3rd Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations for anchor texts being of publishable quality and worthy of careful reading. Anchor texts are found in the student edition of the Literature Anthology as the main texts for each week. Many texts are of publishable quality and address several topics of interest which are engaging for Grade 3 students. Anchor texts include a variety of interesting topics that include, but are not limited to, biographies of interesting people, books about historical events, fables, folktales, and historical fiction.

Some examples of quality texts included as anchor texts are:

• Unit 1, A Mountain of History, Time for Kids Magazine - This high-interest text includes vibrant photographs and allows students to access historical information with an engaging article.
• Unit 2, Whooping Cranes in Danger, by Susan E. Goodman - This expository text contains an engaging topic with clear photos and detailed captions.
• Unit 2, The Castle on Hester Street, by Linda Heller - This award-winning historical fiction text contains intricate illustrations and relatable characters who are also Grade 3 students.
• Unit 3, Finding Lincoln, by Ann Malaspina - This award-winning text brings to light important historical social issues. Students are shown history through the perspective of someone close to their age.
• Unit 4, The Real Story of Stone Soup, by Yin Chang Compestine - This award-winning folktale expands students’ knowledge base of cultures and multiple perspectives.
• Unit 5, Bravo, Tavo! by Brian Meunier - This award-winning realistic fiction text includes an unfamiliar setting and an unfamiliar culture and language. This is combined with a familiar topic (sports) that transfers to any culture or setting.
• Unit 6, Alligators and Crocodiles, by Gail Gibbons - This text weaves together detailed illustrations with interesting informational content.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectations for reflecting the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards. Texts which all students access include a balanced mix of literature and informational text. Text genres represented include, but are not limited to, informational texts, narrative nonfiction, biographies, folktales, historical fiction, poetry, realistic fiction, drama, myths, and fantasies.

Anchor text selections include 15 literary texts and 15 informational texts.

• Literature examples include Wolf! by Becky Bloom, The Real Story of Stone Soup, by Ying Chang Compestine, and King Midas and the Golden Touch, by Margaret H. Lippert.
• Informational examples include Earth, by Jeffrey Zuehlke, Amazing Wildlife of the Mojave, by Laurence Pringle, and Hot Air Balloons, by Dana Meachen Rau.

Paired text selections include 14 literature texts and 16 informational texts.

• Literature examples include Coyote and the Jar of Stars, Windy Gale and the Great Hurricane, and Carlos’s Gift.
• Informational examples include A Great American Teacher, Healthful Food Choices, and Trash into Art.

Weekly differentiated texts and complex extended texts are also a mix of text types and genres.

Materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectation that texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to their associated student task. The majority of texts are at the appropriate quantitative level. Texts that are above or below grade level quantitative bands have qualitative features and/or tasks that bring it to the appropriate level for students to access the text.

Examples of texts that are of the appropriate complexity include the following:

Unit 1, Week 2: Yoon and the Jade Bracelet

• Quantitative: Lexile 480; TextEvaluator 20
• Qualitative: The level of complexity is appropriate for the grade level. It has clear organization of text structure and easy-to-follow sentence structures. Though there are a few somewhat archaic terms ("school yard" and "she sent for her"), they do not impede understanding, and multiple levels of meaning (the tiger in the story and the older girl at school) are explained for the reader.
• Reader and Task: Throughout the text, students take notes focusing on character, setting, plot, and sequence. During whole group reading, students work with partners to define words with context clues, generate questions, and analyze illustrations. Also during whole group reading, the teacher asks students to practice visualization, analyze author's craft, and make inferences. The story centers around relatable topics: being the new kid at school, learning to make friends, learning about one's culture, and wanting to please parents. At the end of the text, students are prompted to summarize using their notes, write about the main character's development, and reflect on the importance of traditions.

Unit 2, Week 2:The Castle on Hester Street

• Quantitative: Lexile 730; TextEvaluator 33
• Qualitative: Qualitatively, this text has a high level of complexity, but with appropriate scaffolding, it is appropriate for the grade level. The text structure may be difficult for some students to follow, as the perspective and dialogue alternate between the grandfather and the grandmother. Additionally, the knowledge demands are high, as the experiences portrayed are uncommon to most Grade 3 readers. Students will need background knowledge of the past challenges of Jewish citizens in Russia and the historical process of immigration in the United States. Vocabulary sometimes includes terms that may be unfamiliar such as "matzoh," "boarders," and "Sabbath." Illustrations are engaging and assist with understanding the text.
• Reader and Task: The "Access Complex Text" directions in the TE provide instruction for scaffolding that addresses all of the challenges mentioned in the qualitative analysis. During whole group reading, students take notes on story details that relate to the theme. Students talk with partners to analyze illustrations and discuss predictions. Also during whole group reading, the teacher asks students to analyze the author's use of dialogue, identify similes, interpret illustrations, analyze character development, make predictions, generate questions, and think about the theme. At the end of the story, students are prompted to summarize using their notes, write about the grandparents' differing perspectives, and consider reasons for immigration.

Unit 3, Week 2: Finding Lincoln

• Quantitative: Lexile 660; TextEvaluator 35
• Qualitative: This text is moderately complex, and combined with the Lexile level within the Grade 2-3 complexity band, it is appropriate for Grade 3 readers. With clear organization, language, and sentence structures, students may need some background knowledge of American history, including the Civil War and segregation. These are addressed in the “Access Complex Text” TE notes during the close read. The story’s theme is clear but not explicit, so students are required to infer.
• Reader and Task: Throughout the story, students take notes on causes and effects, visualize events in the story, examine illustrations, make inferences, and interpret idioms and word choices. After reading the story, students are asked to summarize important events and analyze character traits and one character’s effect on the other.

Unit 4, Week 1: The Real Story of Stone Soup

• Quantitative: Lexile 570; TextEvaluator 26
• Qualitative: This text has a moderate level of complexity. The text structure is clear and chronological, and the narrator's humor makes the text engaging for the reader. While most sentences are moderately complex, some include structures with a higher level of complexity. Vocabulary is mostly contemporary and familiar, but students may struggle with pronouncing character names such as Kuai or expressions such as "Ai yo!" and "Cai, cai, cai." Students may need prior knowledge of Chinese culture, landscape, and plant life (rivers, banana leaves, bamboo, chop sticks, and sesame oil). Illustrations are necessary for full comprehension.
• Reader and Task: Throughout the story, students take notes on the narrator's point of view. During whole group reading, students work with partners to generate questions and analyze illustrations. Also during whole group reading, the teacher asks students to define words based on their roots, consider the author's writing strategies, make inferences, define folktales, and consider point of view. At the end of the text, students summarize main events using their notes, write about the author's use of dialogue, and make connections to healthful eating choices.

Unit 5, Week 1: Clever Jack Takes the Cake

• Quantitative: Lexile 600; TextEvaluator 37
• Qualitative: This text has a moderate level of complexity. The text structure is chronological and clear, and sentence structures vary from simple to compound and complex. The vocabulary is mostly conventional, with a few background knowledge requirements to understand terms such as "spinning wheel," "threadbare quilt," "pitted ax," "gypsy," and "concertina." The theme is implicit and may be somewhat challenging for students to interpret independently.
• Reader and Task: Throughout the story, students take notes on the main character's point of view. During whole group reading, students work with partners to summarize certain events in the story. Also during whole group reading, the teacher asks students to summarize events, consider the author's writing strategies, interpret figurative language, make inferences, analyze illustrations, and determine cause and effect. At the end of the story, students use their notes to summarize, write about the author's use of text and illustrations, and connect to the idea of giving thoughtful gifts.

Unit 6, Week 2: Nora's Ark

• Quantitative: Lexile 740; TextEvaluator 35
• Qualitative: Text structure is chronological and easy to follow. Sentence structures vary, and the language is mostly explicit, with exceptions including dialect ("I reckon") and a French phrase. Multiple levels of meaning are explained for the reader, but some prior knowledge is required for readers to make the most meaning from the text, including knowledge of the biblical story of Noah's Ark, the importance of higher ground during a flood, and an understanding of rural communities in the early 1900s. Multiple characters introduced in the story may cause students to struggle.
• Reader and Task: The "Access Complex Text" directions in the TE provide instruction for scaffolding that address some of the challenges mentioned in the qualitative analysis. Throughout the story, students take notes on details that lead them to the theme of the text. During whole group reading, students work with partners to discuss predictions and generate questions. Also during whole group reading, teachers ask students to consider the author's writing strategies, generate predictions, interpret idioms, make inferences, analyze illustrations, and determine cause and effect. At the end of the text, students use their notes to summarize, write about the story's message, and consider the importance of weather.

Two texts are near the end of the quantitative grade bands but are appropriate when qualitative measures and reader and task are considered:

• Unit 1, Week 4: All Aboard! Elijah McCoy’s Steam Engine, by Monica Kulling: This text is at the lower end of the quantitative grade band at Lexile 430. The text is suited to the tasks, which helps to bolster it to an appropriate level. The text structure is chronological, and there are few challenging vocabulary terms included. The theme is simple with one point of view — that of the main character. This text is found at the beginning of the school year which allows students to access grade level text to build to grade-level independent reading proficiency.
• Unit 6, Week 4: Alligators and Crocodiles, by Gail Gibbons: The quantitative level of this text is above Grade 3 quantitative band at Lexile 870. The structure of the text, including text in the illustrations, is more complex than is appropriate for Grade 3. Since the tasks focus on the structure and organization of the text, the tasks asked of the reader are also overly complex for Grade 3. However, this text occurs late in the year when students should be better equipped to handle more complex texts.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectation that anchor texts and the series of texts connected to them being accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level.

The teacher edition Differentiate to Accelerate Chart explains the text complexity attributes of each whole class text, the Lexile and TextEvaluator levels of the texts, and the places within the lesson that will help the teacher determine if the text is appropriate in terms of reader and task.

The following example is from Unit 4, Week 2, page T72:

"The Impossible Pet Show" - 600L, TE 3

• Qualitative: What Makes the Text Complex?
  • Specific Vocabulary- Figurative Language, page T81
  • Connection of Ideas- Infer, page T83
• See Scaffolded Instruction in Teacher’s Edition, pages T81 and T83.
• Reader and Task: The Introduce the Concept lesson on pages T74–T75 will help determine the reader’s knowledge and engagement in the weekly concept. See pages T80–T89 and T102–T103 for questions and tasks for this text.

The Talented Clementine - 660L TE 36

• Qualitative: What Makes the Text Complex?
  • Organization Problems, page T89Q
  • Connection of Ideas - Make Inferences, pages T89C, T89G, T89O, T89W; Theme page T89Y
• Sentence Structure, pages T89I, T89M
• Prior Knowledge
• New Terms, page T89K
• Genre Realistic Fiction, pages T89A – T89B, T89E, T89U
• Specific Vocabulary - Context Clues, page T89V
• See Scaffolded Instruction in Teacher Edition, pages T89A–T89Z.
• Reader and Task: The Introduce the Concept lesson on pages T74–T75 will help determine the reader’s knowledge and engagement in the weekly concept. See pages T89A–T89Z and T102– T103 for questions and tasks for this text.

The Teacher Edition also contains the Instructional Path at the beginning of each week. This path lists all texts read, why students are reading each text, the educational focus, and how the texts connect to one another during the week.

Unit 6, Week 2 Instructional Path T68-T69

1. Talk About Weather: Guide students in collaborative conversations. Discuss the essential question: How can weather affect us? Develop academic language. Listen to “Joshua’s Odd Neighbor” and discuss the story.
2. Read “The Big Blizzard”: Model close reading with a short complex text. Read “The Big Blizzard” to learn how a blizzard affects the Hernandez family in New York City, citing text evidence to answer text-dependent questions. Reread “The Big Blizzard” to analyze text, craft, and structure, citing text evidence.
3. Write About “The Big Blizzard”: Model writing to a source. Analyze a short response student model. Use text evidence from close reading to write to a source.
4. Read and Write About Nora’s Ark: Practice and apply close reading of the anchor text. Read Noah’s Ark to learn about a farm family that survives a storm and a terrible flood. Then use text evidence to understand how the author uses text, craft, and structure to develop a deeper understanding of the story. Write a short response about Nora’s Ark.
5. Independent Partner Work: Gradual release of support to independent work. Text-dependent questions, scaffolded partner work, talk with a partner, cite text evidence, complete a sentence frame, guided text annotation.
6. Integrate Knowledge and Ideas: Connect Text--Discuss how each of the texts answers the question: How can weather affect us? Text to Fine Art Compare how the theme in the texts read is illustrated in the 19th century painting. Conduct a Short Research Project. Write a summary about the effects of extreme weather.

The instructional materials for Grade 3 meet expectations that materials provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading. There are supports to build students’ comprehension of grade level texts in oral and silent reading.

Texts available daily to students include close reading texts, the literature anthology, paired texts, differentiated texts, interactive work text, differentiated texts, and extended complex texts.

Weekly routines include opportunities for students to practice choral reading, partner reading, repeated reading, timed reading, echo reading, oral reading modeling, and independent reading of a variety of texts.

For example, in Unit 2, Week 1, students participate in an interactive read aloud introducing the following essential question: “Why is working together a good way to solve a problem?” This leads to students participating in a shared reading and rereading of “Anansi Learns a Lesson” then a close reading and rereading from the Literature Anthology of Roadrunner’s Dance. Students also read a paired text, “Deltona Is Going Batty,” and then a small group reading where students are working with a differentiated text and are either being read to, echo reading, or reading with the support of a partner. Extended complex texts are also available for students to read. Students are given a purpose for reading with each reread and complete graphic organizers or answer questions to support comprehension.

In Unit 5, Week 3, students participate in an interactive read aloud introducing the following essential question: “How do teams work together?” A shared reading and rereading of “Rescue Dogs Save the Day” is followed by a close reading and rereading from the Literature Anthology of Wildfires. Students read a paired text of “Windy Gale and the Great Hurricane” and participate in small group reading where students are working with a differentiated text and are either being read to, echo reading, or reading with the support of a partner. Extended complex texts are also available to read. Students are given a purpose for reading with each reread and complete graphic organizers or answer questions to support comprehension.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectations for text-dependent questions, tasks, and assignments requiring students to engage directly with the text and to draw on textual evidence to support what is explicit as well as make valid inferences.

During each whole-group selection, students are asked to answer a variety of literal, inferential, and evaluative questions. During whole-group reading of primary texts, students are asked to re-read to find answers to text-dependent questions. Question sets are included with each page of text. Many teacher-directed tasks support students in making connections between the text and illustrations. Questions and activities engage students in text-dependent writing and speaking opportunities.

Examples of text-dependent questions found throughout the units:

• “Which words help you visualize the wolf’s actions?” (Unit 1 TE, page T27F)
• “How is the story with the dogs connected to the text of pages 152-153?” (Unit 2 TE, page T159G)
• “Why is Jane running very fast? What clues in the text help you identify cause and effect?” (Unit 3 TE, page 84)
• “What is a habitat? Look for a definition and a restatement of the word in the text.” (Unit 4 TE, page T168)
• “Which word does the author want to emphasize in the last sentence on page 435? Why does the author want to stress this word?” (Unit 5 TE, page T217C)
• “What is the meaning of offering on page 4? What gives you a clue?” (Unit 6 TE, page T52)

Examples of text-dependent tasks and assignments found throughout the units:

• “Have students review the first paragraph to find examples of nonliteral language.” (Unit 1 TE, page T17)
• “Have students work in pairs. Have them use the details in the graphic organizer to write about author's point of view…” (Unit 2 TE, page T220)
• “Ask pairs to talk about Inchworm’s unique features and how they help solve the problem. Have students use the text and illustrations to find examples of unique features.” (Unit 3 TE, page T19)
• “With a partner, write notes about how the stories compare.” (Unit 4 TE, page T89X)
• “Reread ‘Dolores Goes to School.’ Think of a question. You might ask: How did Dolores try to help the children in her class? Reread the section to find the answer.” (Unit 5 TE, page T210)
• “Have students use text evidence to compare a historical fiction story to a fable.” (Unit 6 TE, page T105)

The Close Reading Companion, the Student Literature Anthology, and Reading/Writing Workshop include text-dependent questions, writing prompts, and discussion prompts that require students to engage in the text directly. The Respond to the Text questions at the end of the main literature anthology selections include summarization, writing, and making connection questions. The "make connection" questions ask students to provide evidence from the texts in the unit to answer the questions. Write to Source Lessons included in each weekly lesson routine include writing tasks that require students to provide evidence from the Literature Anthology texts in their writing. The Practice Book also provides questions/tasks that are tied directly to text unless the practice is a very specific skill (such as decoding).

Teacher modeling for text-dependent tasks is provided throughout instruction.

There are also “Text to Self” questions that are not text-dependent but relate to the theme of the text being read such as “Discuss how you and your friends help each other” (Unit 1, TE page T19) and “Discuss whether you would like to take part in a pet show and why.” (Unit 4, TE page 81).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectation for containing sequences of text dependent questions and activities that building to a culminating task integrating skills (may be writing, speaking, or a combination). Students are provided with a Unit Big Idea and a weekly Essential Question. Students discuss the questions, make connections, and create a graphic organizer to be used at the end of the unit. Similar processes are included at the end of most units to build students' ability to engage with the texts.

Each week, an Essential Question is addressed throughout the texts and tasks. This Essential Question is revisited at the end of each text with a Make Connections Question. At the end of the week, students Integrate Ideas through Text Connections to revisit the Essential Question and create a graphic organizer using notes from the weekly read. At the end of the Unit, students Wrap Up the Unit: The Big Idea. Students use their weekly graphic organizers and notes to participate in a collaborative conversation about the Unit Big Idea. Students present their ideas and create a top five most important list as a class and are encouraged to continue building knowledge through research and discussions.

Unit 2 Big Idea:

• What does it take to solve a problem?

Unit 2, Week 4 Essential Question:

• How can people help animals survive?

Questions at the end of the week's texts:

• Describe the steps that Olivia and Carter took to help the Kemp’s ridley sea turtles.
• How are scientists helping the whooping cranes survive?
• How does the Save the Manatee Club help manatees survive?

End of Week Integrate Ideas: Text Connections:

• Students create an accordion foldable to record comparisons about the week’s texts. Students are to compare the information they have learned about how people can help animals survive.

End of Unit: Wrap Up the Unit: The Big Idea:

• The teacher writes “How can people help animals survive?” on the board. In small groups, students will compare the information they have learned throughout the unit in order to answer the Big Idea question. Students use an accordion foldable to record comparisons of texts. Students present their ideas and list ideas on the board. If there are more than five things, students vote to narrow down the list to the top five most important things. Students are encouraged to continue building knowledge about the Unit Big Idea.

Unit 4 Big Idea:

• What are different ways to meet challenges?

Unit 4, Week 3 Essential Question:

• How do animals adapt to challenges in their habitat?

Questions/tasks at the end of the week’s texts:

• How have the gray wolf and the red fox adapted to living in North America?

End of Week Integrate Ideas:Text Connections:

• Students create a three-tab foldable to record comparisons about the week’s texts. Students are to compare the information they have learned about how animals adapt to challenges in their environment.

End of Unit: Wrap Up the Unit: The Big Idea:

• The teacher writes “What are different ways to meet challenges?” on the board. In small groups, students will compare the information they have learned during the course of the unit in order to answer the Big Idea question. Students use an accordion foldable to record comparisons of texts. Students present their ideas and list ideas on the board. If there are more than five things, students vote to narrow down the list to the top five most important things. Students are encouraged to continue building knowledge about the Unit Big Idea.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations for frequently providing opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax (small group and whole class). Each week, unfamiliar words are introduced and taught through a variety of activities and strategies that include discussions, writing, word morphology, and a define/example/ask routine. Each page identifies academic language that can be found in the text on that page.

Protocols and routines are presented in “Start Smart” pages at the beginning of Unit 1. Teachers are instructed to teach these procedures and routines to students in the first days of the school year. These procedures and routines will be used throughout the school year.

• “Build Background” (pages S5-S6 and pages S19-S20): Introduces the concept of the weekly Essential Question. Protocol is introduced for using concept words related to the big idea, academic language, and domain-specific words in partner discussions.
• “Collaborative Conversations:” Teachers are instructed to have students watch a video outlining procedures for partner and small group conversations, then share discussion guidelines revolving around turn-taking, careful listening, adding new ideas, preparing for discussions, asking and answering questions, taking on discussion roles, and being open to all ideas.
• “Comprehension: Theme” (pages S11-S12): Teachers are guided to teach students how to answer a question by paraphrasing part of the text.
• “Genre: Literature” (pages S13-S14): Teachers are guided to teach students about close reading to analyze and evaluate what they read and using direct quotes to cite text evidence.
• “Comprehension: Author’s Point of View” (pages S23-S24): Teachers are guided to teach students about citing text evidence when making an inference.
• “Genre: Informational Text” (pages S25-S26): Teachers are guided to teach students about using facts, details, graphs, charts, and diagrams as text evidence.

During weekly lessons, multiple collaborative opportunities are presented daily, with modeling and explicit directions provided to facilitate evidence-based discussions with a focus on academic vocabulary and syntax.

• Academic language is highlighted in the margins of the teacher edition, providing ease of reference and use.
• Routines and procedures are provided as periodic reminders for collaborative conversations and peer conferences.
• The vocabulary routine attends to speaking and listening skills associated with evidence-based discussions, academic vocabulary, and syntax. Students utilize a wide variety of graphic organizers and sentence frames throughout the school year.
• In Unit 2, Week 3, students make connections and discuss how voting gives people the power to choose. Students are asked to cite text evidence and given the sentence frames: "I read that voting…," "One way voting gives people power is..."
• In Unit 4, Week 4, students make connections and discuss how the Wright brothers helped people fly. Students are asked to cite text evidence and are given the sentence frames: "I read that the Wright brothers…," "Their invention..."

Lessons include frequent opportunities for the teacher to frame and guide discussion during Collaborative Conversations.

• In Unit 3, Week 1, students are advised to add new ideas to their conversations. The teacher edition states, “As students engage in partner, small-group, and whole-class discussions, encourage them to add new ideas to their conversations. Remind students to stay on topic, connect their own ideas to things their peers have said, and look for ways to connect their personal experiences or prior knowledge to the conversations.“
• In Unit 6, Week 5, students are advised to be open to all ideas. The teacher edition states, “As students engage in partner, small group, and whole-class discussions, encourage them to share and listen openly in their conversations. Remind students that all ideas, questions, or comments are important and should be heard, not to be afraid to ask a question if something is unclear, to respect the opinions of others, and not to be afraid to offer opinions, even if they are different from others’ viewpoints.“

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations for supporting students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching (including presentation opportunities) with relevant follow-up questions and evidence.

Protocols and routines for speaking and listening are presented in “Start Smart” pages at the beginning of Unit 1. Teachers are instructed to teach these procedures and routines to students in the first days of the school year. These procedures and routines will be used throughout the school year.

Multiple collaboration opportunities are provided throughout the week such as Text Connections, Research and Inquiry, End-of-Unit Routine, Integrate Ideas– Inquiry Space, and Research and Inquiry, Wrap Up the Unit– Text Connections, and Publishing Celebrations.

• In Unit 2, Week 4, students reread the section “Olivia and Carter to the Rescue!” to find the main ideas and key details in the text about how oil spills harm animals. Students are to refer directly to the text.
• In Unit 6, Week 1, students work with a partner to discuss Arachne’s boasting and the trouble it causes. Students cite evidence from the text and use sentence frames for discussion.

Students are provided speaking and listening opportunities about the target vocabulary in the reading/writing workshop throughout the year. In the Smart Start instructions to teachers in Unit 1, there are specific instructions about listening comprehension such as to take turns talking, listen carefully, add new ideas, use text evidence, prepare for discussions, ask and answer questions, take on discussion roles, and be open to all ideas.

There are also speaking and listening checklists in the online teacher resources and in the description of assessments in Week 6 of each unit that instruct students as they engage in partner, small group, and whole class discussions.

There are varied weekly projects (i.e., fable story map, culture, web, community travel brochure, action plan, and landmark informative report) in which students work in pairs or small groups. Then, students work in small groups to present a project through a culminating unit project.

Listening comprehension lessons are included in each weekly Interactive read aloud. Students are prompted to think about the genre and the strategy prior to listening to the read aloud by the teacher.

A presentation checklist is provided in the materials for students to evaluate student presentations.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

Writing projects, tasks, and presentations align to standards and allow students to learn, practice, develop, and apply writing skills across the course of the school year. Writing projects, tasks, and presentations are associated with texts of various genres, topics, or themes. Writing tasks are embedded throughout lessons and provide students opportunities for short and extended writings. For example, students write to sources, answer text-dependent questions, take notes, complete graphic organizers, and complete research projects and presentations. Students write informative, opinion, and narrative pieces focusing on topics such as ideas, voice, word choice, organization, and sentence fluency. Students are provided opportunities to work through the various stages of the writing process during which they revise their writings and conference with their peers and teacher. Anchor papers are found in the Assessment Handbook.

Each unit includes on-demand writing prompts.

• Respond to the Text: Students immediately respond to a text that has been read. For example, in Unit 5, Week 2, students write to respond to the prompt, “How does the author help you understand how Tavo’s problems are connected to his father’s problems?” Students are provided with sentence frames to organize their text evidence.
• Write to Sources: This is a 5-day routine of evidence-based writing that repeats each week. For example, in Unit 1, Week 4, students write to respond to the prompt, “Describe what an invention is, using details from ‘Mary Anderson’s Great Invention’.”
• After Reading the Differentiated Texts: This is often a small group writing prompt. For example, in Unit 2, Week 3, students reading the Approaching Level text are prompted to work with a partner to write a short paragraph explaining why the author thinks debates are important, using evidence from the text to support their answers.
• Research and Inquiry and Inquiry Space: Writing including evidence from researched texts. For example, in Unit 3, Week 4, students write and outline to begin a draft about taking a stance on overfishing. Students can collaborate digitally working with teams online through the online portal.

A text to media integrated lesson is available at the end of weekly lesson. Students use digital technology to post responses online. In the Unit 1 teacher edition on page T303, students are encouraged to use "technology such as computers, videos, digital images, music or other multimedia elements to produce and publish . . . ."

Each unit includes two different series of genre writing process lessons that take place over three weeks: Students are provided with an expert model in the first week of the phase; pre-write in second week; draft, proofread, edit, publish, and evaluate during the third week. Students can complete one or both of the lessons over the course of the six week unit.

The following are examples of the writing lessons:

Unit 3: Opinion Writing

• Opinion Letter: Week 1, expert model; Week 2, prewrite; Week 3, draft, revise, proofread/edit and publish, evaluate.
• Evaluate book review: Week 4, expert model; Week 5, prewrite; Week 6, draft, revise, proofread/edit and publish, evaluate.

Unit 4: Narrative Writing

• Fictional Narrative: Week 1, expert model; Week 2, prewrite; Week 3, draft, revise, proofread/edit and publish.
• Evaluate Poetry: Week 4, expert model; Week 5, prewrite; Week 6, draft, revise, proofread/edit and publish, evaluate.

Unit 6: Informative Writing

• Feature Article: Week 1, expert model; Week 2, prewrite; Week 3, draft, revise, proofread/edit and publish.
• Research Report: Week 4, expert model; Week 5, prewrite; Week 6, draft, revise, proofread/edit and publish, evaluate.

Writer’s Workspace includes graphic organizers, tools, templates, model writing and organizers, scoring rubrics, writing traits mini-lessons, and editing checklists for informative, opinion and narrative writing.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectations for providing opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. The writing prompts are balanced between informative and narrative.

Process writing prompts include opportunities for students to address different types of writing:

• Unit 1 - Narrative Text - Friendly Letters and Personal Narrative
• Unit 2 - Informative Text - Explanatory Essay and How-To Text
• Unit 3 - Opinion Writing - Book Review and Opinion Essay
• Unit 4 - Narrative Text/Poetry - Fictional Narrative and Poetry
• Unit 5 - Informative Text - Expository Letter and Research Report
• Unit 6 - Opinion Writing - Book Review and Opinion Essay

On demand prompts and quick writes include opportunities for students to address different types of writing:

• In Unit 2, Week 5, students write a poem or limerick that tells about an invention and includes a simile.
• In Unit 3, Week 3, students write to answer the prompt, “What do the photographs and the captions add to the text? Use details from the text.”
• In Unit 6, Week 1, students write about readiing. The teacher models for students how to use notes from the graphic organizer to write a summary of the theme of “Athena and Arachne.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectation for materials including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information. The materials include weekly opportunities for students to respond to one or two texts in a variety of writing modes including informative, opinion, and narrative analysis.

Examples of opportunities for evidence-based writing are:

• In Unit 1, Week 3, students use text evidence to understand how the author presents information about his community.
• In Unit 2, the Week 1 reading/writing workshop on page 113 says, “Think about Anansi’s Character traits. Then write another event to add to the end of the story. Tell what Anansi would do next.”
• In Unit 5, students use text evidence to understand how the author presents information to show that wildfires are not all bad.
• In Unit 1, Week 4, students answer, “What qualities did Elijah McCoy and Thomas Edison share as inventors? Use text evidence from two sources to support your answer.”
• In Unit 5, Week 1, students use text evidence to understand how the author uses text, craft, and structure to develop a deeper understanding of the story.
• In Unit 6, Week 1, the reading/writing workshop on page 415 has students answer “Who is a better friend, Diana or Arachne? Use reasons from the text to support your claim.”

The Write to Sources' weekly lesson objectives have students write in response to the texts of the week. Students write to the reading/writing workshop text by writing in response to a prompt. Most prompts require text evidence to answer. Some prompts do not require text evidence.

• Day 1: Writing Fluency – Students respond to a text-dependent question.
• Day 2: Write to Reading/Writing Workshop Text – An evidence-based expert model is provided and discussed, and students analyze their prompt, take notes with evidence, then write.
• Day 3: Write to Literature Anthology Text – The teacher guides students in analyzing the prompt and identifying and collecting evidence. Students write, and then the teacher conferences with students (guidance is provided for conferencing).
• Days 4 and 5: Write to Two Sources – The teacher guides students in identifying and collecting evidence. Students write, and then students conference with peers. Guiding questions are provided for peer conferences.
• Throughout the week, the teacher edition and supplemental online materials provide instructional supports for analyzing models, analyzing prompts, collecting evidence, using graphic organizers, structuring responses, and conferencing.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectations for materials, questions, and tasks addressing grade-level CCSS by providing instruction in phonics, word recognition, vocabulary, and reading fluency in a research-based and transparent progression.

Each week of each unit addresses foundational skills for phonics through instruction, application, and assessment. Whole group phonics/fluency instruction is provided as part of every weekly lesson.

• One 20-minute mini-lesson is taught each week. Each mini-lesson targets two primary skills. For example, Unit 5, Week 3 targets closed syllables and roots in related words.
• Each mini-lesson also includes a focus on reading multi-syllabic words and on a particular fluency skill such as reading rate or accuracy.

Differentiation of phonics and fluency instruction is supported in the small group instruction lessons. Students are provided multiple opportunities to practice the strategies for learning foundational skills during these teacher-led lessons and when completing the Your Turn practice pages that correspond to the foundational reading skills lessons.

Phonics is also addressed through the spelling. Phonics through spelling in Unit 1 and Unit 2 reviews phonics from prior grade levels, such as in Unit 1, Week 1, when short vowels a and i and word families are taught. In Unit 2, Week 1, long i and long o are taught. In Unit 3, Week 4, prefixes (pre-, dis-, mis-) are incorporated into spelling.

• Some of the skills are reinforced in the weekly spelling list, but none of the skills are applied in reading instruction, writing instruction, weekly/unit assessments, or culminating tasks.

Other routines for phonics and spelling are described in the “Instructional Routine Handbook” on pages R17 and R50. Phonics and spelling are assessed with dictated sentences that the students must write and through phonics passages in which students read words with the phonics spelling patterns presented for the week.

Aside from the Phonics/Fluency lessons, fluency is also addressed through partner reading, choral reading, echo reading, and timed reading. Progress monitoring of fluency and recommendations and lessons for interventions are provided in the curriculum.

Vocabulary is taught in each Unit through lessons called Build Vocabulary. These include a 5-day plan for students to learn categories of words such as synonyms, idioms, metaphors, suffixes, and root words.

• Day 1: “Connect to Words” in which students are asked a series of questions that can only be answered with an understanding of the vocabulary word.
• Day 2: “Expand Vocabulary” in which students are taken through a series of activities that generate different forms of the word such as adding or deleting suffixes or inflectional endings.
• Day 3: “Reinforce the Words” in which students complete sentence stems with words related to the weekly vocabulary.
• Day 4: “Connect to Writing” in which students write sentences in their notebooks using the vocabulary words.
• Day 5: “Word Squares” in which students create word squares for each vocabulary words (Frayer model- define, illustrate, example, non-example).

Materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations for materials, questions, and tasks guiding students to read with purpose and understanding and to make frequent connections between acquisition of foundation skills and making meaning from reading.

Materials provide explicit instruction of new vocabulary along with multiple routine activities for students to work with new and unfamiliar words and figurative language. The “Instructional Routine Handbook” also describes routines for teaching new vocabulary words, beginning on page R40. The materials do include activities for making meaning from unfamiliar words read in context during close reading of text sets each week.

• In Unit 1 page T27N, “If you didn’t know what racket means on page 22, how could you figure it out?”
• In Unit 2 page T250, “Remind students that they can often figure out the meaning of an unknown word by looking at the word’s suffix.”
• In Unit 3 page T27N, “What meaning does Martina use when she says, ‘I’ve had enough of creeps for one day’?”
• In Unit 4 page T153F, “What clues in the surrounding sentence can help you determine the meaning of the word absorb?”
• In Unit 5 page T89I, “What context clue can help you determine the meaning of channel? Help students state the definition of channel.”
• In Unit 6 page T153G-H, “Help students locate context clues for mission specialist, payload, and climate.”

Opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of the application of word analysis skills to grade-level text occur during weekly assessments. The materials include two weekly assessments, which are referred to as the "Weekly Assessment." There is also a selection test for each week.

• In Weekly Assessment A, two of the questions are vocabulary questions where students are required to use context clues to define a vocabulary word.
• In Weekly Assessment B, approximately 4-5 questions ask students to define words from the text using that week's vocabulary strategy.
• In the Selection Test, the first eight questions ask students to identify definitions for each of the week's vocabulary words with no context provided.

Each week, “Vocabulary: Words in Context” and “Vocabulary Strategy” are introduced prior to reading texts.

• For “Vocabulary: Words in Context,” the week's vocabulary words and definitions are introduced through a 10-minute mini-lesson using the Reading/Writing Workshop text prior to the shared read and the close read. The text provides an example of the word used in an isolated sentence, along with a representative picture and a question for partners to discuss. The week's vocabulary words are highlighted in the shared read and the close read; however, there is no instruction for teachers to revisit the words or their meanings in context.
• For "Vocabulary Strategy," the week's vocabulary strategy is introduced through a 10-minute mini-lesson using the Reading/Writing Workshop text. Students are instructed to practice applying the skill with one or two words in the shared read (in the Reading/Writing Workshop text).

The teacher edition usually provides one opportunity for teachers to direct students in applying the vocabulary strategy skill during the close read.

• 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.
• Close Read - "Access Complex Text: Specific Vocabulary"
  • At one or two points during the close read, a vocabulary word or word part is called out in the teacher edition for teachers to discuss with students.
• "Build More Vocabulary" - Each day, an additional vocabulary skill is introduced or reviewed. These skills include, but are not limited to, homographs, homophones, academic vocabulary, context clues, related words, prefixes, and suffixes.
• With the exception of the "Context Clues" activities, most practice activities involve students creating isolated sentences with the words, discussing examples, creating charts, and composing/decomposing words with word parts

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations for providing students frequent opportunities to practice and achieve reading fluency in oral and silent reading, as well as to read on-level prose and poetry with accuracy, rate appropriate to the text, and expression.

Fluency routines are described in the Instructional Routine Handbook on page R36A. Routines included are partner reading, choral reading, echo reading, and timed reading. For example:

• "Phonics/Fluency" - At the end of a 20-minute phonics lesson, the "Fluency" box directs teachers to model a fluency skill (expression, accuracy, or rate). Students then practice with echo reading, choral reading, or partner reading.
• Small Group - At each reading level, after completing the leveled reader, the teacher models reading one page, then students practice (together as a group, with a partner).
• Reader's Theater - At the end of each Unit, every day during week 6, students practice their parts for Reader's Theater.

Weekly sets of lessons focus on one aspect of fluency as listed below, along with some sample activities. Most of this fluency instruction occurs in differentiated small group instruction. Each unit focuses on specific fluency skills such as expression, rate, phrasing, accuracy, and intonation. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 4 and in Unit 3, week 1, the teacher models reading with expression. Students then practice inflecting their voices as they read a question.
• In Unit 2, Week 3 and Unit 4, week 4, the teacher models reading with proper accuracy and phrasing. Students read with the teacher and then practice reading with a partner.
• In Unit 5, Week 5, the teacher models reading with proper rate. Students read with the teacher and then practice with a partner.
• In Unit 6, Week 4, the teacher models reading with proper phrasing. Students read with the teacher and then practice with a teacher.

Opportunities to demonstrate oral fluency are provided through the Your Turn practice book.

• Each week, two out of ten activities focus on fluency and comprehension. Students read a passage aloud with a partner and answer comprehension questions. Partners track each other’s words correct per minute on the first read and second read.
• Lexile levels for the reading passages are not provided in the student handbook or the teacher's annotated version. Without Lexile levels, the data for words per minute cannot be compared as students progress through the school year.

Students have the opportunity to practice fluency with poetry by reading and rereading poetry selections. Students read “The Inventor Thinks Up Helicopters” and “Montgolfer Brothers’ Hot Air Balloon” in Unit 2, “The Winningest Women of the Iditarod Dog Sled Race” in Unit 4, and "Ollie’s Escape” and “The Gentleman Bookworm” in Unit 6.

Fluency assessments are included in the instructional materials. A beginning-of-the-year diagnostic assessment is provided to determine students’ needs in foundational reading skills. The series includes blackline masters for fluency benchmarking and ongoing fluency assessment.

• Thirty assessments are provided for the entire school year.
• In the introductory section of the handbook, teachers are instructed to use at least two selections every two to three weeks for most students.
• In each unit, the first passage is set at a Lexile level below the grade-level band, the next two are within the grade-level band, and the last two are at the high end or beyond the grade-level band.