4th Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 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 texts weekly and respond to questions and tasks. Instructions to the teacher support with guidance to read, re-read, then 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 1, Week 3, students closely read the text, “A World of Change.” During the first read students identify key ideas and details about how people prepare for natural disasters. Students take notes, summarize, and answer text-dependent questions such as: "How are the natural changes that affect Earth different? What do they have in common?” During the second read, students analyze the text, craft, and structure to discuss the compare and contrast text structure and the expository text genre. Students are directed to look at the the headings and answer questions such as: “What do you think this section will be about?”
• In Unit 4, Week 5, students closely read the companion text poems, “Sing to Me” and “The Climb.” During the first reading, students are asked key ideas and details about achievements and answer text-dependent questions such as: “Read the first two stanzas. What are some key ideas and details that you noted?” For the second read, students analyze the text, craft, and structure focusing on genre, theme, and poetry structure. Students answer questions such as: “What characteristics or qualities of the narrator are revealed in the poem?” and students work together to explain the effect of repetition in the poem.

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

• In Unit 1, Week 2, students closely read the anchor text, Experts Incorporated. During the first reading, students are asked to generate a question of their own and share the question with a partner. Students continue reading to find the answer. Also in the first reading, students evaluate the author’s craft when asked: “How does the author build tension in the story and show how it affects Rodney?” During the second read, students are asked to use details to draw inferences: “How do you know that Rodney is good at defending and describing his ideas to others?”
• In Unit 4, Week 1, students closely read See How They Run. During the first reading, students identify and analyze the main idea and details: “What do all the details on page 279 have in common?” and “Determine the main idea on page 279, and paraphrase it with a partner.” During the second read, students analyze author’s craft when asked the following questions: ”Reread page 273. Why does the author include the sections about Greek and Roman democracies?” and “How does the author structure the information on page 275?”
• For the reread on Day 4 in Unit 5, Week 2, 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 help you understand the characters?” and “How does the author show what is important to Delicious and her family?”
• For Unit 3, Week 3, students closely read Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights. This 16-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 lured, register, and regardless. During the first read, students are asked questions about key ideas and details such as: “Why couldn’t Westley eat at the Levy’s lunch counter?” and “Why did people throw their charge cards into a pile during Westley’s meeting?”

Students participate in another close reading on Day 4. This is with the paired text. Students are expected to participate in two close reading lessons on Day 4, making this the core focus for the day:

• In Unit 2, Week 3, students read “Energy in the Ecosystem.” The teacher has students follow the close reading routine. During the first read, students respond to the following key ideas and details prompts:
  • Use the key details in "The Living Woodlands" to identify the main idea of the section.
  • Reread page 151 and identify the key ideas. Then use the details to tell the main idea of the section,"Back to the Cycle."
  • For the reread of the paired text, “Energy in the Ecosystem,” students respond to this author’s craft question: “How does the author use repetition to organize information?”
• In Unit 5, Week 3, students read “Energy is Everywhere.” During the first read, the teacher asks students to respond to the following key idea and details prompts:
  • “What is the main idea of the first paragraph on page 424? What key details support this main idea?”
  • Summarize the selection.
  • For the reread of the paired text, students respond to the following craft and structure questions: “Why does the author think it is important to learn about energy?” and "Reread the instructions for making a circuit. How does the format help you understand the steps and materials?"

Many weeks, in the Integrate sections, students have the opportunity to connect all the texts they have read.

• In Unit 3, Week 5 of Integrate, students are provided the opportunity to think about all the week’s readings and include the song, “Did you Feed My Cow,” as part of the discussion. Students respond to: “How does the song connect to what you read this week?”
• In Unit 6, Week 4 of Integrate, students are provided the opportunity to think about all the week’s readings. The teacher is to guide students to see the connections between music and text. Students respond to: “How does the song connect to what you read this week?”

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 4 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 2, Week 2, the vocabulary strategy is context clues. Teachers are to remind students that they can often figure out the meaning of an unknown word by using context clues within the paragraph.
• Students are instructed to practice applying the skill with one or two words in the shared read (in the Reading/Writing Workshop text). For example, in Unit 2, week 2, it says, “Have students work in pairs to figure out the meanings of tense, energetic, and sickly in ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper.’ Encourage partners to go back into the text and use antonyms as context clues to help them determine each word’s definition.” (page T88)
• 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 4, Week 2, it says, “Identify the context clues that help you understand the word amend.” (page T89W)

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 3, Week 4, include the following words: address, divided, haste, opposed, perish, proclamation, shattered, tension.

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 4, Week 2, these words/terms include the following: perilous and scurrilous.

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 5, Week 3, Day 1, students answer questions about the following words: bouquet, emotions, encircle, express, fussy, portraits, sparkle, and whirl. (page T36)
• 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 in the Teacher Edition. These words are used in student questioning and directions.

The materials for Grade 4 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 to support Grade 4 students' development in the component skills of research work as outlined in the standards. Teachers can use the included guidance to identify when this work is implemented in varied schedules.

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 2: “Find Resources - Review how to locate and use reliable print and online resources. Students should verify all facts in multiple sources.”
  • Unit 6, Week 4: “Find Resources - Invite students to research two or three other currencies from around the world, using primary and secondary sources. Encourage them to skim and scan the sources to find what they are looking for Remind them to create a bibliography of the sources they used.

Unit 1 Think It Through - Weekly Projects

• Week 1: Interview a Classmate, T38
• Week 2: Research the Effects of Human Actions, T102
• Week 3: Make a Poster, T166
• Week 4: Research a Topic, T230
• Week 5: Research a Famous Business Owner, T294
• Week 6: Choice of: Give a Presentation, Create a Multimedia Presentation, Create a Newscast, Do an Experiment, or Research a Business

Unit 5 Figure It Out - Weekly Projects

• Week 1: Research an Aid Organization, T38
• Week 2: Map the Oregon Trail, T102
• Week 3: Research an Inventor, T166
• Week 4: Research the Hubble Space Telescope, T230
• Week 5: Research the Job of an Archaeologist, T294
• Week 6: Choice of: Produce a Television Commercial, Write a Blog, Create an Encyclopedia Entry, Present a Slideshow, Conduct an Interview

Unit 6 Past, Present, and Future - Weekly Projects

• Week 1: Research a Traditional Festival, T38
• Week 2: Make a Fictional Journal Entry, T102
• Week 3: Research Energy Sources, T166
• Week 4: Research World Currencies, T230
• Week 5: Conduct Peer Reviews, T294
• Week 6: Choice of: Demonstrate a Festival Tradition, Record and Interview, Create a Multimedia Presentation, Make a Chart, or Present a Biography

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.

• 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. The teacher uses included guidance to support students' development of the component skills of research as they practice over the year.

• 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: Sharks - 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: Protect the Environment - 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: Bullying - 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, but the materials lack explicit instructions for effective research.

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 5, Week 6, students are to be informed about image and multimedia searches during Research Online.
• In Unit 5, Week 6 in Independent Study, students are to brainstorm a research question. 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 4 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 twenty 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 30-40 Minutes for Grade 4 students. Directions are provided for an independent reading routine at the beginning of the 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 should definitely be 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 1, week 2 students may self-select a text during small group. The Teacher Edition states, “Have students choose a realistic fiction book for sustained silent reading. Before they read, have students preview the book, reading the title and viewing the front and back cover. As students read, remind them to make predictions about the text. Encourage students to read different books in order to identify the problems and solutions that drive each book's plot. As students read, have them fill in story details on a Character, Plot, Setting: Problem and Solution Chart. They can use their chart to help them write a summary of the book. Ask students to share their reactions to the book with classmates.”

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 an Independent Reading Journal. Students are encouraged to ask questions about what they are reading and find answers. They 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 the way 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.