3rd Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 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 guiding 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 4, students closely read the companion text “Mary Anderson’s Great Invention.” During the first reading, students listen to the teacher model how to ask and question key ideas and details and then find the text evidence. In the second read, students are asked to collaborate to find signal words (key ideas and details) for cause and effect language to place in a graphic organizer. For the Integrate part of the Close Reading Routine, students are asked to respond to the prompt: “What problem was Mary Anderson trying to solve with her invention? Explain using text evidence.”
• In Unit 5, Week 1, students closely read the companion text “Juanita and the Beanstalk.” During the first reading, students are asked text-dependent questions about key ideas and details, for instance, making trades such as: “Why does Juanita agree to trade Pepe for some beans?” For the second read, students are asked to summarize how Juanita found the giant's palace while talking with a partner. Students are asked a craft and structure question to discuss regarding Juanita’s point-of-view. For the Integrate part of the Close Reading Routine, students are asked to respond to the the prompt: “Add an event to the story. Write a dialogue between Juanita and Mama at the end of the story.”

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

• In Unit 1, Week 4, students closely read All Aboard! Elijah McCoy’s Steam Engine. This 15-page text is a long close read for students. Teachers are directed to build vocabulary in the first read such as grimy, knockoffs, and marvel. During the first read, students are asked questions about language and key ideas and details such as:
  • What metaphor do you see in this paragraph?
  • What was the effect of Elijah McCoy’s oil cup on the railroads?
• For the reread on day 4 in Unit 1, Week 4, students use the Close Reading Companion to answer questions by collaborating and completing graphic organizers with responses to craft and structure questions such as:
  • How does the way the author repeats words and phrases help you understand Jack’s character?
  • How does the author use language to help you visualize what the bear is doing?
• For the Integrate component in Unit 1, Week 4, students are asked to make text-to-world connections about inventions people use everyday and how those inventions help people. Students are asked to connect a song, “Inventive Minds,” with a Blast Back assignment and the text to answer: “How does the Blast connect to what you read this week? To the song 'Inventive Minds'?"
• For Unit 5, Week 1, students closely read Clever Jack Takes the Cake. This 17-page text is a long text for students to closely read. Teachers are directed to build vocabulary in the first read such as jig, fortress, and tiara. During the first read, students are asked questions about key ideas and details such as:
  • How is the invitation connected to the text on page 367? What mistake does Jack make in this section?
• For the reread on day 4 in Unit 1, Week 4, students use the Close Reading Companion to answer questions by collaborating and filling in graphic organizers to write responses to craft and structure questions such as:
  • How does the author help you understand how hard it was for Elijah’s parents to send him to school in Scotland?
  • How does the author hint that Elijah will work to change things for the grease monkey?
• For the Integrate component in Unit 1, Week 4, students are asked to make text-to-world connections about gift giving. Students are then asked to read a poem by Louisa May Alcott in order to connect to what they have read over the week.

Students also participate in another close reading on day 4 using paired texts. Students are expected to participate in two close reading lessons on day 4, keeping the focus on those routines as they examine the texts.

• In Unit 1, Week 4, students read “Lighting the World.” The teacher has students follow the Close Reading Routine. During the first read, students respond to the following key ideas and details questions:
  • Why did early designs of light bulbs fail?
  • What is “Bright Idea” mostly about?
• For the reread of the paired text, students respond to this craft and structure question: How does the author help you understand how inventors work?
• For the Integrate part of “Lighting the World,” students are directed to make text-to-text connections between All Aboard! and other texts they have read.

• In Unit 5, Week 1, students read “When Corn was Cash.” During the first read, the teacher asks students to respond to the following key idea and details prompts:
  • Summarize what the text says about why people barter and how Native Americans used the barter system.
  • Why did the colonists need to barter for crops? Why didn’t they grow their own crops?
• For the reread of the paired text, students respond to the following craft and structure questions:
  • Why does the author use headings in the text?
  • How does the author show how the colonists used bartering to survive?
• For the Integrate part of “When Corn was Cash,” students are directed to make text-to-text connections with Clever Jack Take the Cake.

Because students follow the same routine for close reading every week with each companion text, each anchor text, and each paired-text, 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 3 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 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 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 (Frayer Model).
• 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:
  • Review the words using the Word Lists Online PDF.
  • Have students write sentences using the words; then have partners discuss each other’s work.
  • 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 3, Week 2, the vocabulary strategy is figurative language, idioms: “Model identifying the idiom ‘collect her thoughts’ on page 199 of 'Jane’s Discovery.' Point out that collect means to gather to help students draw inferences in order to unlock the meaning of the idiom 'collect her thoughts.'" (page T92)
• Students are instructed to practice applying the skill with one or two words in the shared read (in the Reading/Writing Workshop text). Example: “Have students work in pairs to find the nonliteral meanings of the idioms like 'clockwork' and 'getting the hang of it' on page 202 of ‘Jane’s Discovery.’ Encourage partners to use the surrounding text to determine the meanings of the idioms.” (page T92)
• The teacher edition usually provides one or two opportunities for teachers to direct students in applying the vocabulary strategy skill during the close read. Example: “Mrs. Yates says that Lincoln dared to 'stand up' for what he believed in. What does the idiom stand up for mean?” (page T93E)

Close Read - Build Vocabulary

• Throughout the close read (in the Literature Anthology), Build Vocabulary words are called out in the margins of the TE. 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 2, include the following words: enormous, mumbled, polished, errand, budge, game.

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.
• For example, in Unit 3, Week 2, these include the following: essay, loud as a tin drum.

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 3, Week 2, Day 1 students answer questions about the following words: amazement, bravery, disappear, donated, leader, nervous, refused, and temporary (page T104).
• 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 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 3 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 3 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 1: “Find Resources - Have students use the online Unit 1, Week 1 fact sheet [from Research Roadmap] to identify a fable to research. Discuss the library or media center and make sure students know how to use the tools and resources there to find reliable print and online materials.” (TE page T40)
  • Unit 6 Week 5: “Find Resources - Students should refer to the online Fact Sheet [from Research Roadmap] about how to craft a limerick. Encourage them to research other examples of humorous poems to mimic. Have them list their source information.” (TE, page T294)

Unit 1 Growing and Learning - Weekly Projects

• Week 1 Fable Story Map, page T40
• Week 2 Culture Web, page T106
• Week 3 Community and Travel Brochure, page T172
• Week 4 Action Plan, page T238
• Week 5 Landmark Informative Report, page T302
• Week 6 Choice of: Oral Presentation, Travel Brochure, Community Timeline, Formal Letter, and Timeline of Historical Landmarks

Unit 5 Take Action - Weekly Projects

• Week 1 - Create a List, page T38
• Week 2 - Reusable Materials Collage, page T102
• Week 3 - Team Member Paragraph, page T166
• Week 4 - Visual Narrative, page T230
• Week 5 - Energy Source Venn Diagram, page T294
• Week 6 - Choice of: Early Culture Presentation, Reduce/Reuse/Recycle Plan, Emergency Response Team Report, Good Citizen Storyboard, and Energy Sources Pros and Cons Presentation

Unit 6 Think It Over - Weekly Projects

• Week 1 - Interview a Classmate, page T38
• Week 2 - Extreme Weather Summary, page T102
• Week 3 - Setting Goals Interview, page T166
• Week 4 - Create Illustrations, page T230
• Week 5 - Write a Humorous Poem, page T294
• Week 6 - Choice of: Quality They Value Essay, Weather Disaster News Story, Goal Setting Plan, Fantasy Story with Animal Character, and Health Slideshow

Inquiry Space

Inquiry Space is a digitally-delivered program that provides students with 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. There is included guidance for the teacher to identify when optional Inquiry Space work may occur.

• 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’s 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, and 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, supporting Grade 3 students as they work on the subcomponent skills that make up comprehensive research abilities in later grades.

• 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: Floods - Informative

• Week 1 Research Plan, pages T40-41
• Week 2 Evaluate sources, pages T106-107
  Week 3 Take notes on sources, pages T172-173
• Week 4 Outline and draft, pages T238-239
• Week 5 Collaborative conversation, revise, edit, pages T302-303
• Week 6 Publish and present, pages T338-339

Unit 3 Inquiry Space - Take a Stand: Overfishing - Opinion

• Week 1 Research Plan, pages T40-41
• Week 2 Evaluate sources, pages T106-107
• Week 3 Take notes on sources, pages T172-173
• Week 4 Outline and draft, pages T238-239
• Week 5 Collaborative conversation, revise, edit, pages T302-303
• Week 6 Publish and present, pages T338-339

Unit 4 Inquiry Space - Write About: Frogs - Narrative

• Week 1 Research Plan, pages T38-39
• Week 2 Evaluate sources, pages T102-103
• Week 3 Take notes on sources, pages T166-167
• Week 4 Outline and draft, pages T23-231
• Week 5 Collaborative conversation, revise, edit, pages T294-295
• Week 6 Publish and present, pages 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 5, Week 6, students learn about paraphrasing and citing sources, during Research for Study.
• In Unit 5, Week 6 in Independent Study, students 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 earthquakes.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 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 time, as well as time during Small Group, when they do reading activities using Workstation Activity Cards. Suggested time frames for Daily Independent Reading by Grade are 30-40 Minutes for Grade 3 students. Directions are provided for an independent reading routine at the beginning of the Unit 1 “Start Smart” pages as well as each week in the differentiated Small Group directions. Students keep an independent reading log to track texts read.

Start Smart - “Independent Reading” (TE page S32)

• 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 independent, purposeful reading.
• Although teachers are directed to have students fill out graphic organizers and answer specific questions during their sustained silent reading, no forms are provided for teachers to print out and give to the students to help facilitate independent, purposeful reading.
• How to Choose a Good Independent Reading Book: "The books 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...."

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 independently, they will be documenting what they think about what they read in their Independent Reading Journals. Students are encouraged to ask questions about what they are reading and to 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 each 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 on which the student may have commented. Teachers are also instructed that they may take notes and make lists of 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.