4th Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 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 4 includes both themes and topics including Making a Difference, Science Fair, Our Heritage, Our History, Adaptations in Action, National Treasures and Literature meets Art. 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 3, texts are connected to the theme of Our Heritage, Our History. Texts in this unit include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Lesson 1, students read The Unbreakable Code by Sara Hoagland Hunter (historical fiction), and answer the Essential Questions, “What can we learn from our ancestors? How can our heritage inspire us?”

  • In Lesson 2, students read Ben and the Emancipation Proclamation (narrative nonfiction) by Pat Sherman and answer the Essential Questions, "What struggles did our ancestors face? How does telling stories of our ancestors’ struggles honor them?”

  • In Lesson 4, students read Hope and Tears: Ellis Island Voices by Gwenyth Swain (informational text) and answer the Essential Question, "Why is the United States sometimes referred to as a nation of immigrants?”

  • In Lesson 6, students read Fish for Jimmy by Katie Yamasaki (historical fiction) and answer the Essential Questions, "What challenges can groups of people face? How can people work together to overcome challenges set before them?”

• In Unit 4, texts are connected to the topic of Adaptations in Action. Texts in this unit include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Lesson 2, students read Animal Defense Academy (informational text) by Nicole Gill and answer the Essential Questions, "What types of animals must defend themselves? What kinds of adaptations serve as defenses?”

  • In Lesson 3, students read “Ghost Crab” by David L. Harrison (poem) and answer the Essential Questions, "What adaptations do ghost crabs have? What adaptation does the name ghost crab suggest?”

  • In Lesson 5, students read Survival at 40 Below by Debbie S. Miller (informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, "What animals can be found in cold habitats? What adaptations are necessary to survive there?”

  • In Lesson 6, students read Survival at 120 Above by Debbie S. Miller (informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, "What animals can be found in warm habitats? What adaptations are necessary to survive there?”

• In Unit 5, texts are connected to the topic of National Treasures. Texts in this unit include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Lesson 1, students read Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (narrative poem) and answer the Essential Questions, "How did patriots contribute to our country’s founding? How can a story become a national treasure?”

  • In Lesson 3, students read Our Constitution: A Blueprint for Government by William Bale (informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, "What was the purpose of the Constitution? What does the Bill of Rights protect?”

  • In Lesson 5, students read Lady Liberty: A Biography by Doreen Rappaport (narrative nonfiction) and answer the Essential Questions, "Who contributed to the Statue of Liberty? Why are they an important part of the American story?”

  • In Lesson 6, students read The Smithsonian Institution by Elliot Young (informational text) and answer the Essential Questions, "What is the Smithsonian Institution? Why was it founded?”

• In Unit 6, texts are connected to the topic of Literature Meets Art. Texts in this unit include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Lesson 2, students read The Labors of Hercules by Vidas Barzdukas (myth) and answer the Essential Questions, "What kinds of stories are told in mythology? How can mythology influence art?”

  • In Lesson 4, students read The Sun and the Moon by David Park (folktale) and answer the Essential Questions, "How can themes be the same in literature from different cultures? How can they be different?”

  • In Lesson 5, students read Sleeping Beauty by Wendy Jones (fairy tale) and answer the Essential Questions, "What kinds of stories are told in fairy tales? How can fairy tales influence art?”

  • In Lesson 6, students read The Doomed Prince by Paul Thompson (play) and answer the Essential Questions, "Where do stories come from? Why might a story be unfinished?”

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

• In Unit 1, texts are connected to the theme of Making a Difference. Texts in this unit include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Lesson 1, students read Ava and Pip by Carol Weston (realistic fiction) and answer the Essential Question, "How can making a difference start at home?”

  • In Lesson 2, students read Louis Braille’s Gift to the Blind by Tanya Anderson (biography) and answer the Essential Question, "When can helping oneself also help others?”

  • In Lesson 4, students read Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace by Jen Cullerton Johnson (biography) and answer the Essential Question, "How can a small idea grow into a big difference?”

  • In Lesson 6, students read More Than a Game: Making a Difference Through Athletics by Dennis Fertig (biography) and answer the Essential Question, "Where do you see the effects of difference makers?”

• In Unit 2, texts are connected to the theme of Science Fair. Texts in this unit include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Lesson 1, students read The Discovery Fair by Vidas Barzudukas (play) and answer the Essential Questions, "How do scientists collaborate? What do they learn from each other?”

  • In Lesson 3, students read My Brothers’ Flying Machine: Wilbur, Orville, and Me by Jane Yolen (narrative nonfiction) and answer the Essential Question, "What can inspire inventors?”

  • In Lesson 4, students read Godspeed, John Glenn by Richard Hilliard (biography) and answer the Essential Question, "How do scientists build on previous discoveries?”

  • In Lesson 5, students read The Space & Back by Sally Ride with Susan Oakie (autobiography) and answer the Essential Questions, "Why do scientists go to space? What do they hope to learn?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 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 many 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 2, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students are asked to “describe three problems with Captain Barbier’s writing system.” Students explain what problems occurred with this writing system. Later students are asked, “Consider how Louis Braille’s achievement led to improved access to learning for blind people. Do you think Braille writing is still as important today as it was in his time? Why or why not?” Students analyze the text to explain their answer and provide evidence from the text to support their thinking.

• In Unit 2, Lesson 5, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students read To Space & Back by Sally Ride with Susan Okie. Students answer three comprehension questions about the text that relate to the text, but do not function to build knowledge. Some of the questions could be answered without reading the texts. “Why did Sally Ride write her book, and how do you know? Summarize the main topic of the selection from ‘To Space & Back.’ Describe the procedures Sally Ride and other astronauts went through when preparing for liftoff in the space shuttle.” 

• In Unit 3, Lesson 3, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students read “The History of Crochet Lace in Ireland” for the Social Studies connection. Under Reading the Connection, students answer questions in the Student Anthology, such as, “How did global interdependence impact the Irish women that made crochet lace in the 1800s?” 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 2, Day 2, during Reading and Responding, students analyze both single and multiple texts by answering Close Reading, Text Connections, and Writer’s Craft questions. Students read the text Animal Defense Academy by Nicole Gill and focus on the Compare and Contrast skill. Students answer prompts such as, “Students reread the paragraphs about gazelles and ostriches on page 363. Describe how the two animals are similar and different. Record their responses on a Compare and Contrast chart.” During the Close Reading section, students use a Venn diagram to track the idea and details as they read.

• In Unit 5, Lesson 2, Day 2, during Reading and Responding, students are asked to reread page 470. “Make sure they understand the dialogue between Jefferson and Adams. Then ask them to compare these men based on details from the text.” Students analyze the text to explain similarities and differences between the two men.

• In Unit 6, Lesson 4, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students read The Sun and the Moon by David Park. Under Access Complex Text, students focus on making inferences. The Teacher Edition states, “Have students make an inference about the tiger or the children based on the information on these pages.” This prompt emphasizes the comprehension strategy of making inferences without building knowledge. 

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 3, during Reading and Responding, students read Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson. Under the Text Connections section, students answer prompts found in the Student Anthology, such as, “Describe one way in which ‘The Statesman’ helps you better understand a theme of ‘Nelson Mandela’.” A possible answer is provided.

• In Unit 3, Lesson 4, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students read Hope and Tears: Ellis Island Voices by Gwenyth Swain. Under the Look Closer section, students answer prompts in the Student Anthology, such as, “Integrate information from ‘Fiona’s Lace’ and ‘Hope and Tears’ in order to describe what might have been the route and experience of Irish immigrants coming to the United Stated in the late 1800s.” 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 3, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students read the texts, Masters of Illusion by Jean Enicks and Ghost Crab by David L. Harrison. Students are asked to make a connection between the crab’s life and the behaviors and adaptations of other animals they have learned about in this unit. During Day 4, Concept Development, students use Information from both Masters of Illusion and Animal Defense Academy by Nicole Gill to compare and contrast the ways an octopus, a collared lemming, and a snowshoe hare use color to hide from predators.

• In Unit 5, Lesson 4, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students read Mice in the Mint by Karen Martin. In the Look Closer section, students respond to prompts in the Student Anthology, such as, “Compare and contrast how ‘Mice in the Mint’ and ‘Our Constitution’ cover the topic of Hamilton’s work at the Constitutional Convention.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 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 work on opinion writing. Students complete four opinion writing 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. Lastly, students write two opinion pieces independently. 

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

• In Unit 5, during the Language Arts section, students write four pieces. Students write a persuasive essay, a response to nonfiction, describing an event, and a response to literature. Students write these pieces individually. 

• 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 4 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 3, Day 4, during the Language Arts section, students meet in Writer’s Conferences as a part of prewriting for their informational piece. In the Instruct section, the Teacher Edition directs the teacher to display questions on the board such as, “Does the plan include an opening sentence that presents a clear and focused topic? Does the plan avoid opinions about the topic?” The Teacher Edition also states, “Use the questions as you model evaluating your own plan. Narrate your thoughts as you answer each question and confirm whether your plan is a good one. Try to model making a change or two to your own plan so students are assured that this is a natural part of the writing process.” The materials provide an example text that the teacher can use. 

• In Unit 3, Lesson 2, Day 1, during the Language Arts section, as students work in the Revising stage of the writing process, the teacher displays the Writer’s Goals and reviews those with students. Additionally, students are directed to the Language Arts Handbook page 284 for more information and examples of revising with precise word choice. On Day 5 the students publish their narrative writing. The Teacher Edition states, “Use the Writing Rubrics found in the Level Appendix to evaluate students’ narrative writing. 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 narrative writing.” 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 6, Day 2, during the Language Arts section, students edit their research report. In the Guided Practice section, the materials tell the teacher to use Routine 12, Using a Checklist Routine, for the editing. The materials provide a model text for the teacher to use to guide students through editing the text and using the checklist.

• In Unit 5, Lesson 1, Day 1, during the Language Arts section, students refer to page 170-171 in the Language Arts Handbook to review the model of persuasive writing. In addition, students use the Graphic Organizer Routine to complete a two-column chart similar to the one on Skills Practice 2 page 89. 

• In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 4, during the Language Arts section, students focus on grammar, usage, and mechanics. For the Guided Practice, the materials provide example sentences for the students to edit. For the Apply section, students create their own sentences to share with the class. Students complete the Skills Practice page about Direct Object, Prepositions, Prepositional Phrases, Capitalization, Simple Sentences, Kinds of Sentences, and Coordinating Conjunctions with a partner.

• 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 student progress. For example, the materials provide a Four-Point Rubric for Informative Writing. One aspect where students may earn a four on the rubric states, “Topic/position is clearly stated, previewed, and maintained throughout the paper. Topics and details are tied together with a central theme or purpose that is maintained/threaded throughout the paper.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 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 1, Lesson 1, Day 3, students begin Step 1: Develop Questions, by brainstorming question ideas as a large group. Then, students form small groups based on their interest in particular questions. A student may help the teacher model the difference between effective and ineffective inquiry questions. Students share possible research questions and volunteers add them to the Concept board. 

• In Unit 2, Lesson 6, Day 2, students complete Inquiry Step 6: Deliver Presentations. The Teacher Edition states, “Have each group present its findings and any audio recording or visuals to the rest of the class. Presenters should sequence ideas in an organized manner and use appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support the main ideas while speaking clearly in formal English at an understandable pace.” There is also an expectation that students will paraphrase and interpret key ideas and details from the presentations. The Teacher Edition states, “Connect each presentation to the information from the unit selections. Did the presentation illustrate something related to science that was very different from information in the unit selections? Was there any overlap in terms of content?”

• In Unit 6, Lesson 3, Day 2, students complete Inquiry Step 3: Collect Evidence. In this lesson, students focus on a note-taking technique called mind mapping. After reviewing the previously taught note-taking strategies, the Teacher Edition states, “Display the Example Mind Map, and explain to students a mind map is a way of organizing information into categories and determining relationships between pieces of information.” The class practices using the mind mapping strategy by rereading “Little Red Riding Hood” and creating a sample mind map. 

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 3, Lesson 6, Day 2, for Step 6: Deliver Presentations, students present the findings of their research with requirements that include, “Sequence ideas in an organized manner and use appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support the main ideas while speaking clearly in formal English at an understandable pace.” Upon completion, the other students are directed to, “paraphrase and interpret key ideas and details from the information presented orally and through other media,” noting “how each speaker’s points are supported by reasons and evidence and explain how any visuals helped them understand the presentations.” Additionally, the materials direct the teacher to create a parallel between the “interconnectedness of the groups’ research to the interconnectedness demonstrated by the actions of people within the strong communities of “Fiona’s Lace” and “My Diary from Here to There.” The materials ask, “How can sharing findings help everyone learn more? Discuss how the presentation method helped communicate the information to the audience. Was there anything groups would do differently in the future? Model giving positive feedback and constructive suggestions for future presentations. Provide sentence frames, if needed. For example, I liked it when you . One thing we might do next time is.” 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 2, Day 2, students complete Inquiry Step 2: Create Conjectures. In this lesson, students turn a question into a conjecture. The materials provide a model for teachers to use in this lesson. The Teacher Edition states, “Help students practice making conjectures by discussing the sample question, How can humans work with California condor adaptations when reintroducing them to the Pacific coast?” The materials provide a sample conjecture the teacher can use. The materials state, “Discuss other conjectures that could relate to this model question.” 

• In Unit 5, Lesson 1, Day 3, students complete Inquiry Step 2 as they practice developing conjectures by discussing the sample question, “How did the two-party political system develop in the United States?” The Teacher Edition provides support for the teacher to conduct a think-aloud, including scripted statements such as, “If I were to make a conjecture about this question, I would think about what I already know, and perhaps do a little preliminary research. In this case, I did a little preliminary research and learned that, although many Revolutionary War-era founders disliked political parties, the first parties began because of arguments over disagreements about federal power and state rights. I will use this to make this conjecture: The US two-party political system first developed because of long-term disagreements over state and federal power.” The teacher reviews each group’s question, and helps the group brainstorm conjectures, while reminding them one question can have many conjectures. 

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 2, Lesson 4, Day 2, students complete Inquiry Step 4: Revise Conjectures. The lesson focuses on using students’ research to change and revise their conjectures. The materials provide a sample Venn diagram for the teacher to use to demonstrate looking over combined evidence to revise a conjecture. The Teacher Edition states, “Have student research groups use their own synthesized information to confirm or refute their conjectures. Help groups revise their conjectures, as needed.” 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 6, Day 4, students complete Inquiry Step 6: Deliver Presentations. After giving their presentations, students are asked to, “Discuss any new findings, based on the presentation(s), that might lead groups to revise their conjectures.” Students are expected to complete additional reading to find more information. The Teacher Edition states, “Have students research and select books of their own choosing to read independently to help them find further information and answer their new questions about the unit theme.” A list of books are provided for the teacher. Students post their new research questions on the Concept/Question Board. 

• In Unit 6, Lesson 3, Day 4, students work on Inquiry Step 3: Collect Information as they organize their research and cite the sources they have used for their research. The teacher reminds them of the importance of avoiding plagiarism, The teacher also assists the students as they organize and sort their notes and sources.

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 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 1, Lesson 4, Day 2, Language Arts, students focus on opinion writing, going through all the steps of the writing process. During this lesson, students pre-write an opinion paper. The teacher provides guided practice and applies the model throughout the writing process to provide support. Students work on opinion writing for the entire unit. (W.4.1, W.4.4-6)

• In Unit 2, Lesson 3, Day 1, during Reading and Responding, the teacher models the use of the comprehension strategies Visualizing and Asking/Answering Questions during the first read of My Brothers’ Flying Machine by Jane Yolen. Students look specifically for descriptive nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and sensory language that appeals to their five senses when attempting to visualize, so that it may help them understand and better engage with the text. Students are also provided with sample visualizing sentence stems to provide students with support. The teacher asks questions such as, “Has your question from the previous page been answered here? Will you have to consult an outside source for more information?” These strategies do not align to grade-level standards.

• In Unit 4, Lesson 5, Day 2, during Reading and Responding, students look closely at the text, Survival at 40 Below by Debbie S. Miller by engaging in a second read and focusing on the text-complexity skills, Sequencing and Making Inferences. Students may use a graphic organizer during the reading to sequence the order of events and to note any time-order words from the text that help indicate sequence. In the Teacher Edition, guiding questions reflect the focus of the skills in the lesson. For example, students reread the descriptions of how the “wood frog and the ground squirrel prepare for hibernation.” Students are asked to explain the steps in each process in the correct sequence and encouraged to use time-order words in their responses. (RI.4.1, 4.5)

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, prior to the read-aloud of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, the teacher is reminded to teach these 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 3, Lesson 4, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, Text Connections, students make text connections with six comprehension questions asked. Some require text evidence; however, some are not aligned to grade-level standards. For example, “In ‘The Unbreakable Code,’ Grandfather experienced prejudice while fighting in World War II. How was his experience similar to that of people kept at Ellis Island during the war, based on the information in ‘Hope and Tears’?” (RL.4.1, RI.4.9)

• In Unit 5, Lesson 2, Day 2, during Reading and Responding, students read Give Me Liberty! The Story of the Declaration of Independence by Russell Freedman. The Teacher Edition provides the task, “Have students reread the paragraphs about Thomas Jefferson on page 469. Ask them to identify one fact and one opinion stated about Jefferson in the text.” In previous lessons, students identify facts and opinions. This strategy does not align with grade-level standards. 

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 3, Lesson 4, Day 5, Language Arts, the materials provide a formal assessment under Monitor Progress. The assessment focuses on grammar, usage, and mechanics and has students choose the correct plural noun. This does not measure a grade-level standard.

• In Unit 4, Lesson 1, Lesson and Unit Assessment, students are asked questions such as, “The following question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. Part A: What was unusual about the beetles at the nature center? Part B: Which sentence from the story best supports your answer for Part A?” (RI.4.2)

• In Unit 5, Lesson 6, Day 5, during Reading and Responding, students complete the formal assessment under Monitor Progress. The assessment looks at the students’ understanding of skills taught during the unit. One of the questions states, “Read the item below. Write complete sentences for your answer. Support your answer with evidence from the selection. In your own words, explain what the Smithsonian Institution does and describe the two parts you find most interesting. Explain why you chose these parts.” This does not measure a grade-level standard.

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:

• RL.4.1-6 and 10 are found in all units. RL.4.7 and 4.9 appear in five out of the six units.

• RI.4.1-5 and 7-9 are covered in all units. RI.4.5 is only covered in three units, and minimally over the course of those units.

• W.4.1 (including all substandards) is found only in Units 1 and 5. W.4.2 is found primarily in Units 2, 4, 5, and 6. W.4.2.d only appears in Unit 4, with four repetitions therein, thus limiting the focus on precise, domain-specific vocabulary in writing. W.4.3 (including all substandards) is found primarily in Units 3 and 6. W.4.4-8 are found across most units. W.4.9 appears only in units 5 and 6, and sparsely within those units. W.4.10 appears in all units. 

• SL.4.1-6 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 4 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, Our Heritage, Our History, 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 covering 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 allow 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 phonics 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 Making a Difference. Students read the Challenge Novel Rules. During Week 1 Think about It, students think about questions such as, “How can loyal friendship make a difference in people’s lives?” The Challenge Novel also contains comprehension questions such as, “Explain why Catherine makes up rules for David. Why do you think she makes up rules for herself?” 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.”