5th Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations for materials containing sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts. Students are provided the opportunity to participate in the close reading of the three weekly texts and respond to questions and tasks. Instructions to the teacher support with guidance to read, re-read, and closely consider texts. Close reading of three texts in one week requires significant periods of literacy instructional time; support for this work is outlined in the teacher implementation materials.

Close reading occurs on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4.

During Days 1 and 2, students participate in close reading of the companion text using the Close Reading Routine with the Reading/Writing Workshop.

• In Unit 2, Week 4, students closely read the text, “The Magical Lost Brocade.” During the first read, students identify key ideas and details about making a plan of action. Students take notes, summarize, and answer text-dependent questions such as: “What do these details reveal about the characters?" and "What problem is described at the beginning of the story?” During the second read, student analyze the theme and genre. Students are directed to look at the headings and answer questions such as: “What is Ping’s quest? What magical characters and situations does the folktale contain?”
• In Unit 6, Week 1, students closely read the companion text, “Shipped Out.” During the first reading, students are asked key ideas and details about contributing to a cause. Students answer text-dependent questions such as: “What information supports the idea that different people can contribute to a cause?” For the second read, students focus on summarizing and understanding theme and genre. Students practice summarizing paragraphs, discuss character clues that lead to figuring out the theme, and students try to find a flashback in the story.

During Days 3 and 4, students participate in close reading of the anchor text in the Literature Anthology.

• In Unit 1, Week 2, student closely read the anchor text, Second Day, First Impressions. During the first reading, students are asked to identify the structure of the text by answering the following questions: “Who is the main character? What is the setting? What problem does Luisa have?” During the second read, students are asked to analyze author’s craft. For example, students answer: “What is the meaning of the idioms sea of strangers, butterflies in her stomach, and made a beeline?” and “How does Hailin’s dialogue reveal what he thinks of himself?”
• In Unit 5, Week 1, students closely read Ida B. During the first reading, students identify and analyze the structure of the text by comparing and contrasting: “What was Ida B’s home like before her mother got cancer? How are Ida’s feelings about reading out loud different at home and at school?“ During the second read, students analyze author’s craft when asked the following questions: “How does the author help you understand Ida’s reaction to reading in class?” and “What human characteristics does the author give to happiness?”
• For the reread of Survival at 40 Below on Day 4 in Unit 6, Week 3, students use the Close Reading Companion to answer questions by collaborating and filling in graphic organizers to write responses to author’s craft questions such as:
  • “How does the author feel about the wood frog’s adaptations to the cold?”
  • “Why does the author describe the arctic fox as an acrobat?”
• For Unit 5, Week 3, students closely read Global Warming. This 13-page text is content heavy for students to closely read in two days. Teachers are directed to build vocabulary in the first read with words such as contribute, generate, and disposable. During the first read, students are asked questions about key ideas and details based on comparison and contrast such as:
  • “How is Earth’s atmosphere similar to a greenhouse?”
  • “Prior to today, what has the atmosphere been like for thousands of years?”

Students also participate in another close reading on Day 4 with paired texts. Students are expected to participate in two close reading lessons on Day 4.

• In Unit 5, Week 5, students read “Busy, Beneficial Bees.” The teacher has students follow the Close Reading Routine. During the first read, students respond to the following prompts about text structure of cause and effect:
  • “How do honeybees help agriculture?”
  • “How is this text different from the previous articles on honeybees?”
• For the reread of the paired text, “Busy, Beneficial Bees,” students respond to this author’s craft question: “How does the author’s use of headings help you understand his point of view about pesticides?”
• In Unit 6, Week 2, students read “Choose Your Strategy: A Guide to Getting Along.” During the first read, the teacher asks students to respond to the following author’s craft question”
  • “How does the author organize the “Talk It Out” section?
• For the reread of the paired text, students respond to the following craft and structure questions:
  • “How does the author’s use of sensory language help the reader understand the text?”
  • “What is the author’s purpose for writing this selection?”

In the Integrate sections of many weeks, students have the opportunity to connect all the texts they have read. For example:

• In Unit 4, Week 3 of Integrate, students are provided the opportunity to think about the week’s Essential Question in association with all the week’s readings. Students respond to “What can people do to bring about a positive change?” People compare information they have read about taking action. Students take notes in their accordion foldable.

Because students follow the same routine for close reading with each companion text, each anchor text, and each paired-text in every week, students analyze each text in the same manner for key ideas and details, craft and structure, and language. The Close Reading Routine structures the analysis of each text the same way, building routines to support students' focus on the texts themselves.

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the criteria for including a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts. The number of words a student is introduced to in a five-day setting, along with the time spent on vocabulary activities/tasks, may be amended to meet site-specific needs. Direction is given in the Teacher’s Edition for teachers to review vocabulary in future lessons or to teach how words build knowledge to access future grade-level texts. The teacher edition states, “The words are always reviewed the next week in Build Vocabulary. In addition, you should do a periodic cumulative review of vocabulary words about twice per unit.”

Vocabulary builds throughout the week and across texts within a one-week period. During the reading each week, students are introduced to Words to Know Vocabulary. These vocabulary words are introduced using the vocabulary routine and visual vocabulary cards. The vocabulary routine states to define the word, give an example of the word, and then ask a question using the word. Words are introduced within the context of a sentence. Words to Know Vocabulary are found within and throughout each text read during the week. Vocabulary strategy mini-lessons are included in weekly lessons. Vocabulary practice can be found in student practice books.

In the Professional Development Instructional Routine Handbook, a supplemental resource, teachers are guided through a 4-step routine that can be used year-long to introduce vocabulary. (pages R41-R42)

• Step 1: Introduce: Tell students what the vocabulary routine will be.
• Step 2: Model (I Do): Define/Example/Ask
• Step 3: Guided Practice (We Do): Ask students to identify examples and non-examples of the word; guide students in creating word squares.
• Step 4: Provide Independent Practice (You Do.): “Individual turns allow you an opportunity to assess each student’s skill level and provide additional practice for those students who need it. Near the end of each week, students should write sentences in their word study notebooks using the words.” (page R42)

In the Professional Development Instructional Routine Handbook, teachers are also provided with instructions on introducing Vocabulary in context: “As you Close Read the selection with students, take a moment to point out the Build Vocabulary words and their definitions...Unlike the Define/Example/ Ask Routine, the purpose of the Build Vocabulary words is to simply point out and define these rich vocabulary words to enrich and broaden students’ vocabulary and promote understanding of the text” (page R43). In this supplemental resource, the Define/Example/Ask routine is explained:

• Define: “You will tell them the meaning of the word, using student-friendly language--words they already know.” (page R44)
• Example: “You will give them an example of how the word is used, using their own common experiences.” (page R44)
• Ask: “You will ask them a question that helps them connect the word to words they already know and use the word in speaking.” (page R44)

In the “Smart Start” of the Wonders Teacher’s Edition, year-long protocols and routines are presented at the beginning of Unit 1. The “Smart Start” pages guide teachers in introducing students to the following instructional routines that are addressed in weekly lessons:

Vocabulary Routine

• The Define/Example/Ask routine is introduced to students

Building Vocabulary

• Teachers are instructed in building word walls, selecting five to ten words per week from the texts.
• Teachers are instructed to “try to include useful words that students might use in writing and speaking.”
• A Periodic Vocabulary Review routine is outlined in the margin, stating that students will encounter the vocabulary words in multiple contexts. It does not mention in which contexts/activities/resources the students will repeatedly encounter these words. It does state, “The words are always reviewed the next week in Build Vocabulary. In addition, you should do a periodic cumulative review of vocabulary words about twice per unit.” Review instructions include:
  • 1. Review the words using the Word Lists Online PDF.
  • 2. Have students write sentences using the words. Then have partners discuss each other’s work.
  • 3. As needed, students can check the meanings or pronunciations of words using the Glossary on Literature Anthology, pages 552-568.

Build Background

• The concept of the weekly essential question is introduced.
• Teachers are to introduce concept words related to the Big Idea and guide students to generate words related to the essential question. Explicit instructions/routines for this are not provided.
• In the “Collaborative Conversations” box, teachers are instructed to have students watch a video outlining procedures for partner and small group conversations, then share discussion guidelines.
• None of the discussion guidelines include procedures for ensuring inclusion of academic vocabulary in speaking activities.

Vocabulary Strategy

• The week's vocabulary strategy is introduced through a 10-minute mini-lesson using the Reading/Writing Workshop text.
• For example, in Unit 4, Week 2, the vocabulary strategy is adages and proverbs: Teachers are to explain that adages and proverbs are traditional sayings that have often been repeated.
• Students are instructed to practice applying the skill with one or two words in the shared read (in the Reading/Writing Workshop text). Example from Unit 5, week 5: “Use the roots below to figure out the meanings of words from “New Arrivals Welcome” and “A Growing Problem.”
• The Teacher Edition usually provides one or two opportunities for teachers to direct students in applying the vocabulary strategy skill during the close read. For example in Unit 3, Week 3: “The word microscope on page 219 has a prefix and a Greek root. The prefix micro- means ‘small.’ The root scope means ‘see or watch.’ Use this information, along with context clues, to figure out the meaning of microscope. ”

Close Read - Build Vocabulary

• Throughout the close read (in the Literature Anthology), "Build Vocabulary" words are called out in the margins of the Teacher Edition. These words are not related to the "Words in Context" or the "Vocabulary Strategy." Instructions are not provided with the words, but definitions are.
• For example, Build Vocabulary words in the close read for Unit 2, week 4, include the following words: consulted, solemnly, comb, empty, lifeless, saplings, casks, dismayed.

Close Read - Access Complex Text: Specific Vocabulary

• At one or two points during the close read, a vocabulary word, word part, or term is called out in the Teacher Edition for teachers to discuss with students.
  • In Unit 2, Week 2, these words/terms include the following: pedigree, ancestors, and credentials

Close Read - Companion Text

• In the companion text following the anchor text, vocabulary words are highlighted.

Build Vocabulary instruction is also included in the language arts lessons. During a Build Vocabulary lesson, students practice weekly vocabulary using strategies such as connect to words, expand vocabulary, reinforce the words, connect to writing, and word squares. Words in Build Vocabulary are also listed along with their definitions in the Teacher Edition for teachers to address while reading the weekly Literature Anthology.

Build Vocabulary

• In a 5-day routine, students practice vocabulary words introduced that week. For example, in Unit 1, Week 3, Day 1, students answer questions about the following words: debris, emphasis, encounter, generations, indicated, naturalist, sheer, and spectacular.
• Students practice the words through questions, sentences, changing inflectional endings, writing definitions, completing sentence stems, drawing representative pictures, creating word squares, and writing their own sentences.

Build More Vocabulary

• Each week, additional vocabulary skills are introduced or reviewed. These skills include, but are not limited to homographs, homophones, shades of meaning, academic vocabulary, context clues, related words, prefixes, and suffixes.

• With the exception of the "Context Clues" activities, most practice activities involve students creating sentences with the words, discussing examples, creating charts, and composing/decomposing words with word parts.

Academic words are also in bold in the Teacher Edition notes and listed and labeled in a side box. These words are used in student questioning and directions.

The materials for Grade 5 meet the criteria for including a progression of focused research projects to encourage students to develop knowledge in a given area by confronting and analyzing different aspects of a topic using multiple texts and source materials. Students will work on a series of short and long research projects throughout the year. In Units 1, 5, and 6, students will work on short Research and Inquiry projects each week. In Units 2, 3, and 4, students will work on three longer online Inquiry Space performance tasks. Teacher instructions in the Teacher Edition for Research and Inquiry and Inquiry Space are brief. Teachers will need to identify instructional time that works for their settings to implement this work, and there is some guidance in the teacher materials.

Research and Inquiry: Weekly Projects

• These are week-long projects that take place during three out of the six units in the school year during Unit 1, Unit 5, and Unit 6.
• Students conduct research and create short projects such as interviews, summaries, illustrations, poems, story maps, and brochures.
• Speaking and listening skills are incorporated on Day 5, when students present their projects.
• Teacher instructions in the Teacher Edition are brief and lack explicit direction for effectively guiding students through the research process with online and print materials.
  • Unit 1, Week 4: “Find Resources - Review how to locate and use reliable print and online resources. Students should verify all facts in multiple sources.”
  • Unit 5, Week 3: “Find Resources - Have partners search reliable print and digital sources for information about nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. Tell them to look for web sites that describe ways the reserve or sanctuary protects wildlife. Ask students to choose one reserve or sanctuary to focus on as they answer their research questions. Suggest that students use Research Process Checklist 3.

Unit 1 Eureka! I’ve Got It - Weekly Projects

• Week 1 - Venn Diagram, T38
• Week 2 - Time Line, T102
• Week 3 - Promotional Map, T166
• Week 4 - Shared Research Board, T230
• Week 5 - Persuasive Speech, T294
• Week 6 - Newspaper Article, Television Segment, Slide Show or Pamphlet, Debate, Persuasive Presentation

Unit 5 What’s Next - Weekly Projects

• Week 1 - Cause and Effect Chart, T38
• Week 2 - Presentation, T102
• Week 3 - Website Entry or Podcast, T166
• Week 4 - Summary, T230
• Week 5 - Bibliography, T294
• Week 6 - Choice of Multimedia Presentation, Formal Presentation, Slide Show, Mock Interview, or Persuasive Speech

Unit 6 Linked In - Weekly Projects

• Week 1 - Class Web Site, T38
• Week 2 - Oral Presentation, T102
• Week 3 - Oral Presentation, T166
• Week 4 - Research Display, T230
• Week 5 - Interview Summary, T294
• Week 6 - Choice of Oral Presentation, List of Guidelines, Slide Show, Rap or Jingle, or Mock Interview

Inquiry Space

Inquiry Space is a digitally-delivered program that provides students practice and instruction in integrating and applying reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to build and share knowledge about a science or social studies topic. Inquiry Space performance tasks are found in Units 2, 3, and 4. Each six-week project is made up of six levels that step out the research, writing, and presenting process. Inquiry Space is not allotted time during the suggested lesson plans in either the core nor optional plans until week 6 of the Unit, so teachers will identify time(s) that work for use of this component.

• Level 1: Analyze the Task - purpose and audience, keywords, research plan, design your presentation.
• Level 2: Evaluate Sources - skim and scan, evaluate sources.
• Level 3: Take Notes - taking notes from audio sources, taking notes from video sources, paraphrasing, research plan, taking notes from print sources.
• Level 4: Write an Outline and Draft - organizing notes, outline to draft, student model outline, opinion statement, paraphrasing, writing rubric.
• Level 5: Revise and Edit Your Draft - revised student model, edited student model, cite sources, proofreader marks, peer conferencing checklist, revise and edit checklist, writing rubric, peer conferencing video.
• Level 6: Publish and Present - how to give a presentation, presentation checklist, listening checklist, presentation rubric, how to publish your work, design your presentation, record and edit audio.
• For example, In Unit 4, students complete a Narrative Performance Task. The Teacher Edition states, “Each week students will complete one level of a six-week narrative performance task in a digital environment. Via a game-like interface, students are assigned a task and work independently to: plan and conduct research, synthesize information, communicate ideas in writing and presentation."
• Resource Toolkit: At each level, a toolkit of resources is available to students. The point-of-use resources include a variety of animated tutorials, videos and slide presentations that students can view to help them at each level.
• Projects integrate reading and writing skills throughout all six weeks. Projects incorporate speaking and listening skills in the fifth and sixth weeks as students peer conference and later present their projects.

The Inquiry Space projects require research skills over the six weeks of the unit.

• Research skills are introduced through narrated, text-heavy slideshows and tutorials. Students are directed to apply skills by answering free response and yes or no questions/prompts in a step-by-step research process (analyze the task, evaluate sources, take notes, create a story map and write a draft, revise and edit your draft, publish and present). Students have the option to skip the instructional slideshows and tutorials.
• During the “evaluate sources” step, they evaluate and select three out of four digital sources provided in Inquiry Space.
• Various research skills are addressed as students take notes from multiple sources. However, each unit’s project follows a similar pattern of instruction, with small changes according to the type of writing required.

Unit 2 Inquiry Space - Investigate: Solar Energy - Informative

• Week 1 - Research Plan, T38-39
• Week 2 - Evaluate sources, T102-103
• Week 3 - Take notes on sources, T166-167
• Week 4 - Outline and draft, T230-231
• Week 5 - Collaborative conversation, revise, edit, T294-295
• Week 6 - Publish and present, T330-331

Unit 3 Inquiry Space - Take a Stand: Water Conservation - Opinion

• Week 1 - Research Plan, T38-39
• Week 2 - Evaluate sources, T102-103
• Week 3 - Take notes on sources, T166-167
• Week 4 - Outline and draft, T230-231
• Week 5 - Collaborative conversation, revise, edit, T294-295
• Week 6 - Publish and present, T330-331

Unit 4 Inquiry Space - Write About: Lewis and Clark - Narrative

• Week 1 - Research Plan, T38-39
• Week 2 - Evaluate sources, T102-103
• Week 3 - Take notes on sources, T166-167
• Week 4 - Outline and draft, T23-231
• Week 5 - Collaborative conversation, revise, edit, T294-295
• Week 6 - Publish and present, T330-331

Included in the materials are student and teacher checklists for Research and Inquiry, which are to guide the research process and the presentation. Speaking and listening skills are incorporated on Day 5, when students present their projects.

A “Research Roadmap” PDF is available for students, providing free-response questions to guide them through their project.

Reading Digitally:

Reading Digitally occurs during Week 6 of each unit. After reading the Time for Kids digital article, four options are provided for work around the article. Two options are about research, Research for Study and Independent Study.

• In Unit 4, Week 6, Research Online states, “Using Multimedia Elements: Encourage students to suggest multimedia elements that would augment a presentation on water and drought. Point out that video clips of places experiencing drought or flooding might be helpful.”
• In Unit 4, Week 6 in Independent Study, students are to brainstorm a research question: What else can people do to conserve water? The teacher is to remind students about how to conduct an Internet search, and students are to create an informational presentation about helping victims of natural disasters.

The materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the criteria for materials providing a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

Students are allotted 20 minutes of daily sustained silent reading as well as time during Small Group when they do reading activities using their Workstation Activity Cards. Suggested Timeframes for Daily Independent Reading Grade are 10-20 Minutes for Grade 5 students. Directions are provided for an independent reading routine at the beginning of Unit 1 (in the “Start Smart” pages) and each week in the differentiated Small Group directions. Students keep an independent reading log to track texts read.

Start Smart - “Independent Reading”

• The rationale for sustained silent reading is explained, and teachers are directed to set aside 15-30 minutes for this per day, depending on the grade level. It is specified that “Students can read independently during sustained silent reading time, as well as during Small Group when they do reading activities using their Workstation Activity Cards.”
• Teachers are provided with directions on helping students select a book, as well as helping them “create a reading log or response journal, where they record reactions and feelings about what they are reading.”

Differentiated Instruction Small Group - “Self-Selected Reading”

• Teachers are provided with differentiated instructions for assisting students in selecting a book for sustained silent reading and providing them with guidance for purposeful reading.
• How to Choose a Good Independent Reading Book: The book students choose to read can be easy, at their independent reading level (texts that are “just right”), or challenging--but of high interest. Students should be encouraged to choose a book at their independent reading level most of the time. Share the following guidelines with students to help them choose an appropriate Independent Reading book.
• For example in Unit 2, Week 2, students may self-select a text during small group. The Teacher Edition states, “Have students choose a fairy tale book for sustained silent reading. Remind students that they should actively engage with the story by making, confirming, and revising predictions as they read. They should think about events that occur in the beginning, middle, and end of the story which may be similar to or different from one another. Also students can compare and contrast events and their outcomes to better understand what happens in a story and how characters are affected.”

Teachers are given suggestions on how to set up a classroom library and organize texts. Classroom library trade books provide options for independent reading. A unit bibliography also provides additional suggestions of titles related to the unit themes.

Students keep an Independent Reading Journal. As students read their independent reading books, they will be documenting what they think about what they read in the Independent Reading Journal. Students are encouraged to ask questions about what they are reading and find answers. Students are also directed to identify words they do not know and cannot figure out. They are shown that they can also notice when parts of what they read are confusing or they do not understand. Teachers are directed in ways to support and scaffold ways students can read, think about, and reread texts such as using Thinking Codes when reading.

Teachers are directed to track Independent Reading goals and confer with students about their independent reading. It is suggested that teachers engage the student in a conversation about what they are reading and why they chose their specific text. Asking additional questions, as appropriate, can provide the teacher with valuable formative assessment information about a student’s reading development. These questions may include questions about: the text’s genre, text features, referring back to specific “Think Codes” students have left in the text, general comprehension of text, and more focused questions on how the author presents information in a section of the text the student may have commented on. Teachers are also instructed that they may take notes and lists strengths and weaknesses a student may have to keep track of student progress.

Resource pages R107-R108 show examples of conference forms and goal setting.