conflicted sense of self?” 

The Standards Correlation document lists thirteen opportunities to address the standard across the grade level with a variety of texts.

The materials reviewed for Grade 11 meet the criteria for Indicator 2h. 

The materials provide a suggested implementation schedule and alternative implementation schedule that aligns with core learning and objectives. The pacing for the units is reasonable and offers a systematic layout that allows multiple days for reading the texts and completing after-reading activities and a one-day Independent Learning choice text with more limited after-reading activities. Each unit is planned for 30 days in a 40-50 minute class resulting in 180 class periods of instruction but does not provide a cushion for optional activities, enrichment, or re-teaching for English Language Learners, special education students, or underperforming students. Teachers on a block schedule are guided to combine days to fit the length of their classes. The Pacing Guide appears in the Teacher’s Edition Table of Contents and Frontmatter. It consistently appears in the Unit Introduction, the Whole-Class Learning Overview, the Small-Group Learning Overview, and the Independent Learning Overview. The pacing allows students an opportunity to master content by the end of the year. The suggested implementation schedules can be completed in the time allotted; however, teacher discretion may be required to determine what materials to include considering the testing requirements of individual districts and states. Optional tasks do not distract from core learning. The optional tasks are meaningful and enhance core instruction. The Teacher’s Edition provides several options in the Hook & Inspire section to draw students into texts through visual representations, connections to ideas outside of the literature, extension activities, and Book Talk ideas. The Pacing Guide also offers suggestions when teaching with trade books, including being advised to look at the standards being taught in the unit or the texts being replaced and choose activities and tests from the trade book lesson plans which teach the same standards. Trade books align with the main topic and Essential Question. They do not distract from the primary focus of the unit and can be used in lieu of the provided texts.

Suggested implementation schedules and alternative implementation schedules align to core learning and objectives. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher’s Edition Table of Contents and Frontmatter, the materials provide guidance when integrating trade books with the program. The trade books can be chosen to supplement a unit: “Form literature circles and have the students read one of the trade books throughout the course of the unit as a supplement to the selections and activities.” The trade books can be chosen to substitute for unit selections: “If you replace unit selections with a trade book, review the standards taught with those selections. Teacher Resources that provide practice with all standards are available.” The trade books can be chosen to extend independent learning: “Extend the unit by replacing independent reading selections with one of these trade books.” 

Suggested implementation schedules can be reasonably completed in the time allotted. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, The Individual and Society, the Teacher’s Edition provides guidance: “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. In addition, teachers may revise pacing to differentiate and support core instruction by integrating components and resources as students require.” The pacing calendar uses a 30-day schedule that includes one day to introduce the unit, one day to introduce Whole-Class Learning, 11 days of Whole-Class Learning, two days of Performance Task for Whole-Class Learning, one day to introduce Small-Group Learning, nine days of Small-Group Learning, one day for the Performance Task for Small-Group Learning, one day to introduce Independent Learning, one day of Independent Learning, and two days for the final Performance Task. Students read two collections of poetry, The Writings of Walt Whitman and A Poetry Collection of Emily Bronte, that include multiple texts in Whole-Group Learning. Small-Group Learning has five texts, and students choose one of four texts for Independent Learning. The Teacher’s Edition Frontmatter includes an implementation guide for The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, and Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. The Frontmatter also explains how to implement the novels in place of the entire unit, parts of the unit, or as an independent, additional unit. The same structure and guidance are used for each unit across the grade level. There are six units, and each unit covers a period of 30 instructional days, for a total of 180 days, which is the minimum requirement for an average U.S. school year.

• In Unit 4: Grit and Grandeur, Whole-Class Learning, students read “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett. The pacing guide allows three days for the text, which has a Lexile level of 1250 and is 4,274 words long. The after-reading activities include six Comprehension questions, two Research questions, three Close Read the Text questions, five Analyze the Text questions, four Analyze Craft and Structure questions, four Concept Vocabulary questions, two Word Study questions, three Conventions and Style questions, a Writing to Sources critical analysis essay, and a Speaking and Listening activity consisting of preparing for and holding a debate. In order to complete all activities in the three days allotted by the pacing guide, some activities are assigned as homework. 

Optional tasks do not distract from core learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, The Individual and Society, Whole-Class Learning, students read “Focus Period 1800-1870: An American Identity.” In the Teacher’s Edition, the Personalize for Learning box for Strategic Support focuses on historical timelines with suggestions for leading a discussion on the timeline. The instructions state: “Divide students into groups, with students of different abilities working together. Ask each group to analyze the international events in the timeline and draw conclusions about their relevance to the U.S. events. Then, have a discussion to compare conclusions.”

• In Unit 3, Power, Protest, and Change, Whole-Class Learning, students view an image gallery, “Perspectives on Lincoln.” The Teacher’s Edition provides Extension Questions that can be used in lieu of the Comprehension Check, such as the following: “Note discrepancies between sources. Closely review any of the political cartoons and any of the photographs. Choose one of each type [of] information source and integrate their messages to address this question: How did Lincoln’s death and the Union’s victory in the Civil War change many Americans’ view of him over time?” The grade-level standards are listed with the questions.

• In Unit 6, Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Tales, Small-Group Learning, students read “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. In the Teacher’s Edition, a Vocabulary Development box recommends that students create a mind map to improve vocabulary fluency. A sample mind map is provided. 

Optional tasks are meaningful and enhance core instruction. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 5, Facing Our Fears, Small-Group Learning, students read from Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston. The Teacher’s Edition provides guidance relating to adding an optional research activity: “Numerous survivors of the Japanese American internment camps have written about their experiences. Have students extend their learning by reading another author’s account of the experience. Suggest that each student choose a different account and then share what they have read with their classmates.” The materials share an additional explanation for including the task: “In addition to deepening their understanding of the internment, reading these accounts will provide an opportunity for students to see how a single topic is addressed in different genres, such as autobiography, fiction, memoir, and historical account.” The optional task enhances learning and is personalized to challenge students as they build knowledge relating to the topic of study.

• In Unit 6, Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Tales, Whole-Class Learning, students read “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker. In the Teacher’s Edition, a Write Now: Analyze and Interpret box instructs teachers to have students review paragraphs 11-14 for the ironic use of the word, choose, because the characters can not make a choice. Students write a response from the perspective of one of the characters.