5th Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2a.

The materials include six overarching program themes over the course of the year, including Character, Changes, Communities, Life Science, Government and Creativity for Grades K-5. Each grade-level unit focuses on a theme or topic connected to the overall program theme. The grade level-units contain a big idea, theme question, and inquiry. Grade 5 includes both themes and topics including Perseverance, Cycles, Celebrating World Communities, Our Planet, Our Home, Making a Nation and Art and Impact. The series of texts in each unit are mostly cohesive and relate to the overall program theme. All units provide essential questions and a theme connection question. Big Idea and concept boards are used to broaden student knowledge while engaging with complex texts. Each lesson within a unit contains anchor texts that help to build knowledge based on the topic or theme. There is vertical alignment across the program, so similar topics and themes are seen throughout the grades. Although there are connections to both the overarching program themes and vertical alignment within the materials, students are not always building knowledge towards a topic, often students are building knowledge around a theme. 

Texts are connected by a grade-appropriate cohesive topic in some units. Some 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 Unit 1, texts are connected to the theme Perseverance. The following texts connect to the theme: 

  • In Lesson 2, students read Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman, Olympic High-Jump Champion by Heather Lang (biography) and answer the Essential Questions, "How can overcoming obstacles make us better people? When have you had to overcome an obstacle?”

  • In Lesson 3, students read “One Small Step” by Vidas Barzdukas (informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, "How can working as a team lead to great accomplishments? How can a supportive team make it easier to persevere?”

  • In Lesson 4, students read The Great Serum Race: Blazing the Iditarod Trail by Debbie S. Miller (narrative nonfiction) and answer the Essential Questions, "Have you ever had to persevere when helping somebody? Why was it worth it?” 

  • In Lesson 5, students read an excerpt from Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (adventure tale) and answer the Essential Question, “When something does not work the first time, why is it important to keep trying?”

• In Unit 2, texts are connected to the topic of Cycles. The following texts connect to the theme: 

  • In Lesson 1, students read Monsoons: From Myth to Modern Science by Elaine David (myth and informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, "How do we depend on some cycles? How can other cycles endanger us?”

  • In Lesson 3, students read Ookpik: The Travels of a Snowy Owl by Bruce Hiscock (realistic fiction) and answer the Essential Question, "How do different plants and animals have their own unique cycles?”

  • In Lesson 5, students read A Year on Bowie Farm by Jen Russell (realistic fiction) and answer the Essential Questions, "How does your life change throughout the year? Do you look forward to a specific season? Why or why not?”

  • In Lesson 6, students read A Handful of Dirt by Raymond Bial (informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, "How are different creatures connected together in natural cycles? How are you connected to those cycles?”

• In Unit 3, texts are connected to the topic of Celebrating World Communities. The following texts connect to the theme: 

  • In Lesson 1, students read Island Treasures: Growing Up in Cuba by Alma Flor Ada (autobiography) and answer the Essential Questions, "Have you been told stories about your ancestors or the people in your family? What lessons have you learned from these stories?”

  • In Lesson 2, students read The Pot That Juan Built by Nancy Andrews-Goebel (informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, "How do people in your community celebrate art and culture? What inspires you about your community and culture?”

  • In Lesson 5, students read Just 17 Syllables! by Dennis Fertig (realistic fiction) and answer the Essential Questions, "How can art help us connect with people around the world?”

  • In Lesson 6, students read My Librarian is a Camel by Margriet Ruurs (informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, "Why are books important? How can a love for reading bring people together?”

• In Unit 4, texts are connected to the topic of Our Planet, Our Home. The big idea is “What is your relationship with nature?” The following texts connect to the theme:

  • In Lesson 3, students read John Muir: America’s Naturalist by Sarah Middleton (biography) and answer the Essential Questions, “What are the differences between preservation and conservation? How can you show an appreciation for the environment? How are national parks good for nature?”

  • In Lesson 4, students read Why is the World Green? by Susan Martins Miller (explanatory text) and answer the Essential Questions, “What impact do we have on the environment? How do we help the environment? How do we hurt it?”

  • In Lesson 5, students read The Mystery of Washington Park by Jorge Almazan (play) and answer the Essential Questions, “How is nature sometimes hidden? Where can you find nature in your everyday life?”

  • In Lesson 6, students read What’s the Buzz? Keeping Bees in Flight by Merrie-Ellen Wilcox (informational text)  and answer the Essential Questions, “Why is the natural world important to our survival? Why is it important to protect nature? What could happen if it is not protected?”

• In Unit 6, texts are connected to the theme Art and Impact. The following texts connect to the theme: 

  • In Lesson 2, students read The Storyteller adapted from a work by Saki (realistic fiction) and answer the Essential Questions, “What makes you interested when you listen to a story? What makes a story good?”

  • In Lesson 3, students read More Than Meets the Eye by Amanda Oldman (realistic fiction) and answer the Essential Questions, “How can art inspire us? How can that inspiration lead to acts of creativity?”

  • In Lesson 5, students read The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights, Part 1 by Russell Freedman (biography) and answer the Essential Questions, “Where does discrimination appear in our lives? How do we fight back against discrimination?”

  • In Lesson 6, students read The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights, Part 2 by Russell Freedman (biography) and answer the Essential Questions, “How can art change lives? When was art an important part of your life?”

Texts are connected by a theme in some units. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 5, texts are connected to the theme Making a Nation. The following texts connect to the theme: 

  • In Lesson 1, students read “The Starving Time: The Early Struggle to Survive in America” by Kristine Cruikshank (informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, “What does it take to found a new country? What challenges have to be overcome?”

  • In Lesson 3, students read The Search for the Mysterious Patriot by Vidas Barzdukas (play) and answer the Essential Questions, “Why is sharing your opinion an important part of democracy? Why is it necessary for a healthy government?”

  • In Lesson 5, students read Abraham Lincoln & Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship by Russell Freedman (informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, “Why is equality important to our society? Why can it be difficult to do the right thing?”

  • In Lesson 6, students read “The Transcontinental Railroad” by Samantha Paterson (informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, “How did the Transcontinental Railroad unite the country? What other feats of engineering have made America great?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2c.

The materials provide some questions and tasks that support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. Within the Reading and Responding sections of the lesson such as: Access Context Text, Close Read, Writer’s Craft and Inquiry, Steps 1-6 are paired with Anchor Texts and supporting texts in both the Student Anthology and Science/Social Studies Connection Text. Students have the opportunity to analyze topics and integrate ideas in their discussions, comprehension and writing tasks. Often discussion questions and prompts posed by the teacher help to incorporate knowledge related to the topic or theme with the text being read during class.  Some comprehension questions found in the Student Anthology require students to incorporate knowledge and ideas, although others comprehension questions are surface-level and do not always require the student to access the text. The materials also focus on comprehension strategies that are repeated throughout the course of the year. These comprehension strategies are often focused on helping students build knowledge. 

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

• In Unit 1, Lesson 3, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students read the poem “It Couldn’t Be Done” by Edgar Albert Guest. Under the Theme Connection, the Teacher Edition states, “Discuss with students what message the poet is trying to convey. Talk about how the author addresses how people in our lives say or think things are impossible or can’t be done. Ask students to explain what this poem says about perseverance.” This discussion links directly to the theme of perseverance. 

• In Unit 2, Lesson 6, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students read A Handful of Dirt by Raymond Bial. Under the Text Connection section, students respond to comprehension questions. These questions are meant to build on one other, but some are surface-level or can be answered without reading the text. “Why would there be no life on Earth without soil? What can a single acre of land contain, according to the text? Why is it ‘best to stay away from mushrooms’ in the wild? What are the benefits of making compost yourself versus purchasing fertilizer in a store?” 

• In Unit 3, Lesson 6, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students read My Librarian Is A Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World by Margriet Ruurs. Under the Text Connection section, students answer questions in the Student Anthology, such as, “Why do you think many mobile libraries provide computer and television access, as well as access to books? How does having library access change the lives of one town or group of people in ‘My Librarian Is a Camel’?”

• In Unit 4, Lesson 5, Day 2, during Reading and Responding, students read The Mystery of Washington Park by Jorge Almazan. In the Access Complex Text section, students focus on Fact and Opinion skills. The Teacher Edition provides the following prompt for teachers, “Have students reread page 414-415. Then have them identify each of these statements from page 415 as a fact or an opinion.” This discussion on fact and opinion emphasizes the comprehension strategy, but not analyzing the text to build knowledge.  

• In Unit 5, Lesson 4, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students read Thomas Jefferson Grows a Nation by Peggy Thomas. During the Text Connection section, students answer questions in the Student Anthology such as, “In ‘The Starving Time,’ you read about the challenges that colonists faced when they tried farming. What farming challenges did Jefferson try to overcome in this selection? How do you think Jefferson’s emphasis on agriculture is still reflected in American society today?” 

• In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students read the text The Storyteller by Saki by focusing on the Making Inferences skill and they answer questions such as, “Have students stop reading at the end of page 611. Discuss as follows: What inference can you make about why Bertha “began to wish that she had never been allowed to come into the park”?” During the Close Reading section, students use a “Clues, Prior Knowledge, and Inferences” chart to track their thinking as they read.

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

• In Unit 1, Lesson 5, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. In the Look Close section, students answer questions in the Student Anthology such as, “Brian in ‘Hatchet’ and Lupe in ‘The Marble Champ’ have to overcome very different obstacles, but they both persevere. Compare and contrast how the two stories approach the theme of perseverance.” 

• In Unit 3, Lesson 4, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students read The House Baba Built: An Artist’s Childhood in China by Ed Young. In the Look Closer section, students respond to prompts in the Student Anthology such as, “Compare and contrast the lessons taught by Baba in ‘The House Baba Built’ and by Abuelito Modesto in ‘Island Treasures,’ and relate them to the shared topic of family.” 

• In Unit 5, Lesson 6, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students read Building the Transcontinental Railroad by Samantha Paterson. In the Look Closer section, students answer the following question in their Student Anthology, “In ‘Thomas Jefferson Grows a Nation,’ you read about Lewis and Clark’s expedition into the Louisiana Territory. How did the Transcontinental Railroad eventually make travel through that part of the country easier? Support your answer with details from the text.” 

• In Unit 6, Lesson 5, Day 3, during Reading Response, students read the text, The Voice That Challenged a Nation by Marian Anderson and Art Works! By Dan Alvarez. Students are directed to answer the question, “In the story “Art Words” Jordan and Grace believe an arts center will make a positive difference in their community. How did Marian Adnerson make a difference with her voice?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2e.

The materials contain a variety of text types addressed over the course of the year, with instruction, guided practice, and independent work in the Language Arts section of the materials. The Scope and Sequence of the Teacher Edition lays out the year-long writing plan for the materials. The first three units have students practice a different type of writing for the full unit. These include persuasive/opinion, informational/explanatory, and narrative writing. These are distributed throughout the school year in later units also, as well as writing in a specific genre; however, they do not reflect the balance called for in the standards. Students write every day during the Language Arts section and the materials include sufficient writing opportunities for students. The materials create a gradual release model by beginning with more guided instruction, and releasing to more independent work as the year goes on. Each lesson includes sections organized into Instruct, Guided Practice, and Apply. Often during the Instruct or Guided Practice section, the materials provide an example text the teacher can use to model instruction. Procedures and routines are provided for the teacher regarding conferencing with students about their writing and modeling writing. The materials provide the teacher with instructional routines, checklists, student writing goals, rubrics, and detailed plans in the Language Arts Lesson Plan found in the Teacher’s Unit Lesson Plan. Editing, revising, and publishing checklists are provided for the students in the Skills Practice book. 

Materials include writing instruction that partially aligns to the standards for the grade level and supports students’ growth in writing skills over the course of the school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, during the Language Arts section, students focus on opinion writing. Students complete four opinion pieces over the course of six weeks. The first piece is an opinion piece written as a class, then an opinion piece written with a partner. Later, students write two opinion pieces independently. 

• In Unit 3, during the Language Arts section, students write four narrative pieces over the six-week period. Students write a realistic fictional story, a tall tale, a personal narrative, and a fantasy. The realistic story is written as a class, then the tall tale, personal narrative, and fantasy are written independently. 

• In Unit 5, during the Language Arts section, students write five pieces. Students write a persuasive essay, a persuasive letter, response to literature, response to nonfiction, and a description of an event. Students write these pieces independently. 

• In the Look Closer section of the Student Anthology, students respond to an On-Demand writing prompt under the Write section. This typically happens on every Day 4 for every lesson in all the units. 

Instructional materials include a variety of well-designed guidance, protocols, models, and support for teachers to implement and monitor students’ writing development. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Resource Library, the materials provide an Instructional Routine for Modeling Writing Strategies. The routine includes information such as, “Model how to use the strategy when writing by saying aloud your thoughts and by describing each thing you do. Provide students with assistance in applying the strategy until they can do it on their own.” 

• In the Resource LIbrary, the materials provide a Management Routine for Writing Conference. The routine includes these steps, “Review any feedback the student has received. Identify positive elements of the student’s writing.” Strategies to help with students' writing are provided as well as writing conference questions about the students’ ideas, organization, voice, and word choice. 

• Grade 5 students keep writing notebooks. Set-up directions for the writing notebook include a spiral-bound notebook or three-ring binder with four dividers. Each divider includes a Response Journal for students to write their thoughts about each selection as they read, a Vocabulary section for students to record vocabulary words and their definitions from each selection, an Inquiry section for students to organize ideas and record information they find as they research theme-related concepts, and a Writing Ideas section for students to note ideas they have for writing or ideas to improve or add to existing writing. During Workshop, students are able to practice and review what was taught in the lesson, read, work on writing activities, or work on Inquiry projects that relate to the unit theme. Materials include protocols for the Workshop, Modeling Writing Strategies, Presenting Writing, and Writing Conferences.

• In Unit 2, Lesson 5, Day 4, during the Language Arts section, students work on a draft for their informational writing. During Guided Practice students will work in small groups to review their writing plans. The materials provide a management routine for the teacher, as well as suggestions for the small group work. For example, the materials state, “Organize the class into groups of three or four students apiece. Display the following questions. Does the plan clearly state a topic? Does the plan include a sufficient number of important details to justify a multi-paragraph text? Does the plan have an ending that sums up the topic?”

• In Unit 4, Lesson 1, Day 3, during the Language Arts section, students begin planning their draft for explaining a scientific process. In the Instruct section, the teacher demonstrates how to create an outline. The materials provide an example text that the teacher can use as a model. The Language Arts Handbook provides more information for the students regarding how to create an outline. In Lesson 2, Day 5, Language Arts, the students publish their informational piece. The Teacher Edition states, “You will use the Writing Rubrics found in the Level Appendix to evaluate students’ explanations of a scientific process. You may use any of the rubrics for Genre, Writing Process, and Writing Traits. Share with students what you will be looking for when assessing their explanations of a scientific process.”

• In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 4, during the Language Arts section, students edit their historical fiction piece. During Guided Practice, students use the editing checklist from Skills Practice to edit their piece with a partner. The materials provide the following directions for the teacher, “As students have already done editing work on their narratives, it may be useful to direct their peer-editors to focus on certain areas of the editing and proofreading checklist where the writers believe they could use the most help. Students should instruct their peers to pay close attention to several self-selected checkboxes on the checklist.” 

• Writing Rubrics can be found at the end of each unit in the Appendix. Different sets of rubrics cover various elements of writing, including genre, writing process, and writing traits.The rubrics are intended to help teachers provide criteria and feedback to students. The program provides a four-point rubric in each of the four areas: 1 point: student is performing below basic level, 2-point: student abilities are emerging, 3-point: student work is adequate and achieving expectations; 4-point: student is exceeding writing expectations.

• Writing rubrics align with the standards so teachers can monitor students' progress. For example, the materials provide Informative Writing Genres rubrics. One aspect where students may earn a four in the rubric states, “The writer clearly introduces a topic. Main ideas are supported by facts related to the topic. Linking words such as also, another, or but are used appropriately. A conclusion is clearly stated and supports the topic.” 

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2f.

The materials include a year’s worth of research projects called Inquiry Projects. During Inquiry portions of the units, students learn more about the unit by investigating the theme or overarching idea. Inquiry begins in Units 1-2 as whole-class instruction. The teacher models the steps of the investigation for students, who apply the steps in future research. In Units 3-4, students work in small groups on investigations of interest to them. Students learn research skills including locating reliable Internet websites and sources for information, interviewing subject-matter experts, collecting information, taking notes, working collaboratively, and presenting information in a variety of ways. While students have opportunities to brainstorm questions, create a conjecture, and conduct research, the research skills remain static across the year and do not grow in sophistication. Inquiry begins with whole class inquiry and then transitions to group work. Over the course of the year, students do not conduct the inquiry process independently; therefore, students never demonstrate individual mastery of the research skills outlined in the standards. The materials provide numerous modeling prompts for the teacher to use, as well as graphic organizers and rubrics to help guide research. Students choose which resources they want to use for research, with a heavy emphasis on online content. Some guidance is provided to assure students are selecting appropriate and adequate resources for their projects. The Inquiry Projects serve as an extension of the unit and are not always tied to the unit texts.

Research projects are somewhat 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: 

• The Inquiry process has the same steps throughout the year: Step 1: Develop Questions, Step 2: Create Conjectures, Step 3: Collect Information, Step 4: Revise Conjectures, Step 5: Develop Presentations, and Step 6: Deliver Presentations.

• In Unit 2, Lesson 5, Day 2, students complete Inquiry Step 5: Develop Presentations. A list of possible presentation ideas are provided, including, “Write a story. Perform a creative interpretation of a written piece or poem. Create a poster illustrating a process. Perform an experiment related to your research. Plan to create a web page. Stage a panel discussion with audience participation.” These presentation ideas could combine writing, speaking, and technology, but students may not necessarily incorporate all of them.

• In Unit 4, Lesson 3, Day 2, students complete Inquiry Step 3: Collect Information. The lesson focuses on taking notes using note cards. The materials state, “Give students additional ideas for taking notes, such as printing out short articles and making annotations in the articles’ margins. Another suggestion is using sticky notes to annotate books they get from school or the library.” 

• In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 4, students complete Inquiry Step 3: Collect Information. In this lesson, students create a plan to collect information. Students discuss what good research involves. The Teacher Edition states, “Remind students the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism when using source materials by asking them to explain what each term means. Tell students they can avoid plagiarism by coming up with another way of saying what has already been said or by putting direct quotes in quotation marks and citing the source.” 

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

• In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 4, the teacher is provided with a possible narrative to guide thinking and learning. Additional lists of questions also stimulate further discussion and to model how to generate questions and ideas for Step 1: Develop Questions. In Lesson 2, Day 3, the teacher displays a Questions and Conjectures organizer to discuss the sample conjectures for Inquiry Step 2. In Lesson 2, Day 4, students begin to do research and collect information for Inquiry Step 3. The teacher displays a list of possible ideas to discuss and other resources students might use, some provided in the Teacher Edition. In Lesson 3, Day 2, students are ready to begin collecting information and note-taking as a part of Step 3. The teacher continues to model strategies using the Combination Notes graphic organizer. 

• In Unit 2, Lesson 2, Day 2, students complete Inquiry Step 2: Create Conjectures. During this lesson students turn their questions into a conjecture. The Teacher Edition provides a model for the teacher to use during instruction. The materials state, “Model doing this by offering the sample question:’ Why are robotic probes more effective than piloted vehicles when studying the deepest parts of the ocean?’ Then say, ‘To make conjectures about this question, I would think about what I already know, or do a little preliminary research, and make an educated guess.” 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 5, Day 2, students complete Inquiry Step 5: Develop Presentations. The materials provide the following presentation examples for the teacher to suggest: “Produce a photo-essay about the concept. Create a slideshow presentation. Write a magazine article. Create an educational brochure. Write an opinion paper.” The teacher highlights creating an educational brochure and provides details on what a brochure should contain. The material also provides the Word Processing Tech Tutor video in the online resources. 

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

• In Unit 3, Lesson 3, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, as a part of Inquiry Step 3: Collect information, students organize information to see how it all relates and decide what other ideas they still need to explore. They learn that one way to compile research, especially research gathered through a survey, is by organizing it into a spreadsheet program on a computer. Students view the Spreadsheet Tech Tutor video, available in the online resources, to give them an overview of how a spreadsheet works. Students move through the process of creating a spreadsheet to synthesize their results. 

• In Unit 5, Lesson 3, Day 4, students explore another way to organize information by creating a list of subtopics. To model the idea of subtopics, the teacher considers the unit theme of Making a Nation, and writes it on the board beside the word Topic. Students identify and list the subtopics represented by selections, such as Early American Colonies for “The Starving Time,” The American Revolution for “A Spy by Chance,” and Federalists and Anti-Federalists for “The Search for the Mysterious Patriot.” Students assign each subtopic a letter and use it to label their notes. Once notes have been labeled with letters, students can also choose to put their notes into piles by subtopic. It is suggested to use this process with note cards, but it can be done with any type of notes.

• In Unit 6, Lesson 4, Day 4, students complete Inquiry Step 4: Revise Conjectures. Students work with groups to organize all their information gathered from research. The Teacher Edition states, “Briefly conference with each group and discuss whether its conjecture should be revised again, based on all its research. Make sure students review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of whatever information is shared during the discussion.” 

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2g.

Over the course of each unit, as some of the instruction, questions, tasks, and assessment questions align to grade level standards, a significant amount of time is spent on comprehension strategies that do not align to the standards. These comprehension strategies include predicting, cause and effect, making inferences, visualizing, and making connections. Over the course of the year, many of these strategies are repeated and do not support knowledge building and growth toward mastery of grade-level standards. The assessment components may help the teacher to confirm progress toward mastery of some standards; however, they may not provide a strong picture of the depth of the knowledge and skills built during the unit as many assessment questions focus on unaligned comprehension strategies. An intervention guide is provided to differentiate instruction for students, but most differentiated instruction uses the same materials with question or activity scaffolds. Some differentiated activities fall short of meeting the standards, particularly for students working below-level. 

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

• In Unit 2, Lesson 2, Day 1, during Reading and Responding, the teacher models the use of the comprehension strategies, Summarizing and Clarifying, during the first read of Making Waves by Phil Moskowitz. Students stop periodically during the reading to summarize at the ends of paragraphs, chapters, or sections. Summarizing sentence stems may support students as they summarize. Students are also provided with Suggestions for Clarifying text. Students needing additional support may be directed by the teacher’s use of the Intervention Teacher’s Guide during Workshop to reteach the comprehension strategies Summarizing and Clarifying taught in this lesson. These strategies do not align to grade-level standards.

• In Unit 3, Lesson 5, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students make text connections with six comprehension questions asked. These include, “Describe how Juan found ‘the finest clay he had ever seen.’ If this were a fable, what would be its moral?” These strategies do not align to grade-level standards.

• In Unit 5, Lesson 2, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students work on making inferences. The Teacher Edition provides this prompt for the teacher, “When we make inferences, we connect what we know with what we read. The connections can be used to make statements about events, characters, and settings in the text. In the fourth paragraph on page 481, we learn that ‘An empty wagon would lead to too many questions.’ Why is Walter concerned about answering questions? We can make an inference. What clues in the text tell you Walter’s thoughts about getting through the checkpoint?” The materials provide possible answers. (RL.5.1)

• In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 4, Language Arts, students focus on Grammar, Usage and Mechanics. A list of sentences is displayed to identify the conjunction in each sentence. Students are reminded that conjunctions are connecting words and are asked to identify the conjunctions in the sentences by type. In addition, students combine sentence pairs into a single sentence with a conjunction. (L.5.1a)

Over the course of each unit, some of the questions and tasks are aligned to grade-level standards. However, some questions are focused on repeated rounds of comprehension strategies that do not build knowledge nor align to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Getting Started, Day 1, during Reading and Responding, prior to the read-aloud of “A Stormy Day” from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, the teacher is reminded to teach the following comprehension strategies to students: Predicting, Asking and Answering Questions, Visualizing, Summarizing, Making Connections, and Clarifying on the board. Students tell what they know about each one. These strategies are not aligned to the standards for this grade level, however they form the foundation for roughly a quarter of the questions across the program. 

• In Unit 2, Lesson 5, Day 2, during Reading and Responding, students read A Year on Bowie Farm by Jen Russell. Under Access Complex Text, students are given the task of classifying and categorizing information. The Teacher Edition states, “Suggest to students that we classify and categorize the work on the farm by seasons to help understand the yearly cycle. Have students name the seasons on the farm. Display a four-column chart with the seasons as heading. Work with students to identify story details from the farm tasks on page 98-199. Record information in the Classify and Categorize graphic organizer.” This task does not require students to go beyond a surface-level understanding and does not build to grade-level mastery of the standard. 

• In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, materials include questions that do not align to grade-level standards such as, “What are two main ideas of Abuelito Modesto’s story, as Alma Flor Ada tells it? Explain how the details support them.” 

• In Unit 5, Lesson 3, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, materials include the questions, “How do the characters in ‘The Search for the Mysterious Patriot’ compare to the characters in ‘The Mystery of Washington Park’? How are their attempts to solve a mystery similar? How are their attempts different?” (RL.3.5)

Over the course of each unit, some of the assessment questions are aligned to grade-level standards. However, they may not address the depth and breadth of the standards nor the knowledge gained from the unit. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• In Unit 1, Lesson 1, during Reading and Responding, students analyze the selection and use text evidence for support. The materials ask, “Lupe was an excellent student, but she was not very good at sports. Why do you think she wanted to be good at sports? Do you think that all of her marble practice hurt her studies?” (RL.5.2)

• In Unit 3, Lesson 4, Day 5, during Reading and Responding, students complete a Formal Assessment under the Monitor Progress section. The assessments include questions to assess student understanding of the topics from the lesson. The questions include, “Put these events from the story in the correct order” (events are listed). Who is telling this story, and how do you know? Why did the author mention the comparison of Japan and China to a silkworm and a mulberry leaf?” The first two questions do not align to grade-level standards. The third question aligns with RL.5.4.

• In Unit 5 Assessment, the Opinion Writing Task says, “Scientists are talking about sending people to Mars. What is your opinion about this? Is it a good thing, or is it too dangerous and expensive? Imagine that you are writing a letter to a member of Congress. Explain your opinion about sending people to Mars.” (W.5.1, W.5.4)

By the end of the academic year, standards are addressed within and across units; however, the focus on unaligned strategies throughout may not allow students to fully master the depth and breadth of the standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The majority of the RL and RI standards are covered in all units. 

• W.5.1 (including all substandards) are found primarily in Units 1 and 5 (including all substandards); however, they are only found a few places throughout the year. W.5.2 is found primarily in Units 1, 2, 4, and 5. W.5.2.e only appears a few times over the course of the year. W.5.3 (including all substandards) is found primarily in Units 3, 4, 5 and 6. W.5.4-8 are found across most units. W.5.9 appears primarily in Units 2-6, and sparsely within those units. W.4.10 appears in all units. 

• SL.5.1-6 appear in all units. 

• The majority of the language standards are found across the year; however, some language standards are found only a few times throughout the year. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2h.

The materials are all grouped into six units over the course of the year. This program is designed for 36 weeks of instruction plus an additional Getting Started week-long lesson in Unit 1. Each lesson contains five days with activities for Foundational Skills, Reading and Responding, and Language Arts. The core instructional materials are all contained within those sections of the materials. While the materials do provide a scope and sequence to help teacher’s plan their year along with highly-structured lessons that follow a similar format week after week, the materials do not include a daily schedule or time allotment for each section of the lesson. The daily plans and instructional routines do not explicitly state a suggested time frame or estimated amount of time per activity. Without suggested times for the various activities, it would be a challenge to fit the activities within these three components into the daily schedule. Workshop Time is the only portion for which a suggested time frame of 15-30 minutes is provided. Within the Workshop Time, the materials suggest including decodables and leveled readers during Workshop Time, as well as providing time to work on the Inquiry project during Workshop. Optional materials do not distract from the core learning, although it can be unclear when optional activities should be incorporated. 

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

  • The materials contain a scope and sequence for each unit. For example, in Unit 3 the materials state the theme, Celebrating World Communities, and then lay out the three components: foundational skills, reading and responding, and language arts. The materials presented in the scope and sequence follow core learning, but a suggested time frame is not provided. 

  • An Intervention Teacher Guide is provided in the Resource Library. These materials provide lessons for all six units. The lessons in the Intervention Guide line up with the lessons in the traditional Teacher Edition, following the same path. 

  • The Curriculum Overview states that Foundational Skills include Phonics and Word Analysis, Oral Language Activities, Reading the Decodables, and Reading Fluency Passages. Recommended time for instruction is not provided.

  • The Curriculum Overview states that during Reading and Responding, students read each selection twice: the first time to practice comprehension strategies, and the second to analyze complex text. Students work with vocabulary every day using the Selection Vocabulary Routine. Students read a science or social studies connection text toward the end of each week. Recommended time for instruction is not provided.

  • The Curriculum Overview states that during Language Arts, students work on the writing process daily during this block. Spelling and grammar are also included in the Language Arts block. Recommended time for instruction is not provided.

• Suggested implementation times and schedules are not provided for most aspects of the program. The volume of materials may be more than can be completed within the scope of an average school week/year.  Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The Scope and Sequence provides a color-coded planner which includes Foundational Skills (green), Reading and Responding (red), and Language (blue) in that order. Each day begins with Foundation Skills lessons, then moves to the Reading and Responding lessons, ending with Language Arts. Recommended time for teaching and implementation of daily lessons is not provided. 

  • The Workshop Overview states, “Workshop can be implemented during the reading/language arts timeframe in a flexible manner. This can come before the core instruction begins, sometimes in the middle of the reading/language block, or at the end of that time period. Workshop may last 15-30 minutes, depending on the needs of the classroom.” This is the only time frame mentioned in the materials.

  • There are six units included in the materials. Each unit is made up of six lessons, with each lesson containing five days. There is also a Getting Started lesson at the beginning of Unit 1. 

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

  • Letter cards are provided to help students form letters. Penmanship videos are included to help students write cursive letters. The Program Overview suggests that the teacher should create a writing area for Workshop and, “The area should also have various Letter Cards and other handwriting models for those students who want to practice letter formation or handwriting.” These materials do not appear to have specific lessons, and are meant to supplement the materials. 

  • The Social Emotional Learning Content Guide illustrates how Character Lab can integrate with Open Court Reading. The Teacher Tips guide states, “Incorporate the Playbook or SEL outcome as part of building background and discussing the selection around the Essential Question.” 

  • Core and Practice Decodables: Pre-Decodables and Decodables give students practice reading at their own pace and allows them to listen to a fluent model of reading. Decodable Stories Takehome Books allow students to apply their knowledge of phonic elements to read. Each story supports instruction in a new phonic element and incorporates elements and words that have been learned earlier.

  • Genre Practice provides students with additional opportunities to read and respond to a variety of genres. Each activity contains one or two reading selections. Multiple-choice or written-response comprehension questions and a writing prompt follow the reading selection(s).

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

• Challenge Novels are intended for beyond-level students and are suggested as additional reading to what students already complete with the normal lessons. The Challenge Novels focus around the unit theme. For example, the Unit 1 theme is Celebrating World Communities. Students read the Challenge Novel Hidden Figures. During Week 1 Think about It, students think about questions such as, “What motivates people to persevere? What makes you want to persevere?” The Challenge Novel also contains comprehension questions such as, “Why does the author think it is important to share these women’s stories? Quote accurately from the text to support your answer.’” There is not a clear expectation on when the students are expected to complete these additional questions. 

• The Visual Vocabulary provides a brief video for vocabulary words. These videos provide audio of the word, the definition, an example sentence, and a picture to help students better understand the vocabulary. 

• Technology and Digitally Enhanced Activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • ePresentation can be used during the lesson as a presentation tool of the elements within the lesson.

  • eGames provide students a way to practice skills learned in class from all key sections within the daily lesson including Foundational Skills, Reading and Responding, and Language Arts. These may be found in the Resource Library under “Games.”

  • eActivities give students additional practice with high frequency words, comprehension, grammar, spelling, and writing. These may be found in the Resource Library under “Activities.”